


Devils Like To Prove

by HateWeasel



Series: Devils Like To Dance [2]
Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: DLTD, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-09
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2018-10-30 01:58:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 392
Words: 756,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10866651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HateWeasel/pseuds/HateWeasel
Summary: A sequel to Devils Like To Dance, still taking place in the 21st century with a certain batch of demons. After growing tired of living beyond the point which he was supposed to for over a hundred years, Ciel decided to bring back his greatest foe, only for things to not go the way he planned... This is a continuation of that story with new settings, new adventures, and new dangers to face. Perhaps this time, with the return of a few old faces...





	1. Start With A BANG!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, welcome back. How have you been? Did you miss me? Probably my fic more, right? pfft-! 
> 
> If you're new, though, you should probably start at the beginning. This won't make any sense if you don't. That fic is called "Devils Like To Dance." I hear it's pretty good and the author is like, REALLY cool, so you should like definitely take a look at that or something.
> 
> As for our veteran readers who just haven't gotten sick of this yet for some reason, you know the drill. Sit back and get comfy, because this is gonna be a long, wild ride...

* * *

 

 

London, United Kingdom. Orange clouds hung in the sky, fading to bluish black as the sun began to set over the horizon. The city streets were starting to clear as people started to go home to sleep peacefully for the night. They would have succeeded, too, had it not been for a commotion caused by a certain duo.

Two vehicles speeded down the thankfully barren streets, pacing each other, the sides occasionally scraping against each other as they tried to force the other off the road. One of them was a black Rolls Royce Phantom, and the other, your run-of-the-mill Cadillac.

In the Cadillac were four men of a questionable nature, and in the other, two young men clad in black. The driver was blonde with icy blue eyes and a cat-like face. His name was Jim Macken; or, as he prefers to be known: " _Alois Trancy_ ". The man next to him in the passenger seat was what could only be described as a "bluenette" with a singular, sapphire eye. The other was covered with an eyepatch. His name was Ciel Phantomhive and in this ruckus, he was making an attempt to talk on the phone while his partner worked the wheel.

"Hello, is this _Clos Maggiore?"_ he asked, covering one ear with his hand while holding his cell phone up to the other. "I have a reservation for tonight at six, but it looks like I've had a change in plans and need to cancel."

He paused for a moment before looking to the lad next to him and asking: "Did you make the reservations under _'Macken'_ or ' _Trancy'?"_

" _Trancy!"_ Alois replied, turning the wheel and nudging their attacker's car with his own. Ciel nodded and went back to talking on the phone.

"It's under the name ' _Trancy_ '." He said. "Do what? I'm sorry, I'm in the car, right now."

Suddenly, the blonde's eyes widened as he looked at the other car. Machine guns. The men in the other car had machine guns! He leaned his head out the window and placed his hand on the door of the Cadillac. He grit his teeth and his eyes glowed crimson as he pushed hard against the other vehicle and caused them both to separate.

The men in the Cadillac opened fire on the Rolls Royce, riddling its side with bullets and shattering its windows. Angrily, the blonde menace took his gun out of his coat with his right hand while keeping his left on the wheel. He started firing back, blowing out the windows on the other car.

" _Ow!"_ he shouted. "Ciel! I could use a hand, here!" With that, the bluenette ended his call and placed his phone in his pocket.

"Aim for the wheels." The bluenette instructed. "The front one, specifically."

"On it." Alois replied, aiming his gun. He pulled the trigger, completely blowing out the front tire and making the driver of the other car lose control of his vehicle. The four men in the Cadillac crashed into a pole, completely bending it as well as the front of their car. The blonde grinned.

"Yes!" he said.

"Jim." Called the bluenette.

"You see that shit?! Totally wrecked it!"

" _Jim_."

"It almost flipped!"

" _Jim, for the love of God, keep your eyes on the ro-!"_

_**CRASH!** _

Alas, while indulging in his victory, the Macken boy ended up tasting the bitterness of defeat. The Rolls Royce had veered off the road and crashed into a pole as well, completely knocking it over and hoisting the front of the car off the ground. Both boys sat for a moment, staring straight ahead before the Phantomhive turned to the man in the driver's seat. The blond tapped his finger on the steering wheel and avoided eye-contact, nodding slightly to himself.

" _Yep."_ He said finally. "Sebastian's going to kill me, isn't he?"

"No, I won't let him do that." Ciel answered. "You may be getting some passive-aggression for a while, though."

Alois opened his mouth to reply, but closed it as a bullet whizzed by the car. Quickly, he opened the door and crawled out, helping the bluenette crawl over from his side, which was currently being bombarded with ammunition. The two took shelter behind the wrecked Rolls Royce as the poor car was turned to Swiss cheese by machine guns.

"Why is it that whenever I try to take you out on a date, this sort of thing always happens?" asked the blond menace with a sigh. His beau had been returned home from the Black Annis mishap for three weeks, and he had worked rather hard to plan this outing for the two of them. Ciel only smiled.

"I don't know, but _you're the best date-planner ever._ " The bluenette said, pulling his own gun out of its holster.

"As long as you're having fun, I guess." Alois replied. "Think we can continue this _after_ we stop getting shot at?"

"Of course. Then after the police show up, the evening is ours." Answered Ciel, leaning in to peck the other man on the cheek. "Fire when ready, but don't kill them. We still need them for the investigation."

"Aim for the knees?"

"Yes." The Phantomhive stated, standing up during a gap in their enemies' fire while they reloaded. His beau did the same.

"Whoever gets the most pays for dinner." The blond stated.

"There's only four of them…"

"Go!" Alois said without warning, firing off four shots. Each one struck an assailant in the knee each, forcing them to drop their weapons and fall to the ground. He looked back at the other gentleman with a smirk.

"Now I'm paying, and you can't argue with me!" He said, poking the bluenette's shoulder. His smile faded, however, when the side mirror of the car fell off, reminding him of the damages.

"I… uh _… I can cover that, too_ …" he added, bashfully scratching the back of his neck.

"Don't worry about it. It's insured." Ciel stated. "I sort of can't wait to see the look on Sebastian's face when he finds out, though."

"Oh, God, _I killed his baby_ …" the Macken said, running his hands through his hair while examining the damage. "I practically _begged_ him to use it since the Mercedes hasn't been replaced…"

"That's what makes it even funnier, though. This certainly isn't the first car of ours to be wrecked, and it certainly won't be the last. It would appear that we'll be using Taxi services quite a bit, now, though."

"I can cover the bill for that, too…"

"What is with you and insisting on paying for things?" the Phantomhive asked with a laugh as he walked around the car and out into the street. The other man wrapped both arms around the bluenette's as he walked, resting his head on his shoulder.

"I want to spoil you sometimes, is all…" he said with a small pout. "You shouldn't have to pay for everything, you know…"

"I really don't mind." Ciel replied.

"But it makes you seem like you're my ' _sugar daddy'_ or something. That's really gross…"

"Then don't think of it that way." He stated, kicking a gun away from one of the injured men with his foot. He looked down and examined the man. "This this is our guy?"

"Looks like the guy in the picture Bailey gave us." Replied the blonde. "Drug dealing, human trafficking… He's scum, Ciel. I know scum when I see it."

"It was awfully nice of him to just drop by, like this." The bluenette jested. "It makes our job so much easier."

"He really should have called ahead, though." Alois quipped. "It's awfully rude to just pop in uninvited, you know."

"Indeed." The Phantomhive stated, reaching into his pocket with his free hand and pulling out his phone. "The police have probably been called already, from all the commotion we caused. Want me to ask Detective Bailey to pick us up a pizza on his way over?"

_"Only if there are breadsticks involved."_

The date continued with the two sitting on the roof of the crashed Rolls Royce, eating pizza and watching criminals get put in ambulances. It wasn't exactly what Alois had in mind, but in a way, Ciel was right, this was better than eating at a fancy restaurant like ordinary people.

They _weren't_ ordinary people. They were demons. This was their territory, and this is how they lived happily lived their lives; being madly in love and having absurd adventures.


	2. Back2Skool

Alois was in trouble when they returned from their outing without the Rolls Royce. Even though Sebastian knew that it wasn't the blonde's fault, he still held a certain amount of malice hidden beneath the surface of his features as he wore a faux-smile. The man was still sulking the next day when the Macken lad went to school the next day, and the day after that, and even the day after _that_. That car was the butler's favourite. As far as Alois knew, he liked cats, and he liked the Rolls Royce. They seemed to be the two things in this mortal world that brought the man immense happiness.

Still, life had to go on, and Alois found himself back to school at King's College. He had made his way there via taxi, as he didn't really want to take the metro by himself. The whole concept of an underground train was still so bizarre to him. There were still many things about the 21st century that were strange to him. Why, just recently, the bluenette laughed at him when he conveyed confusion over the actions of some of the women and occasionally a man or two in his classes. They would ask him if he wanted to "go out for drinks", which he met with much confusion. Alois still couldn't fathom as to why asking someone if they wanted to drink what he understood to be "piss-water" with them as being flirtatious. It was embarrassing how his beau laughed at him, and even more embarrassing that he still couldn't think of an appropriate way to respond.

The blonde menace didn't understand many things about the people at college. They were very strange. They dressed oddly and spoke differently. There was a lot of pseudo-depth in the way that quite of few people spoke, but sometimes, he could also smell drugs on them, so he didn't pay them much mind. He was, however, tempted to flash his badge at them just to frighten them. Most of the time, though, it seemed as though they simply took a psychology class and thought they understood the way people think. It made the blonde shake his head. They didn't know anything about how people really were at all.

For now, Alois decided that it was best to keep his detective status a secret. It wasn't really important to anyone but his instructors, who needed reasons for why he was occasionally absent, so there wasn't any point in making it known. Then again, it might earn him more points in his criminal justice classes. The thought made a smirk crawl across his face. This would be too easy. It faded, however, when another thought entered his head.

Ciel had a doctorate in criminal justice, didn't he? That means that if he wanted to, the Phantomhive could have actually been one of Alois' instructors. The blonde almost had to stop walking as a blush formed on his face from the idea. Unfortunately, he imagined it. He loved it when the bluenette acted serious. Quickly, Alois shook his head in an effort to escape the other, somewhat lewd thoughts that almost followed. How embarrassing...

The lad almost jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand grab his shoulder. He turned, about to take a fighter's stance, only to see a familiar face. A sigh escaped his lips as he registered that it was only Daniel Westley.

Daniel wore jeans and a hoodie with the school's logo on it. His eyes widened as he saw the blonde prepare to attack, and gripped the strap of his backpack tightly. Once Alois figure out it was him, he furrowed his brow.

"What the hell?!" demanded the Westley lad. "I called out to you like, five times! How did you not see me coming?!"

"Oh… uh…" Alois replied, trying not to think back to his previous thoughts while in the presence of the other man. "Sorry, _my mind was wandering a bit_ …"

"What, did you score on your date?" Daniel asked.

"No! We didn't do anything!" the blonde bashfully answered. We still haven't done anything since Black Annis. Why is that always your first thought?"

Daniel opened his mouth to say something, but closed it while his cheeks started to turn pink. He looked at the ground and asked: "Hey, uh… _can I ask you something kinda personal_?" causing the blonde to arch an eyebrow.

"Sure. Lay it on me." Alois said, waiting for the other boy to start. There was a pause before the Westley finally spoke.

"Uhm… how… _how did you know that you found Ciel_ … uh… y'know…" he began, unable to bring himself to say it.

" _Attractive?"_ the blonde asked, filling in the blank for his friend.

"Uh, yeah…" Daniel said. He had his own reasons for asking, but was unaware that the Macken was somewhat knowing of them. In fact, he didn't know that the rest of their little circle of friends had their own suspicions as well; everyone but the man's flatmate, Kristopherson, that is. Alois tried his best not to smile at the question, and for the most part, he was succeeding.

"Well… let's see…" he said, thinking back. It had been a long time since he was first brought back into this modern world, and subsequently, a long time since he first developed feelings for his beau.

"I guess I started noticing stuff about his personality, first." He began. "Like, _'oh, it's cute when he does this!'_. I think it actually started out as ' _I like when he does_ this', but then that turned into ' _cute',_ somehow.

"Then, I just kinda started noticing stuff about his appearance, y'know?" continued the blonde, rubbing the back of his neck. "That's when I _really_ started getting confused. I felt really gross because fancying boys has always been not only frowned upon, but it also really grossed me out because of you-know-what. Still, he's just so cute! He's got a handsome face, pretty eyes, a calming voice…" he paused to smirk at the other boy, unable to contain himself anymore.

"… _A cute butt_." He concluded, much to the distain of the Westley lad. To his surprise, instead of yelling, Daniel's face simply heated up and flushed bright red. Because of this, the blonde simply stood while wearing a confused expression as he stared at the other man.

"I… I-I…" Daniel began, unable to find his words. _"I don't know what to do with this!"_

"Huh?" Alois asked, tilting his head to the side. "Is it about that thing with Kris?" He watched the Westley tense up at the suggestion, and tried to contain his amusement.

" _N-no!"_ Daniel insisted. _"It has nothing to do with that!"_

"Relax, mate, _so you fancy Kris_ , big deal…"

" _I do_ _ **not!**_ "

"You _kissed_ him…"

"I was out of it!"

"Okay, Dan. _Whatever's clever_." Alois said, patting his friend on the shoulder. "I'll see ya 'round. I don't have any more classes today, so I'm going home to my beautiful wife."

"I thought _you_ were the wife?" Daniel said snidely as the blonde walked off. Alois turned around and walked backwards for a moment.

"Not _always!"_ he declared before facing forward again. He headed toward the front gates and took out his cell phone in order to call a cab, but to his surprise, there was someone already waiting for him.

Ciel stood leaning against the pillar that held up the sign with the school's name on it, dressed in an all-black suit. Even though the sight was normal to Alois, he noticed a few people staring at the man. When he thought about it from an outsider's perspective, he seemed like quite the shady character, with his eyepatch and semi-permanent scowl.

Still, a smile graced the blonde's face as he happily trotted over to his beau. Despite his nature, Alois looked practically normal, as he wasn't dressed for work at the moment. He wore a purple T-shirt with another, lighter, black shirt with a collar over it, a pair of green pants with lots of pockets, and tennis shoes. While his boyfriend looked like he was a member of the mafia, he looked like he belonged in a fraternity.

Even with this, the Phantomhive's bored face lit up when he saw the blonde heading his way. For some reason Alois imagined that if his tail was out, it would be wagging. A police dog really did suit the bluenette, after all. Once reaching the bluenette, he wrapped his arms around the other man's waist and kissed him on the cheek.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "I didn't know stalking was your style."

"Oh, come now, that hurts my feelings." The Phantomhive jested. "I wasn't ' _stalking'_ you, I was nearby and thought I'd pick you up, but, if you don't like it, I'll never surprise you at school again."

"No! Surprise me!" whined the menace. "All the time! But what were you doing 'nearby'? And did you take a cab, here, or…?"

"I was handing in my report from that gang incident." Replied the bluenette. "E-mail wasn't working, so I had to do it personally. I had Bailey Junior drop me off."

"So you show up to my school in a cop car, dressed like that?" the blonde asked. "What are you, a secret agent?"

"Well, technically, _yes_ , and so are you. Wait, what do you mean, _'dressed like that'?"_

"You stick out like a sore thumb." Alois giggled. "It's probably the eyepatch, though. I bet you could just pass off the contract as one of those fancy coloured-contacts or something."

"I thought of that before, too." Ciel stated, somewhat bashfully. "It just didn't feel right without the eyepatch…"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Besides, I like being one of the only ones to see you without it. It's like you and the ' _Jim_ ' thing."

"Only you _asked_ me to call you that." The Phantomhive grinned, causing his boyfriend to blush. He put his hands on the sides of the blonde's head. "I wonder why? Does it make you happy to hear me say it?"

"Sh-shut up!" protested Alois. As always, the Phantomhive saw right through him. The watchdog's grin only widened as the hue of the other man's face darkened.

"You're so cute…"

" _You're an ass!"_


	3. The Fault In Daniel Westley

I'm so tired. I shouldn't have made us all go try and help save Ciel. We only got in the way, and everyone got hurt, even me.

The only one who seems to be doing okay is Travis, who just took a few days off and then went back to school. In fact, he seems to be doing fairly well. He talks more, and does more stuff. It's like a switch was hit, or something, and that he's all of a suddenly outgoing.

It's nice, because as for the rest of us, it's hard to even get out of bed. Well, Preston really can't get out of bed, right now. He still hasn't woken up yet. It's been weeks since we were at the castle, and he's still at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. undergoing some kind of treatment. I have no idea what they're doing to him. They won't even let us see him. Travis has been kind of keeping us all together and helping us out. Things have changed, and not in a good way, really.

It's hard to go home after school. Kristopherson's there, and things haven't been going to well since I… had that little lapse of judgment. I hurt him. I hurt him really bad. What's worse is that he blames himself for what happened to Preston. He thinks that because Preston was protecting him, that it's his fault. It isn't. It's _mine_. None of them should have been there, but I made them. It's my fault. All of it.

What happened to Preston and how depressed Kris is? That's my fault. Preston won't wake up, and Kristopherson can't even bring himself to fix his appearance anymore. He doesn't put any effort into his outfits anymore, and he's letting his stubble grow in. He won't even bleach his hair. I don't know what to do about that. It hurts to watch, and it hurts to be the cause of it. I want to tell him that it wasn't his fault and help him, but… I'm too scared to even talk to him anymore.

I don't know where to even start. I… I took his first kiss from him and then kinda rejected him, after all. I'd be pretty upset about that too, even if I didn't like the person. I've been thinking about it, though, like, how he reacted and stuff. He looked like he wanted to cry. I don't think I'd cry about something like that unless… well, unless I actually kinda _liked_ the person. Kris wouldn't, either, but he did. It makes me wonder if maybe… if maybe Kris had feelings for me at some point…

Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those guys who think gay blokes are like, thirsting after every guy they meet, but could that have been it? Maybe I totally put him in the friendzone and didn't even know it? I'm really not good at picking up on stuff like that, not even with Anna. That's a tricky situation to be in, if that's true; having a crush on your guy friend who's dating your sister, and he kisses you without really meaning it. I don't think I could've done that, but knowing Kris, he probably could. Even with his prissy attitude, he's one of the toughest guys I know. Well, toughest _humans_.

Wait, I don't even know if that's true. I'm kind of getting ahead of myself, aren't I? I dunno, it's like the thought of him liking me makes me kind of… happy, I guess? I don't really know why. I mean, Kris is really attractive and all, but he's still a guy, and I don't know if I could… y'know… be with him in that sort of way? There's no way, there's no way... Besides, my parents would kill me if I did. I just can't like guys.

It's been bothering me, though. When I see Kris all upset like this, I just want to give him a hug, or something. I really want him to smile in a way that's not forced. I wanted to ask Alois about it, but I ended up asking him something weird, instead. Him and Ciel are just so happy together. I'm kinda jealous.

When I got back to the flat, Kris was sitting on the couch watching TV in shorts and a T-shirt. His hair was a mess, and I could tell that he didn't go to school again today. He's been skipping a lot, lately, and it makes me kind of mad. He wanted to become a designer more than anything, didn't he? Shouldn't he be putting more effort into it? He did at the beginning, but then… then Black Annis happened… I guess this is my fault, too… His passion to make clothes is even gone… _It's all my fault_ …

We don't talk much. I usually go to my room and do whatever when I get back from school. When I need to do something, I just sorta sneak around like I'm going to get in trouble if I'm caught. We were best friends, but now we're _this._ I don't know why he hasn't asked me to leave already. I want to ask if that's what he wants, but the way he looks at me when I walk in the door is just… I don't think I should leave him alone.


	4. The Lion's Flirtation and His Occupation

" _Oh? What's this?"_ asked Sebastian with a grin as he was about to exit the Phantomhive gentleman's office with the outgoing mail. "You're sending a card? How unlike you, master."

"It's for detective Bailey." Ciel replied, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. "He retired, recently, and Jim said that's the best way for me to congratulate him."

"Ah, I see." The man said, placing the envelope back in with the small stack in his hand. "Ordinarily, it would be more appropriate to do so personally, but I know you're not really good with people."

"I don't know how to do this stuff…" stated the bluenette. "Whatever's appropriate is constantly changing, and I just don't understand how to interact very well…"

"You've gotten better. You even have people who you call _'friends'."_

"Gabriel was one of them…" the younger demon answered, referring to the detective.

"He's retired, not _dead,_ master. You can still see him…" the butler said with amusement, much to his master's embarrassment.

"I don't know how to go about arranging that, either." The younger man said, turning away in his chair.

"It's fairly easy. You pick up the phone and call him." Sebastian said.

 _"Don't you have things to do?"_ Ciel asked, changing the subject, to which the man clad in black chuckled.

"Very well. If you'll excuse me, then." Replied the butler, making his leave. On his way, he passed the blonde menace in the hallway, who noticed his grin.

"Ciel being Ciel again?" Alois inquired, placing a hand on his hip.

"It would seem that way." Answered Sebastian. "He didn't like that I noticed him slipping a card for Detective Bailey in with the outgoing mail."

"Oh, no, he was noticed having a heart!" the blonde replied in feigned shock.

"He's more open, but he's still guarded." The man stated. "I simply don't know how you do it."

"Me neither. I just make it up as I go."

"You're very talented." Sebastian noted before checking his watch. "It's almost time for me to get started on lunch. I should drop these off and get started."

"Roger that." Answered Alois. "I'll go check on Grumpy, and by ' _check on',_ I mean ' _annoy the crap out of'_."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll be taking my leave, then."

"M'kay. Have a safe trip." The menace said jokingly as the man walked off. With that, the blonde continued walking before finally reaching the bluenette's office and swinging open the door without bothering to knock.

"Yoo-hoo~! Paging mister Phantomhive, your _extremely handsome_ boyfriend is off school, and is bored." He said walking inside and shutting the door. The bluenette probably would have flinched at the sudden action, had he not sensed the blonde walking up. If there was one thing that this contract was useful for, it made it extremely easy to avoid sneak attacks.

"Oh, and what do you expect _me_ to do about it?" the Phantomhive asked, glancing up from his paperwork, trying to show no signs of amusement in the blonde's words or actions.

"First; I expect ' _welcome home'_ kisses, and second; I have no idea after the first thing. Just make something up." Alois replied, walking over to the other boy's desk. He bent himself forward at the waist, placing on hand on the surface of the desk, and the other on the arm of the bluenette's chair as he leaned in and awaited the boy to meet him halfway. With a chuckle, Ciel set his papers down and leaned up to peck his beau on the lips.

"First you expect ' _good morning'_ kisses and then ' _welcome home'_ ones, too?" asked the bluenette. "Whatever's next?"

"I don't know. I haven't decided yet, and can you blame me for wanting kisses?" the blonde inquired in his reply. "I have a high need for affection, Ciel. I'm like a rabbit. If I don't get enough attention, I'll die."

"Well, now I can't allow that to happen, now can I? I can't say I see you as a _'rabbit'_ , though."

"Really? What am I, then?" questioned Alois. His beau stared at his face for a while before coming up with an answer.

"A lion." Ciel stated, much to the blonde's surprise. A blush spread across the face of the more fair-haired man, much to the delight of the Phantomhive.

"How am I a _lion?"_ the Macken asked. "I don't see it…"

"Well, you have a cat-like look about you, for starters, and your hair looks like it could be a mane." Began the bluenette, playing with the other man's blonde locks as he spoke. A grin formed on his face as his beau seemed to become more flustered.

"You're also very brave and sturdy. Remember when we first saw each other again, and you blocked Morgan's claw with your gauntlet _while_ moving me out of the way and holding me close? _My heart might have fluttered a bit at that_." He admitted. It certainly was worth it to see the look on the menace's face. Alois took the hand on the armrest and placed it over his mouth, hiding his smile.

"That wasn't really a big deal." The Macken stated. He was immensely pleased that he had managed to look "cool" in front of the bluenette. "You would've done the same for me…"

"But _I_ wouldn't have looked as good doing it, though." Ciel replied. His grin widened when the other man looked away.

"I was covered in blood and sweat and was a bit high-strung from all of the feelings I was having." The blonde pointed out.

"I don't care. You still kissed me, even though I was just as filthy, had blood in my mouth, and hadn't brushed my teeth in about two weeks, didn't you?"

"I needed kisses and from by the way you looked, you really needed them, too."

"You're right. I really did." The Phantomhive stated, reaching up and pulling the blonde's hand away from his mouth and intertwining their fingers together. "I was a mess."

"We both were, but at least my skin wasn't coming off." Alois replied. His smile faded momentarily. "When I saw that, and that you were crying, it really scared me…"

"I went a little crazy because I thought I'd lost you." Ciel said, reaching up with his free hand and cupping the blonde's cheek. "I love you so much, that I get a little stupid." The blonde giggled at that.

"True." He said. "But I never thought you'd cry for me…" he added, causing Ciel to blush.

"You're worth crying over." The bluenette said. He leaned up again to kiss his beau, to which the blonde happily reciprocated. "I love you."

"I know. I love you too." Alois replied with a smile. He leaned his forehead on the Phantomhive's shoulder. "Ugh, you make me so goddamn happy, I don't even know what to do!"

"Good, then my plan is working." Murmured the Watchdog into his lover's ear. He kissed it, and much to his surprise, the blonde's free hand found its way tangled into the bluenette's hair, and he tilted his head so that he could kiss Ciel's neck. To this, a gleam appeared in the Phantomhive's eye.

"Oh? _Is there something you want from me, Jim?"_ He asked playfully. His eyebrows raised when the Macken quickly pulled away and straightened his back, a blush staining his cheeks.

"S-sorry, is it not okay?" he bashfully asked, much to the bluenette's confusion.

"It's alright with me." Ciel answered. "Why do you ask?" His obvious puzzlement toward the blonde's actions only embarrassed the other man further.

"Uh, well… We haven't done _'that'_ since you were captured, so I didn't know if you wanted to or not…" replied Alois, his eyes desperately searching for something to focus on other than the man seated in front of him. He failed when Ciel stood up and took his hands in his own, with cheeks slightly tinted pink as well.

"I abstained because I didn't know if _you_ wanted to do anything." The Phantomhive stated. "After what happened with Metus… I figured that you might not need me trying anything for a while…"

He took one of his hands away and rubbed the back of his neck. His eye averted itself from his beau's gaze as the man simply stared at him. Alois blinked a few times before wrapping his arms around the Phantomhive's waist and nuzzled against his cheek.

"You're so sweet." The Macken said. "Your communication skills suck, but you're sweet."

"I'm sorry. I'm still learning." Ciel replied. "Did you think I was being neglectful?"

"Not really, I was just a bit worried, because usually, you'd be all over me after being away for so long."

"Is there something that you're trying to imply?"

"That you're a horndog? _Yes."_ Alois answered.

"How unfair. I've been able to refrain for over a month, now." The bluenette pointed out at his beau's accusation.

"Are you saying you could live without having me?"

"I _could,_ if I had to. Love-making isn't exactly a necessity for survival." Ciel stated. "I just like being close to you."

"Tonight, then?" asked the blonde, pressing their foreheads together with a sly grin.

"Tonight, or whenever you'd like." cooed his beau. "So long as it's on the bed, and I get to be as slow as I want. You should really savour these thing, you know." Once again, the blonde's face turned red.

"You look as though you're going to devour me." He said, furrowing his brow, slightly.

"That's most likely because I intend to ravish you this evening." Spoke the Phantomhive with a haughty smile.

He quickly kissed the other man on the cheek before taking his seat again, simply leaving the blonde to linger on that thought. It took a lot of willpower to not acknowledge the expression on the Macken's face, but somehow, he managed. Meanwhile, Alois desperately wanted to retort and opened his mouth to do so, but he couldn't find the words. While he loved playing his game where he did everything in this power to get under the bluenette's skin, he hated it when the other man retaliated. It wasn't fair how he was just as capable of rendering Alois just as speechless and fluster. Truly, Ciel Phantomhive was one of the most dangerous individuals that Alois had ever met.

Finally, he managed to formulate a comeback, but the phone on the watchdog's desk rang before he could shoot it at the man. Ciel looked up at the blonde with great amusement, uttering a small "Ha" before reaching to pick up the phone. His grin did not waver, even as he placed the device up to his ear.

" _Phantomhive_." He answered, just as he always did, regardless to who it was on the other end out of habit. As he heard the voice of the person on the other end of the line, his smile faded and transformed into a frown.

It was Detective Michael Bailey, the son of the Phantomhive's friend and coworker. Since his father had retired, he took his place. Alois sighed, as he understood what Ciel's reaction meant. Even though he had just got out of school for the day, it was time to go back to work.


	5. What A Peculiar Hobby

New Scotland Yard, 8-10 Broadway, London SW1H 0BG, United Kingdom. This was the address that the demons' cab dropped them off at. As always, they simply waltzed into the building as if they owned the place, much to the annoyance of some of the lower-ranked officers. Somehow, Alois simply knew that the bluenette did this on purpose and simply repeated the demeanor as a result. It wasn't as if some ordinary policeman is going to be able to stop them.

The pair made their way to the investigative department before heading to the wing that specialized in murder and homicide. This was _their_ wing, even though they didn't visit too often. As they walked through the corridor, ignoring the usual stares, Alois held his nose.

"Why does this section of the building always smell?" he asked. "It always reeks of coffee and _stress."_

"Most homicide detectives have it very rough." Ciel answered. "Try to ignore it the best you can. Humans have trouble dealing with this sort of thing."

"These youngin's and their complaints!" the blonde jested. "Back in _my_ day, a twelve-year-old could solve murders with no problems at all!"

"Times have changed, I guess." Chuckled his beau as they walked to the door of the evidence room. Casually, they opened it and walked inside to see the younger Bailey waiting on them.

The man looked a lot like his father with black hair, and he kept it tidier. His suit was nicer, as well, which was a grave mistake in the field. "Never wear a suit that you wouldn't want getting ruined in the field" is a rule that the man would surely learn, eventually. He stood in front of a table with various files scattered about it. This was going to be good. Naturally, Ciel assumed that this would be a very open and shut case that the man was just too inexperienced to solve, but he would soon find out as to whether or not there was any truth in this assumption.

"So what we got, _Junior?"_ asked the blonde menace, walking up to the table. In response, the man opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but closed it as he changed his mind.

"A serial killer." The Bailey gentleman finally answered. He slid one of the files over to the demons. "I figured it would interest you. Five deaths in a matter of weeks, all killed by blunt force, it looks like, in places that the victims weren't supposed to be in. Messages written on the walls near the bodies tested positive as the victims' blood."

Ciel opened the file and looked at the images inside, furrowing his brow. The messages on the walls appeared to be occultist in nature, but it was nothing that he recognised. The pictures of the bodies themselves weren't very good, either, missing small details that could really tell him a lot. He looked up at the human detective.

"These markings look like H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. business." The Phantomhive stated. "Why didn't you call them?"

"I _did_." Bailey Junior replied, crossing his arms. "They stated that the culprit was most likely human, given that the messages didn't amount to anything but show."

"I see…" answered Ciel. "Can I see the corpses of some of the victims?"

"Of course." Bailey said. Just follow me.

They left the room and walked down the hall once again, making it to the morgue. They were keeping the bodies for evidence, but the detective didn't quite know what to do with them. All Bailey Junior knew, was that the victims were killed by blunt force. He wasn't sure what the bluenette could possibly obtain from seeing them.

He glanced over to the demon, watching as the Phantomhive continued to go over the documents while walking, occasionally being casually moved out of the way of obstacles by his blonde assistant. It was odd. The pair were just odd. The detective simply couldn't wrap his head around how these two could be so nonchalant, and almost playful about murder, and violence in general, really.

Why, just one week earlier, they had called him to inform him that they captured a members of a dangerous group of human traffickers. He was told to bring ambulances, and a pizza with breadsticks. When he arrived on the scene, all of the suspects had been shot in at least one knee, both of their cars were totaled, and the demons were seated casually on the roof of their own vehicle. Apparently, they had been on their way to a date, and the pizza was for them. They then proceeded to eat while watching the ambulances haul the criminals away. It was the single most bizarre scene that the young detective had laid eyes on, and something told him that if he continued to associate with this pair, it wouldn't be the _last_.

Finally, they arrived at their destination. After punching in the combination on the lock, the trio walked into a freezing, plain room that smelled like chemicals, rather than "coffee and stress" as put earlier by the blonde menace. Each man put on latex gloves before the Bailey started scanning the compartments that lined the walls. After picking one, he pulled it open, causing a cadaver to appear on a sliding table, like the drawer on a filing cabinet. Ciel walked over and pulled back the tarp that concealed the victim's face.

"This was the latest one." Said detective Bailey. "Sixteen-year-old Aaron Baxter. He was found hours after he failed to come home from school, in an alley that was completely off from his normal route. The back of his head was smashed in and several other lacerations were made to supply more blood for the messages on the wall."

Ciel examined the corpse for several moments, taking in all the details that he could. He paid attention to the victims' arms and hands, as well as his legs. Afterward, Ciel simply nodded.

"Well?" asked Bailey.

"Well, if my suspicions are correct, he was _lured_ off course." The Phantomhive answered. "There's no marks whatsoever on his arms, aside from the vertical slashes down his wrists. It could be assumed that those were made to draw blood. From this, we know that he didn't fight back. In addition, he was struck from behind, so he probably trusted this person."

"Alright, so, we find out why, and we'll find the killer?"

"Give me a few hours to figure out if there's any connection between the victims, and we'll have a better profile." Ciel answered. "Also, do you know the route he usually takes from school?"

"No."

"Find out. Ask his friends, they'll most likely know." The bluenette stated. "Get me that as soon as possible, preferably marked on a map."

"Oh… Alright? Anything else?" inquired the human detective.

"No, that should do for now." Ciel stated, putting the tarp back over the victim's face. "If I need anything else, I'll call." He began to make his way toward the door while the blonde demon that followed him tried to hide his grinning at the Phantomhive's haste.

"Until then, I suppose." The bluenette said as "goodbye", closing the door on his way out. He uttered a sigh as he and his beau briskly made their way down the hallway.

"What's wrong? Not in the mood for murder?" Alois asked, his voice laced with amusement.

"Not really." Admitted the watchdog. "But I get bored and need something to do while you're at school…"

"Because you can't do _me?"_ the blonde inquired, giggling at the look that the Phantomhive shot him.

"Keep that up, and you'll get _nothing_ when we get home." Ciel warned, but the blonde knew a farce woven by the bluenette when he saw one.

" _Bullshit,_ I see how big of a hurry you're in." pointed out the menace, causing the other man's cheeks to turn slightly pink as he frowned.

"Maybe there's a programme on TV that I don't want to miss?" suggested the watchdog.

"I hope not." Alois said. "I was looking forward in engaging you in _convivial society_."

"Oh?" the Phantomhive mused, chuckling at the blonde's language. "That's an unusually delicate way for you to put it."

"Well, if I told you too bluntly that I hope we keep our plans to participate in amorous congress while still in public, you might get mad at me and threaten to cancel." Replied the Macken. His coiled his arms around one of the other man's and leaned against him as they walked. With a grin, he leaned in to whisper in Ciel's ear.

"If you _did_ though, I could always try _seducing_ you." He suggested, causing the pink tint of the bluenette's cheeks to change to red. Alois' grin widened as the his beau cleared his throat, switching hands so that the files in his possession were placed in the hand attached to the arm that the menace was latched onto so that he could cover his mouth and maintain some shred of decency.

" _That won't be necessary."_ Ciel insisted hastily as they exited the building. His mind did it's best to refrain from imagining the sort of things the blonde would do in that scenario. The man was in some ways more devious than even he.

The Phantomhive hailed a cab. As it pulled up, he looked to his beau with a frown. "Don't look so pleased with yourself…"

"Well, knowing your handiwork, I will most likely have an even more thoroughly pleased expression by then end of the evening." Alois said as he opened the door. "And I _'_ m fully aware of how _proud_ you are of that."

To this, the bluenette's frown shifted to an arrogant smirk. He couldn't deny that claim, after all. Ciel stepped into the cab and was soon followed by the menace before telling the driver the address of the estate. The Phantomhive had lied to detective Bailey. He would be finding a link between the victims of the killer _tomorrow,_ for tonight, he had other engagements.


	6. Open And Shut

Violently, the alarm on the nightstand that sat next to Alois' side of the bed went off, stirring both he, and his partner from their slumber. With a groan, he buried his face further into the chest of his beau and furrowed his brow, groggily hoping that if he ignored the atrocious sound, it would eventually go away. Sadly, this wasn't the case, as Ciel soon opened his eyes and looked toward the offending device before to the blonde menace. He chuckled and stroked the other man's hair.

 _"Jim, it's time for you to get up_." He said, finally, earning a whine from the fair-haired demon.

" _I don't want to."_ Alois replied bluntly, squeezing his boyfriend tighter. He was forced to move from his place, however, when the bluenette sat up and leaned over him to shut the alarm off. The blonde's arms immediately found their way back around the Phantomhive, but the other gentleman wasn't going to let him have his way.

"You have school today." Ciel stated. "I'm not going to let you skip just so you can cuddle."

"You _love_ my cuddles." The Macken boy sleepily answered. "You have work, too, don't you? And _I'm_ in trouble for not wanting to go to biology?"

"Biology is important, especially if you want to become a detective." Stated the bluenette, throwing off his covers before swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

He could feel the other man staring at him as he made his way toward the dressing room in order to get ready for the day. Meanwhile, his beau simply sprawled out, taking up as much room as possible and stealing the Phantomhive's pillow.

"I _am_ a detective…" Alois said into the pillow as he hugged it, using it as a substitute for his boyfriend before the bluenette forced him to get up.

"You're also the one who wanted to pursue higher education, Jim." Ciel pointed out, having heard the blonde's muttering.

Quickly, he put on some pants and underwear before throwing on a shirt. He grabbed a pair of socks before heading back into the other room to see if Alois was even making a small attempt to wake up. The man's eyes rolled and he shook his head at this utter act of defiance that the blonde was putting on. With that, he walked over to the front of the bed and placed his hands on the sheets.

"Wake up, Jim. You can't stay in bed forever." He said, gripping onto the fabric.

" _Watch me."_ Snarked Alois, but it was soon followed by a sharp intake of breath as the warm blankets that concealed his still naked form were suddenly taken away. He curled in on himself, trying to shield himself from both the cold air and the Phantomhive's eyes. Ciel, on the other hand, grinned.

"My, my, now that's a pleasant sight…" he mused, dodging as the menace threw the pillow in his arms at the bluenette's face. In a huff, his beau sat up and yawned.

" _Tosser."_ Accused the blonde, much to the amusement of his lover.

"You love me anyway." Ciel replied. "Get up. You're going to school, unless you don't want to anymore, and I can stop paying. Either way."

"Fine, I'll put on clothes and stuff…" Alois groaned, getting up out of bed and shuffling over to the dressing room.

"Good boy." The Phantomhive said. "I'll be in my office trying to solve a murder, when you're done."

"Wait! I need morning kisses!" whined the menace, causing the other man to smile as he opened the door to their room.

"Then you'd best hurry up." He said, chuckling at the displeased expression on the other's face.

With that, he made his way to his office, toting along the file that he had been given by the younger Bailey. This case seemed pretty simple to solve, but in all honesty, the Phantomhive was not certain of detective Michael Bailey's competence to solve it. Then again, Ciel thought the same about the man's father when they first met. They made the same mistakes, like wearing expensive suits to crime scenes. The bluenette shook his head at the memory.

Upon reaching his office, he sat down and opened his file, getting to work, or at least pretending to, until the younger detective sent him what he asked for. If things turned out the way he thought, this would be a very open and shut case, but in the off-chance that it wasn't, Ciel made at least some small kind of effort. Some tea would have been nice right then, but he woke up earlier than anticipated, thanks to Alois' alarm.

On the surface, none of the victims seemed to be particularly related. Aaron Baxter, the victim from the lab, as well as another victim, appeared to be from the same school, but the rest were scattered about by age, occupation, and social status. They seemed random, really. The fact that both of the two most recent victims were the students, however, was interesting.

They went to Powerham secondary school and were even in the same year. Ciel looked even further into the files and noticed that all of the other victims were people who were quite easy to disarm. Employees at local stores were listed, as well as a few public servants. There was a vicar, and a few members of his church, as well. Something told Ciel that these people knew their killer and trusted them. The killer was probably a regular at those stores and spoke often with members of their church. This person was friendly. What stood out, however, was the two students. How could they have had access to the students?

" _Oh_ …" Ciel said aloud as it hit him.

His lips curved into a smile at how horrible this killer really was. He took out the small memopad that always sat in one of the corners of his desk in order to make a note to himself about calling the school to arrange a meeting. This was going to be interesting, after all. He didn't act on his hunch immediately, however, as he sensed his beau walking up to the door, once again failing to knock before he opened it.

"Learn anything new and different?" inquired the blonde menace as he walked over to the Phantomhive's desk.

"Possibly." Ciel replied, pecking his beau on the lips. "I might get to go out and investigate."

"Aw, without me?" asked Alois. "How cold..."

"I'll be back before you get home. It will only take me a few hours." The Phantomhive stated. "I probably won't be making any arrests, today."

"Still no fair… You get to go off catching criminals, while I get to learn all about shit I already learned in secondary school."

"But Jim, _the mitochondria is the powerhouse cell."_

"Oh, fuck off!"

" _You're_ the one who has to leave for school." Ciel replied.

"Yeah, yeah…" the menace said, pausing to kiss the Phantomhive's forehead. "I'm gone, then. I'll be sure to tell you all about _mitochondria_ when I get back."

" _Have fun."_ The bluenette answered, watching momentarily as the blonde walked out the door. He leaned back in his chair for a moment before looking up the phone number of Powerham School online. With that, he dialed the phone and placed it up to his ear.


	7. Red Paint

Powerham Secondary School; one of the many public places of schooling in the London area. At one time, even our favourite bluenette demon had attended, as with quite a few of the others. This was why the man had made himself appear somewhat older, giving himself the appearance of a man in his early thirties. Being an alumni of the school was part of the reason why he was allowed in so quickly.

When he attended, he was still his old, reserved self, making a point to avoid any unnecessary relationships, as always. He was considered to be a "bright" student, whereas in reality, he had simply heard the lessons countless times before. Some of the teachers that he had gone to school with were still here, and while he had absolutely no interest in meeting any of them again, he did his best to stay polite, even while ushered around the school by his old headmaster.

"It's good to see you again, Phantomhive." The man said. He was lying, of course, as he hardly remembered the boy, but given the fact that he was now someone of importance, it was in his best interest to pretend. "Never expected a student to come back as an investigator."

"Neither did I." the bluenette replied, hoping his tone didn't sound as if he was onto the other man's farce. "I just need to ask a couple questions to a few members of the staff, and I'll be on my way."

"Well, if there's anything you need, please feel free to ask."

"Actually, having the class-schedules of the victims would be immensely helpful." Ciel said with a kindly faux-smile. After a few moments, the head master nodded before turning to his computer as he sat behind his desk.

"Of course." The other man said as he typed. Soon, the printer in the corner of the room began to hum, dispensing two sheets of paper. The headmaster got up and retrieved them before handing them to the detective. "Is there anything else?" Ciel shook his head.

"No, this will do nicely." The Phantomhive replied. "Thank you for your help."

With that, the demon stood up and walked toward the door with schedules in hand. He offered the headmaster a friendly smile before exiting. His grin immediately fell upon shutting the door behind him.

Ciel took a seat in the commons area in order to look over the papers. He ignored the stares from some of the students, and did his best not to chuckle at their whispering. For some reason, the man took a great delight in the speculations about his presence, and the stories that have been told about him. One group of teens said that he looked like a member of the mafia, while another said he looked like a secret agent. The latter was correct, but they would never know just how warped his job really was.

After a while, he drowned out the whispers completely and focused back on his task. Ciel glanced over the two schedules, comparing them. None of the students' classes overlapped, but they had the same teachers, all of whom were from required classes. All of them, but one, the art teacher. They didn't have her class during the same period, but both of them had art as an elective. Ciel sighed, as he wasn't sure if this was anything of any use, but still, he pulled out his phone and sent a text to Bailey Junior.

" _Ask the friends and family of the two_

_student victims if they liked art._

_-CP"_

If the man didn't answer soon with any results, the Phantomhive would simply have to go home for the day and search for other leads. Or, if he was feeling particularly bold, he could simply go to the teacher's class right then and conduct his _own_ interview. Thus, he stood up, and began walking to the classroom of Mrs. Stephanie Dinsdale.

If Ciel's memory was correct, in all of his years of schooling, art teachers were almost always well-liked. They were casual, conversational, and made students feel at ease. Along with English teachers, and drama teachers, the flexible nature in their way of thinking makes them oftentimes very understanding. It was perfect, wasn't it? It fit in with the hypothesis that the victims were lured to their deaths. As Ciel opened the door, he was met with everything he had hoped for; a kindly-looking woman who looked as though she would never harm a fly. The devil smiled as the woman looked up from grading papers in order to address him.

"Can I help you?" the woman asked, looking somewhat startled by the man's appearance. Who wouldn't be? He was stern-looking, and wore a black suit and eyepatch. He was like a villain from the latest summer action flick.

"I'm looking for Mrs. Dinsdale?" he asked, surprising the teacher again by speaking in a soft voice, and putting on a warm smile. "I need to ask her a few questions."

"You've come to the right place, then." The woman stated. She stood up and shook the man's hand. "I'm Stephanie Dinsdale. What kind of questions do you need answers to?"

"I'm _Victor Beattie_." Ciel lied, using an alias. If this person knew about satanic rituals, then it's entirely possible that she's been warned of the infamous watchdog. He flashed his badge, but not long enough for the woman to see his name. "I'm with Scotland Yard. I just need to ask a few questions about the two students of this school who were recently killed. Just a few little things about them, is all. Nothing to worry yourself about."

The woman nodded and say back down. "I'll be happy to help. Please, sit down. There's no need to stand there all day!" she said as she gestured to one of the chairs that sat at the nearest table. Ciel casually pulled up a seat and sat in front of the woman.

"I guess we'll start with the most recent case; Mister Aaron Baxter." He said, reaching into his coat and pulling out a small memopad. He reached around into his other pockets before looking up. "I'm sorry, do you have a pen I could borrow?"

"Of course, I've got another one around here, somewhere…" Dinsdale trailed off, fumbling around her desk for a pen. Once she found one, she took off the cap and scribbled on a piece of scrap paper to make sure it was working.

" _Not that one, I guess_." She said, as it produced no ink. As expected of an art teacher. She probably has doodled countless times with the pens on her desk. With that, she reached underneath her desk and pulled out her purse before rummaging through it.

"Ah! Here we are!" she declared before handing the writing utensil over. The demon accepted it, his fingers brushing against the instructor's briefly. He watched her face carefully, noticing a small twitch of her brow and her face changing hues.

"Thank you." Ciel said, sitting back in his chair. He clicked the pen before scribbling on the pad in his hand. He held it up to his gaze, examining it before scribbling again. This time, he actually applied some pressure and created lines. The single blue eye of the Phantomhive flickered upwards to catch the instructor staring, and smiled.

"So, Aaron Baxter…" the demon began. "What was he like?" He watched the woman's face carefully as her eyes flickered toward the bottom left and then back to his gaze again.

"He was very bright." Answered the instructor, almost predictably. "Very creative. He loved what he did, I could tell. He was a bit eccentric, I'll give him that. Always the center of attention…"

"Did he get along well with the class?"

"Yes, he'd always help others, and ask questions. He'd always ask if he could stay after and work on projects."

"I see." Ciel said, half-heartedly jotting things down. To him, only certain parts of this information was relevant. With a falsely sympathetic smile, he looked up again. "What can you tell me about the other victim? Clara Adler?"

"She was very creative as well. She took her art a bit more seriously than Aaron, but was just as passionate." Replied Missus Dinsdale. "She always tried to learn everything she could about art, and always had questions to ask." When she looked up at the man seated across from her, the smile on the woman's face fell as the colour from her face drained. Somehow, the friendly smile that he wore had now twisted into something cruel. Ciel clicked the pen once more before asking:

" _Can you show me the weapon that's in your purse?"_

"Wh-what?" the woman asked, her voice shaking. To this, the boy held up the pen in his hand.

"This pen reeks of iron, and looking closely, you can see traces of blood on it." The bluenette stated. "Can you show me the weapon that's in your purse?"

"Mister Beattie, you certainly don't think that _I_ killed those two, do you?!"

"Of course I do. You're _perfect_." Ciel answered. "The victims were killed by blunt force to the back of the head; most likely with a hammer, from the size of the indention. There were no signs of them fighting back, and they were far away from where they were supposed to be. They walked there willingly. Why? Because they were lured there by someone they trusted."

"And you think that's me?!" the woman demanded, standing up. Regardless of her actions, the demon stayed seated; a gleam of amusement flickering in his eye.

"Yes." The demon bluntly said, his voice smooth. "According to you, the two victims were some of the best in your class. They trusted you enough to ask questions, didn't they? To ask if they could stay after class and work? You helped them. They were easy targets to you. Furthermore, the blood from your face drained the moment I grabbed this pen, as if you knew you had made a mistake in handing it over. Your eyes could never stay focused on me the entire time I was here, as if you were trying to avoid me, and your face twitched nervously." Ciel leaned forward.

"You knew, didn't you?" he asked. "You knew you were a suspect from the start. Now, why don't you show me what's in your bag?"

"It's just art mateirials." The woman said. "That's probably paint, not blood."

"It's the wrong colour. You would have to mix paints to achieve this shade of red." Ciel replied. "Let me see your art materials, then. It would be interesting if you had paintbrushes in there, especially given that messages were painted on the walls in the victims' blood." The art instructor clenched her fists and grit her teeth.

"You…" she growled, glaring at the man. Suddenly she reached into her bag. "I'll show you the weapon!" she shouted, brandishing a hammer.

She raised it high above her head before bringing it crashing down again, aiming right for the Phantomhive's forehead. Her eyes widened when her arm abruptly stopped short of its target. A whimper escaped her lips as the man had her wrist held tightly in his grip. He squeezed the woman's arm harder, forcing her to drop the hammer.

"It's over, Dinsdale." The man said. "I've caught you red-handed."


	8. One Step Forward, Three Steps To The Side

It was too easy. Missus Stephanie Dinsdale was immediately placed under arrest, much to the shock of the students and staff of Powerham School. It didn't matter, though. The woman was caught with a bloody hammer in hand and wielded it with the intent of killing a police officer with it. Case closed.

For now, Ciel simply left her in the hands of Scotland Yard. He had no further interest in the case, after all. It was too easy, making it somewhat of a bore. With that, he simply exited the station, once the woman was secure. He didn't care about the markings the woman left on the walls. It was probably some random decision she made. She was a painter, after all.

The Phantomhive walked down the steps, adjusting his coat, so it would better shield him against the cold, autumn air, but when he looked up, he saw a familiar face waiting on him. The blonde menace stood leaned against a pillar that held up the awning overhead, kicking pebbles to curb his boredom while he waited. His nose and ears were bright pink, so he must have been outside for a while. His beau smiled and shook his head at Alois' actions. If he was off school, why didn't he simply go home, where it was warm?

Alois began to look up, sensing that Phantomhive's presence. When he turned his head, however, his lips ended up brushing against those of the other demon. He giggled against his beau's lips before pulling away.

"Why, good day, Sir Phantomhive." He greeted, playfully offering a small bow.

"You're cold." Ciel stated. "How long have you been here?"

"About… half an hour, I think, maybe?" replied the blonde. "I'm not really sure. I was busy thinking."

"About what?"

"Stuff." Alois answered. He stood up and away from the pillar before standing directly in front of the bluenette. "Sebastian sent me to pick you up so we can get the Mercedes. There's apparently some paperwork or whatever that I can't sign."

"That makes him one step closer to a Rolls Royce." The Phantomhive jested. "All right, let's go get the new car." He added, taking hold of the blonde's hand. Ciel looked down at it before looking Alois again.

"You're cold." Pointed out the bluenette. "You could have come inside, you know."

"And miss out on all of this _beautiful London sunshine?"_ Alois asked, gesturing to the cloudy, grey sky above them with his free hand. "Not a chance!"

"The lobby is still warmer." His beau stated with a small chuckle.

" _But there's mean receptionist ladies in there who think I'm a delinquent who's there because I'm in trouble_."

"That happened only one time…"

"One time too many!" the blonde said, leaning against Ciel's shoulder. "Besides, you're a lot more warm and cozy when I'm already cold."

"Ah, so you didn't want to look bad and you wanted to optimize cuddle-conditions?" inquired the watchdog.

" _Yes."_ Alois bluntly stated with a nod. "If I'm honest, though, it's more of the reception-lady. The cuddle-capacity was just a bonus. Tell me, do I look like a n'er-do-well to you?"

"If I remember correctly, _you_ were the one always pulling outrageous stunts in school…"

" _It was a phase!"_ the blonde declared. "I'm a changed man! A responsible adult! I've turned over a new leaf, you have to give me that."

"I guess I do." Ciel jokingly replied. "Now, about the car?"

"Yeah, _but there's a strange man nearly tripping down the steps trying to run after you_." Alois pointed out, turning to face the Scotland Yard building and prompting his boyfriend to do the same. The Phantomhive nearly rolled his eye when he saw the younger Detective Bailey running out of the building and calling out to him.

"Sir Phantomhive!" shouted the detective, barely catching himself as he tripped on the last step. The bluenette reached out and lightly pushed on his shoulder so that he wouldn't fall flat on his face.

"What is it, Michael?" he asked, watching as Bailey paused to catch his breath. After a few moments, the human detective regained some composure and stood up straight.

"There was another murder." He said. "Just like the others."

"She had the hammer on her at the school, and it still had blood on it. Maybe she committed the murder this morning?" suggested Ciel.

"We don't know that, yet." Answered Bailey. "We'll have to see what the lab says about speculated time of death. We just got the call from someone who found the body. They said it was still warm…" To this, the Phantomhive stopped to think.

"It's possible that Dinsdale has an accomplice." He stated finally. "Get me a speculated route that the victim took to get in the location that they were found and question Dinsdale."

"What if she didn't really do it, though?"

"She still tried to assault an officer with a hammer." Ciel said. "You can't ignore that."

With that, the bluenette turned and began walking again. "Send me whatever you find in an e-mail." He called out, taking the arm of the blonde menace as he ventured onward. A sigh escaped his lips after he was suitably out of range, causing the other demon to giggle.

"Tired of the case, huh?" Alois inquired.

"Sort of." Replied his beau. "It seems like it would be simple for them to solve, so I'm not trying that hard."

"But there's still another murder?"

"Either the victim was killed before Dinsdale went to school, or she has an accomplice." The bluenette said. "I've got other things to worry about…"

" _Funtom's one-hundred and seventieth anniversary?"_ Alois' smile widened as he seemed to hit the nail on the head.

"I don't want to deal with this." The Phantomhive complained. "Every ten years or so, we do these promotional anniversary celebrations and they're a massive pain."

"They must be, since the head of the company has to make an appearance." Noted the blonde. "How do you make sure they don't know you're not human?"

"Simple, it's just like during our trip to the New York branch a while back." Ciel stated. "I change my form and go under the name that I've picked. I have to change them out every few years and pretend that I'm my son. It's awkward, at most."

"And people honestly don't suspect a thing?" the menace asked.

"People are stupid. Most won't dig deep enough to see even the most obvious of lies, but when they _do_ …" the bluenette paused, turning to look at his boyfriend as they walked. "… _We give them the old-fashioned, Phantomhive treatment."_

"Ooh, that's so _scary_ …" Alois grinned with a shudder. " _I love it_."

"Good, because you're going to be my assistant, and I need you to help me _pretend_ to be sociable. I'm not good at parties."

"So I need to polish up my shape-shifting before then, huh?"

"Most likely." Ciel replied. "I'm supposedly thirty-two and my name is Damian. I'll remind you before then, though."

"So my goal is to make myself look thirty-ish and remember your name?" the Macken boy asked. "I can do that. Need any help with the preparations?"

"I'm trying to secure an appropriate venue, but I'm not entirely sure where, yet." The Phantomhive admitted. "I'm pretty sure that I can leave that to Sebastian if all-else fails. If I think of anything, I'll let you know. It's mostly paperwork-related stuff, for now."

"Well, I've gotten pretty good at forging your signature, so I can do that, too."

"Excellent. Maybe this time, I'll be able to endure for the entirety of the event." Ciel mused. "But first, we need a car."

Alois giggled and separated their hands before hailing a taxi. Once the car stopped, he opened the door and gestured for the bluenette to get inside, saying: "Your wish is my command, my lord. To the dealership, then?"

"Sounds like a plan." The watchdog answered, taking a seat inside the cab before being joined by the blonde. "Cars, soiree-planning, and maybe some case-solving, if anything else turns up. We have a busy schedule…"

"Oh, that reminds me, I have homework…"

_"Don't offer to help if you're busy!"_


	9. A Muddled Mess

The Queen's guard-dog scratched his head at the images on the screen in front of him. The man sat at his desk, reviewing the map that the younger Bailey had sent him with the speculated route of the victim on it as he tried to persuade himself to give this case some further thought. He really had other things to be worrying about, but this needed done as well. A sigh escaped his lips, prompting the attention of the blonde seated in one of the room's uncomfortable sofas, filing paperwork.

"Staring at it isn't going to solve it, Ciel." Alois pointed out, causing the bluenette's eyebrow to twitch.

"I know that…" replied the Phantomhive. "I'm just not quite sure what to do with this. I thought it might be helpful, but I'm not sure what needs to be done. Should I just go to the scene or what?" he asked, gesturing to his computer as the blonde got up to join him.

On the monitor was a map with two lines on it. One was green, and one was red. The green one was to represent the route that Aaron Baxter was supposed to take on his way home from school, and the red one was the route that he is speculated to have taken instead. The menace narrowed his eyes at the screen, trying to piece this together as well.

"What buildings are these?" Alois questioned, pointing at the monitor with his finger. To this, Ciel clicked away from the image to another one on Google.

"These." He said, his frustration growing. As his brow furrowed the blonde took a moment to examine his face. With that, Alois tapped his shoulder.

"Alright, stand up. Give me your seat." The Macken boy instructed. "Let me think about this for a sec while you take a break."

"Why?"

"Because you aren't paying attention at all. Your mind's elsewhere. Go tend to your party-thingy." Alois said, shooing the other man away. " _Let your assistant do some work_."

Reluctantly, Ciel surrendered his office chair, allowing the menace to sit in it. They switched places, forcing the Phantomhive to the couch as his beau stared at the computer. It was actually quite pleasant, as the bluenette was now free from what he had deemed a "lesser task" and allowed him to work on his company. Perhaps a break was what he needed. Admittedly, though, he was somewhat worried about leaving a murder case in the hands of the blonde menace. Alois, however, was immensely pleased to be seated in the comfort of Ciel's chair as opposed to his cinderblock-like sofa.

So, while Ciel attended to business matters, the blonde tended to murder. Alois clicked between the two maps, trying to think of a way to solve this murder. What was the problem again? They caught the person who supposedly did it, but another, seemingly fresh body was found while the suspect was in custody. How was he going to confirm or deny the art teacher's innocence?

He clicked to one image, and then to the other; to one image, then the other again. The watchdog seated elsewhere in the room looked up toward the desk, wondering if the menace was just as stumped as he was. Soon, however, he nearly jumped when the other man called for him.

"Ciel? Important question:" the blonde began. "Do banks have security cameras placed out front, or is that just in movies?"

"Some of them do, but most of them are stationed inside, why?"

"On this route, the victim passed by a bank." Alois replied. "The bank is off course from the usual route, so wouldn't the person who lured them pass by the bank with them?"

"So we can identify the killer from the tapes?!" the bluenette asked, standing up. He walked over to the blonde menace seated at his desk.

"That's what I was thinking, but if most of the cameras are inside, then that won't do. What other places have surveillance cameras out front?"

"Hospitals, police stations, convenience stores…" Ciel listed off. "Some other shops might have them, too, but we'd have to go look because not all stores do that. It depends on management, really."

"Then let's print off his map and go check it out." Alois suggested, moving his mouse over the _print_ icon.

"Right now?" the bluenette asked.

"You don't have to, if you don't want to." His beau replied. "I'm not busy, so I can go do it, if you'd like."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." Alois said. "You just worry about your little party, and I'll check on the camera thing. Text me if Bailey calls and tells you if they know what time the victim died. That way, I could just get the tapes while I'm out."

"Alright…" answered the Phantomhive. "Are you sure you can handle this by yourself?"

"I led an elaborate rescue mission into the bowels of a castle that was armed to the teeth with demons and annies in order to save your cute butt." The blonde said, standing up and walking over to the sofa. He picked up his coat from its location slumped over the back of the couch and put it on before continuing. "I think I might be able to handle a brisk walk through town."

 _"That's not what I meant…"_ the bluenette said, rubbing the back of his neck. His beau then grabbed the map off of the printer and trotted over to him before pecking him on the cheek.

"I know. You're just a worrywart. It's cute." The menace stated before heading toward the door. "I shall return, my darling~! Please don't get attacked with a hammer while I'm gone."

"I won't." Ciel called back as the blonde left. He shook his head with a smile on his face as he sat down on the sofa again.

As much as he hated surrendering control over thing, it was nice to have someone help shoulder the burden. Now he was free to work on this silly gathering he was supposed to organize. It was a month away, but time flies by in an instant if you allow it. Before then, he would have to find a venue, organize entertainment and pick out decorations, as well as find a caterer. This was all reminding him of something else, though. It was something important, but Ciel couldn't quite put his finger on it.

_SLAP!_

The Phantomhive introduced the palm of his hand to his forehead at it finally dawned on him. Alois' birthday was _also_ the following month. He could have sworn that the lad only turned eighteen not too long ago, but obviously, " _not too long ago_ " turned out to be an entire year. So not only did he have to figure out the _FUNTOM_ one-hundred and seventieth anniversary party, but he also had to figure out what to do for his beau. What's worse is that the blonde made it difficult by not wanting anything specific. Perhaps Ciel should try asking again when the man returned. A sigh escaped his lips as he already knew the Macken's answer.

Something along the lines of: " _You've already given me everything, so what is there left to ask for?"_

It was sometimes annoying, how the blonde could be so unmaterialistic. Ciel leaned back against the sofa as he wondered how this was all going to work out. What if he simply left the rest of the murder up to Alois? That way, it would be out of his way, leaving him more room to plan for the other events on his schedule. Perhaps he could ask Sebastian for help with the arrangement of the FUNTOM celebration? That would clear up a little more.

That could work. Alois does always insist on taking the reins, occasionally. He would most definitely agree to it. Sebastian is his butler, so he wouldn't be able to deny his request. Just giving the man a few things here and there to take care of wouldn't do any harm.

Thus, it was decided. The bluenette stood up, stretching his legs for a moment, before heading toward the door. It was time to have a discussion with his butler.


	10. Hot Crossed Buns

The Mercedes pulled to a stop in a parking lot, and out popped a young man with blonde hair all clad in black. Oh, how Alois had missed being able to drive himself. He absolutely hated it when cabbies tried to make small-talk with him, and the tube made him anxious if he was on his own. Driving or riding with Sebastian was his best bet. Still, having found a good starting point, he slammed the door shut and locked it before taking his map out of his pocket.

"Now let's see, here…" he muttered to him, examining the route that the yard had given him and the watchdog.

With that, he started walking. He walked along the sidewalk, paying close attention to the storefronts. He planned on investigating the ones on this side of the street first, and the doing the other side on his way back to his car. He was looking for security cameras, in hopes of finding footage of the victim and the person who lured them off course.

The blonde looked up and down, and all around as he walked, being careful not to look suspicious. Perhaps he shouldn't have come out today wearing all black as he carefully examined the front security of a bank. Regardless, the establishment did have a camera pointed toward the sidewalk, so he made a mark on his paper before moving right along. There were a few clothing boutiques that had cameras, too, so he marked them down as well. Other than those places, there wasn't a lot that the man could work with. It would have to do though.

To his surprise, though, there were many shops that he had no idea what they were for. They looked like shops, but he couldn't tell what all they were selling simply by what was in the window. In fact, one of the windows was completely blacked out to where you couldn't see inside at all. Out of curiosity, he looked up at the neon sign.

" _'The Body Shoppe'?"_ he read aloud. "Looks shady…" He quickly glanced around the storefront before continuing on his route.

"No cameras? _Keep walking_." Alois instructed himself, his pace increasing for some reason. He didn't like the vibe that place gave off and if he didn't have to, he wasn't going to investigate it any further. Maybe if he remembered, he'd ask Ciel about it when he got back home.

On his way back, walking along the other side of the street, he made note of a few more cameras he found, occasionally pausing to look at something if it caught his eye. A few blocks away from his last stop was an ordinary toy-store with FUNTOM in the window. They were advertising the anniversary. Alois couldn't help but wonder how his beloved CEO was doing on his little project. Something told him that he was going to be witnessing the bluenette stumble a bit and looked forward to that display with great anticipation.

In fact, FUNTOM logos had made it further than that, and into a bakery, as well. They were apparently having a special on the company's famous curry buns, as well as other products. Come to think of it, some of the clothing shops sold FUNTOM perfume as well. Obviously, Ciel had been very busy. It was a good thing that he didn't require sleep.

On a whim, Alois decided to pop in and get a few snacks for the others at home. One for him, one for Luka, one for Revy, one for Ciel, but none for Sebastian. The butler wouldn't be able to taste it, anyway. Even though he was the one who cooked all of the meals, the butler clad in black did not understand human food.

It was a shame, because FUNTOM curry buns were delicious, even if they tasted slightly different now. The blonde debated on eating his bread on his way back, but decided against it, as if that happened, he would with no doubt insist on stealing some of Ciel's. The Phantomhive was very protective of his snacks, too. As he was somewhat distracted, he almost ran into someone, dodging them at the last minute. He turned around, opening his mouth to scold the other person for not even making an attempt to move, but stopped as they turned around and revealed their face.

" _Daniel?!"_ Alois called out, looking the Westley up and down. Daniel looked horrible- Tired, even, with dark circles around his eyes and sluggish movements. The kicker was when he actually let out a yawn.

"Hey, Alois." He said. "Sorry, I didn't see you."

"What in blazes happened to you?!" the blonde asked, reaching over and pulling the boy's hood off of his head. The brunet hadn't even bothered to part his hair this morning.

"Nothin'. I just haven't been sleeping too good." Daniel answered. "What about you?"

"Forget me, why haven't you been sleeping? Go to bed! Take a shower! Eat a snack! You look pale!"

"I've tried to go to sleep, but I just can't." stated the Westley. "And I just don't feel like doing anything."

"Why? What's bugging you?" inquired the menace, setting his bag on the ground before prodding at the other man's face. "These are signs of depression. Have you tried seeing a doctor?"

"Stop poking me." the brunet said, shooing Alois' hands away. "I'm just kind of bummed about Kris. He's bummed and I couldn't fix it, and now I feel like shit, too…"

"Have you tried talking to him?"

"No…"

"Well there's your problem, right there." The blonde stated. "Seriously. Talk to him. It's the only way anything's going to happen." To his surprise, a blush formed on the Westley's face at the suggestion before the other man looked at the ground.

"I… I can't…" Daniel said.

"Why not?" his friend replied. "Don't tell me you're scared of him, are you?"

"Uh… I dunno… He just… makes me feel weird." The Westley stated. To this, the blonde's eyes widened.

"Don't tell me…!" Alois began, pointing at the other man's face. " _You're ga-"_

" _Shhh!"_ Daniel interrupted, placing his hand against the other's mouth to silence him. " _I don't wanna hear it!_ " His face was red all the way up to his ears and he looked desperate. His hands were quickly pried away by the menace as he refused to stay quiet.

"Then what is it? You're blushing like mad and you're worried about him to the point where you're practically ill!" Alois accused. "Now that I think about it, didn't you ask me how I knew I liked Ciel a while back?"

" _That didn't happen!"_

"Yes it _did!_ And you can't deny it!" the menace declared, stabbing his friend in the chest with his index finger as he spoke. "If that isn't it, then tell me the _real_ reason why you're scared of talking to Kris!"

Daniel opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out. There weren't any. No matter how long the Westley searched for them, he couldn't find them at all. He had already claimed ignorance as to why he was so afraid. He had rationalized all of this by saying that it was because he "didn't know" what to do. He knew. He always knew, but he could not bear to make the faux-blonde even more upset with him than he actually was.

There were times that he would remember the feeling of kissing his best friend, seemingly at random. He would catch himself staring at those lips and lingering on the few words that Kristopherson spoke to him for a little bit too long. Daniel would always quickly shake away the thought and bury it somewhere deep within himself in hopes of forgetting, but then he would set eyes on the scruffy-looking man as he walked through the door from school. When those brown eyes looked up at him, his face felt hot even though his body was completely frozen. Quickly, the Westley would force a recovery, and try not to look back at the disappointed look on his friend's face when he walked away.

Yes, Daniel knew full-well that talking it out with Kristopherson would fix everything, but he did not like the way that his friend was making him feel. This wasn't supposed to happen. Not to him. He could never have feelings for another man. It would mean the end of his entire image of himself; as if it were a big lie.

Moreover, there was Daniel's family. His mother would in no way approve, and his brother would beat him to a pulp without a single doubt. If, and only _'if'_ the Westley were to have feelings for Kristopherson, and this was only in a hypothetical sense, then he may have to find another way to pay for college, as Daniel felt that there was no way that his mother was going to regard him as her son anymore. Why would her family waste money on a boy whom they are in no relation with? It didn't make sense!

What Daniel was afraid of was his whole world as he knew it falling apart around him. It wasn't as if he already hadn't observed the beginnings of it. He just didn't know how to make it _stop_. He didn't want to go forward; he only wanted to go back. It was impossible, though. He even went on a walk to get away from the faux-blonde. He was too afraid. Daniel closed his mouth again before slumping his shoulders and putting his head down.

" _I don't want to_." He answered in a hushed tone, causing the blonde to furrow his brow.

"What about Kristopherson, though?" Alois asked, placing his hands on his hips. "You're just going to leave him waiting for an explanation for what you did? Without closure? Are you going to leave him hanging when he needs you the most?!"

The Westley boy flinched at that last part. Hesitantly, he looked up, curious as to what the other man meant by that. The demon nearly snarled at him.

"Don't you get it? Haven't you been paying attention? Kris thinks that he's responsible for what happened to Preston, and he probably thinks you're mad at him for not talking to him!" The Macken explained. "He thinks he's worthless, right now! You're his best friend! You have to help him and tell him that none of it's his fault!" In his anger, Alois grabbed the collar of the other man's hoodie.

" _Understand?!"_ he demanded. "Or are you too stupid to realise it?! Doing nothing only perpetuates the problem!"

"I know!" Daniel shouted back. "I want to help him, but I _can't!"_

"Why not?!"

"Because…" Daniel began. Why couldn't he? It was obvious; too obvious. The man grit his teeth before answering.

" _Because I don't want to lose everything."_ He said in a near-whimper. He hadn't noticed how tight his throat was until it cracked, or even how his eyes began to water before they overflowed.

Alois' gaze softened and he released the Westley from his grip. That's all he needed to hear. The blonde picked his bag up from the ground and pulled up his sleeve to fit over his palm before using it to wipe the other man's face.

"I understand." He said simply. "You're afraid and you don't want to move forward. That's fine and dandy, if you're okay with what happens if you keep this up." When he was done wiping the Westley's face, he reached down and grabbed Daniel's wrist.

"Come on, let's go sit down and come up with how to fix this." He said, tugging his friend along. He eventually stopped in front of a bench and sat down. Hesitantly, Daniel joined him and sat beside him. Both were quiet for a while until Alois spoke again.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. His friend sniffed.

"A little better…" Daniel replied. To his surprise, putting his feelings out there did make him feel a bit better, even though he was a bit embarrassed by it. He didn't think Alois would judge him, but he still felt vulnerable. To his surprise, the blonde reached into his bag and offered him some food.

"Eat." The Macken instructed. "You'll feel even better."

"Is that a curry bun?" the brunet asked. He hadn't realised how hungry he was until he smelled it. Alois giggled.

"Yeah. Just take it. I can steal some of Ciel's later." The menace replied. "When you're depressed, you can sometimes forget to eat. Eat it. All of it."

With feigned reluctance, his friend reached out and took the bun before taking a generous bite of it. Indeed, he was hungry. He had to force himself to chew without trying to swallow the morsel whole. Alois watched him for a while, waiting for him to finish before speaking again.

"So what do you want to do?" he asked. "Honestly. What do you really want to happen?"

"I… I just want to stay with Kristopherson like I used to." Daniel answered. "Not… Not like in a… a gay way, but I just… want to be friends, for now."

"Okay, _so tell him that."_ Alois said, nearly causing the brunet to choke on his own spit.

"What?! _Why?!"_

"So he'll know what you want from him. Right now, he's confused as hell because you kissed him."

Daniel put his head in his hands, his face heating up again. _"Please don't talk about that…"_

"I can't do that. It's important to the discussion." The blonde stated. "Most of the problems Ciel and I have had were due to communication. Sometimes, we just really aren't clear in conveying our intentions, so we get mixed up and confused, which sometimes causes us to fight. Remember when we fought in _Rio De Jeneiro?_ That was a communication problem. Once we were honest with each other and made it clear what we wanted from each other, we were able to make a compromise. Understand?"

"So… I _have_ to talk to Kris?" inquired the Westley.

"Mate, what did I _just_ say?" spoke the blonde, flicking his friend's forehead. "Make your intentions clear, dumbass."

"But, when should I do it?"

"As soon as possible." Alois stated. "Oh wait, do you mean ' _how'?_ Easy. When you get home, look at Kris and say ' _Look, we need to talk. I wanna fix this'_ and then tell him what you want." Alois paused before adding: "... _What you really, really want."_ He grinned as he made the other man laugh.

"Alright, I get it." His friend replied. "I'll talk to him sometime. _Ow!"_ He rubbed his forehead as the blonde flicked it again.

" _Tonight."_ Alois corrected. "Do it tonight, because if you don't, you'll be more likely to chicken out."

"Okay, okay, I'll do it when I get home." Answered Daniel.

"Good boy." The menace said, standing up and playfully patting his friend on the head. "You do that, and I'll finish this murder case I'm on and give these curry buns to my lovely wife and kids."

"Wait, right now?!" the brunet asked, sitting straight up.

"Whenever you get home, yeah. You don't need me to babysit you, do you?" his friend asked, holding up his bag.

"It's getting dark, it's cold out here, and _hot buns are best buns_." Alois said, patting his bag before turning to leave. "I wish you luck on your quest, good sir!"

He was watched for a few moments as he walked down the sidewalk again by the Westley gentleman. Soon, he was gone, completely, leaving Daniel by himself. The brunet sat there on the bench alone with his thoughts as he pondered as to what he was going to say to Kristopherson when he got home. The autumn wind rattled his bones, along with his nerves. He was nervous, but somehow, less afraid.


	11. Not Exactly According To Plan

It was getting late. The sun had already begun to set and it was getting colder. The wind whipped at the Westley gentleman's face, even as he pulled his hood back over his head. It wasn't a long walk home, but it felt even shorter with the brunet's mind racing a mile a minute. He was rehearsing what he was going to say when he walked through the door in his head, even as he walked into the apartment building.

Daniel took his hood off as he walked inside. He was debating as to whether or not he should take the elevator, or the stairs. Even though he walked home, the stairs would buy him more time to stall. Thus, his choice was obvious. Sluggishly, the Westley made his way up several flights of stairs to the third floor, and upon reaching it, he was bombarded with the sound of a base reverberating through the hallway. Daniel couldn't help but roll his eyes at it.

The man who lived next door to he and Kris was in a band, and from the sounds he assaulted them with, he played the base. He was friendly, but Daniel didn't much care for his music. IT was possible that it was because he could only hear the base, but when his bandmates were over, their tunes seemed pretty predictable. Daniel and Kristopherson often made fun of it; at least, until they stopped talking. Maybe Daniel could break the ice by joking about the neighbour's music?

Too late. He had already planned out what he was going to say, and it was far too late to change it, as he was only a few feet from the door to his flat. His eyes flickered to the apartment next to his briefly as he reached out to grip the doorknob. He didn't know if he was looking for an excuse to save him from what he was about to do, or what he was expecting, but eventually, he had to go inside.

The Westley twisted the doorknob and walked through the frame, closing the barrier behind him before glancing over at the couch. Strangely, the Faux-blonde wasn't there, causing the man to furrow his brow in confusion. He then turned to walk to his room so he could wait on his friend, only to nearly jump out of his skin when Kristopherson was standing in the doorway to the kitchen. Understandably, the pink-loving gentleman was surprised by the Westley's absurd reaction.

He was standing in a pink T-shirt and a pair of jeans. His hair was combed as well, so Kristopherson must have gone to school that day instead of skipping. Brown eyes examined the Westley's form with both curiosity and concern as the brunet gripped his chest and leaned with his back against the door.

"You alright?" Kristopherson asked with an eyebrow arched. Daniel had not planned on this, and immediately had to reevaluate his plan.

"Yeah… I mean, no, I mean… Uh…" the brunet fumbled, trying to steer things in the direction that he wanted to go. He looked up to see the look of concern on the other man's face fall, only to be replaced with a more somber-looking one. This was going horribly.

"Look…" Kristopherson began, averting his eyes. "If you don't like being here, then why don't you just… _move out?"_

It hurt to suggest, but the faux-blonde noticed how the boy acted when he saw him. Daniel even left to go on a walk. He never does that. Obviously, he just wanted to be away from Kristopherson. While that was true, it wasn't for the reason that the Miles man thought. Daniel's eyes widened at the other man's words.

"That not it!" he said without thinking. "I want to stay! Unless… unless _you_ want me to leave."

"I don't care either way." Kristopherson lied. "You just don't seem to like being around me anymore…"

"That's only because I don't know how to talk to you! You make me feel all nervous and weird!" blurted out the Westley.

Immediately, upon catching himself, he clasped his hand over his mouth as if he were trying to put the words he just spoke back. He wanted to talk to Kristopherson again, but immediately upon managing to do so, he spoke without a filter just as he always did. Hesitantly, he looked up at the man on the other side of the room again, only to see Kristopherson looking back at him with wide eyes. The Miles' cheeks were just as pink as his shirt, only to be matched by the brunet as well. After a few moments of silence, Kristopherson sighed and looked at the ground.

"Look… if you're weirded out by… that… that thing at the castle…" he began. "Just don't worry about it…"

"But… but I really upset you and I…" Daniel trailed off, not quite knowing how to continue.

"Well, yeah I was upset." His friend replied bashfully. "I was already stressed out and I didn't expect m first kiss to be with my straight best friend."

The brunet perked up at that. Did Kristopherson just call him his "best friend"? Even after all of that? The nonchalant tone in the Miles' voice was somehow discouraging, though. Was it really not that big of a deal to him? Daniel wasn't sure why, but for some reason, that was a bit disappointing. He looked at the floor, unsure as to how to answer that. After a few moments, Kristopherson continued, leaning against the doorframe.

"Don't worry, I won't tell Anna about it." He said, causing a pang of guilt to run through the other man.

Daniel had completely forgotten about his girlfriend. How would she react if he _didn't_ want the kiss to mean nothing to her brother? They had been dating off and on all throughout secondary school, but surely that would be the last straw.

"Look, you're straight, so what's it matter to you?" asked Kristopherson. "That was nothing, so it doesn't count to you. You should be more concerned about kissing your girlfriend."

"Does it count to _you_ , though?" Daniel inquired. Curiously, he looked up, only to see the other man's blush darken and his body tense up.

" _N-not really…"_ The faux-blonde lied, looking to the side. Even someone as dense as Daniel Westley could tell that he was telling a fib. In his excitement toward the discovery, he couldn't help but call Kristopherson out on it.

" _You're lying_." He said, a faint smile appearing on his face. It faded, however, as Kristopherson stood up straight and frowned.

"I am _not!"_ the Miles gentleman declared, clenching his fists. "What? Did you think I _liked_ you, or something?! As if! Even if I did, I still wouldn't! You're straight and you like Anna! It would be pointless!" A look of surprise befell the Westley as he reached an epiphany.

"That's it…" he said under his breath. "That's why…"

"' _Why'_ what?!" demanded the faux-blonde.

"You're scared of moving forward, just like me." Daniel said. "You _can't_ like me because you might hurt Anna and push me away."

"Don't bullshit yourself…"

"You kissed me back, though." Accused the brunet. "I remember. You kissed back and even hugged me. Why would you do that?"

"I don't know!" Kristopherson answered. "It was just instinct!"

"You hesitated, though." Daniel said, pointing at the man and taking a step forward. "You knew what you what was going on, and knowing you, if you weren't interested in a guy, you would have thrown them across the room for that, but you didn't. Why else would you have done that?"

"I dunno, I was just as out of it as you were!"

"You hesitated!" the Westley said again, continuing to walk forward. With every step he took, the faux-blonde took one backward. "If you were out of it, you wouldn't have! Why?!"

"I don't know!" Kristopherson barked.

"You _do_ know!" Daniel replied. "I may not be the smartest guy, but I know _you!"_

"Leave me alone!"

"I can't! I have to know!"

" _Then tell me why you kissed me!"_ his friend said, attempting to turn the tables. Eventually, though, he ran out of floor and backed into the refrigerator. He had nowhere to go, and Daniel was still walking toward him. He shut his eyes. "I at least deserve that much!"

To that, the Westley stopped for a moment, trying to formulate the best response. What was he going to say? What had Alois said?

" _Most of the problems Ciel and I have had were due to communication. Sometimes, we just really aren't clear in conveying our intentions, so we get mixed up and confused, which sometimes causes us to fight. Remember when we fought in Rio De Jeneiro? That was a communication problem._ _ **Once we were honest with each other and made it clear what we wanted from each other, we were able to make a compromise."**_

Upon remembering that, Daniel knew exactly what he needed to say. He had to answer with complete honesty, and there was no other way. The Westley walked forward again until he was standing right in front of the other man, staring him straight in the face. Even though Kristopherson had his eyes shut, he took a deep breath and spoke.

"Because I wanted to." He said simply. "I was just so happy to see that you were okay. Seeing you made me the happiest, and when I saw your face… I just… really wanted to kiss you."

Once he said that, he watched as the faux-blonde relaxed a bit. Kristopherson opened his eyes just enough to that he could see Daniel through his eyelashes. After a few moments of silence, he somehow managed to answer.

"But… why a kiss?" he asked, startled by how weak his voice sounded. His eyes stung and it was getting hard to see his roommate. Daniel paused.

"I… I'm not really sure of that, yet." He admitted. "I'm still trying to figure it out. I just… wanted to kiss you; I _still_ want to kiss you." His face was completely red at this point and his heart felt like it was going to explode at any second. Daniel looked to the ground.

"I'm not sure if it's… y'know… in a gay way, yet, but…" the Westley continued, pausing before taking another deep breath. "…I… I-I think I like you in a way that I don't like Anna. You make me feel _weird_ and she doesn't..."

It was those words that made Kristopherson so shocked, that he lost all of his own. His eyes widened and his mouth hung open, slightly. He wasn't sure if he heard his friend correctly, but he sure hoped he did. Daniel waited for the faux-blonde to reply, feeling less confident with each agonizing second that passed. He closed his eyes, but seconds later, a hand lightly impacted his cheek. He looked up to see Kristopherson staring straight at him.

"What was that for?!" demanded the Westley.

" _For being an idiot."_ Bluntly answered his friend. With his other hand, Kristopherson playfully slapped the brunet's other cheek. "And that's for being a dick about it."

"Are you done yet?"

"Nope. A few more." Kristopherson replied, slapping Daniel's other cheek again before slapping the other. "That's for my sister, and that's because I felt like it."

Finally, he stepped forward, removing himself from the refrigerator door and forcing the other man back. Daniel didn't get far, however, as the faux-blonde took his cheeks in his hands and gently pressed their lips together. After a moment, the brunet's eyes fluttered closed and he kissed Kristopherson back, wrapping his arms around the other man's waist. It didn't last, however, as the Miles gentleman soon pulled away.

"And _that's_ because I like you." Kristopherson stated. He rested his hands on the brunet's shoulders and looked away, embarrassed by his words and actions. He could feel Daniel staring at him, but couldn't see how bright red his face was.

"Oh, God…" the Westley said. "I'm totally gay for you…" he added, causing his friend to look at him again.

"You can't be!" Kristopherson declared. "What about Anna?!"

"Shit… what do I do?" Daniel answered, mostly to himself. "I shouldn't go out with her if I don't like her, but it'd be weird to dump her for her brother…"

"Don't lead her on, you dick! And who said we're going out?!"

"Huh?! You… You don't want to?" bashfully asked the brunet. Now he had made a terrible mistake. Kristopherson furrowed his brow and stabbed the Westley in the chest with his finger.

"I will not go out with you until you've solved this thing with my sister." He scolded. "I refuse to be a mistress!"

"But you kissed me knowing that I'm still with Anna, though?"

"Shut up!"

"But you fancy me though?"

" _I said shut up!"_

* * *


	12. The Prettiest Girl

Sebastian agreed to help. It was a relief, even though Ciel had fought for so long in the past to organize these operations himself. The bluenette supposed it didn't really matter either way. His butler always ended up assisting him, regardless, as the older demon obviously had more skill in arranging things in an aesthetically pleasing manner that was suitable for everyone's tastes. This was an event for a toy company after all.

With this, Ciel was freer to think about his beau's birthday. Naturally, he had to focus on other tasks in regards to the anniversary of FUNTOM as well, but he didn't want to forget. He objective for the anniversary was obvious, but what did he need to do for Alois?

Once he was done with his work on his FUNTOM project, he began to think about it. He didn't get to for very long, as he sensed the other man's presence when he walked through the front door of the mansion. With their contract, he could sense the blonde menace with ease. It was useful for avoiding the Macken's surprise-attacks. Even with this, however, he couldn't hear what the blonde was doing from the ground floor.

"I'm home~!" Alois called, alerting the attention of a few of the others in the house, particularly Sebastian.

"Welcome back." Sebastian greeted. He looked down at the bag in the younger demon's hand. "Didn't you go out for a murder investigation?" he teasingly asked.

"Yeah, but there were snacks on the way." Alois replied, taking off his coat. "I would have brought you something, but I didn't know what you'd want because you don't eat human food. Tell me what you want, and I'll bring it next time, though."

"How thoughtful, but I'm afraid that I can't think of anything." The butler stated. While the blonde dug into the bag. He pulled out a small box with a curry bun in it before handing the rest to the raven-haired man.

"Suit yourself." Alois said. "Can you give those to Luka and Revy? I have to go give my report and my bribe to my ' _boss'_." He jested, holding up the box in his hand. Sebastian smiled.

"Consider it done." The older man answered. "What, pray tell, do you need to bribe the master for, though?"

"I dunno. Could be useful, though." Joked the blonde. "Maybe if I give him enough snacks, he'll replace the Royce sooner."

"Please tell me you brought the Mercedes back in one piece…" Sebastian said, rubbing his forehead. His arm moved up instinctively to catch the car keys that were thrown at him. The man looked over to see the blonde menace already halfway up the stairs.

"Yep. No terrorist activity today." Alois answered before turning to continue his ascension.

Alois climbed the stairs and walked to the Phantomhive's office. As per usual, the menace didn't bother knocking and simply swung the door open. Ciel didn't even flinch. Thus, the Macken simply waltzed into the room, box of curry-bread in hand.

 _"'Sup, dawg~?"_ the blonde playfully called, causing the bluenette to chuckle.

"Please don't talk like that." He said.

"Don't be hatin', bro." Alois replied. He walked over to the Phantomhive's desk and put the box down in front of the other man. "That's for you…" he said before pulling out the map that he marked with all of the security camera locations and set it down alongside it. "…and so is that."

"Progression of a murder case and food?" his beau mused. "My, you certainly know how to make a girl feel special."

"Of course I do, 'cause she's the prettiest in the whole wide world~!" The blonde jested back, pecking the other man on the lips. "I must cherish her, or she may leave me for another man!"

"I don't think that's likely." Ciel replied, picking up the paper with the marks on it. "You're the only one who really _gets_ me."

"By romantically helping you with murder?"

"Precisely." The bluenette stated, glancing over the map. "Are these the locations of all of the cameras?"

"Yeah. There weren't a whole lot, but they got some pretty sweet angles on them." Alois replied as he sat down on one of the room's couches. "I would have asked for the footage, but I didn't know the time range."

"Sorry, I forgot to text you. The time of death was around three-forty-five in the afternoon the day before Dinsdale's arrest." His beau presented. "Could you go get the footage tomorrow? I'm more swamped than I thought…"

"No problem." The blonde said. "Remind me, though. I might forget on my way back from class."

"Thank you, kindly." Ciel answered, setting the paper down and leaning back in his chair. He reached over and grabbed the box that his boyfriend had brought him before opening it. A FUNTOM curry-bun? Maybe this would help him focus on organizing his silly party.

He was about to bite into the treat before pausing, looking over at the menace. He arched an eyebrow and asked: "Didn't you get one for yourself?"

"Huh? Oh, I ate it on the way back." Alois lied. In response, stood up before walking over to take a seat on the couch next to him. To the blonde's surprise, he began to tear the bun in half, being careful to make sure none of the curry fell in his lap.

"Here." Ciel said, handing one half to the blonde. "Don't think I can't tell when you're lying." With a giggle, Alois took it.

"How'd you know?"

"When you kissed me, you didn't taste like curry." The Phantomhive answered before taking a bite. "If you had eaten it, you would have."

"Ah, so the famous detective, Senior Detective Constable Sir Doctor Ciel Phantomhive strikes again!" Alois mused while doing the same. He didn't wait until he was finished chewing before continuing, though. "I ran into Dan and he look like he wanted to hang himself."

"Things still not going well for him and Kristopherson?"

"He asked me for advice on how to fix it, and seemed to take it to heart." Alois swallowed. "I dunno if he actually followed through when he got home, though."

"Guess we'll find out."

"He's obviously super-gay for Kris though."

"It's a wonder he was the only one who didn't know about Kris' feelings for him." Ciel pointed out. All of their friends had their suspicions about the pair, and now it was simply confirmed. "Think he'll find out soon?"

"I bet he won't." Alois replied, causing the bluenette to smile.

"I'll take that bet." The Phantomhive stated. "I think he'll figure it out, and I think that you'll be the first one he tells about it."

"Are we betting the usual?"

"Most definitely." Ciel declared. "Loser is the victor's servant for a day."

"Ha! I look forward to seeing you in that butler outfit!" the menace said, throwing his head back as he scoffed. He took another bite of his half of curry-bun. "So how's your thing goin'?"

"The party?" asked the Phantomhive. "It's alright. I had to ask Sebastian to help, but it's going well. We should be ready."

"Aw, you're not going to ask me to help?" asked the blonde.

"Of course not. I'm going to be having you running around and resolving this murder case for me." Answered the bluenette. His single eye looked over to his beau as excitement washed over the blonde's face.

"Really?!" Alois asked. "I get to solve it?!"

"It's already solved, but I need you to prove it." The Phantomhive answered. "It shouldn't take much time or effort. You'll be done in no time."

"Ugh!" groaned the menace, leaning his head on his boyfriend's shoulder. "You had all the fun and now you're leaving me with the boring bits?!"

"Well, if you put it that way, yes."

"Ass." The Macken accused, finishing up his snack. With that, he stretched a bit before laying down and resting this head in the other man's lap.

"I love you too, Jimmy." Answered Ciel, wiping away a stray speck of curry on the blonde's face with his thumb before licking it. "It's important work. I certainly don't trust _Michael_ to do it correctly."

"You really don't think he's good for much, do you?"

"Not really." Spoke the Phantomhive, putting the last piece of bread in his mouth. "He's too… _soft."_

"So you think detective work should be left to hardened criminals?"

"Of course. Who better to know about how a crime was carried out than a criminal?"

"Are you saying that I'm one? How cruel!"

"Jim, you've killed people…"

"In self-defense." The blonde pointed out.

"You went with me on an assassination attempt."

" _Details."_ Alois jested with a playful rolling of his eyes. He was about to open his mouth and say something else, when his phone vibrated in his pocket. Begrudgingly, he took it out and placed the device up to his ear, all while keeping his comfortable spot using Ciel as a pillow.

"Yes?" he called, already knowing who it was because he read the name before answering.

"Hey, it's me." Said Daniel on the other end. "Thanks for the help, earlier."

"Did everything go okay?" asked the blonde.

"Yeah! It went great." The Westley replied, causing his friend to smile. "Kris and I are friends again, but there's one tiny problem…"

"Yeah, and what's that?"

"Uh… we kinda… like each other in a… gay way, but I'm still dating his sister?"

"What?!" Alois demanded, sitting straight up at the news.

"Hey! I didn't judge you when you went gay for Ciel!" the brunet said on the other end of the line.

"No, no! Not that, but you're seeing each other?! While having a girlfriend?!"

"Uh, not exactly. He won't go out with me until I fix this thing with Anna, first…" the Westley said bashfully. "Wait, why aren't you surprised?"

"Mate, we've _all_ been suspicious about your sexuality for quite a while." Pointed out the Macken. "This isn't shocking in the slightest."

"What the fuck?! Why didn't you say anything?!"

"What was I supposed to say?! 'Hey, Dan, we know you totally wanna snog with Kris even though you don't know it yourself yet'!?"

"I dunno! Just-! Ugh!" Daniel groaned. "Listen, you helped me out with Kris, so, d'ya think you might have any ideas on how to tell Anna?"

"Tell her that you fancy her brother and that it's not her, it's you and your sick perversions." Alois blurted out.

"I can't do that!"

"Then enjoy not smoochin' your mistress!" the blonde said over the phone as his beau wrapped his arms around his waist from behind and listened in as well. "The advice stays the same! Coming clean is the easiest way to solve it."

"But won't she be mad at me?" Daniel asked.

"Probably not. If we were suspicious, she might be, too. She probably already knows about Kris, but hasn't said anything. It's not like she can come up to you and say: _'Hey, Dan, I'm breaking up with you because I think you might be lusting after my brother's sweet ass'_."

"I do not _lust_ after it!" the Westley protested. "And don't talk about his ass like that!"

"Oh, so you're just possessive of it?" Alois teased. "Listen, I gotta go. Murder and stuff."

"Yeah, yeah, I can _hear_ Ciel breathing into the phone, you know…"

"Sorry, Daniel. I was curious." The bluenette said.

"A likely story…" the brunet accused. "Later, then."

"Bye, Dan. Welcome to the homo-club." Alois said, pressing the " _end call_ " button before his friend could complain. He set the phone on the coffee table before leaning his back into Ciel. He reached behind him to play with the bluenette locks on the head that was currently resting on his shoulder.

"So homo." He mused. Causing the Phantomhive to chuckle. When the other man looked at him with a smirk, he arched an eyebrow in confusion. It slowly dawned on him as he thought, however, causing his cheeks to turn pink. Ciel's grin only widened.

"You lost the bet, and it's only been a little over five minutes." He teased, enjoying the expression on his beau's face.

"Nguhhhh! Do I _have_ to?" Alois whined. Then, a look of horror appeared on his visage as another realization entered his thoughts. He turned to face the Phantomhive. "Wait, what about school?! I'm not wearing that to class!"

"Don't worry." Ciel cooed, running a hand through his lover's hair. "I never said what day. How about Saturday? That way, you don't have to leave your post and can serve me properly."

"Pervert." Accused the menace.

"I never said I was going to do anything perverted. I'll just take great enjoyment in making you waiting on me hand and foot."

"So you _do_ get off on this?!"

"And why did _you_ want to win, exactly?" asked the watchdog. "What pure, innocent motive did you have?" He chuckled as the other man looked away.

" _Shut up_ …" the blonde answered.

"You're just as sinful and horrid as I am." Ciel mused, kissing the Macken's cheek. "That's part of the reason why I love you, I suppose."

"You're a jerk!"

"You love me though."

"I don't know _why!"_ Alois declared.

"I thought it was because I'm ' _the prettiest girl in the whole wide world'?"_

"Fuck you!"

"Ah, so _that_ was your motive…"

_"GAH!"_


	13. Unknown

" _Ciel!"_ the blonde called, barging into the other man's office. Ordinarily, the Phantomhive wouldn't have jumped, but he didn't expect Alois to be so explosive in his entry.

Alois had just gotten home from school, and just as promised, he was reminded by the bluenette to obtain the security footage from the specified time and date. With a smug look, the Macken held up a small flashdrive before walking over and plugging it into the bluenette's computer. He began uploading files from it onto the other man's desktop.

"What is it?" Ciel asked.

"You're going to be mad~!" the blonde said in a sing-song voice.

"What is it, though?" his beau asked again as a video started playing. Turning his attention to the screen, he saw the victim walking by the bank. The only problem was, Missus Stephanie Dinsdale wasn't in the picture.

"Dinsdale's not there." Alois said, putting his hands up in the air. "The murderer is still out there~!"

"Then who is it?" inquired Ciel, looking up at the Macken, causing the man to smile.

"Look closely." The menace instructed, replaying the clip. "The victim keeps stopping every few feet to look around, before looking at their cell phone. It looks like they were trying to meet up with someone."

"And that would be who, exactly?"

"Dunno." Alois said bluntly. "But, if I can get my hands on the victim's phone, I might be able to find out!"

"Good work. I'll tell Michael to get it to you." The Phantomhive stated, reaching for his phone.

"Ugh! Do I have to wait? Why can't I just go down to the station and get it _now?"_

"Well, you can, but are do you really want to go out again after _just_ getting home?" Ciel questioned.

"Oh, my darling Cielykins, if you want me to stay, then just say so!" the menace teased. He was obviously excited. Never before had he gone out and solved a case on his own, before and even though Ciel had done part of the work, he was eager to reach the case's conclusion quickly for no other reason than that he wanted to have solved one!

"It's not that I especially want you to stay…" replied the Phantomhive as his beau placed a kiss to his cheek. "If you need to work, then work. I don't need you to babysit me."

"Oh, so it's okay for me to move out, then?" Alois jested. "You wound me, Ciel!"

"No, you still have to live here. It just gets kind of boring during the day…" admitted the bluenette.

"Oh my god, Ciel, you're such a puppy…" the Macken stated, causing a small blush to form on the watchdog's cheeks. "Are you saying you get lonely without me here to pester you? You're so cute."

" _Maybe…"_ Ciel answered under his breath. "I'll be fine until you get back. It's not like you'll be staying out all night."

"Mm-hm. Nighttime is the time when I'm all yours, after all." Alois said, talking advantage of the beginnings of the bluenette trying to protest in order to kiss the man. When he pulled away, he added: "Don't you worry, m'dear, I'll be back to cuddle the crap out of you soon."

With a laugh, he made his way toward the door once more. He waved before shutting it again, leaving the bluenette staring after him. A chuckle came over the Phantomhive, however, after he processed what had just happened. Truly, he fell in love with a troublesome person, hadn't he?

Said person was now making his way back down the stairs and out the door before getting back into the Phantomhive Mercedes Benz. As much as Alois wanted to stay home and laze about, he also wanted this case to be solved. It was exciting! He had another semi-solo act and this time, his beau would actually be able to see it!

He made his way to the Metropolitan Police Headquarters, and thankfully, the bluenette had called ahead anyway, so he was let right in. He headed up to the murder/homicide investigation department and simply waltzed into the Bailey gentleman's office. The careless manner in which he did so caused the human detective to jump. Who does that? Who just barges into someone's office in a silly manner and sits down? Apparently, the answer was Detective Constable Jim Macken, also known as " _Alois Trancy_ ". Michael had been warned about his appearance, but didn't expect the blonde to be here so soon.

"Uhm…" began the human. "You're here about… the victim's cellphone, right?"

"Correct." Alois replied, leaning back in his chair and crossing one leg over the other. "Oh, if it's at all possible, can I also have the suspect's? I wanna compare, just to be on the safe side."

"I can get you the victim's phone, but getting the suspect's is against protocol…"

"Where are they?"

"In the evidence room, but-" Before the man could finish, Alois stood up and headed out the door. Bailey stood up and peeked his head out of his office to see the blonde walking down the hall, heading straight for the evidence room.

"Hey!" the human detective called out, taking off after him. He finally caught up and paced alongside the demon. "You can't take the suspect's property! It's against the rules!"

"The rules are in my way." The menace answered. "Playing by stupid rules is something that I don't know how to do." Finally he and the Bailey reached the door of the evidence room and Alois slid his I.D. card to unlock the door.

"They aren't stupid! People deserve privacy!" Bailey said, only to have the door slammed in his face. He looked up to see the Macken standing on the other side through the small slit of glass in the door, only to hear a small _click_. Michael looked down again and tried to remove the barrier in front of him, only to see that the devil had locked him out.

Alois offered him a mischievous wave before turning around and raiding everything, searching for two cellphones. Through cabinets and plastic bins, he searched, all while ignoring the banging on the door from a rather upset detective. When the man started shouting at him, he actually laughed.

Eventually, he found a bin with the case number and the victim's name taped to it. Alois quickly rummaged through it, eventually finding a cell phone. He turned on the device to check it, and to his strange delight, the background was set to a picture of the victim, and a girl who he could assume was his girlfriend. He made a face and sucked in air through his teeth at the sight before putting the device in his pocket.

"Sorry, girlfriend; I'm gonna go through your man's texts." He said, mostly to himself, before putting the lid back on the bin and putting it back where he found it. After more digging, he found a bin with the name "Stephanie Dinsdale" on it, and dug through it as well. When he found her cell phone, he turned it on and pulled the other one out of his pocket again before going through the recent texts.

"Let's see, what we got?" Alois asked to no one. He read the messages on the victim's phone, and sure enough, he had plans to meet someone at the murder scene. None of the messages, however, appeared on Dinsdales phone.

Assuming the woman deleted them, he scrolled through to find the victim's name and pressed the "call" button. He set both phones down on the table and listened to the victim's phone ring. Dinsdale's number came up as " _unknown."_ It was odd, seeing as though he had been texting someone with Dinsdale's name. Ciel's theory of an accomplice was starting to look pretty good. The question was: who was it?

Alois put Dinsdale's phone back and took the victim's with him, finally unlocking the door and letting the other detective in. As soon as he did, however, he walked right by the man, furrowing his brow in thought. He didn't get far, as Bailey had the audacity to stop him, even going as far as to grab his arm!

"Hey!" the man nearly barked. "You can't do that!"

"Just did." The blonde said, but it was then that he got an idea. He pulled out his memopad and quickly jotted down the number listed as Dinsdale's and shoved it in the human's face. "Find out who this phone number belongs to, alright?"

"You aren't listening!" Michael protested, taking the slip of paper regardless. "Follow the rules, or I will report you!" To that, the blonde menace stepped forward, getting in the other man's personal space.

" _To who?"_ he asked with feigned innocence.

He was right. There wasn't anyone who Detective Bailey could report him to, and the people who he _could_ wouldn't care. Bailey is too much of a small fry and the Round Table has had the demons do far worse crimes than stealing from the police. To the human's displeasure, Alois laughed when he failed to formulate an answer, causing him to furrow his brow.

"Just get me the identity of the person who has that cellphone number and we'll have our next suspect." The blonde stated. With that, he turned to walk away, keeping the victim's cellphone in his pocket. Now, he could finally go home.

" _You're a monster_ …" detective Bailey said, becoming frightened when the demon stopped dead in his tacks at the accusation. Somehow, the statement made Alois angry, as if he had been intentionally addressed by the wrong title.

"Believing that morality is simply black and white is naïve, Mister Bailey." Said the Macken. He turned to look at the other man from over his shoulder. "Stop wasting your time worrying about small injustices and look at the bigger picture. What's worse, my stealing a phone, or the fact that five people are dead? Between me and the murderer, who's the _real_ monster, Mister Bailey?"

Detective Bailey simply stood, open-mouthed for a moment. "I'm sorry." He said.

"Good. Catching murderers is what you get paid to do. If you can't do that, then I suggest you seek employment elsewhere." With that, the blonde left the human in stunned silence.

* * *


	14. Complaint and Planning

The next morning, Alois was abruptly awakened by not the sound of his alarm, but the sound of his cellphone going off. He groaned and rolled over, wrapping his arms around the bluenette nestled at his side while attempting to ignore the device until it stopped ringing. Since the blonde didn't have class until later, that day, he was most certainly not going to get up.

His beau, however, had other ideas, rolling his eyes at the Macken's silly actions. With a small grunt, he propped himself up on his elbow and reached over the other man to pick the phone up off of the blonde's nightstand. Ciel laid back down on his back, allowing the menace to continue to cuddle while he put his beau's phone up to his ear.

"Hello, Michael." Greeted the bluenette, much to the confusion of his human coworker.

"Phantomhive? I'm sorry, I thought this was Macken's number." Detective Bailey answered on the other end.

"It is. He's just being difficult, and refused to get up and answer it." Ciel replied with a chuckle. "What do you need?"

"Detective Macken told me to identify the owner of a phone-number he gave me…"

"The one who was messaging Baxter?" inquired the watchdog, lazily playing with his beau's hair. Alois had told him what he had accomplished when he returned home the previous afternoon. "Did you find it?"

"Yes, and get this; it belongs to Dinsdale's husband!" Michael said. "We have him in custody, and went through his text messages to confirm. We're still looking for a motive, however."

"Good work. I'll tell Jim when he wakes up. He might be able to figure something out."

"Yeah… Good luck with that…" the human said in an uncertain voice. The bluenette furrowed his brow in confusion before hanging up and leaning over again to place the mobile phone back where he found it. Ciel laid back down and looked over at his boyfriend.

"Alright, what did you do to Bailey?" he asked, causing the blonde to smile without opening his eyes.

"He said he wouldn't let me just take Dinsdale's phone because it was _'against the rules'_." Alois replied. He let out a sigh and nuzzled the Phantomhive before continuing. "So I told him that he needs to quit if he can't do what it takes to catch a murderer."

"How cruel." the watchdog mused. "I wish I could have seen that."

"Mm-hm…" hummed Alois as he proceeded to make himself comfortable again. Unfortunately, he was forced to stir his partner chuckled.

"Well, you certainly don't seem very bothered." Ciel pointed out.

"Are you suggesting that I should give up my soft, comfy warm-spot so I can solve a murder?"

"It's already been solved; all but a motive. Probably nothing an interrogation won't fix. You can do that after school, can't you?"

"Sure. So who done it?"

"The number you gave Bailey belonged to Dinsdale's husband." The bluenette stated. "He was most likely an accomplice, so it's best to interview both of them. Preferably separately."

"Consider it done." Alois replied. Blindly, he reached to pull the covers back over them both. "When should you be getting up to work on your party-thingy?"

"Just whenever. I normally get up around the same time you do, don't I?"

"I forgot."

"Are you really sleepy, or are you just cuddling?"

"You love my cuddles, and you know it." The blonde said, smiling as his beau chuckled.

"I suppose you're right." Ciel answered, pecking the forehead of the menace. He paused as he walked himself through what all needed to be done that day. As he did so, a thought occurred to him.

"By the way, your birthday is in a few weeks." The Phantomhive said. "Is there anything you want? Don't say ' _nothing_ ', or ' _you've already given me anything_ ', either." The blonde laughed at the bluenette's added terms and conditions.

"I dunno…" he answered. "Maybe a datenight that doesn't end in terrorist activity?"

" _Consider it done_." Replied the watchdog, imitating the menace from earlier. It forced the blonde to giggle and finally open his eyes. He only laughed harder when he saw the bluenette's face. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing." Alois stated. "It's just, how in blazes did we go from trying to kill each other to talking in bed like a married couple?" The face of his beau heated up from the question.

"I don't know…" Ciel quickly said, embarrassed by the prospect of becoming the blonde's husband, and even more embarrassed by the fact that he somewhat like the idea. "Time changes things, I guess?"

"Mhm. I feel kind of bad for Revy, though. He still has the thread that sewed me up after you stabbed me."

" _Sorry…"_

"It's in the past. Water under the bridge. I trust you, now." Spoke the Macken. He paused for a moment too examine the other man's features.

"God, you're so gorgeous." He said absent-mindedly. It wasn't intentional, but he was amused all the same when the Phantomhive's face turned red.

" _I am not_." Ciel declared. While he was pleased with the other's flattery, he didn't believe it.

"You are, though!" insisted his boyfriend. The Macken propped himself on his elbows and hovered over the other man. "You'd belong in a gallery if you wouldn't run away!"

"Charming. Are you awake, now? If so, then why don't we get to wo- _oof!"_ The Phantomhive uttered a small grunt when Alois plopped down on top of him.

"I don't wanna!" whined the fair-haired demon.

"Can you at least get off of me?"

"Why? Does it make you uncomfortable?"

"A little."

"Then _no_." A yelp escaped the blonde's lips as he was flipped over on his back with the other on top of him. Ciel peered down at the younger demon and smiled.

"We both have work to do." Ciel said. "You and I both know that we can't simply stay in bed all day."

"Not even a few more minutes?"

"If I know you- and I do- ' _minutes_ ' will quickly become ' _hours_ ', and nothing will get done."

"Fine…" grumbled the menace. "Do I at least get my _'good morning'_ kiss?" Alois asked, prompting the bluenette to lean down and press their lips together.

" _Now get up."_ The Phantomhive instructed, moving to get off of his beau. Much to his pleasure, he didn't even have to look to know that a pout had appeared on the other demon's face.

Sure enough, hours soon passed, and by this time, both men were at work; or rather, one of them was, while the other simply lazed about on the sofa until it was time for him to leave for school. Even though he was fully dressed and ready to go, it appeared as though the blonde were still sleeping. It only made Ciel roll his eyes as he attempted to organise the sort of products that he wanted to showcase at the anniversary party. Papers were scattered all over his desk with the designs of all of the toys, candies, and perfumes that FUNTOM had come out with in the past year. There were samples in boxes on the floor, which he really needed to have started on, but the thought of opening the perfume box made him feel nauseous. In all honesty, if it weren't such good publicity for his business, Ciel would have skipped the venture entirely.

It took some time, but he eventually got the toys sorted out, but was not yet brave enough to venture toward perfume. Ciel wondered if he could get Luka's help with the candy, as Sebastian was somewhat more than useless in the field of tasting and savouring human food. Thus, he moved onto his next task, which was invitations. In a way, it was the most important part. Everyone he invited would either be a current, or potential business partner, as well as big celebrities to boost the spotlight on the event. Balancing business and publicity was the entire point.

While profitable, the cast of _Devil Butler_ was completely out, as he knew too many of them. Likewise, _Code: Zero_ was an impossibility as well. Perhaps he could venture out into United States territory. He had to invite the head of the branches in other countries, anyway.

As for business partners, he wanted to try and work with SOMA electronics, but that wasn't wise, either, especially given the condition of the owner's son. Preston was still with the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. research department. It had been almost a full month since his admission, and the Omid still hasn't woken up. Ciel and Alois were the only members of the seven permitted to see him in his current state. There was a large, blackened gash across his torso where the annie had clawed him, along with scars in the shape of the symbols that Dafydd had carved as first-aid. Since then, more symbols have been added in the form of tattoos, similar to those that were often worn by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers to ward of diabolic energies.

A sigh escaped the bluenette at the thought. Things had been absurdly normal for him since the Black Annis incident. His friends from Warwick weren't as well off. Then again, some of the emotional problems seemed to just be from experience with these sort of gruesome happenings.

Audrey and Travis were the only others doing well, along with Alois. The reaper boy had resumed his job at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; and the Sullivan gentleman had focused his energy in keeping everyone together, as well as his schoolwork. It was remarkable how talkative Travis had been. He said that he wanted to become an author, like his mother, but his material wouldn't be that of romance. Instead, he had been talking with the bluenette about basing stories from the Phantomhive's past exploits, to which the watchdog agreed. There was no way the Ciel was going to crush Travis' unusually excitable self.

Quickly, the Phantomhive snapped out of his thoughts for a moment to focus on the task at hand, only to lay eyes on the menace again. To think that the man who was somehow miraculously finding a way to sleep on the study's absurdly uncomfortable couches at the moment had tracked Ciel down and successfully led a rescue mission to retrieve him. Thinking back to the question Alois asked that morning, Ciel did wonder how on earth they went from brutal adversaries to being hopelessly in love. Perhaps it was the same way that Alois had gone from a frightened, somewhat broken teen, to a powerful and bold detective who simply oozed charisma and confidence. The very thought caused the bluenette's heart to tremble.

He looked at the clock before looking back to the blonde menace. "Jim, it's almost time for you to go."

" _Ugh…"_ Alois groaned, slowly forcing himself to sit up. He sat for a few moments before standing, almost losing balance when he stopped to stretch. "School is gross."

"But the sooner you get off school, the sooner you get to solve murder." The watchdog pointed out, prompting a groggy laugh from the other man.

"I _do_ like solving murders…" the blonde mused. Sneakers _thunked_ against the wooden floor as he walked over to the bluenette and bent down to wrap his arms around the seated man's neck. "Can't I just cut class and skip straight to the murder?"

"What happened to wanting to ' _catch up'_ with me?" Ciel asked. "You're the one who wanted to pursue a degree even though you already have the job."

"You're going to outclass me even if I get one, _'Senior Detective Constable Sir Doctor Ciel Phantomhive'."_

"Not if you actually spent the time and energy in order to get a similar title."

" _Ugh_ …" the blonde groaned, burying his face in the other man's hair. "That'll take forever."

"Good thing you have forever to spend." His beau replied. "Go on. Go to school and solve a murder like I know you can. Unless, of course, you aren't the same person who I was so proud of during the Black Annis raid."

Alois' cheeks heated up at the statement and he pulled back. "You… you were proud of me?"

"Of course. My beloved Jim Macken had done what he does best, and promptly gave adversity the finger. I love that." Ciel stated as he reached up and held the other man's chin between his index finger and thumb. Then, he proceeded to kiss his beau.

" _Now get the hell out of my office."_ He said with a grin as he pulled away. Alois furrowed his brow and pouted, his face pink.

"Fine! I will!" the blonde said in feigned exasperation. He spun as he made his way toward the door, plucking his backpack up off of the ground in the process. "I know when I'm not wanted!"

"Get the degree. Solve the murder. Come back to me in one piece." Instructed Ciel. In response, the Macken only stuck out his tongue in the bluenette's direction before leaving and closing the door behind him.


	15. You Done It

Alois groaned as he got into the seat of the Mercedes. His classes had just ended for the day and he was not happy. Apparently, forgetting to do your homework in favour of solving a murder is frowned upon. He was failing maths, and he really didn't want to put the work in to fix it at this point. Obviously, the Macken had more important things to be doing, therefore he tended to prioritize them. It made perfect sense, but his teacher didn't see it that way. The instructor was aware that Alois worked as a detective part time, but did not care to flirt with the idea of giving the blonde a break. Alois was not off to a good start today. He still needed to go to work.

With a heavy sigh, he buckled his seatbelt and turned the ignition key before taking off. He had arranged to interrogate the suspects of the "Hammer" case. Hopefully, he wouldn't feel inclined to rough them up, given his current mood. It would be nice to let off some steam, but murdering murder suspects is considered to be somewhat counter-productive.

Once again, he made it inside the New Scotland Yard building and weaseled his way past the reception-lady whom he despises so much. How dare she perceive him as some punkish delinquent when he, in fact, was an officer of the law? He wasn't a very lawful one, but he got his job done. Thus, he was granted access to the homicide department with ease, and made his way toward the younger detective Bailey's office.

"Yo, where can I interrogate the suspects?" Alois asked, abruptly sticking his head in the door and startling the human for what felt like the umpteenth time that week. Bailey furrowed his brows and stood up from his desk with a sigh.

"Follow me." He said before walking past the menace and out the door. Michael knew that the demon probably knew the way, but he wasn't going to let Alois interrogate the suspects alone. Lord knows just what the blonde would do to them. They didn't talk throughout the entirety of the journey; only doing so when they reached the door.

"Alright. Thanks." Alois stated, moving to walk past the human and through the door. Michael stopped him.

"I'm going too." Said the Bailey.

"Uhm, no, you aren't. No offense, but I don't want you messing this up." The demon replied, grabbing the handle. His eyes widened when the other man gripped his wrist and shot him a nasty glare.

 _"I'm_ the one who'll mess it up?" asked the human. _"I_ went to school for this. _I_ know what to do. You're the one who doesn't know proper protocol."

"And out of the two of us, who has gotten the most results?" answered Alois with a question of his own. "I've handled baddies who are infinitely more frightening than two ordinary serial killers, and I've seen some of the vilest people ever to walk the face of the earth. _I_ know what to do. Unlike _you_ , who has a piece of paper, _I_ have practice."

"You haven't been trained to handle situations like this, though!"

"That is enough." The demon growled, his temper acting up. His tone immediately silenced the other detective, and forced the man to take his hand away. "I am your superior. I will not be talked down to by brats like you who can't even do their damn job so I have to do it for them! You have no grounds to make any sort of argument against me. Do you talk to _Ciel_ like this?"

"U-uhm, no…"

"Then why would you feel that you have any authority to talk to _me_ in this way? You seem to _really_ like strictly following protocol, right? Then listen to your superior officer and go back to your post until I have use for you."

Alois' words were harsh. It was a combination of both his previous agitation and his sense of self-respect. Used to, he would have simply gone along with Bailey's instructions, but now, he knew better. In reality, he was just as good, if not better than the detective, despite his level of schooling and he was most certainly not going to put up with someone who both annoys him and impedes his progress.

Bailey Junior was speechless. In fact, he was somewhat afraid of the blonde before him. He couldn't argue. Alois _did_ have power over him. With that, he straightened himself.

"Y-yes, sir." He said before turning and walking away.

A wicked grin appeared on the demon's face as he did. After all, it wasn't every day that Alois was called "Sir". The blonde took a moment to change his grin from a mischievous one to a friendly one before opening the door. Inside was the couple suspected of murder, Mister and Missus Dinsdale.

The pair looked tired and Alois internally cursed the other detective for not keeping them separate. Despite their ordinary, somewhat dowdy appearances, anyone would want to try and get their story straight in order to get out of trouble. Even still, he maintained a friendly façade.

"Hello~!" he said in a pleasant tone before taking a seat in front of the couple on the other side of the table. They looked a bit puzzled and it took him a moment to figure out why.

"Yeah, even though I might look like some random college-kid, I am a detective, in case you're wondering." Alois said. He pulled out his badge and held it up to them. "See?"

"Oh, sorry." Replied Missus Dinsdale. "We didn't know people so young could be detectives."

"It's alright. I get that a lot. The lady at the front desk still thinks I'm some punk kid who just keeps getting in trouble." The demon answered, putting his badge away. He rested his elbow on the table and his chin in his palm. "So, where do you want to start?"

"We don't know what's going on." Mister Dinsdale stated somewhat forcefully. "What are we here for?"

"Well, at the moment, you two are the only suspects in a murder case." The menace said. "I'm sorry, didn't they tell you when they arrested your wife? They should have." He was lying. He knew full-well already that the older man seated across from him had been informed.

"No, _they didn't_." Mister Dinsdale answered.

" _I see_ … Well, what happened is that around five people were lured into remote places and killed with a blunt instrument."

"There's no way we would do that!"

"There's not many people who _would_." Alois said, leaning back in his chair.

"I'm required to ask: Missus Dinsdale?" he called, prompting the woman's attention. "Why was there a hammer in your purse? You're an art teacher, right?"

"Right…" Stephanie replied softly. "I was working on a sculpture and just put it in my bag because I was in a hurry."

"Oh, I get it. And the red stuff on it was paint?"

"Yes."

" _Bzzzt!"_ the demon buzzed, causing both humans to jump. "That's a lie. The red substance was confirmed to be blood in the lab. What really happened? Did you cut yourself?"

"U-uhm, yes…" Missus Dinsdale said, glancing at her spouse. "It's a little embarrassing…"

"Can you show me? I don't mean to be invasive, but it could clear your name."

"It's already healed up, unfortunately…"

" _Bzzt~!"_ Alois loudly buzzed again, imitating a game-show buzzer. "The hammer was _covered_ in blood. That would have had to have been a pretty deep wound, and it's _very_ unlikely that it would heal in under a week."

"Are you saying that my wife killed those people?!" demanded the woman's husband.

"Not at all. My actual suspicion is that you _both_ had some involvement." The Macken calmly stated. "Why don't you just tell me why?"

"We didn't do it!"

"Then why did you send text messages to the victims, giving them directions to the location in which their bodies were found, Mister Dinsdale?"

Upon hearing that question, the older man forgot how to speak. There was nothing for him to say, after all. He folded his fingers on the table in front of them and stared at them, all while the blonde menace continued to smile in a friendly sort of way at both suspects.

" _Are you interested in horror movies?"_ Alois inquired, moving right along.

"Not really." Answered Missus Dinsdale, as her husband fell silent. "They're too scary for us."

"Oh really? Why?" asked the demon. "Do scary stories scare you?"

"A bit." The woman said. "Especially when they seem realistic!"

"I know what you mean. I used to be scared of the dark, myself." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small box of candy. He opened it and put one of the colourful sweets on his tongue, making sure he flashed his contract seal in the process. "With the sort of people I work with, though, you learn to embrace it."

"That's—!" the woman began, cutting herself short. Even her husband looked up, his eyes widening.

"What is it? Oh, I'm sorry, do you want one?" innocently asked the blonde, holding the box out to the woman. "Personally, the red ones are my favourite."

"I'm sorry, but, that mark on your tongue…?"

"Oh, this?" Alois questioned, flicking the candy into his cheek before sticking out the muscle. After a few seconds he put his tongue back in his mouth and bit down on the candy. "Cool, huh? I got it in London's underworld; from one of their famous _'boogeymen'_." He examined both suspects' faces and smiled as they seemed to be brimming with questions.

"It's an interesting place." He continued. "Know the right people, and you can have almost anything you want! Sorry, I'm getting off topic, aren't I?"

"No, no! You're fine!" Spoke the art teacher, leaning forward in her seat.

"Not really. People call me a monster for the things that I've done running around in there." A sigh escaped the menace's lips before he continued. "Yet I always see myself going _back."_ His eyes flashed red as the flickered upward at the couple, causing them both to flinch.

"Are you interested in it?" he asked. "The murderer supposedly used the victims' blood to write cryptic, occult messages and symbols on the walls, but all of my sources say that they don't actually mean anything."

"They don't?" absent-mindedly asked the woman, earning a glare from her spouse.

"No, of course not! Who told you that they did?" chuckled the menace. " _They're_ in big trouble."

Once the possible punishment appeared to have been shifted, the pair glanced looked at each other, silently debating as to whether or not they should come clean. Would they be released if they did? Or was the blonde just jesting?

"Do you believe in the occult?" asked Mister Dinsdale.

"Of course! I am a demon, after all!" Alois said pleasantly, being extremely brazen in his approach as per usual. After all, he never was much of a fan for subtlety. The couple's jaws nearly dropped at the statement.

"You're… You're joking, right?" asked the husband.

"Nope. I'm a real-life, honest-to-God demon." The blonde stated. "My partner and I help regulate the supernatural activity of the city. Anyways, who told you that those symbols meant something? I need to know so they won't trick people again." At the same time, the couple looked at each other again before nodding.

"We found a child… Well, at least he looked like one, in an alleyway…" Missus Dinsdale began. "His face was covered in blood around his mouth, and next to him was a body… He was a vampire! A real-life vampire! We just happened to come across them…"

"He looked like he was going to kill us, but instead, we begged him into making us one of them…" her husband added. "He told us to go to this old abandoned part of town… I don't remember the exact address, but it was a run-down warehouse on the East end. There, we met others like him, a-and they told us that the only way to become vampires is to do this…"

"You were fooled." Alois stated. "A person can only become a vampire if they're a virgin, and are bitten by a vampire of the opposite sex." He paused, trying to think of why a group of vampires wouldn't just kill a couple of humans wandering around. Quickly, he snapped himself from his thoughts to look up at the disappointed-looking couple.

"Look, I know immortality is a promising thing, but _trust_ me, you don't _want_ to be vampires." He said. "It's hard being supernatural in a human-run world. I have one last question for you: Did the vampire who pointed you in their direction in the first place have a name?" Alois waited for the Dinsdales to answer. Hesitantly, they did.

" _Baldassare."_ Mister Dinsdale said. "He said his name was ' _Baldassare'_ …"

Alois took out his memopad and quickly jotted that down so he'd remember. He needed to get this information back to Ciel, or H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. Then, the demon looked up with a smile.

"Alright, then, that's all I need to know. I'll tell one of my coworkers to come collect you." He said, standing up and putting the pad back in his pocket. The two suspects looked up at him expectantly.

"So, you're going to have them let us go?" asked Mister Dinsdale.

"Oh, no. A murder is still a murder. Thank you for the confession." Alois said, trying not to laugh as he walked toward the door. The other man in the room suddenly stood up and slammed his hands on the table.

" _You bastard!"_ he shouted. "What about the occult?! They _made_ us do it!"

"Don't be silly." The Macken said, pausing as he opened the door. A smirk formed on his face before he spoke again. "Things like that exist only in faeire tales."

With that, the blonde left, leaving the two crimminals to await their fate. Now, he wasn't interested in them anymore. He was, however, very interested in this " _Baldassare"._


	16. Candy Is Dandy

Alois Trancy has not concept of knocking. Immediately upon returning home, he located the Phantomhive gentleman and tried his best to startle him half to death. When he found out that he was in the dining room, the Macken immediately went to violently swing open the doors.

 _"Hello, my baby! Hello, my honey! Hello, my rag… time… gal?"_ the menace trailed off as he registered the sight before him.

There were boxes upon boxes of candy scattered about across the dining room table, as well as some in the floor. Mountains of empty wrappers littered the entire area as two lone figures sat at the far end of the table. Both Ciel and Luka were laying their head on the table as they both tried to shake being nauseous.

"What happened here?!" demanded Alois rushing over to the two. "I leave for a couple of hours and y'all have some kind of candy-party without me?!"

" _Jim…. I feel gross…"_ Luka whined to his older brother, lifting his head so that his chin was touching the table's surface. "I ate too much candy…"

"I can see that. Now, _why?"_ The older Macken asked while his beau propped his own head up.

"I needed help picking out which products to showcase for the anniversary and I had Luka's help because Sebastian can't taste properly." Ciel answered, his eye still shut. "We got done, but we really shouldn't have done it all at once…"

 _"Obviously."_ Scolded the fair-haired demon as he stroked his younger brother's hair in a soothing fashion. He knew it would probably wear off quickly, but it still was somewhat flabbergasting to see that the bluenette would do something like this. The more he thought about it, however, the more plausible it seemed.

"Go lay down, Luka. You'll feel better." Alois said with a sigh.

"Guh…" the younger boy grunted. "I don't wanna move…" With a roll of his eyes, Alois gently picked his brother up and carried him toward the door. Before exiting, however, he looked back at his boyfriend.

"I'll be back to chew you out, in a sec." he warned with only partial seriousness. Ciel waved him away, indicating that he heard the other man, prompting the blonde to make his exit.

Luka whined as he was set down on a sofa in the entertainment room. His brother had picked it specifically because it was close to a bathroom, just in case the younger demon got sick. He found himself incased in warmth as Alois took off his coat and laid it over him like a blanket.

Luka liked Alois' coat. It smelled nice and felt kind of like a hug. It also looked _"cool",_ although it was too big for the younger Macken and it was currently covering him as he tried not to vomit. A sigh escaped the blonde's lips as he stroked the brunette's hair again.

"Ciel is so dumb." Alois said, causing Luka to giggle. "How could he let you eat all of that?"

"I was _helping."_ Replied the younger demon.

"I see that. But you shouldn't help if you start to feel sick…"

"It was tasty."

"Tasty enough to deal with an upset tummy?" questioned the menace, gently poking his brother's abdomen.

"I dunno. It was fun when I was eatin' it." Luka stated. "We had a real good time."

"Well, if you put it that way, how am I supposed to scold him for being irresponsible?"

"I dunno. Do you _have_ to?" asked the brunet, laying on his back.

"Yes, because you don't get too many chances to scold Ciel Phantomhive, after all." His brother answered. Luka laughed.

"So you just wanna boss Ciel around?"

" _Yea."_ Alois said bluntly, ruffling the younger boy's hair. "Try to take it easy, alright? If you have to puke, the bathroom's where it's always been, alright?"

"Okay." Luka replied, wrapping himself in his older brother's warm coat.

The menace smiled at him before standing up and walking back toward the dining room. There, he found his beau in the exact same spot as he left him, still lying on the table feeling like a beached whale. When he heard the blonde's footsteps, he lifted his head despite his crummy feeling.

"Am I in trouble?" he jokingly asked, reading the expression on the blonde's face.

"You made my brother feel sick, and Sebastian's going to be pissed off because Luka's not going to want any supper." Alois answered, trying not to smile at the bluenette's chuckle.

"I'm sorry." Ciel answered. "Is there anything I can do to repent?"

"Probably, but I can't come up with anything at the moment." His beau said, plucking a piece of candy off the table and unwrapping it. "I'm not good at punishing grown-ups in ways that aren't horrible and sadistic."

"Sounds _gross."_

"Not like that, you little shit!" Alois insisted, popping his treat into his mouth before flicking the back of the other man's head. "Ya nasty…"

"Ow. How dare you? Hitting your boyfriend like that? I didn't take you for an abuser."

"Oh, shut up." The menace replied, taking a seat where Luka had once been on the side of the table opposite to the Phantomhive.

"You're cute when you're flustered, though." Ciel protested, grunting as he sat up in his chair. "So, how'd it go with the Dinsdales?"

"They're weirdos." Answered the other demon before swallowing. "They said they did it because a group of vampires said it would turn them into one of them."

"What?" inquired the Phantomhive, narrowing his eye. His switch had been hit and he was somehow serious again. "Why would vampires do that?"

"That's what I was wondering. I thought you might have some ideas."

"I _don't_ …" stated the watchdog, folding his hands in front of him. "Vampires would have just killed them. There's no reason for them to do something like that…"

"Well, shit." Alois said. "The only other information I got was that they came across a vampire eating, and he told them to go to a warehouse, where they met the others."

"Did he have a name?"

"Uh… yeah, hang on a sec." The menace paused to pull out his memo-pad. "They said his name was ' _Baldassare_.'" He jumped when the other demon coughed. Ciel leaned over and grabbed his stomach as he tried to stop. "Are you okay?!"

"Yeah… I'm fine…" his boyfriend answered, finally managing to stop. "That just surprised me."

"What? _'Baldassare'?_ Who's Baldassare?"

" _A vile piece of scum that has somehow managed to take on a humanoid shape."_ Ciel snidely stated. "He's the head of the biggest coven of vampires in London, now that he's taken over Charlie's territory, too."

"Who's Charlie?"

"Remember that vampire who Charlotte and Amelie used to live with?"

"Oh, yeah, him. I didn't like him. Glad we off'd 'im." Alois replied. "Anyway, you know that guy?"

"He's somewhat of an informant. He tells me about suspicious vampire activity, and I pass it on to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G." the bluenette answered.

"Why would he do that?"

" _Less competition for him."_ There was a pause as the Phantomhive took a drink of water in hopes of quelling his irritated throat. "Why he would be involved in something like this, however, is beyond me. It's not like him at all."

"You gonna go ask him?" questioned the Macken.

"I can't." Ciel replied. "Not directly, at least. I need to get ahold of a certain someone to act as a medium, first. Problem is, moving around in that part of the city is a bit a problem for me."

"Why's that?"

"I'm a bit of a ' _boogeyman_ ' to the supernaturals, remember? It's _hilarious_."

"So how are we going to do this?" asked Alois. "Want me to go for you?"

"There is no way that I'm going to let you talk to _Baby-face Baldassare_ on your own." His beau stated.

_"'Baby-Face'?"_

"He became a vampire when he was a child, so he's stuck in that form forever. That's why they call him that." The Phantomhive paused for a moment and thought.

"What you can do is go get that medium for me, and tell her I need to talk to Baldassare." He continued. "Her name is ' _Sister Dorothy'_ ; a nun and also a vampire. She's very kind. You'll like her. She also just so happens to be one of the only people that Baby-Face will listen to."

 _"Tell me the plan, man_." Said the fair-haired demon, leaning forward. This was all incredibly exciting for him. Not only would he get to meet Ciel's lesser-known informants, but he would also get to go on a greater adventure than he was going to had this been an ordinary murder. He watched as the bluenette absent-mindedly rummaged around the piles of wrappers.

"Easy. We go into the old, abandoned part of town and look." The Phantomhive answered. "First, we'll start at the church, which is where she'll probably be, if not, we'll look in _The Wolf's Glen_ \- that's a little shop run by supernaturals who help other supernaturals. If she's in neither of those places, then we'll leave her a note at the church." He said, finally locating a small box of candy and picking it up.

"That sounds _too_ easy." Alois replied. "Boring!"

"What? Did you want to get in a shoot-out or something?"

"Shoot-outs are fun, unless they interrupt a date and make me crash Sebastian's car."

"Technically, it's _my_ car."

"Ah, but the man was deeply in love with it, and now his heart has been broken as he is forced to mourn. Poor soul."

A laugh escaped the bluenette's throat as the menace made his jest. He opened the box in his hand and placed one of the hard candies in his mouth before speaking. "Please don't make me picture that."

"You're _still_ eating?" Alois inquired, arching an eyebrow. "Haven't you had enough?"

"You don't _eat_ these, you suck on them." Ciel corrected, furrowing his brow in confusion when the blonde laughed.

"Are you thinking of alternative meanings to that which might be questionable in nature?" asked the watchdog.

"No, sir. Well, not until you said that, that is." Replied the menace. "I was just laughing at how childish you can be."

"How dare you. I am deeply offended."

"I can tell. It still isn't a suitable enough punishment for giving my brother a stomachache and spoiling his dinner." Stated Alois as he leaned forward. "How dare _you,_ sir?"

Instead of talking, the Phantomhive merely leaned forward as well, closing the gap between them. He cupped the other man's cheek before pressing their lips together, feeling Alois smile into the kiss. It didn't waver even as Ciel ran his tongue along the blonde's bottom lip. Access to the menace's mouth was happily granted as Alois stood up a bit and placed a hand on the back of the bluenette's head. Suddenly, though, he stopped smiling, and his cheeks turned pink. Soon they parted again, however little, both staying within an inch of each other.

"There, now you've taken my candy, too." Ciel mused, enjoying the embarrassed look on the other's face. "You like _the red ones,_ right?"

Alois pulled back before exploding into a coughing fit. Quickly, he reached over and took a drink from the Phantomhive's glass of water. The blonde coughed a few more times, leaning over the table, before falling silent again. For some reason, he refused to look at the smirking bluenette.

"Did you swallow it?" Ciel asked, to which his embarrassed beau so eloquently replied:

" _Shuddup."_


	17. Baby's First Words

"Wow, what a dump…" Alois said aloud as he stared out the window of the Mercedes Benz. He was not driving this time, granting him the ability. Sebastian chuckled from the driver's seat at the younger demon's observation. He had left Revy and Luka under the supervision of Travis so that he can protect the car. This wasn't a very nice section of the city, after all.

It was abandoned. This entire small, section of city was set to be demolished, however, the process was hindered by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; who graciously allows for London's supernatural beings to live there. When they're all in one convenient place, it's easier to observe them, after all. The only problem was that it was difficult to live there, especially for supernatural beings. Quite a few of them have difficulty finding work, giving their special needs or even their appearance. Thus, they have somehow managed to organise a support system to give each other aid.

Somewhere, hidden in this section of town was a small shop and café known as _"The Wolf's Glen"_. It's run by the witches, who are able to blend in with humans effortlessly, and they are aided by the elves who simply appear to be very tall with slightly pointed ears. Here, they sell and ration supplies, sometimes bartering for them, as well as spells to alter a creature's shape so that they can find a way to survive in a human-run society. This was the Phantomhive demons' destination for today.

It was dusk, so it was the perfect time. Unfortunately, the person that they were looking for was not in the first location they thought she would be. Sister Dorothy lives in the abandoned church and with the help of The Wolf's Glen, found a way to renovate it so that she may give services to the supernaturals and even provide the children who couldn't go to a human school with some form of education. Naturally, she was looked up to in the community. Even the big, scary leaders of the vampire covens in the area respect her, including _"Baby-Face" Baldassare_.

That was a major accomplishment. Baldassare doesn't respect anyone, including the frightening "watchdog" of their faerie-tales. When retrieving information from him, Ciel would often have Sister Dorothy present, as she held some form of calming effect on the coven-leader. Baldassare wouldn't even _swear_ around the nun, she was that good. Fortunately for Ciel, Sister Dorothy is accepting of everyone and is not afraid of him or his presence.

That didn't change the fact that it was difficult for him to get in contact with her, though. He and his little group were now forced to patrol the area in search of The Wolf's Glen, where Dorothy often went to in the early evening for this reason. All he needed Alois to do was go in, ask the person at the counter if they knew where he could find the nun, and if she wasn't there, either, hand them a note from Ciel if Dorothy wasn't there to receive it herself.

If the Phantomhive or his butler were to do it himself, any customers in the building might be sent into an utter panic. Not many were sure of what the watchdog actually _looked_ like, as few had seen him. Many had heard descriptions of him, though, especially the children of the area. Ciel Phantomhive was their "boogeyman", the one who would come and snatch them up if they misbehaved. Sometimes, he was described as a cranky-looking man with a stern expression; others, he was described as an extremely handsome and charming one. Despite how much she was looked up to, it was Sister Dorothy's description that was the least popular. If you asked the nun, she would tell you that the legendary "Watchdog" had both of these traits, but one more. She would say that the watchdog looked like a broken child who might shatter at any moment. The one thing that remained consistent in all of these descriptions, however, was that the watchdog wore a black suit when he came to collect, an eyepatch, and that his hair was a strange shade of blackish-blue. It was for this reason that the Phantomhive cars all had tinted windows.

 _"Are you clear on the plan?"_ asked Ciel, looking over to his beau in the backseat.

"Yep. _Crystal_." Alois replied, holding the envelope in his fingers. He looked up to address the bluenette before turning his attention back outside. "How can a place like this even exist?"

"You're familiar with the concept of London's ' _underworld'_. This is just a variation of it." The Phantomhive answered. "It exists because H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G went out of its way for it. They hunt what needs to die, but not all supernatural beings are worthy of such treatment."

"How _merciful."_ Snidely spoke the blonde, blinking as the car lulled to a stop directly in front of an alleyway.

He squinted, and at the end of it he saw a sign hanging off the wall with the words _"The Wolf's Glen"_ on it. Alois turned to his beau one last time. He asked: " _This my stop?"_ prompting a nod from the other man.

"Be right back." He said, pecking the bluenette on the lips before opening the car door and stepping out. Ciel smiled after him, only to force a frown upon hearing chuckling from the driver's seat.

"What's so funny?" asked the Phantomhive, looking toward the older demon. Sebastian shook his head.

"Nothing." The butler answered. "I just find it amusing how the frightening _'watchdog'_ that is so feared around these parts can be so _gentle_."

"Must you always tease me about this sort of thing?" inquired the Phantomhive, crossing his arms as he turned to watch his beau walk alone down the dark alleyway.

The blonde stepped through puddles as he made his way to the entrance. He slipped the envelope into his coat before he made it to the door. Surprisingly, it was actually quite ornate in comparison to its surroundings. It was carved from sturdy wood and had minute details and patterns embedded in its surface. On the wall next to it was a sign hung on a nail. It said "open", so after a few moments of mental preparation, the blonde opened the door. A bell rang as he did so, informing the staff of his presence, which somewhat startled him.

Unexpectedly, the place was nicely lit and very clean as opposed to the rest of the neighbourhood. It was well kept, and looked like a very pleasant cafe'. Alois walked inside, looking around him curiously. Admittedly, he did feel a bit self-conscious, as a few customers were looking at him. Hopefully, it was simply because he wasn't recognizable. After all, supernaturals supposedly had a very tight-knit community, here.

Alois' shoes _clacked_ against the tile as he made his way to the counter. On his way there, he received a particularly nasty glare from a man who looked to be around his age, though he knew it was unlikely. He could smell blood wafting from his direction, most likely from the glass of what was the wrong consistency and shade to be wine. The Macken ignored the vampires scowl, and instead focused on the friendly-looking girl behind the counter.

"Welcome!" she greeted in a pleasant tone. The girl had light brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and a hoodie that was black in only the torso, but orange in the sleeves and hood. Over that, she wore an apron. Alois could sense some diabolical energy on her, but otherwise, the girl seemed perfectly human. She eyed the blonde very quickly before asking: "You're new, aren't you?"

"Just passing through. I was told that this was the place to find the person I'm looking for." The blonde replied. "Her name is Sister Dorothy."

"Oh, you're just in time! It's almost around the time when she comes by." The girl said. "You're a demon, aren't you? Does your master need her for something?"

"Yeah, there's some stuff he wants to ask her. I'm not really sure what, though." Alois answered, trying to be careful on his phrasing. "Do you get demons often, or something?"

"Not really. Demons don't eat, so there's not much point in them coming to a café." the waitress replied. "Oh, I'm _Katelynn,_ by the way. I'm a witch." She added, extending her hand across the countertop. Alois shook it and introduced himself as well.

"I'm Alois." He answered, immediately regretting that. He carefully examined the girl's face in order to decipher as to whether or not she knew that name. To his relief, however, the witch seemed unfazed.

"Is there anything I can get you while you wait?" asked Katelynn. "I know demons don't really care for eating things that aren't souls, but we do have _New Moon Drop_."

"Oh! I'd love some." The blonde answered. He sat down on one of the stools and watched as the girl prepared it on the other side of the counter.

"Commin' right up!" spoke the witch, getting the hot water.

So far, this was completely the opposite of how the menace thought it would be. The Wolf's Glen seemed to have a very welcoming atmosphere. It was nice. Even the stares stopped as soon as the menace came across as "alright" by the employee. Still, he couldn't let his guard down yet. There was one set of eyes that didn't waver; like they were trying to burn holes in the back of the demon's skull.

" _Tch."_ He heard from somewhere behind him. It was the vampire that had glared at him particularly foul when he had walked in.

The vampire leaned back in his chair lazily, his red eyes staring scornfully at the blonde menace. He wore a black turtleneck and pair of pants with a grey, unbuttoned trenchcoat hugging his frame. The man obviously had some money, given the expensiveness of his shoes. His black hair was perfectly combed, his bangs tucked behind his ear on one side, and on the other, somehow out of his eyes as if to avoid being glared at.

 _"Hey, Kate, stop serving this piece of trash and hurry up with my potion!"_ he called in an arrogant tone of voice. What a nasty person.

"I can't do that. Your potion's still going to take another week, whether you like it or not!" the witch said back, setting the blonde's cup of tea in front of him. "And don't call the other customers _'trash'!"_

"C'mon, Kate! This is the last day! It's gonna wear off soon!" complained the bloodsucker.

"Then order it sooner!" Katelynn retorted, turning back to the demon. "I'm so sorry about him. He's sort of a big-shot and thinks he can treat people however he wants."

"Don't worry about it." answered Alois. He picked up the teacup by the handle and pressed the rim to his lips, taking a sip of his drink before continuing. "I've seen his type, before. I know how bothersome they can be."

"What the fuck are you saying?!" barked the brutish vampire. "If you've got something to say, speak up and say it, Dicknose McButtfuck!" Alois nearly spit out his drink, but he somehow managed to down it before he started chuckling.

"Oi! What the fuck?! You havin' a giggle, blondie!?" spouted the vampire, standing up. "What's so fucking funny, huh?!"

"I'm gonna have to remember that one!" Alois said, trying not to laugh. "What was it? _'Dicknose McButtfuck'?_ Oh, man… that _was_ a good one."

"You laughin' at me, shit-for-brains?!"

"No, I'm simply _praising_ you!" the demon replied, looking over his shoulder and crossing one leg over the other. "Don't blow blood-vessel, precious, lord knows you don't need that." A smirk crossed his face as he saw the vampire bare his fangs and clench his fists.

"Are you shitting me?!" he growled under his breath. "Get the fuck out of here before I turn you into a stain!"

"Can't do that, I'm afraid. I'm on business, after all." Answered the Macken. He arched an eyebrow as the vampire sat down.

"Oh, yeah… For your ' _master',_ huh?" the sewer-tongued man said, leaning back in his chair again. "That's all the _more_ reason to kick you out of here!"

"Hey, Katelynn, do you have any idea what Stephanie Meyer over here is getting at?" Alois asked, turning back to the witch. Wide-eyed, the girl simply stared at him before flinching at the sound of shattering glass. Once again, the demon looked back to see the vampire with blood and glass all over his hand, looking down at the table.

"Get out…" he snarled.

"Pardon?"

"I said get the fuck out!" the vampire shouted, looking up at Alois and flashing his teeth. "You stink!"

" _Mister Baldassare,_ please calm down…" the waitress said, immediately catching the demon's attention.

"Baldassare"? _That_ was Baldassare? Indeed, the hot-tempered bloodsucker was none other than "Baby-Faced" Baldassare. Alois' eye narrowed as he turned to face the other man.

"Are you fucking stupid?!" the vampire demanded. "This guy fucking _stinks!_ He smells like _dog!"_

At that single word, the other customers looked toward the menace, even the ones who were so desperately trying to ignore the scene. Fear washed over their faces and silence hung in the air. All eyes were on Alois, but Alois' eyes were on Baldassare.

"He stinks." Baldassare stated. "He's got the watchdog's stench all over him."


	18. The Stench of Discovery

" _He stinks."_ Said Baldassare. " _He's got the watchdog's stench all over him."_

The other customers in the establishment all looked at Alois in horror. Even the waitress behind the counter, who had been so friendly was terrified. A few more staff members showed up in case there was any trouble, but as soon as they heard that, they were too afraid to do anything. The blonde menace uttered a sigh.

"How _rude_." He said nonchalantly, contrasting with his inner thoughts. "And you smell like week-old, rotten period, but you don't see me randomly shouting it at everyone."

"The fuck you just say?!" growled babyface as he stood up. He slammed his hands down on the table in front of him as his did and his chair fell over somewhere behind him.

"Are you deaf or something?" asked the blonde. "Is that why you keep yelling?"

"Shut the fuck up!"

"First you ask me what I said, and then you tell me to shut up? Make up your mind." Alois stated. He watched the vampire's movements carefully before saying: "Katelynn, what it?" referring to the waitress behind the counter.

"Y-yes?" the girl asked.

_"You might want to duck."_

Just then, Baldassare picked up his table and hurled it across the room, aiming straight for the blonde. He missed, however, when Alois jumped behind the counter and shoved the poor witch behind it to the floor as he ducked with her. The table crashed into various shelves stored along the walls, sending broken glass and mystery liquids everywhere. It smelled like alcohol and blood.

Once the girl was safe, Alois sprung jumped up and landed on the bar's surface. Briefly, he crouched down to grab his cup of tea before standing up again. Nothing seemed to have landed in it, so he put it up to his lips and continued drinking. This gesture only seemed to make the vampire angrier.

"Are you mocking me?!" Baldassare demanded as his foe finished his beverage.

"Ah~!" the blonde sighed. He looked down at the empty cup in his hand before looking to the coven-leader. "Maybe." He smirked.

"You bastard…" growled the vampire, clenching his fists. He snarled as he tried to stare the other man down. "I'll fucking kill you!"

Alois readied himself as his opponent lunged, jumping into the air and cocking his arm back to strike. His eyes glowed crimson as the vampire closed it, moving out of his line of attack and grabbing Baldassare's wrist. His foe let out a yelp as the blonde spun around, sending him flying in the same direction that he came. Alois jumped down from the counter-top and held his cup in the air.

" _Cheers."_ He said in a playful tone.

Baldassare came charging at him once more, and he did not move once. Not yet. Not until the other man closed in on him. It was then that Alois brought his cup down again, smashing it over Baldassare's head. When the man was stunned, he used the opportunity to grab his shirt and spin them both around so that the vampire's back was pressed against the bar. Alois drew blood as he traced the remaining handle of the cup along babyface's jaw.

"Got it all out of your system, now, precious?" the blonde asked. Angrily, his foe snarled, baring his fangs as he stared the other man straight in the eye.

"Fuck you." He hissed, clenching the menace's wrist and digging his nails into the Macken's sleeve.

" _No, thanks."_ Alois replied. "As much as I'm into snotty rich boys, I'm kind of seeing someone at the moment." Baldassare's eyes widened at the statement.

"Y-you're a faggot?!" he demanded, his body completely tensing.

"Is everything that comes out your mouth complete and utter shit?" the blonde answered with his own inquiry. "I'm not gay, and I already said I'm not interested in you. The person I happen to be romantically involved with just happens to be a man."

"Get the fuck off me, ass-pirate!" Baldassare shouted, trying to force away the hand that held the broken teacup up to his neck.

"Only if you promise to be nice."

"I don't have to be nice to a dick-eating asshole-jockey! Leggo!" For a moment, Alois was genuinely taken aback by the man's words.

"Now, listen here, ya little shit…" the blonde began, pressing the handle of the teacup harder into the other man's neck. "I don't know what your damage is, but _nobody_ talks like that to me. Understand, here, princess?" He took the cup away while maintaining his grip on the other man's shirt with his other hand, raising it high above his head and lifting the vampire off of the ground.

"Now piss off. I'm _busy_." Alois said, tossing Baldassare to the side. The coven-leader hit the wall and landed on his head on the other side of the room.

With that, the menace made an attempt to at least straighten up the place, putting stool back where they belonged. He froze when he heard a click from the direction that he threw the vampire. He looked over his shoulder to see Baldassare holding a pistol in his hand from where he landed.

"I think _you're_ the one who needs to piss off." The vampire stated. "See this, here? This is one of them 'anti-freak' guns that you fuckers get off on. It'll kill your ass dead, even if you are a demon. Get the fuck out before a blow your bloody brains all over the walls."

Alois simply straightened his back for a moment, before abruptly reaching into his coat and pulling out his gun. He aimed Kaspar directly at the other man's head. A wicked smile crossed his features as the vampire looked frightened once more.

"Cool." He said simply. "I do love a good shoot-out. Wonder which one of us is faster?"

"You bastard…"

"What's wrong? Run out of cute insults _, 'Baby-Face'?"_ To this, Baldassare nearly snapped.

" _Don't call me 'Baby-Face'!"_ he roared.

His gun went off, completely missing his target as pink smoke surrounded his body. Alois' eyes widened at the mist, as he hadn't the faintest clue as to what happened. HE soon figured it out, however, as the smoke cleared. The man who had once stood across from him was gone and in his place stood a boy who only looked around ten years old.

"No!" the boy shouted, fumbling with his gun as it got caught in the now loose-fitting clothes on his frame. "Not now!"

"Oh, yeah… You said something about a potion, earlier, didn't you?" Mused the demon. "Now I get it…"

"Fuck off!" Baldassare nearly yelped, finally freeing his weapon and aiming it again. "I can still kill you!"

" _Oh my_!" called a startled voice from the front of the shop, summoning the attention of both males. The small voice came from an elderly nun who stood in the middle of the doorway. She had a kind sort of look about her with a plump face and rosy cheeks. She looked to the younger-looking lad of the two with an almost disappointed face.

"Si-sister!" the coven-leader called, lowering his gun and hiding it behind his back.

"Are you being _violent_ again, Baldassare?" the woman asked. "And to a new face, too?"

"But Sister! He's with the Watchdog! He was coming to get you!" the boy protested. He tried to point at the blonde menace, but his sleeves were now too long for that to become clear.

"The Watchdog?" inquired the nun, looking over to the blonde. "Is this true, child?"

"U-uh, yes, ma'am." Alois replied, unsure of how to act. If this really was Sister Dorothy, then it was best not to be rude. "I was supposed to give you a note from him."

"Oh, well let's see it, then." Spoke the Sister, extending her hand.

In response, the blonde simply reached into his coat and put his gun away before retrieving the message. He then made his way to the other side of the room and handed it to the woman. Her hands were freezing. She then opened the envelope and read the message, occasionally looking up at the blonde, and over to the other vampire. When she was finished, she smiled at the blonde before turning to Baldassare.

"Balda, I need you to come with us, please." She said.

"What?! Why?!" demanded the boy.

"This involves you too. It doesn't seem like anything serious, so it shouldn't take long." the nun replied. "Unless, of course, you want to leave me _all alone_ with the Watchdog and his henchmen." Alois smiled as the woman knew just how to push the vampire's buttons.

" _Fine."_ Baldassare groaned, trying to move in his garments. His shoes no longer fit, nor were his pants as they sat around his ankles. Fortunately, the vampire's shirt was now long enough to keep him covered. "I'm going to need a change of clothes, first."


	19. Speak No Evil

"What the fuck kind of shit is this?!" demanded Baldassare as he, Alois, and Sister Dorothy made their way to the church. "I look like a fucking idiot! If someone sees me like this, I'll murder you, blondie!"

In reality, he simply looked like an ordinary child. The coven leader was unhappy that since his clothes no longer fit since his transformation, he had to use some of the clothes donated to The Wolf's Glen. He now wore a T-Shirt with monster trucks on it, shorts and sandals. He was not happy.

"Language, Baldassre!" the nun scolded as they walked. "You should never curse someone, that's a sin! It's especially rude if you've only just met them."

"He works for the Watchdog and is a bloody woofter." The remarkably _older_ vampire complained. "Ha! Get it?! _'Woofter'?!"_

"I heard you, kiddo." Alois answered. "Nice pun. Ha! Get it?! It's like ' _nice one',_ innt?"

"Are you making fucking fun of me!?" Baldassare snapped.

"Yes." The blonde said bluntly. "You make it easy."

"Please stop fighting." Sister Dorothy interjected. "You shouldn't squabble."

"Hey, isn't being gay, like a sin, too, or something?" asked the other vampire. "Why are you picking on _me?_ "

"Jesus didn't say one single thing about being a homosexual, so no." the nun replied. "That excerpt that's often quoted by hate-groups is actually from the old testament, not the Bible."

"Ciel was right. He said I'd like you, Sister." Grinned the Macken. "Can't say the same about Baldassare, but he was still right about my impression of him."

"Hey!" the ten-year-old-looking vampire barked, causing Dorothy to giggle.

"Sir Phantomhive certainly does have an odd sense of humour." The woman said. She looked back at the blonde as she led them. "You talk about him like you're close. Are you friends?"

"Oh, yeah. You could say that." Alois somewhat bashfully replied, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn't know why, but discussing their relationship with the nun was somewhat embarrassing. They walked in silence for a bit longer before Alois had to ask the question that been on his mind for a while.

"Uh, I'm sorry if this seems a bit weird, but, isn't associating with demons kind of…?" he trailed off, unsure of exactly what word he needed. The nun simply giggled again.

"Not at all." She said. "God loves everyone, including demons. The only reason I would not want to associate with someone is if they aren't a good person and wish to spread hate."

"And yet _Baldassare_ is here because…?"

"He's a bit of a lost soul. He can be very sweet once you've gotten to know him."

"I am not ' _sweet'!"_ Baldassare shouted. "I'm the baddest vampire in this city!"

"Not really, I know of someone tougher than you." Alois stated. "She works at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G." At that, the nun stopped in her tracks for a moment.

"We do not discuss _those_ people around here." She said. "Unlike Mister Phantomhive, _everyone_ is _certain_ that they are real, and their soldiers can be _cruel."_

Alois looked at the ground for a moment, trying to think of something to say. It was almost a given that the soldiers would frighten the supernaturals. It was their duty to exterminate them, after all. Alois also knew what giving someone a gun was like; how that power could turn even the meekest of people into bringers of death. Power could make a person drunk and do awful, unspeakable things. He knew this firsthand.

" _I know."_ He said simply. _"I'm sorry."_

" _Now maybe you'll get why we hate your kind."_ Baldassare said. He had taken the turtleneck out of the bag with his clothes in it and put it on, rolling up the sleeves so that he could use the arms.

The vampire walked past the blonde and up to Sister Dorothy before grabbing her hand and leading her forward. Silently, the blonde watched them before following. Indeed, this world was different from his own. Alois knew the Hellsings to be some of the most morally just people he knew, but here, it was _they_ were the monsters, and he was one of the boogeymen that mothers would warn their children about. By the light of the any streetlamps that lit up their path, he walked forward, dwelling on the grim thought as he repeatedly put one foot in front of the other. He didn't say anything else until they reached the church.

A scoff came from Baldassare as he saw the Mercedes Benz in front. Did the Phantomhive know anything about subtlety? Then again, the rambunctious nosferatu was certainly not one to talk. When they got to the door, however, he was actually hesitant to go inside. With a scowl, Baldassare looked down at his attire.

"Don't be ashamed, Balda. He can't antagonize you if you don't let him." Sister Dorothy said, opening the door. She smiled as she laid eyes upon the two figures who stood inside, as did the blonde menace.

The church lights weren't on, as all of them could see in the dark. The only thing that illuminated the room was the light of the moon shining through the large glass windows that ran along the walls of the building. Inside, Sebastian stood with Ciel who was leaning against one of the pews. Upon setting eyes on the group, the bluenette offered them a smile. Moonlight cascaded down the demon's pale features, bringing them into views. The sight made Alois' heart rate speed up a little. Sister Dorothy looked at the blonde curiously, while Baldassare shuddered as he glared at the Phantomhive with disgust.

"What the fuck kind of expression is that, mutt?" the petite coven-leader hissed, capturing the nun's attention.

"Baldassare, we are in a church!" she scolded, immediately forcing the older vampire to back off.

"Hello, Babyface; Sister Dorothy." Greeted the bluenette.

"Don't call me _'Babyface'_ , Dogbreath!"

"It's good to see you again, Sir Phantomhive; Mister Michaelis." The nun replied, offering the oldest of the demons a polite nod. Sebastian returned the gesture with a courteous grin, and offered a small bow.

She walked into the room and took a seat on one of the pews. She was soon followed by Baldassare while Alois shut the door behind them before joining his own group, standing right next to his beau. He didn't attempt to be affectionate in any way, given how closely he was being watched by Babyface and the nun who owned the church they stood in. The woman smiled warmly and said:

"It's been a while. You've changed your appearance again."

"Well, I'm not exactly ' _welcome'_ around here." Ciel stated. "How long has it been? Four years?"

"Just about." Sister Dorothy replied. "Your smile has changed." She added, tilting her head, slightly.

"Has it? I hadn't noticed." Said the watchdog. "Four years ago is around the time where Jim started working with us."

"'Jim'?" asked Baldassare. To that, the blonde raised his hand, slightly.

"That would be me." He said, not even flinching as the volatile vampire stood up.

"You said your name was _'Alois'_ at The Wolf's Glen!" he shouted.

"Only certain people can call me ' _Jim',_ Peterpan."

"Oh, fuck off! Don't you fucking-!" Baldassare was about to go off on a tangent when he suddenly just _stopped_. It wasn't because Sister Dorothy was seated near him and it wasn't because he was in her church. Despite the scolding look he got from the nun, his train of thought was brought to a crashing halt as another idea now stood in its path.

"Wait…" he said, raising his finger. He pointed it at the blonde menace before finally saying: "You're gay for the Watchdog aren't you?! Sick fuck!"

"Well, I would certainly _hope_ he is." The Phantomhive coolly replied. Without even the slightest hint of embarrassment, he grabbed the Macken's hand, staining the other man's cheeks pink. "He _is_ my _boyfriend_ , after all. We would have some serious problems if he wasn't."

Baldassare stared at the couple, eyes wide and mouth agape. While Sister Dorothy simply giggled, the more petite vampire shuddered. Ciel Phantomhive, boogeyman and murderer who has picked at him and intimidated for many, many years, was in a romantic relationship? With another man?! The concept completely baffled Babyface.

The coven-leader was familiar with concepts that couldn't be understood by "ordinary" people. He was soaked in self-hatred because of his appearance. He despises his face, his voice, the way people react to him, and even how he reacts to all of this. He had tried to take his own life on multiple occasions. Many times, he had shot himself in the head with an ordinary bullet, only to heal moments later. When he switches to an anti-freak bullet, however, he hesitates. This fact only makes him loathe himself more, as he lacks the resolve to break the curse of being forced to live in the body of a child forever. If Baldassare had the chance to go back in time and kill his ten-year-old self before he became a vampire, he would. He most _certainly_ would, and without a single moment of hesitation.

When he gets this way, it is usually Sister Dorothy who helps him find his feet again. It is her sincerest belief that not even the cruelest of people should have to consider taking their own life to end their suffering. The nun was the sort of person who would help someone, anyone, no matter who they were, or what their problem was, and Baldassare was no exception. In fact, of all of the people that she had offered help to, it was Baldassare who was the most grateful.

This is why Baldassare isn't afraid of being killed by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. No, they would do it quickly. His suffering would end. It was Ciel Phantomhive, however, that truly terrified him. The Watchdog would make him suffer before killing him. He _might_ torture him physically, but would _definitely_ pour salt in all of Baldassare's emotional wounds.

Baldassare is a gang leader trapped in the body of a child. It took him over two centuries of squabbling amongst the "grown-ups" to get where he is, and he had been subject to horrible treatment simply do to his face; his _baby_ face. He did not want to endure that sort of torment ever again. If anyone in his coven called him "Babyface" or anything similar, Baldassare would have their legs broken so that he could beat them over the head with a chair until he calmed down. Sometimes, the chair would break and he would need another. The leader would prove that he is in fact that as many times as necessary, but it was the Watchdog who rendered it all meaningless. Ciel was still more powerful than Baldassare would ever be, and he would pick at the vampire's psyche as he pleased. It is perhaps this reason, that the coven leader was reluctantly willing to provide information.

Now, this horrible, fearsome demon, who frightened the night-king of London's supernatural underworld, was in love? Stupidly so; with another, similarly infuriating man? That was too much for the vampire to wrap his head around, and as usual, that made him angry.

" _What the fuck?!"_ demanded the coven-master, baring his fangs. "How the fuck is that possible?! You're the Watchdog! You don't do that!"

"Do you have a problem with it, _Babyface?"_ inquired the Phantomhive, raising an eyebrow.

Those words burned Baldassare like the inferno of Dante. Veins were visible on the vampire's forehead as he seethed. Baldassare's breath was heavy and he clenched his fists. Blood dripped onto the floor as his nails cut into his palms. His eyes were aflame; wide as they glared daggers at the Phantomhive with his face contorting into a snarl.

"Don't…" he growled, his body shaking. "…Call… Me…" Slowly he turned and bent down, digging his fingertips into the wood of one of the large pews as he began to lift.

"…' _BABYFACE'!"_ he roared picking up the pew and hurling it at the demons despite his small stature.

Without even looking at each other, the demonic duo moved both spreading apart from one another to properly catch the rectangular piece of furniture. Gently, they set it down as the irate vampire came on the offensive again. It was Alois who countered him, placing one foot on the back of the seating and spinning his other around to strike Baldassare upside the head. His foe went flying into the far corner of the room as Sister Dorothy watched in horror.

"Stop it!" she shouted. "That is enough!"

Baldassare stood up, his eyes never leaving the bluenette as he rubbed his cheek. A growl escaped his throat as he weighed his options. He didn't want to destroy Sister Dorothy's church and he certainly didn't want to know what the Watchdog would do to him if he continued. With a click of his tongue, he straightened his posture and lifted his turtleneck just enough so that he could pt his hands in his shorts pockets.

"Fine." He griped, still glaring at the demons as he walked back to his original position. As he did so, he pointed a finger at them. "But don't either of you fucking faggots call me ' _Babyface_ ' again, got it?!"

"Still as temperamental as ever, I see." Ciel said with a sigh.

"Maybe even more so than you when I first met you, huh, Ciel?" mused the more fair-haired of the demons, wrapping an arm around the bluenette's shoulders as he turned his attention to the irritable vampire. "And I already told you, I'm not gay. I love Ciel, and Ciel just happens to be a man."

"You're still the Watchdog's _bitch_ , either way." Snorted Baldassare. "You sure look like you take it up the ass, doncha? Fucking cock-sucking dick-socket…"

"Wha'd you fucking say?!" Alois demanded, furrowing his brow and taking a step forward. He had to he held back from the rude blood-sucker by the bluenette. Ciel covered his mouth while he was at it.

"Jim, calm down. You're in a church." The Phantomhive said. Quickly, he took his hand away from his beau's mouth and looked at it. "Did you just _lick_ me?!"

"Who cares?! We're demons! And we kiss all the time, so what's the big deal?" the blonde asked. "I'm gonna beat the shit out of that assclown!"

"You've already kicked him in the face." Ciel stated. "Frankly, I'm surprised you'd kick someone who looks like a ten-year-old…"

"Well if _I_ hadn't, _you_ would've had to! Or maybe _Sebastian!"_ The blonde stopped struggling for a moment and cupped the bluenette's cheeks in his hands to make him look him in the eyes. With a perfectly serious face he said: "Picture it for a second: _Sebastian; beating up a ten-year-old_." As the bluenette tried not to snicker, the butler only sighed.

"Please _don't_ imagine that." Sebastian requested, shaking his head in disapproval.

"I'm almost three-hundred years old, you smelly taint-licker!" Baldassare interrupted, only to finally be smacked upside the head by the Sister.

"We do not you that kind of language here." Sister Dorothy scolded, furrowing her brows at the older vampire. Somehow, Baldassare seemed to shrink a bit.

" _Fine…"_ he grumbled, diverting his gaze toward the ground. With that, Ciel took this as a perfectly good chance to set things back on track. Taking a seat, he asked:

"Right, so why don't we get down to business, then?"


	20. Identifying The Problem

Two bigwigs sat across from each other at a table, their respective accompaniment at their sides. With Baldassare was Sister Dorothy, and with Ciel was Sebastian and Alois. The two sides had decided after a long period of bickering, shouting, name-calling, and attempted fisticuffs, to finally sit down and talk about what the demons had actually came for. Ciel sighed as his informant glared at him with furrowed brows and arms crossed over his chest. The vampire's feet didn't even reach the floor and he was still being defiant.

"Let's get started." The bluenette said began. "We were in the middle of a murder case, where the culprits had smashed the victims' heads in with a hammer and written cryptic messages on the walls in blood. When interviewed, they said that they came into contact with a vampire with your name and asked him to turn them…"

"Lemme stop you right there, _Fido_." Baldassare interrupted. "I didn't tell them to kill anybody. Instead, I gave them directions to another coven because I didn't want them. I expected them to die."

"When we heard that, so did we, but they didn't." answered Ciel. "I already know that you want nothing to do with humans who want to be vampires. That's why your coven doesn't employ them."

"They're _disgusting_." The coven boss stated. "They're idiots who don't know what it _means_ to live forever. _I_ didn't get that choice, so I'm not giving it! I sent them there so they'd die. I didn't expect them to become ' _Meats'."_

 _"'Meats'?"_ curiously echoed the blonde menace.

" _'Meats'_ are humans how are employed by covens for various reasons." The bluenette explained before Baldassare could say something insulting. "They're the lowest of the low in coven hierarchy. Baldassare's coven doesn't have that rank because he hates them."

"Oh. Makes sense." Alois said. "So they ended up working for that coven. Why would they have them paint signs in blood? Why not just bring it back with them?"

"I dunno. Could be anything." Answered the vampire. "Most likely code. Vampires are drawn to the smell of fresh blood and would come across it much more easily than a human. If you got a picture of it, then I _might_ be able to tell ya what it means."

" _Sebastian."_ The bluenette called, inviting the man to offer the vampire seated across from him a folder.

Leaning back in his seat, Baldassare took it and rummaged through it. Soon, he found what he was looking for and took the photographs out while setting the rest on the table and out of his way. The coven leader scanned it for a while, his eyes furrowing more with each passing second.

"Those bastards…" he growled.

"What is it?" asked the Phantomhive, leaning forward. Abruptly, Baldassare stood up in his chair.

"Those sons of bitches are gonna get us _all_ in trouble with this shit!" He shouted. "I don't need H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. breathing down _my_ asscrack 'cause some fuckers wanted some quick cash!" He jumped up on the table and walked over to the Phantomhive before shoving the photo in his face.

"It's _advertisement_." He said. "For an _auction._ I'll give you three guesses as to what they're selling." Ciel's eyes widened before he knitted his eyebrows together and stood up.

" _Human trafficking."_ The Phantomhive answered.

" _And 'Bingo' was his name-o."_ Baldassare replied. "They're gonna sell them some fresh meat and fuck us all over. Once H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. gets word of this, they're gonna wanna look at _all_ of the covens."

"Got something to hide, Baldassare?"

"Drugs. Weapons. _Normal stuff_ , but the Iron Maiden would still kick my ass for it if she doesn't shoot it." The vampire stated.

"I might be able to cut a deal of some sort." Ciel answered, looking up at the vampire who was still standing on the table. "You cooperate with us completely, and I'll convince H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. to leave you and your stuff alone."

"Alright. That sounds doable." Baldassare answered, extending his hand. "Shake on it, Watchdog."

With a roll of his eye, Ciel humoured the vampire and shook his small hand, sealing the deal. Once they parted, Badassare walked back along the table and sat down in his own seat. Placing his elbows on the table, he asked:

"So, whatcha need?"

"The name of the Coven and the address would be nice, to start with." The Phantomhive answered.

"Got a piece of paper?"

"Sure." Ciel replied, tossing the vampire a notepad and a pen. Sitting up on his knees, the coven leader took it and began writing down the address.

"They're called 'Gentlemen'." Spoke the vampire as he jotted the information down. "Kind of a stupid name, if you ask me. They're the second-biggest coven in London. They like to meet in this warehouse, and the address on the advertisement is…" he trailed off, finishing his writing. He scooted the notebook and pen across the table toward the bluenette.

"…The Coronet Cinema." Ciel read aloud.

"That's right. They spruced it up real good." Baldassare stated. "I can see them holding auctions there."

"Why do you know that?"

"Because I'm _Baldassare of the Girasol coven_. I know."

"' _Girasol'…"_ Ciel echoed. "That means ' _Sunflower_ '. I still don't understand why you renamed your coven that."

"What's not to get?" the vampire asked. "I liked them when I was human." He leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "If it wasn't for this damn body, I could see them out in the sun. How depressing…"

"There's such a thing as Google images, you know…" Alois suggested. Baldassare slowly shook his head.

" _It's just not the same_ …" he said, a small hint of sadness in his voice. Once he caught it, he sat straight up again and crossed his arms.

"So it that all?" He asked. "Can I go home now?"

"Certainly." Ciel replied. "I'll contact Sister Dorothy to come get you if I need anything else."

"Yeah, _yeah_ …" Baldassare griped, hopping down off his chair and putting on his absurdly big coat. The ends of it trailed along the floor as he walked toward the door. "I don't see why you need her here, though. I don't need a goddamn babysitter…"

Ciel rolled his eye before turning his attention to the nun. He said: "I'm sorry I have to always trouble you like this. We'll put the pew back where it was."

"Oh, I don't mind. I know Balda is a bit hard to manage." Sister Dorothy replied, taking Baldassare's seat. "It's been a long time since he's been that angry at you, though."

"He apparently doesn't like Alois." The bluenette said as his two flunkies moved the massive pew back where it belonged. "I didn't know he was homophobic."

"I don't really know. I think it's just messed with his image of you, is all." Suggested the nun. "You're the only person that he's really scared of, you know. You being in love with someone messes with his own 'order'. He'll get over it, eventually. The fact that you have a boyfriend sort of stabs at his machismo, as well."

"So it's just his ego, hm?" inquired Ciel, turning for a moment to glance at the others.

Noticing this, the Sister asked: "You were smiling at _him_ when we walked in, weren't you?" causing the bluenette to blush.

"Perhaps…" he bashfully admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. Sister Dorothy only giggled at him.

"I'm so happy for you!" she said. "I can tell you really love him. It's legal for you to marry, now, so if you decide to tie the knot, I'd be happy to perform the ceremony!"

" _Huh?!"_ the watchdog nearly barked, his face turning completely red. "W-we're not… I-I mean, I, uh…"

"It's a good thing Baldassare left, isn't it?" the nun teased.

" _Very_." Sighed the Phantomhive, trying to calm himself down. His beau coming up behind him and wrapping his arms around his neck certainly didn't help.

"Whoa, you're really warm, Ciel…" Alois pointed out. "You okay?" The bluenette gave the nun across the table a pleading look, causing her to giggle again.

"Those two always get so of riled up when they see each other." Sister Dorothy half-lied. While she didn't really care for it, she would, since the Phantomhive looked desperate. "I'm sorry about all of those awful things that Balda said to you. He's usually much better behaved."

"I'm sorry, but that's a bit hard to believe." The blonde stated.

"I understand. He's been very good to me, though. He even helped raise the funding to renovate the church!"

"Are you serious?!" asked the menace.

"It's true! He helps me out all the time." The woman answered. "He says it's because he ' _owes_ ' me."

"What'd you do?" the blonde asked. That's when suddenly, the nun's smile fell.

"It wouldn't be right for me to tell you." She said. "He's fragile enough as it is."

"Oh…" Alois replied. "I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's not your fault. You simply didn't know is all!" Sister Dorothy answered.

"Yeah, but I still feel bad. It's not really in any of my business, is it?"

"Your relationship with Ciel wasn't any of Baldassare's business, and yet he still said those things, didn't he?" the woman pointed out. "I really wish he would stop talking like that; at least in the church…"

"I'm sorry for swearing, too. I got too riled up." Alois said, resting his chin on the top of the bluenette's head. "I'm not all that sorry for kicking him, though. He tried to attack my Cielykins."

"His temper is really something." The bluenette said. "I don't think I've ever lashed out like that…"

"I do believe you have when you were younger, my lord." Sebastian chimed in, putting the file back in order. He chuckled when his master shot him a mean look. "Well, it's true. You almost slapped Lady Elizabeth once."

"You nearly slapped your ex?" Asked the menace, pinching and pulling on the Phantomhive's cheek. "Bad, Ciel!"

"I learned my lesson and would never lay a finger on my fiancé like that again…" Ciel stated, shooing the blonde's hand away. His face turned pink again as he made eye-contact with the nun across the table and remembered their previous conversation.

"' _Again'~?"_ the blonde teasingly asked. "Are you saying you have a fiancé, _still?_ Have you been two-timing, Ciel? How cruel! I thought you loved me!"

"I _do_ love you!" Ciel barked, turning to face the other man. His bravado immediately fell upon seeing the blonde's face. Bashfully, he added: "You know that's not what I meant…"

"Oh my God, Ciel, you're so cute…"

To that, the bluenette stood up, faltering as the menace somehow managed to keep his hold on him. Regardless, he dealt with it, keeping his balance. Ciel ignored his beau's presence as he made his way toward the door.

"We'll be taking our leave now." The bluenette stated, toting his boyfriend along as if the blonde were a koala latched onto his back. He nearly tripped over his own two feet when the menace teasingly blew in his ear. Sebastian soon followed the pair, trying not to snicker.

"Thank you for all of your help." The butler said in place of his master.

"Anytime." The nun answered. "Your master has become quite lively, hasn't he?"

"Yes, he's become much better-behaved, too." Spoke Sebastian. "I suppose I should be going with them."

"Have a safe trip!" The woman called as she waved "Goodbye". "I hope they have a happy future together!"

* * *


	21. Going Home From Work

" _So, what's the plan, man?"_ asked a certain menace. The demons were en route to Phantomhive manor in their black Mercedes, including Sebastian, who secretly wished that the car was a Rolls Royce. The demonic duo sat in the backseat as per usual and discussed their agenda.

"First thing's first: we contact H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G." Ciel replied. "This is their jurisdiction, now, and they _will_ want to know. Then, we pass on the information that we have, try to cut Baldassare's deal, and then we wait."

"Aw, I was hoping for some adventure." Alois stated.

"We don't know if we're _not_ going to be involved. Baldassare is _my_ informant, so if they need any more information, they'll have to go through me to get to him." Spoke the Phantomhive. "Besides, I still have to plan that _thing_ for FUNTOM."

"What kind of a Boss are you, if you can't do both?" his beau jested.

_"A damned overworked one."_

"And now you know how _Sebastian_ probably feels." Alois said, causing the bluenette to frown and the man up front to snort. "Is it, though, Sebastian? Is it?"

"Not really." The butler said. "I've had plenty of practice juggling all of my duties. It becomes a little more difficult with each new addition, but I manage."

"Are you calling me a burden, Bass-man?"

"Do you want the actual answer, or the one I just made up?" Sebastian asked, causing the blonde in the back seat to laugh.

"The actual one." Alois said.

"Well, then, I'd say that at first, you were extremely bothersome, but since you've calmed down, you're not a problem at all." The man answered. "It's quite nice to not have to apologise to your school anymore."

"Was I that bad?"

"Jim, you threatened Kristopherson with an improvised billy-club that you made by putting coins in a sock your first year of school." The watchdog pointed out.

"I've just become more civilized, I suppose~!" his beau practically sang. The blonde arched an eyebrow when he heard the bluenette stifle a snicker. "What?"

"When you shouted at Baldassare, you started matching his ' _thug-talk'_." Ciel said, causing the blonde to blush. Blood only continued to rush to his cheeks as the man in the driver's seat chuckled as well.

"I did _not!"_ Alois protested. "I don't talk like that."

"I don't mean to speak out of turn, Mister Trancy," the butler began, "but I do recall Luka commenting on your accent when he first started living with us. He said you ' _talked fancy'_."

"Fine… I _used_ to, but I don't now!" insisted the menace. "Do you know how many lessons I had to take to get rid of it?!"

"Why are you embarrassed by it?" Ciel asked. "You were really intimidating. I thought I might not have been able to restrain you." He smiled as the blonde looked out the window with a pout.

"You know, I can speak four different languages, but I really don't think I could imitate that accent." He added. Ciel could see Alois grin at the thought in the reflection of the glass.

"I would kill to hear that." The blonde stated. Once again, he turned to face the bluenette. "Do it."

"What? Right now?" asked the Phantomhive.

 _"Do it."_ Alois said again, with a little more force.

The smile on his face never wavered as he saw the bluenette utter a sigh. Glancing toward the front of the car, Ciel could see the butler's eyes reflected in the mirror. He didn't have to see his mouth to know that he was greatly amused by the prospect. The head of the family furrowed his brow and looked down at the floor.

"Let's see… What was it…?" he trailed off, trying to think how the blonde had spoken. With a deep breath, he looked at the blonde again and spoke.

 _"'Wha'd you fucking say?'"_ Ciel quoted. " _'I'm gonna beat the shit outta that assclown!"_ A blush spread across his face as stifled laughter could be heard from the front seat and as his boyfriend erupted into a cackling fit.

"Oh my god!" Alois howled, trying to cover his mouth with one hand and clutch at his stomach with the other. "I-! I can't—I can't believe you said that with a straight face~!"

"Shut up!" The bluenette demanded before turning his attention to the driver. "You too! Both of you be quiet!"

"I'm sorry, master, but… That was truly _terrible_." Sebastian snickered. "Perhaps you should practice more."

"Yeah! With enough practice, you can pass for lower-class, too!" Alois chimed in, resting his arm on the back of the seat. "Think you should stick to being the ' _suave'_ sort of villain. Leave the thuggy-shit to me!"

"Mister Trancy, I hardly think the master counts as _'suave'_ …"

"He does when he's in ' _villain-mode'!"_

"I thought I told you two to be quiet!" barked the Phantomhive.

"Oh, so you're allowed to make fun of _my_ accent from when I was a poor-boy, but we can't make fun _you_ when you try to do it? I see. I see how it is, Ciel." Jested the menace. " _Classism_ at its finest."

"I wasn't making fun of you!" Ciel protested. He opened his mouth to continue but closed it quickly. Then, he turned his eyes toward the floor again before mumbling: "I… I actually thought it was kind of… _cool_."

Alois immediately perked up. His icy-blue eyes stared at the Phantomhive, much to his beau's discomfort, before pouncing on the other man. The blonde wrapped his arms around Ciel before saying: "You're so cute!" at the top of his lungs. He then turned his gaze to the front seat as the bluenette struggled in his grip.

"Sebastian! Sebastian! _Can we keep him?"_ he playfully asked the butler.

"I suppose we _have_ to." The older demon jested in response. "Please take good care of him." To that, the bluenette nearly growled.

_"I hate you both so much!"_


	22. That Blonde, Butlering

Today was most certainly _not_ a good day for Alois Trancy. His beau had called H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; and not only had they said that they were going to only call upon the demons if needed, Sir Integra had deliberately _banned_ Alois from participating altogether! While he understood her intentions, he was still rather peeved. The woman knew that Alois wasn't very good with cases involving human trafficking, being a victim of such a crime, himself, and did not want to expose him to a mission involving it, simply to save him from recalling his trauma.

That was reasonable, but Alois, being the rather bold individual that he is, felt that it was best for him to face things head-on. He had made so much progress during the Black Annis case. If he can handle that all of that, then surely he can handle this mission as well. Still, while he was stubborn, he wasn't stupid. Arguing with Sir Integra was unwise, especially since he had finally managed to be on her good side. All he had to do was wait on everyone else. Today, in more ways than one.

It was the end of the week, and the demonic duo had made a bet. Unfortunately for the blonde menace, he had lost. Thus he donned his butler suit, which suspiciously still fit him, somehow, even though it was made several years ago, and he got to work. First order of business: wake the master.

Since it was the weekend, Alois' alarm was turned off, leaving it up to him to wake Ciel manually. He had somehow weaseled out of the bluenette's grip in order to get ready, knowing full-well that he had woken the other man in the process from the smirk on the Phantomhive's face. Now that Alois was fully clothed, however, Ciel had managed to fall back asleep in the time it took Alois to figure out the butler uniform. The blonde walked over to the bed and stretched out a hand before pausing. How does a butler wake their master, again?

After thinking about it, Alois took his hand back and left the room altogether. When he returned, he had a tray in hand with tea on it and a newspaper tucked under his arm. He then set that down and walked over to the curtains that shielded the room from the light outside. When was the last time they were opened?

It didn't matter. After mustering all of his strength, Alois opened the curtains. The light pouring into the room caused Ciel to stir. Confusedly, he opened his eyes to see his beau standing there with the most butler-like smile he could muster.

" _Good morning, Master. It's time to wake up_." The blonde greeted, slowly dying inside already. He did his best to conceal his embarrassment, allowing only a little bit of blood to rush to his cheeks. The dumbfounded look on the Phantomhive's face, however, was quite pleasant.

Ciel sat up and rubbed his eye, making sure he saw what he was seeing correctly. He had almost forgotten about the bet for a moment, he was so taken aback. The blonde's fair skin and hair almost glowed in the new lighting, and the butler uniform was almost predictably appealing to the bluenette. Ciel loved it when Alois' appearance or demeanor was somewhat "powerful". After all, the Phantomhive did love power. He gawked when the blonde handed him the newspaper before gliding over to pour the tea.

"Uh… good morning…" the bluenette said, watching the other man carefully. When the blonde looked over his shoulder to catch Ciel staring, the Phantomhive quickly opened the newspaper and pretended to read it. Perhaps this would be more entertaining for the blonde than he thought. Alois smirked to himself before swiftly concealing it again to hand his new "master" his tea.

"Earl Grey." The blonde said as the other man took the cup and saucer. He remembered that it was the watchdog's favourite. Ciel put the cup to his lips before pausing.

"It smells like there's rosemary in this." The bluenette said. He looked up at the menace, who did his best to not allow his smile to turn mischievous.

"A pinch." He replied, holding his index finger and thumb together.

"You're devious." Accused his beau, taking a sip.

"Not especially." Alois answered. " _I'm simply one hell of a butler."_

Ciel choked, nearly spitting out his drink at those words. He couldn't tell if it was because he wanted to laugh, or something else, but he quickly righted himself to keep from making a mess. He could tell, however, that the menace was amused by his reaction.

"Are you alright, _master?"_ inquired the blonde, putting emphasis on his beau's temporary title. Ciel set his tea down on the nightstand next to their bed and wiped his mouth before shooting his new "butler" a glare.

"Shouldn't you be working, or something?" he asked, only to have the blonde shrug at him.

"Most likely, but I'm not entirely sure what a butler does." The menace stated. "You could give me an order. Or, perhaps you would like me to help you get dressed?" he teased.

" _That won't be necessary!"_ the Phantomhive insisted. He shouldn't have made this bet. Even though he was the victor, he could tell that this was going to be a long day. "Why don't you… uh… go… get my things organised in my office so I can start back up with FUNTOM business."

"As you wish, _sir_." Alois replied, offering a small bow. As he turned to walk away, he smirked and was sure to add a little more effort into his strides, simply because he knew the bluenette would be watching him.

He was right. Indeed, Ciel was watching; paying special attention to the blonde's hips as they sashayed from side to side. The sight almost made the man want to grab onto them and—

As soon as the door had shut behind the menace, Ciel threw his pillow at it, irritated that his amusing idea had completely backfired on him and became a means for Alois to toy with him. He certainly wasn't going to turn this into something obscene, but the situation was tempting. Quickly, the Phantomhive gently slapped his own face to wake himself up before hoisting himself out of bed to make his way toward the bathroom for a shower. Perhaps the water would clear his head and help him remember the important tasks that he was supposed to complete that day.

Perhaps Ciel could "order" Alois to follow Sebastian around and help him with his duties. That would keep the menace out of his sight and absolve him of the potential distraction. Meanwhile, Sebastian had secured a location some time ago, and had suggested to the Phantomhive a caterer for the FUNTOM event. Ciel needed to contact them and as well as go through those perfume samples, still. Why couldn't the marketing team do that? Why was it that the owner of the company had to hand-pick these items? They had claimed that it made it seem more "important" if the owner did so himself. What a joke.

Soon, the CEO had to get out and get dressed. Once he did, he made his way toward his office. He took a deep breath upon approaching the door, having sensed the blonde's presence on the other side. When he opened it, he saw the menace leaning over the desk, writing something down with one hand, and holding his cell-phone in the other, occasionally glancing at it. When he was finished, he looked up at the bluenette.

"What were you writing?" Ciel asked, walking over to the other man and looking at the paper. "These are my notes…"

"I know." Alois replied. "I was writing down all of the things that weren't on there and that weren't done. I had Sebastian text me a few things that might also be important."

His beau actually raised his eyebrows at the new notes. Alois had written down the phone number for the caterer, as well as a recommendation for someone to do the decorating and their contact information. Apparently, Ciel's wardrobe situation had slipped his mind, and there were several names written down as possible attendees. Finally, the watchdog looked up from the notebook.

"You've saved me a lot of time…" he said. "Thank you."

"I was only doing as instructed." The Macken practically beamed. "I've sorted most of the paperwork, and can finish that in a few minutes."

"Nevermind that." Stated the bluenette. "I need you to go help Sebastian with his duties."

"Huh? Why?" asked the younger demon. "I thought the deal was for me to serve you for the day?"

"A butler doesn't question his master's orders." Ciel pointed out, smirking inwardly at the blonde's pout. With that, Alois offered a small bow.

" _My apologies, sir_." He said in the snidest way possible. When he straightened himself, he turned toward the door. "I'll get right on it."

"Just a moment." Interrupted the bluenette, catching Alois' attention. His temporary butler looked over his shoulder, waiting for him to continue. "Come here for a second."

Curiously, Alois walked back over to the Phantomhive's desk, where his boss was seated. When he stopped, the bluenette simply motioned for him to come closer, so he did, walking around the desk to be at the other man's side. Arching an eyebrow, the Macken was confused as to why Ciel motioned for him to come even closer still. He assumed that there was something wrong with his notes and bent himself at the waist to lean in.

"Yes?" he called, only for the watchdog to grab his tie and pull him closer. He would have made a sound of surprise, had his beau not connected their lips. The blonde's eyes fluttered shut and he placed one hand on the back of the man's chair and the other on his desk. He sighed through his nose, but as soon as he did, the bluenette gently pushed him away.

"You forgot _my 'Good Morning'_ kiss." Ciel stated, a smirk gracing his face as his new, temporary servant started blushing like mad. With that, he released the other man's tie and turned back to his desk.

"Now, fix your uniform and get back to work." He instructed, rather content with himself, having regained the upper-hand. His amusement was equally matched by his partner's embarrassment, as Alois furrowed his brow and straightened his back.

" _Y-yes, sir."_ He forced out, trying to maintain at least a shred of his pride. Alois snorted as he walked away, placing his tie back in his vest and making his exit. This time, he made no effort in his walk, tickling the bluenette even more.

A masculine and seductive Alois was good, but an embarrassed and indignant Alois was just as charming. In all honesty, Ciel didn't know which one he liked more. Fortunately, he didn't have to choose. Now that the menace had left and that the Phantomhive had to work again, he couldn't help but think that he should have teased his blonde for a little while longer.


	23. Ideaman

" _So the master wants you to assist me for the day?"_ asked the official butler of the household to the blonde menace. In reply, his new protégé nodded.

"Yep. _He wants me out of his sight_." Alois said cheerfully, knowing full-well the reason as to why. He was going to somehow weasel his way back into the bluenette's office, but for now, he would play along with his wishes. Sebastian only sighed.

"So the master made this bet while forgetting what seeing you dressed up _does_ to him?" he half asked, but mostly stated. The butler shook his head and rubbed his temples at the silliness of his master.

"Oh, so I take it you know about that?" inquired the menace. While he was a bit embarrassed, his beau did make it plainly obvious.

"I've seen the way he stares at you." Sebastian said. "It's as though he's eyeing prey, only more _obscene_. Then again, it is a bit amusing to see him turn into such a babbling mess while trying to restrain himself."

"I know. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to turn your master into a massive pervert. It wasn't my intention, I promise." Alois replied.

"It's alright." The headbutler stated. "If it wasn't you, someone else might've awakened his brutish self."

"Do you always insult your master behind his back?" the blonde mused. Sebastian smiled.

"Oh, heavens, no. I would never do such a thing out loud." The older man said, prompting a laugh from the younger.

 _"'Out loud'."_ Echoed Alois, grinning as he placed his hands on his hips. "So, Bass-man, what do ya need me to do?"

"Since I've already prepared breakfast, you can help clean up." Sebastian said. "I'll go tend to the master and the others while they're eating. Just load the dishwasher and put the pots that are too big to fit in the sink. If you want to get started on scrubbing them before I get back, that's fine, if you don't, then that's fine, too."

"Alright." The blonde said, removing his tailcoat.

Sebastian pulled his own off of the coatrack and put it on before taking some of the food to serve. His new protégé replaced it with his own before rolling up his sleeves. The blonde took off his gloves and set them aside before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a hair-tie and pulling his hair back into a ponytail. It had become a habit to keep one on him after the Black Annis mission. They were surprisingly convenient, he found, keeping his hair nicely out of his face. There were always three locks of blonde hair, though, that were two short and that always did as they pleased, however. It didn't matter, Alois had work to do.

He started picking up bowls and utensils before putting them in the dishwasher. It wasn't nearly full even with the pans in it, so he decided to wait until breakfast was over to load it with empty dishes. Alois put the containers that didn't fit in the sink and began scrubbing since he had nothing better to do. Soon, he realised that he needed the small nozzle attachment to rinse with, however, when he grabbed the device, he realised that he had absolutely no idea how to use it. He turned it over and over in his hand, trying to figure it out, eventually finding a small button.

" _Wagh!"_ he cried out after pressing it.

What the blonde didn't know was that the nozzle shot water out at a higher pressure than the faucet. He startled himself, spraying water all over creation and dropping the pot in his other hand with a loud _crash!_ By the time he managed to shut it off, he was soaked. Embarrassed, Alois furrowed his brow and picked the pot up off the floor before debating on where he could locate a mop. At least no one had been around to see that. The blush on his face spread, however, when he heard someone walk in the kitchen.

" _What was that noise?"_ asked Sebastian as he entered, curiously followed by Ciel. The Phantomhive wanted to know just how exactly the menace had faltered, seeing as though this wouldn't be a very good penalty if the blonde wasn't embarrassed by the victor.

What he saw, however, only embarrassed himself. Alois was soaking wet, his white, freshly translucent shirt sticking to his skin, his vest now concealing his torso while tightly hugging him. Water dripped from Alois' furrowed brow and down his reddened cheeks as well as his neck and forearms. The ponytail was new. It made it easier for Ciel to see his beau's face, as he could no longer hide it. The Phantomhive's face turned pink and he shuddered, unwittingly prompting his usual butler to roll his eyes.

"Uh… I didn't know how to work the nozzle…" Alois answered. "Just tell me where I can find a mop and I'll clean it up."

"In the closet over there." Sebastian said, pointing. "Then get changed and I'll throw your suit in the dryer after breakfast if done."

"Got it." The blonde replied, offering a playful salute. He was too focused on his mistake to really pay much attention to the bluenette's current state. Instead, he busily went digging in the closet, completely unaware of Ciel's watchful eye. The Phantomhive stared at him quite intently before he was abruptly snapped back to his senses.

"Master, please don't fantasize in the kitchen." Sebastian said, rubbing his forehead. His troublesome master nearly jumped at his statement.

"I was _not."_ Ciel said forcefully before turning to leave. His disapproving butler followed him back to the dining room, allowing Alois to work. As if the Phantomhive's thoughts weren't clouded already, they certainly were now.

He had managed to get a hold of the caterer, and needed to go and discuss with them what exactly he needs them to do some time that afternoon. Additionally, he had gotten quite a few of the invitations done, thanks to Alois, and needed to mail them out. Hopefully, after breakfast, Kristopherson was awake and he could talk to him about possibly tailoring a suit. His "work suit" simply wouldn't do in this case. It was intentionally cheap, given the fact that the duo goes through them often due to various accidents.

" _Work. Think about work, Ciel…"_ the Phantomhive internally scolded himself. As he sat back down at the table, though, he still couldn't get the blonde out of his mind.

" _Think about what just happened."_ He thought as he resumed eating. " _Jim completely soaked the kitchen while trying to do dishes. That is_ _ **not**_ _arousing. And what was with the ponytail? I guess his hair is so long that it might get in his way. I could probably actually see the back of his neck for once. Huh… that's kind of-"_

"Ciel?" called Luka, startling the bluenette. Quickly, the Phantomhive shook his head before looking up at the youngest of the Macken brothers.

"Yes, Luka?" Ciel asked, smiling as he sat up straight in his chair.

"Are you okay? You keep making weird faces." The boy replied. "Like you're angry…"

"Huh? Oh, no, I'm not angry." The head of the household stated. "I'm just thinking about work. There's still a lot to do for the FUNTOM Anniversary event."

" _Uh-huh_ …" Revy snidely remarked from his seat next to Luka. The revenant looked over his sunglasses at the bluenette, knowing full-well what the situation is. Everyone in the household knew already that Alois lost a bet and now had to act as a butler and Revy could figure out pretty well that the demon's thoughts were not at all pure. He finally started eating again as Ciel shot him a silent warning to not say a single word about it. All of this, however, was completely missed by Luka.

"Is it gonna be fun?" the youngest asked, tilting his head while looking at the bluenette expectantly. A smile was on his face as he imagined what it would be like.

"Probably not." Ciel said with a chuckle. "There's candy and toys, but the toys aren't for playing with, so that just leaves you with candy and boring talks with grown-ups."

"Why can't you play with the toys?"

"Because we're showcasing them instead. It's like we're advertising them." Explained the watchdog. "We just give a presentation on what they do."

"But on TV, there's always kids playing with the toys in the commercials." Luka said. "It would be boring if they just sat there."

With that, Ciel practically froze. After a few moments, he leaned back in his chair, appearing to be deep in thought. A smile spread across his face as he looked back to the boy.

"You're absolutely right, Luka." He said finally. With a glance toward his original butler, he asked: "Sebastian? Do you know if any of our guests have children?"

"No, but I can certainly find out." Sebastian replied.

"Good. I need to arrange a meeting with the marketing team, and after that, we may need to make slight altercations to the invitations." The bluenette stated before looking back to Luka. "That was a very good idea."

"What was?" the lad asked. "Oh! Are you gonna invite some kids to play?!"

"If all goes well, then yes." Ciel answered.

"Can I come?!"

"Luka, you've got horns…" said Revy, completely dashing the boy's excitement. Luka sank in his seat before the boyfriend of his oldest brother said:

"I'll see if I can come up with something. I can't tell you that it's a definite ' _yes_ ' or ' _no_ ', but I can give you a ' _maybe'_." With that, he set his utensils down and stood up. "I need to get started."

"Very well then, sir." Sebastian said, walking over to pick up the bluenette's plate. Suddenly, he noticed something that made him grin.

"I didn't know you liked _broccoli,_ my lord." He stated, immediately forcing the Phantomhive to pause. Ciel hadn't been paying attention to what he was eating during his less than savory ponderings. To his disgust, the taste suddenly registered.

"I _don't_." he said as he made his exit, his pace quickening. "I'm going to my office."

"Don't gorge yourself on candy when you get there." The butler warned.

" _I'm_ the master of the house, not _you_ , Sebastian!" the bluenette called back as he shut the door. First thing when he got to his destination was to hopefully rid his mouth of this taste, and then contact the faux-blonde about his wardrobe. Sebastian simply rolled his eyes.

"He's silly sometimes, isn't he?" Luka mused, a wide grin on his face.

"Indeed, he is." Chuckled the butler. "But that's how things should be."

* * *


	24. We Got Troubles

London, United Kingdom. The city was falling asleep, for the most part, but was still lively with the nightcrowd. At this time, a businessman sat in his taxi on his way home, smirking to himself at the ingenious deal that he had just arranged. The FUNTOM toy company marketing department had agreed to take over the planning of the arrangement of the 170th Anniversary event in accordance to the new ideas that the man in the taxi proposed. The pressure was no longer on just the CEO's shoulders, now. He had implemented a strategy to target their market directly. Children do not care about big fancy parties. They care about toys! Thus, the CEO had decided to set things up so that he could invite the children of his guests as well to fully showcase the toys' value. As the man once said:

 _"To get to the parents you must market to the children."_ Ciel couldn't believe it, but it in fact took a _child_ to remind him of that.

Once Ciel got home, he was now free to do as he pleased. All he had to do was get his wardrobe arranged for the event, keep in touch with the main office, and wait for the set date to arrive. Thanks to Luka, he had managed to weasel his way out of dealing with all of the troublesome work by increasing the workload to require the team of professionals to simply do it. His smirk grew wider at the thought and he wanted to laugh, but he was already frightening the cabbie in the front seat enough as it is.

By the time he reached the manor, the cab driver was surely convinced that Ciel was in the mafia or something. The massive structure that he called "home" certainly didn't help. Once the taxi was completely gone and out of sight, the Phantomhive began to walk up the steps to the front door, de-aging himself in the process and resuming his usual appearance. After all, the "CEO of FUNTOM" was supposedly "different" person. He raised a hand to knock on the door, but when he brought it down again to hit its wooden surface, it opened and the blonde peeked his head out.

 _"Ow…"_ Alois said, rubbing his forehead. It was a gentle bop on the head, but it was still surprising.

"Sorry." Apologized the bluenette after being ushered inside. "I didn't expect you to be there."

"You can sense me, can you?" inquired the menace, taking Ciel's coat. He was still in his butler uniform, which had been dried just a little while after the bluenette had left. The game was still on, after all, though, admittedly, he spent a lot of the time while Ciel was out not working in the slightest. He had been when the bluenette came up, though, which is why his blonde locks were still pulled back out of his face. The whole get-up on altogether really made Alois seem like a butler. Now, that simply wouldn't do for the Phantomhive. "We still have our contracts, you know."

"I was thinking about how I just got out of having to do the work for the FUNTOM event." Ciel answered, following the blonde as he trekked upstairs to put the bluenette's coat back in his office where he usually leaves it. "Now I can focus on vampires."

He paused, eyeing the menace's exposed neck as the other man was about to open the office door. Without any warning whatsoever, the Phantomhive reached out, wrapping his arms around the man's waist and gently nibbling at his neck from behind. He smirked into the blonde's skin as Alois uttered a small gasp.

"… _And on cute blondes."_ Ciel added flirtatiously, noting how his lover blushed all the way up to his ears. It took a few seconds, but the menace finally managed to clear his throat and open the door. He walked inside, escaping the bluenette's grasp momentarily before putting the other man's coat on the coatrack in the corner.

"That's hardly an appropriate way to act toward a servant, _'sir'."_ Alois stated, placing his hands on his hips as he turned to face the Phantomhive. To that his beau simply scoffed before taking a seat on one of the couches.

"Had this been one-hundred years ago, that could have been debatable, but now you can get in serious trouble for treating the staff however you like." The bluenette answered. "Such a shame."

"Is this why you were so eager to leave? Am I a distraction, ' _master'?"_

"Very much so, I'm ashamed to say."

"The question was rhetorical." Alois stated, smirking at the Phantomhive. "I already knew the answer from your earlier actions."

"I did nothing…" argued the watchdog, averting his eye.

"Really? I heard you were completely out of it at breakfast with a lewd expression on your face."

"Did Sebastian or Revy tell you that?"

"Revy. Sebastian said that you couldn't stop drooling in the kitchen."

"So he saw that…" Ciel groaned, rubbing his forehead.

" _Nah,_ I don't really know. _I lied._ Sebastian didn't say anything." The blonde grinned. "But you were watching, though?"

"Are you trying to toy with me?"

"I'm not ' _trying'._ I'm ' _succeeding'_."

"How dare you make a mockery of your ' _master'?"_ demanded the bluenette.

"I thought it would make things easier for you, since you're obviously just dying for an excuse to _'punish'_ me." Alois jested, leaning on the back of the couch that sat just opposite to the Phantomhive, causing the man to furrow his brow.

"You would probably enjoy it, though, so it wouldn't be much of one."

"My mistake, I thought I was merely complying with my master's wishes." Alois stated with a small bow. Now, yet another sinister expression graced the Phantomhive's features.

"In that case, come here." He instructed, holding a hand out to the temporary butler. With an amused expression, the blonde heeded the man's request, only to let out a small yelp when he was pulled into Ciel's lap. His face turned completely red as the bluenette began to kiss his neck again.

"You're going to have to take responsibility for making me act his way." The Phantomhive hummed, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend's waist.

" _I_ didn't make you do anything." Protested the blonde. " _You're_ responsible for your own actions!"

"I'm not the one wearing the butler uniform, though."

"But you're the one who made me wear it!"

"I'm sorry." Ciel replied. He reached a hand up and loosened the blonde's tie before undoing the top two buttons of his shirt. Now he had even better access. "I forgot how I get when I see you looking especially attractive." He paused to kiss up the blonde's neck again.

"The ponytail is a nice touch." The bluenette added. "Now I can even reach your ears." He whispered before licking the shell of the sensory organ. He smirked as the man in his arms uttered another gasp and took that as an invitation to nibble on his ear.

"Y-you're awful…" Alois accused, trying to regain the upper-hand. "I didn't know you had a butler-fetish, Ciel."

"Hmm… I don't think I do." Answered the watchdog, reaching a hand up behind the blonde's head to tug at the man's hair-tie. He pulled back as the menace's fair-hair fell back in its usual fashion. With the same hand, he tangled his fingers into the flaxen lock and brought Alois' face closer. "I think I like you a lot better as a boyfriend than a butler."

"Likewise." Stated the menace as he kissed his beau. "I'm not really into the whole _master-servant_ thing." His arms made their way around the other man's neck as he shifted in Ciel's lap to get more comfortable. He smiled into the kiss as his boyfriend groaned lowly at the movement. Just then, the phone rang.

"Son of a fuck…" the blonde uttered as they parted, glaring in the general direction of the device. He knew it was probably important, since it was the work phone, but he really didn't want to get out of the bluenette's lap right then.

With a sigh, Ciel simply sat there for a moment, listening to the phone ring. He didn't want to separate himself from the menace, either, but when duty calls, he simply cannot ignore it. It was most likely FUNTOM-related. Thus, he moved his arms so that they could support the blonde and simply picked Alois up and carried him over to the desk, causing his beau to giggle. They both plopped down in the large chair behind the desk before the bluenette finally leaned over and answered the call.

"Phantomhive." He greeted once the phone was up to his ear. He leaned back and played with Alois' hair as he waited for the person on the other end to speak.

"Ciel, it's Integra." Answered the voice on the other end. Whatever the head of the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization was calling for, just from the tone of the woman's voice, the Phantomhive knew it couldn't be good.

"Did you find any developments in the ' _Graffiti'_ case?" the gentleman asked, trying to fit together what the woman could need. The answer was far worse.

"No. It's _August."_ Sir Hellsing replied. " _She's gone."_

August Remy was a lesser demon that Ciel had acquired during the Black Annis raid. When he first met her, she was a full demon, sadistic and cruel, but when he saw her again after he supposedly killed her, she became docile. She was curious, friendly, and loyal to her new master who has "kind" enough to give her a name. August was sent to work for H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; as they didn't want the lesser demon around Luka and Revy. While Jonnathan, another demon whom they acquired, stayed with agent Heinrich Strumer, August stayed within the basement of the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. estate along with the rest of their supernatural operatives. Now, she was gone?

"She's dead?" Ciel asked, unsure of where this was going.

"No. Disappeared." The woman replied. "Remy left the base on a mission with a squad, only to disappear in the midst of battle. The rest of the squad came back and reported this. We haven't seen her since."

"Do you want me to try to locate her?"

"No." Integra stated. The woman seemed quite fond of that word that evening. "I have Seras working on that. I need you to work on the _Graffiti_ case again. You're the only one who can talk to your informant, after all. We've located their hideout and are debating on what action needs to be taken next. You'll be on our call-list."

"Alright." Said Ciel, continuing to play with his beau's hair as he conversed. "I'll be ready if you need me."

"Good. As for you, _Macken_ , who I _know_ is listening in, you're still not allowed to work on this case." The Hellsing said, prompting the menace's attention. Alois leaned in to talk into the phone as well.

"No fair!" he accused. "I'm Ciel's assistant!"

"Stop joking. It's perfectly reasonable and you know it." Spoke Integra on the other end of the line.

"Yeah, I know. I just feel left out."

"If we can get more information on what goes on in there, I might reconsider, but until then, it's a definite _'no'_."

"Fiiiinnneee." Groaned the menace, pulling away from the phone to rest his forehead on the bluenette's free shoulder. Much to the Phantomhive's dismay, Alois began tracing random patterns on his chest before reaching up to undo the man's tie.

"Is there anything else?" asked Ciel, doing his very best not to sound distracted. "If you need any help with August, too, let me know and I'll do what I can."

"Will do. That will be all, your mind is obviously elsewhere." Sir Hellsing answered. "I'm sorry for interrupting."

" _Wait, that's not-!"_ before Ciel could fabricate an excuse, his relative had already hung up. With a sigh, he leaned over and put the phone back on the receiver before leaning back and wrapping his arm back around his beau.

"I hate you." He said, causing the blonde to laugh.

"Don't worry, she probably thinks I was just messing with you while you were on the phone, and technically, that _is_ what I was doing." Alois replied. He leaned in to kiss the bluenette on the cheek. "Oh, and I love you, too."

"And you say _I'm_ the horrible one."

" _You're_ the one who tried to seduce me in the first place." Pointed out the menace. "And you can't blame the suit because you're the one who made me wear it."

"Why is it that you always find a way to back me into a corner?" inquired the bluenette.

"I'm just pointing out the facts, here, Poochie." Alois pecked the other man on the lips. _"You're a pervert_. Accept it. _Embrace it!_ Make it your own."

"I didn't used to be a pervert until you came along." Ciel stated, helping the blonde remove his tailcoat while shifting in the Phantomhive's lap so that he was straddling the man. Once that part of the uniform was on the floor, Alois wrapped his arms back around his lover's neck before touching their foreheads together.

"Now _that,_ I have no evidence to either deny or support, so consider yourself lucky this time."


	25. The Brainstorm of Babylon

Hellsing Manor; the place of residence of the Hellsing family, and base of operations _for Her royal England Legions of Legitimate Supernatural and Immortal Night Guard,_ or " _H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G_." for short. The organization's purpose is to protect and defend everything within the borders of the United Kingdom as well as the crown from any and all supernatural threats with the weaponry and knowledge that they have gained throughout over a century of work. In addition, they regulate the activity ordinary supernatural beings by providing them housing in a special zone within the city that was previously a condemned section of buildings set for demolition. After purchasing it, they gave it to the supernaturals to use so long as they follow H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s rules. That said, there has been rumour that those rules have been broken, and that is what brought the demonic duo to the estate on this day.

While Alois was banned from doing any fieldwork on this case, he could still participate in the planning and research phase, which was one reason why he was accompanying the Phantomhive on this trip. The other was that Ciel needed someone to drive him. Today could possibly be a bit awkward, seeing as though Sir Hellsing had interrupted them in flagrante delicto and seemingly had caught on to it. A sigh escaped the bluenette's lips as their Mercedes pulled up to the imposing estate.

Much to the Phantomhive's annoyance, it was far bigger than his own estate. It was massive, as it housed both the base and the Hellsing manor itself. The blonde accompanying Ciel simply rolled his eyes as he noticed the faint bruising of his beau's ego, stepping out of the car as he did so.

"So, what's the plan?" asked Alois, walking beside the bluenette toward the manor. "We talk about the Graffiti case, and make up an excuse for whatever yesterday?"

"Hopefully, she won't bring that up." The watchdog replied. "They've already located the location of the auction as well as their base of operations, thanks to the information we got from Baldassare. Now, we just need to figure out how we go about this."

"You mean how _you_ will go about this." Corrected the menace, knocking on the front door.

"Are you still upset about that? She only banned you because she didn't want you to relive your trauma."

"But Cieeeellll, I wanna play too!"

"It's not a game, Jim. I actually _agree_ with her." The bluenette stated. "You've made an extraordinary amount of progress, but it's not worth it to throw yourself into something that you know could possibly trigger you."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." Alois replied, knocking on the door again.

"Don't be. I know how you are. Just take it easy for now, alright?"

"Fine." The blonde said, about to knock again when the door opened. Before he could even register who opened it, he was nearly assaulted by a certain excitable werewolf.

" _Blondie!"_ called Amelie, hugging the menace with a toothy grin. Alois hugged her back, picking her up off the ground.

"Amelie!" he called back. "It's good to see you! How are you?"

"Good." The wolf-girl answered, letting go of the man. She looked up at him and pouted. "Too tall."

"What?!"

"Stop being tall!" barked Amelie, gently hitting the blonde's chest with her fist.

"Why? Charlotte is tall and you fancy her." Alois pointed out, simply letting her do whatever. With those words, however, she paused for a moment, a small blush appearing on her face. Suddenly, she picked her pace back up, hitting the menace a bit faster and harder.

"Charlotte is _Charlotte!_ You are _you!"_ she declared.

"Ow! That hurts!" her friend replied. "Easy on the chesticles. Did I hit a nerve or something?" Alois gawked as the werewolf turned around and leaned against the doorframe, sliding down it until she was sitting on her knees. Ciel shook his head.

"Good job. You broke our escort inside." The Phantomhive remarked, earning a mean face from his beau. He then turned to the wolf-girl. " _Amélie, ce qui ne va pas avec vous?"_

"Oh, you're speaking _frog_ again…" Alois mused, only to be growled at by Amelie. After that, she turned around to face the wall again.

" _C'est trop embarrassant ..."_ she said, much to the confusion of the menace. He looked to his beau for a translation.

"She says ' _It's too embarrassing'_." Ciel quoted. Alois furrowed his brow and was about to protest when a certain vampire walked up.

"Amelie, have you shown them in yet?" Charlotte called from inside. Immediately, Amelie scooted away from the door before pouncing on the Phantomhive lad. She wrapped her legs around his torso and used them to bind his arms. With one hand on Ciel's shoulder, she placed her index finger up to his lips to indicate that he needed to be quiet.

" _Je veux faire ma femme Charlotte."_ She whispered.

"If you tell her, I'll kill you." She added before releasing the man.

There was a massive conflict in feeling about what just happened. Ciel was embarrassed and confused amoung other things. Alois looked at him expectantly, wanting to know what the girl had said, but given the fact that Charlotte was now standing in the doorway, Ciel chose to tell him later.

"What are you doing?" the vampire asked.

"Nothing." Answered Amelie with absolutely zero persuasive power. The other girl simply sighed, marking it off as more of the werewolf's strange behaviour. Amelie had been acting even stranger than usual, but the vampire simply wasn't able to get anything out of her. With a yawn, Charlotte took over.

"Well, come on in, Sir Integra's expecting you." She said, ushering the group inside. The demons followed her, soon tailed by Amelie as well, who simply glared daggers at the back of the bluenette's head.

"You're up early, Charlotte." Noted the blonde, earning a small nod from the taller girl.

"Seras usually stays up, but she's busy." The vampire said. "She's tracking August, right now, but she'll probably be going to bed soon."

"Yeah, I heard about that. What's her damage, anyway?" Alois inquired.

"I don't really know. August was always really shy while she was here. She was nice."

"That's… really fucked up, actually." The man stated, recalling what the demoness was like when he encountered her last. She tried to kill Ciel, Audrey, and himself after killing her contractee. She was murderous.

His thoughts were brought to a halt as the group stopped in front of a large door at the end of the hall. Charlotte raised an arm to knock on it, alerting the Hellsing woman of their presence. To their surprise, the door was opened for them by miss Seras Victoria.

"Hello." The older-looking vampire greeted. "I just got done talking to her, so go on in." Seras stepped to the side, allowing the two demons to pass while the two girls stayed in the hallway. She then joined her coworkers as they collectively made their way down to their respective rooms beneath the manner, chatting along the way. With that, the door shut again, leaving the demonic duo alone with the Hellsing woman in her office.

The room was far bigger than that of the Phantomhive's, but also emptier and smelled like cigar smoke. It was as though the room was designed with the sole intent of being intimidating. Regardless, the two gentlemen took a seat in the two chairs that sat in front of the woman's desk. Quickly, Integra finished what she was writing and looked up at the two.

"Hello." She greeted simply. "I'm sorry, but I'm not one for small talk, so why don't we get started?"

"It's a good thing neither of us are particularly sociable." The bluenette replied. "So what options are one the table?"

"First thing's first; we need to secure the people who have been abducted and put up for auction." Integra said. "We could simply raid the place, but the captives might be injured in the process."

" _Espionage?"_ suggested Alois. He was joking, but the two nobles seemed interested.

"That's a good start." Integra said. "We could get close to the operation, free the captives, and then we could have a team go in and remove the threat. The only problem is that we don't have a way in."

"I might know someone, actually…" the Phantomhive said. "That 'informant' of mine is a pretty high-profile vampire. He could probably get us in."

"Wait, wait, we're really considering this?!" asked the Macken in disbelief. The other two simply looked at him for a moment and collectively said:

" _Yes."_

Alois shuddered. "You two are _creepy_ when you get along." He stated. "We're seriously not gonna let wittle babyface go in there by himself and trust him to get the job done, are we?"

"Of course not." The Hellsing woman replied. "We have Charlotte and Amelie. I would like Ciel to go as well, given the fact that those two aren't exactly capable of handling the situation either."

"There's another problem with that." Ciel interjected. " _I'm_ pretty high-profile, as well. I'll be spotted in a second."

"Not if you _shape-shift."_

"I'm not a _vampire,_ either." To that argument, Integra simply smiled her usual haughty grin.

"No, but there is a way that we can trick them into _thinking_ you areone." She said. Ciel frowned.

"I don't think I'm going to like where this is going, am I?" he asked.

"Most likely not, but it's all we have, for now." The woman replied. "Unless, of course, we come up with an alternative plan."

"Which would be?"

"We would have to find a way to locate the abducted people and rescue them before the auction."

"I could probably find a list of recent missing persons from the Yard." Ciel suggested. "From there, though…"

"Pfft-!" interrupted Alois as air escaped him. He was trying to hold in a laugh, much to the confusion of the others.

"What is it?" asked Integra.

"Nothing, _nothing_. It's stupid." The menace replied. "I just thought about how we could just use Amelie as a search-hound."

"That's not ridiculous, she does that all the time for us." Hellsing said.

"Are you serious?!"

"Yes. We use Amelie to track vampires all the time." The woman stated. "Her sense of smell is more powerful and much more reliable than our ' _ordinary_ ' hounds, and much easier to get to cooperate and to communicate with."

"So we're seriously going with that?" Alois inquired.

"Might as well give it a try." Answered his beau. "If we can't locate them in time, we'll use the espionage idea as ' _Plan B'_."

"Sounds good." Integra stated. "We can have other teams assist you with ordinary dogs, if you'd like."

"That would probably be a good idea, as well. We don't know if they're all in the same place, after all." Ciel replied. He then stood up and straightened his clothes. "I can get you the information on the recent missing persons in a day or so."

"Then that settles it, then." Spoke the Hellsing woman, leaning back in her chair. "That was a very quick decision."

"Having Jim around helps." The bluenette answered, reaching down and ruffling his boyfriend's hair. "Even if they come out as off-handed comments, he can make observations that I can't."

"It's my lack of filter, probably." Stated the menace, swatting at the Phantomhive's hand before making an attempt to fix his appearance. "I'm very boorish, in case you haven't noticed."

"Not at all. You're an excellent help, Macken." Integra replied. "Why, it would even appear that Ciel's productivity has gone up since you've joined us."

"Whelp, I guess I just make up for the stuff that Poochie's not good at." Alois said, standing up and patting the bluenette on the back. "Like social interaction, probably."

"Most likely." The woman answered with a smile.

"Speaking of which, I was hoping to invite you to the FUNTOM event, Integra. I was wondering if it was safe to assume that you were going to skip out, though." The Phantomhive said.

"Thanks, but I'll pass." Replied Integra. "I'm not partial to parties, myself, but I appreciate your consideration."

"That's what I thought." Ciel said with a smile. "I suppose we'll be leaving then."

"Very well. Good luck with FUNTOM." Sir Hellsing replied. She paused momentarily before adding: "By the way, I'm sorry for interrupting you two the other day." She tried not to smirk as the Phantomhive froze, a blush staining his cheeks. He turned around to face the woman, furrowing his brows while he pointed a finger at her.

" _We weren't doing anything!"_ He indignantly fibbed. His reaction only made the woman even more amused.

"Is that so? My mistake. It would appear that I have jumped to a rather obscene assumption based on the data you and agent Macken gave to the research team."

"You _… you read that?"_ Ciel asked, his blush only darkening. He and his beau had been interviewed about their sexual activity to be added to the organization's data on demons and the various subcategories of them.

"Of course. It's my job to know _everything_ about the supernatural." Integra jabbed at the man. "Truly, lust _is_ a sin…"

"Indeed." Said Alois in agreeance. "But still, you are obviously wrong in your assumption about what happened. I was merely pestering Ciel the way I always do. It's funny to see how long I can poke at his nerves before he gets annoyed."

"I see…" the woman said, arching an eyebrow.

"Yes." Stated the menace. "Besides, had we been engaging in sinful acts, we would not have been able to stop until the ritual has been completed!"

"Wait, _what?!"_ demanded Ciel, a look of embarrassment and confusion on his face.

"Quite. First, _we must do a diabolical dance and display our feathers to one another in order to prove that we are a suitable mate_." Alois somehow managed to say with a straight face. He held out his arms and put his wrists together, turning them so that his palms faced outwards toward the Hellsing woman. He spread his fingers apart, wiggling them slightly to show that they were what could only be assumed to be the "feathers" he was talking about. "Next, we must serenade each other with song. Whoever has the more impressive song gets to-"

 _"Jim!_ _Stop making stuff up!"_ his beau interrupted scoldingly, reaching over and pinching the blonde's cheeks. "It's not funny!"

 _"Pfft-!"_ came a noise from the other side of the room. Both demons looked over to see Integra seated behind her desk, placing the back of her fist to her mouth. To their astonishment, it looked as though she was struggling not to laugh. The woman continued this for a moment before taking her hand away and looking at the two gentlemen.

"Alright, I'm sorry for teasing you about it." She said, smiling in a friendly sort of manner at the two demons. Alois had never seen the Hellsing smile in such a way before and Ciel hadn't seen it in years. A small blush appeared on both gentlemen's faces at the sight.

"Uh… It's okay." They unintentionally said in unison. Sir Integra only leaned back in her chair.

"Do you need help finding your way out?" she asked.

"No, I think we can manage." Ciel stated. He cleared his throat before turning back to the menace. "Come on, let's go." He said, tugging his beau along by his cheek.

"Can you at least let go of my face?!" Alois asked as the door shut behind them.

He rubbed his cheeks as they made their way back down the hall toward the front door. The hallway was wide and vast, and the bluenette's eye would occasionally wander to some detail that had changed. Apparently, the mansion had been destroyed several times in the past, and Ciel was still catching small changes here and there. He somewhat used his boyfriend as a guide so he wouldn't get lost while doing this. He was looking at one thing and thinking about another. He was still pondering about how this operation was going to turn out. He hoped they wouldn't have to resort to "Plan B".

"Hey, Ciel?" called the Macken, alerting the bluenette's attention. Ciel pulled himself from his thoughts and turned his head to look at the man as they walked.

"Yes?"

"I didn't get to ask you, but what was Amelie's deal from earlier?" Alois asked curiously. Ciel thought for a moment before chuckling, his cheeks turning a little pink.

"She said that she wants to make Charlotte her wife." He answered.

"What? You mean, like, _for real?"_ the blonde asked.

"It would appear that way."

"Good for them. I hope she gets to ask and everything goes well." He said. Alois wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to say, given the situation. "Never been to a wedding before."

"I've been to a few. They're boring." The Phantomhive said. "The best part is the food."

"You're in it for the cake, huh?"

"How unfortunate. It would appear that you've discovered my secret."

"How would they get married, though?" inquired the menace. "Can they really be 'married before the eyes of God'?"

"I might be able to ask Sister Dorothy to arrange something." Ciel replied. "The supernaturals in the special zone don't care for H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; but those two used to live there, and Dorothy doesn't really discriminate."

"I see." Alois said to indicate that he had heard the other man. Somehow, talking about it was somewhat embarrassing. The silence that followed was awkward, and with that combined with the new question that began to play at the mind of the Macken, Alois was growing somewhat restless.

Without even looking, he reached down with one hand and grabbed onto that of the Phantomhive, intertwining their fingers. A grin graced Ciel's face at the action and he turned to look at his beau. His eyebrows raised as he set his sights on the man's uncharacteristically aloof expression as the blonde stared straight ahead. It changed, however, when the Macken noticed Ciel staring. Alois turned his head to face his boyfriend as they walked, offering the bluenette a loving smile. Now that, made the Phantomhive's heart flutter.

"I love you, Ciel."

* * *


	26. Normalcy Leads To Impatience

Things were very slow in the Phantomhive household. While waiting on detective Bailey to e-mail the bluenette a list of the most recent missing persons, the demonic duo simply had nothing to do. Ciel had given the FUNTOM party organization to his staff at the company, so now he was stuck sitting at his desk while his boyfriend folded paper into triangles and flicked them at him. After the first few times, he was confused, but now he simply sat there, allowing it to happen. Eventually, he started collecting them in a pile on his desk while he read the news on his computer just to see how big it could get. When one triangle hit him in the head and landed on the floor, however, he finally said something.

"Looks like _someone_ is bored." He mused, turning in his chair to pick up the piece of folded paper. Ciel then flicked it back at the blonde, hitting his shoulder as the man sat on one of the uncomfortable couches in the room. Alois giggled.

"Well, I've done everything I'm supposed to, and now there's nothing left." The menace replied, flicking the paper object back. "Maybe it's time to find another hobby besides murder?"

"Probably." Ciel answered. The triangle landed back on his desk, so he put it in the pile with the others. "Have you tried _Netflix?"_

"No… I usually find like, five things that I want to watch, but can never figure out which one to pick, or what order to watch them in."

"Draw names out of a hat?"

"Do we even _have_ a hat?" inquired the blonde.

"I think there's a helmet or two in the memorabilia room." Suggested his beau.

"Too much effort for _Netflix_." Alois stated, falling over so that he was laying on his side. "Wanna play pool or something?"

"I don't think I can look at the pool table again after what we did…" Ciel said with a sigh, his cheeks lightly dusted with pink.

"You _loved_ it."

"I know, and that's _why_ it pisses me off..."

To that, Alois sat up again and turned to face the other man. "Wanna talk about the case, then? Like, what are we gonna do after we get that list?"

"It's relatively simple, but it should take some time." The Phantomhive said. "Basically, we go to the friends and family of the victims and ask them where they were last seen. We can compare that to _Gentlemen's_ usual hunting grounds to see if they had been anywhere near there. Then, if we think we've got a possible victim of Gentlemen, we can ask for something we can use to get their scent, which we'll then ask Amelie to trace."

"Sounds like a total pain…"

"Once we get the possible victims, though, we can ration the work off to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. teams and their hounds." Ciel explained. "Until then, however, we have to wait on Michael."

"Why don't we just go up there and take the files." Questioned the menace.

"We have to at least try to give him a chance."

"He's incompetent, though."

"So was his father when he first started." Ciel replied. "He was annoying. He always tried to make me follow rules that didn't matter. To be honest, he was more suited for deskwork."

"Young-Bailey sounds like a total geek." Chuckled his beau.

"The geekiest." The Phantomhive stated. He reached over and plucked one of the triangles from the pile and started playing with it. "Michael's a bit worse, though. Gabriel wanted nothing more than to help people, which is why he turned out okay, but Micheal… I have no idea why he wanted to be a detective."

"Probably because of his dad, y'think?"

"Possibly." The Watchdog answered before looking up at the other man with a curious expression. "Why do you want to be a detective, Jim?"

"You mean besides the fact that I _have_ to?"

"Yes, besides that." Chortled the bluenette. "If it was just because you were forced to do it, you wouldn't have insisted on going to school for it."

Alois laid back down again, this time resting his chin on the arm of the couch so that he could face the Phantomhive. He paused for a moment as he thought, his eyes focusing on the floor. Soon, he actually looked up at the other man before answering.

"Well, part of me just wanted to be like you, I guess." He said, causing a small blush to appear on the one-eyed demon's cheeks. "Mostly, I just sort of love it. I've always wanted to go on adventures and stuff like that."

"I've never thought about it that way…" the bluenette replied. "I've always thought of it as sort of a way to kill time, mostly."

"Didn't you have, like, friends to talk to or something?" Alois inquired.

"Not really…" his beau said softly, catching the blonde's attention. "I had decided that getting close to anyone would be pointless since they would just end up growing old and dying. The whole reason I summoned you back was because I was sick of it and needed somebody, even if it was someone I would have to take down. As my rival, you were not only perfect, but the circumstances of your death made you perfect."

"Glad I could help." Said the Macken with a grin. "Sorry if I disappointed you by making you fall madly in love with me." His eyes snapped shut and he wrinkled his nose as a paper triangle gently hit his face.

"Not at all. I like this turn of events much better." Ciel smiled. "Things are a lot livelier. It's nice." With that, his boyfriend sat up again and flicked the triangle back at him before grabbing another piece of paper and jotting something down on it.

"I like it too." Alois stated as he finished writing. He then put down the pen down and started folding the paper into another triangle. "I'm still amazed, though, how you somehow managed to completely turn everything around for me, yet you _still_ think I need something for my birthday."

"Maybe I just want to do something nice for you _intentionally_." Answered the Phantomhive. He opened his mouth to say something else, but had to catch an origami triangle before it stuck him in the face. Because he saw the blonde writing in it, he unfolded it, only to roll his eyes.

" _'You're a nerd'?_ Really, Jim?" he asked, reading the hastily scrawled out words with a big heart around them.

"I meant it as a term of endearment!" the Macken giggled. "Were you expecting a mushy love note, or something~?"

"You would…"

"No I wouldn't. That's too embarrassing! Besides, I'd never be able to write down just how much I'm in super-duper, lovey-dovey love-love with you, especially on a piece of paper that small!" Alois' grin only widened as the bluenette shook his head.

"Why do you do this to me?" Ciel asked.

"Because I like seeing you all flustered and cute." The blonde replied. "Check your e-mail again, _sweetums_. Maybe Junior sent it to you by now."

"Yes, _dear."_ Answered the Phantomhive, smirking as he noticed the blonde's grin drop while the menace tried to hide his embarrassment.

Ciel never calls the menace by a pet-name, so it sort of threw the man off-balance. A blush formed on Alois' visage as his beau turned to his computer again to check his e-mail. To his surprise, there was indeed a message from detective Michael Bailey.

The e-mail had at _least_ thirty names on it. There were also pictures of most of the missing persons along with their last known whereabouts. Predictably the majority of them were young women and children. A few young men were mixed in as well, but it would appear that they were not as high in demand. Ciel saved the file before forwarding it to Sir Integra. By now, the menace had made his way over to look over his shoulder.

"So where do we start?" inquired the blonde, leaning on the bluenette as he peeked at the screen.

"We have Integra compare this to the known coven territories to narrow it down to the possible victims of Gentlemen, have her ration off names to her operatives, who will try to locate them with their dogs, and if she wants us to participate as well, we will." Ciel answered.

" _Ugh!_ I thought we were actually going to do something!" Alois complained. He stepped back a bit before leaning down again to nuzzle the other man's shoulder. "Cieeel! I wanna do something, too!"

"I know, but we have to follow orders." The bluenette stated, reaching back to pat the blonde on the head. "You aren't allowed to help find them, anyway, remember?"

"Even _worse!"_ declared his beau. The menace looked up again with a pout, placing his hands on the Phantomhive's shoulders. "I'm not suited to be a housewife, Ciel."

"What kind of wife are you suited to be then?"

"None. I don't want to be a wife. I'd rather be a husband."

"Are you saying that you'd like to be my husband?" teasingly asked the bluenette, turning his head to smirk at the horrendously embarrassed expression on his boyfriend's face.

The blonde's eyes were wide, his brow was furrowed, and his mouth was agape as he scrambled to find his words. Eventually, his lips flattened into a straight line before he hid his face in the crook of the Phantomhive's neck. Poor Alois' words were muffled as he spoke.

"Maybe _someday_ …" he said, gripping the bluenette's shirt tighter. In response, his lover only grinned, tilting his head so that he could kiss the top of the blonde's.

"You're so cute." He stated, only increasing the other man's bashfulness even further. "How can someone so cute be so deadly, I'll never know."

"You're one to talk…" Alois muttered with a small pout. "Stop teasing me… Anyways, what _am_ I supposed to do while you're out secret agent-ing?"

 _"Netflix?"_ suggested the bluenette.

"Oh, _piss off!"_

* * *


	27. One Fine Day

London, United Kingdom. It was still somewhat early in the day, but the police needed to get started on their search. They had gone to each of the houses of the victims, in order to obtain a something with their scent on it to give their dogs. People were eager to cooperate with law enforcement in hopes of their family or friends returning home. What they didn't know, however, was that these police officers were in fact not. They were H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agents in police uniform in order to blend in and gain immediate compliance without the use of fear. The only indicator of their status were red armbands on their left side with the Hellsing family crest on them.

These faux-police officers split the samples amongst thirty teams of two, plus one hound before taking off to search around the last known locations of the victims in hopes of catching onto their scent. All of the teams were divided this way, except one. This particular team happened to be made up of members of the supernatural unit, so one of them was a grim reaper and the other was taking the form of a dog.

Amelie assumed the shape of what appeared to be a white, wolf-like "dog" while Audrey dawned the police disguise. The wolf-girl would rather have been teamed up with her usual partner in crime, but alas, it was daytime, making that an impossibility for her vampiric girlfriend.

She was still excited, nonetheless. It had been ages since she had been taken for a walk in this form, after all. Once they arrived at their destination, Audrey crouched down and took the tupperwear container out of his bag to hold out to the lycanthrope.

"Alright. Time to work." He sighed. "Let's search for a few hours, then we'll take a break for lunch, okay?"

Since Amelie's vocal chords aren't quite "right" for speaking in this shape, she nodded as reply before sniffing the T-shirt that the reaper held out to her. She then stood up and began walking, her claws clicking against the concrete of the sidewalk as she tugged at her leash. The wolf-girl's head was down as she sniffed along the trail, her temporary partner following along as she led him down the street. She led the reaper down alleyways and across traffic in a way that seemed as though she were simply trying to annoy him. Amelie made the man hop fences and stop for girls who wanted to pet "the cute policeman's cute doggie".

" _Amelie, you useless lesbian…"_ Audrey internally grumbled, trying to maintain a friendly image as the girls pet the werewolf's head.

"So, what's his name?" asked one of the girls, looking up at Audrey as she rubbed Amelie's ears.

"Her name's Amelie." The reaper stated.

"Oh, she's a girl!" one of the other women said. "That's so pretty. Is she your dog, or does she belong to the police?"

"Uh, she's a police-dog. Her usual handler couldn't take her out today, so I was asked to. She usually stays with her." Audrey was starting to wonder how much longer this was going to take. He wasn't very good at talking to women, and was starting to get a bit nervous. After a while, however, Amelie stood up from her seated position and stepped on the man's foot to capture his attention. She then started tugging at her leash again.

"What is it?" he asked, forgetting that she couldn't answer him and that the others had no idea of her status as a supernatural.

"Looks like something's sparked her interest." One of the girls said. Amelie glared up at her for a moment before tugging again, forcing her partner to step forward before taking off completely.

"I guess it's time for me to go!" Audrey said, now having to run to keep up with the wolf-girl as the other two women laughed at him. He was forced to run a few blocks, but nearly fell over when Amelie made a sharp turn into an alleyway. The reaper grunted as he was forced against the wall, his eyes snapping shut briefly. Moments later, they shot open again as he felt a gloved hand pressed against his mouth.

"Sssh…" shushed Amelie, pressing one of her fingers against her lips.

She had resumed her human shape and was fully decked out in her H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. uniform. It was useless for her to wear a police disguise, as she _looked_ too young to pass herself off as an officer of the law. She was short for her age as a human, after all. The coat of her uniform didn't even fit her correctly and was baggy on her frame, which is why she hardly wore it and simply tied it around her waist.

Now, however, in this cold autumn air, she had to wear it, appearing suddenly to the faux-policeman as a very petite soldier. She couldn't transform in front of humans, which was why she dragged the reaper here to speak. Once the man figured this out, he let go of the leash that was still around her neck and nodded, causing her to take her hand away.

"What is it?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"They were vampires." Amelie bluntly whispered, prompting a look of confusion to form on her partner's face.

"It's the middle of the day, though?" he questioned. "I know it's cloudy, but isn't that enough sun to hurt them?"

 _"Shade gel."_ The wolf-girl explained. "They reek of it. It protects against the sun for a few hours. You can get it from the Wolf's Glen witches, but H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. doesn't know how to make it."

"Oh. I see…" said Audrey. He should probably ask Dafydd about possibly making some, but now wasn't the time to linger on it. "So why did we need to get away from them?"

"They also smelled like the T-shirt." To that, the reaper's eyes widened.

"Shouldn't we follow them, then?!" he asked, but Amelie shook her head.

"Non. Too much work. I just followed their scent back." She said. "The T-shirt smell is stronger now."

"So we're getting closer?"

 _"Oui._ Just a little more."

With that, the girl bent down and turned back into a "dog". She looked up at the reaper, waiting for him to resume the disguise so that they could dig deeper. The man, however, had to think about it for a little longer; or rather, on his partner's strangeness, to be precise. Amelie is very direct in a way that was just odd.

Eventually, he shook the thought away, bending forward to pick up the leash before being led out of the alleyway by the "policedog". They then proceeded to walk casually as Amelie continued to follow the scent. Their pace slowed as things started to look a bit run-down. There were buildings in disrepair, covered in graffiti. The word " _Gentlemen"_ appeared several times in white paint, indicating that they were in their territory. Getting into a fight now, would be bad. They could feel eyes watching them as they progressed and the urge to turn back only grew in the reaper.

Soon, his partner stopped completely in front of a small house covered in plants. Upon further inspection, there was a large stone out front with a white " _G_ " spraypainted on it. Audrey looked down at the wolf-girl.

"Here?" he asked, earning a small nod. With that, he took out his cell-phone and typed in the address with a request for backup.

It only took a few moments to receive an affirmative reply. They would have to wait before they had even the slightest hope of searching the place. It was an unfortunate necessity, as they were currently in a not-so-safe place to wait in. Audrey was starting to wonder if every person who passed by was a vampire, as he had no way of telling. With each passerby, the man would look down at his associate, only to see the wolf-girl staring blankly ahead with a bored expression on her face.

Somehow, it only made the reaper more anxious. Audrey simply had no idea how to read the girl, and wondered how on earth Charlotte managed so easily. She's so odd, but Charlotte just accepts it. Come to think of it, there was _another_ couple he knew who was similarly peculiar, so in the end, Audrey just assumed that the vampire's skill in dealing with Amelie was just part of being in love with her.

"Oh!" called a voice, prompting the attention of the two agents. Audrey turned his head to see the woman from before. "Hello again, officer." She greeted with a smile.

"Hello." Audrey said, attempting to sound friendly. He didn't quite know how to react, as the woman was probably in league with Gentlemen, given the fact that the victim's scent was on her. She was probably going to walk into the house that he was currently standing in front of, so he would have to come up with an excuse. Meanwhile, his associate simply stared at the woman, watching her every move.

"Is there a reason why you're standing in front of my house?" Bingo. Audrey's guess was correct. Now, however, came the difficult part.

"Not especially. I'm just resting." The faux-policeman answered. "Amelie dragged me all over the place, so I'm just trying to catch my breath."

"Oh, are sure you didn't just want to see me again?" the daytime vampire teased, causing a small blush to appear on the man's cheeks.

"No, no! I'm not a stalker, or anything. It's just a coincidence." Audrey insisted. He felt awkward and that feeling only worsened when he looked down to see Amelie looking at him with an expression that could only be read as "judgmental". He shot a mean look back at her before the woman in front of them spoke again.

"Well, if you want, you can come inside for a cup of tea." The vampire suggested, startling the reaper. She looked down at Amelie. "I can probably find a treat for her as well."

Before Audrey could protest, Amelie stood up and wagged her tail. She then proceeded to follow the woman to the front door, much to Audrey's terror. He had no idea if Amelie knew what she was doing, or was seriously interested in the idea of a snack. It didn't matter as Audrey somehow found himself dragged into the woman's front room with the door shut behind him. It was at that moment that he completely froze.

"Come into the kitchen, and brew the tea." The vampire said as she walked by, pausing to pat his "dog" on the head. "I'll get you something to eat, too, girl."

With that, she disappeared into the house, and his partner was following after her. Audrey was nearly shaking. He had no idea what was in this house and he wasn't sufficiently armed to deal with much. All he had a handgun and a knife hidden in his uniform, which wasn't enough to deal with a house full of vampires.

Still, Amelie was calm, even as she reached the door to the kitchen. The wolf-girl paused, turning her head to grab the leash in her mouth and tug it out of the man's hands. She dropped it to the ground before nodding toward the door. Her partner gave a small nod and reached into his coat to grasp at the handle of his gun. After taking a deep breath, he opened the door. Lo and behold, the woman was behind it, ready to strike.

The vampire leaped at him, baring her fangs. The police officer looked like an easy kill, but she didn't count on Amelie pouncing. The wolf's teeth stabbed into the vampire's neck as Amelie's claws tore into her skin. The werewolf let go and jumped back, leaving her foe completely stunned and bleeding profusely.

Amelie landed on her feet in human form, spitting her opponent's blood to the side as more of it stained her lips and cheeks. She grabbed her knife from its sheath strapped to her leg before charging at the vampire again. Even though the woman brought her arms up to shield herself, the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. operative's weapon still bore itself into her chest. Amelie stabbed her in the heart, forcing her to the floor. She pressed it in harder for a few seconds to make sure that she met her target. When the woman turned into a pile of ash and clothing, the wolf-girl stood up again and placed her weapon back where it belonged before looking at Audrey. For the first time all day, her face seemed animated as a look of surprise came over her. Her partner looked genuinely horrified.

"U-uh…" Audrey began, pointing at his mouth. He made a little "wiping" gesture. " _You got a little_ …" Amelie brought a hand up to her face, brushing her fingers against the side of her mouth.

"Oh…" she said before wiping her face with the back of her glove. " _Sorry."_

"No, it's alright." Her accomplice stated. "I should really be used to it, by now. It's still new to see your coworkers tearing people's throats out."

"Oh…" Amelie replied, looking down at the floor.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt your feelings!" the reaper said, putting his hands up in front of him. "It's just that we're not on a lot of missions together, so seeing you with blood on your face is a bit… _new._ "

"I'm a werewolf. It's what we do…" the girl replied. "Do you always hesitate on missions?"

"No, it's just that I didn't know what all we were up against and wasn't sure if we were ready…"

"So you can't sense stuff?"

"No, I'm pretty ordinary. Blame my human genetics." Bones jested. "Why didn't you just shoot her?"

"Guns make too much noise." Amelie answered. "There weren't any more like her in the house, but a gunshot would alert her neighbours that something is wrong."

"But what about…?" the reaper began. "What about the victims?"

"They're here." His coworker said. Silently, she began walking around, occasionally sniffing the air. Soon, Audrey began to smell blood as they found a door.

"In here." Amelie said, trying the doorknob. Of course it was locked. Instead of wasting much time on it, she simply kicked the door in, causing it to fly off its hinges and fall down a flight of stairs. A few sounds of surprise were heard from somewhere in the darkness.

Audrey reached down to his belt and grabbed his flashlight before shining it down the steps. He led the way as Amelie followed him. The stairs complained as the two made their descent, making their way to the basement of the house. Once their feet made contact with the floor, the reaper shined his light around the room, pausing when it fell on a table covered in medical supplies. There were also soda bottles filled with what he assumed was blood.

"Audrey!" the wolf-girl called, prompting his attention. He turned around to see the girl crouched in front of a few of the captives who were chained to the wall. There were only five out of the estimated thirty, but it was progress. All of them were women except for one teenaged boy. They huddled together and shook in fear as they stared at Amelie, specifically her blood-smeared face.

"No! Wait! Don't be scared!" Audrey said. "We're the good guys! We're here to get you out…"

The group said nothing and only shook their heads. Amelie made a face of acknowledgement as she put it all together. She wiped her mouth again before pointing at her face.

"Non, this is from the crazy lady upstairs." She said. "I killed her."

"We're from a special group who deals with people like her." Audrey explained. "We're the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization. We hunt down and kill monsters. We're not going to hurt you…"

"You should probably tell our backup that we found them." Suggested Amelie. "I don't know how to deal with this." After looking to the victims for another moment or so, Audrey straightened his back and took out his phone.

"Right…" he said, dialing it and placing it up to his ear. "This is agent Baines. _We found a few."_


	28. Master of Disguise

H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. trucks came and took the captives away for treatment. All of them were still human, but suffered from some post-traumatic stress from both being confined, and from having their blood drawn against their will. Minor injuries were sustained and were treated with greater ease, as psychological wounds would take time to heal. Unfortunately, though, a scar would always remain.

There were two other houses like this one that were found during H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s search. A total of sixteen captives out of an estimated thirty were found alive. Two of them were dead. This still meant, however, that there were more victims still out there and that _Gentlemen_ was still at large.

Now, however, they were aware that her majesty's noble beasts were cracking down on them, so their efforts would have to become more subtle. Baldassare had been instructed to locate and decode any new "advertisements" if they popped up. He and his _Girasol_ vampires looked around, briefly, only coming across a few ads written in white spraypaint. All of them said the exact same thing as the ones written in blood.

The search for the missing persons continued, but there wasn't much progress. Too much time had passed, and the trail had gone cold. The dogs could no longer pick up a scent, including Amelie, whose sense of smell was keener. Unfortunately, this left the group with no other choice than to resort to plan "B"; _Espionage._

Naturally, Alois was not entirely pleased. This means that he would have to sit back and watch while Ciel got to have fun. It had been ages since the Phantomhive had done an infiltration mission, so he was somewhat looking forward to this. Alois was happy for him, of course, but he didn't like being told to "stay back" in case they needed him as backup. As far as he was convinced, he was perfectly capable of being on this mission. The Round Table, however, was not and their decision was final. All of that aside, it was still very amusing to see Ciel's reactions to the "preparations" that Sir Hellsing had in store for him.

 _"This is_ _ **disgusting!"**_ he shouted at the top of his lungs as he sat in a plastic tub that was halfway full with blood. Fortunately, he was permitted to wear swim-trunks as he was soaked, or his discomfort would have been heightened to a new extreme.

The smell was horrible, but that was the whole point. He wasn't a vampire, yet he needed to be one in order to get into Gentlemen's auction house. Vampires can't differentiate species like demons can. Their senses were sharp, but they couldn't sense a soul. Thus, the plan was simply to trick their sense of smell into thinking that he was one of them. Unfortunately, the method in which they had to go about it was less than pleasant.

"It has to be done." Spoke his fair-haired assistant as he dunked a bucket into the tub and poured its contents over his beau's head. The bluenette coughed, gasped, retched, and wheezed at the action before wiping his eyes and seeing the blonde menace wearing a big grin on his face.

"What the hell are you laughing at?!" demanded the Phantomhive.

" _A bloody idiot."_ Alois jested. Yes, this would do nicely, if he couldn't actively join in the mission from the start. The man's grin did not waver as his beau's frown deepened.

"Shut up…" the bluenette grimaced. "How long do I have to be like this?"

"Long enough for the smell to be able to stick even after you rinse off." Alois paused for a second. "What's it feel like, being in a tub-o-blood?"

"It's certainly thicker than water…" Ciel answered. He couldn't help but shudder. "It feels like they warmed up the packets before opening them…"

"Well, yeah, it's smellier that way."

"I hate this job…"

"You love it, and you know it. There's unpleasant bits in every occupation, I assume." Alois stated. His mouth formed a straight line and he wrinkled his nose as the other man wiped a hand on his face. "Ugh! _Sick!"_

"That's what you _get."_ Declared the Phantomhive. "I'm going to reek for _days_ after this…"

"And I'll still love you anyway, ' _stinky'_." The blonde stated, dumping another bucketful over his boyfriend's head. "On the bright side, I hear _bathing in blood helps you look younger_."

"I don't need help with that."

"Well then, I'm out of positive spins. You'll just have to stay grumpy, I guess."

"' _Grumpy'_ is an _understatement_ of what I'm feeling right now." Ciel replied. " _You're_ not sitting half-naked in a pool of other people's blood. It's disgusting…"

"Satan doesn't like bloodbaths. Who knew?" the blonde mused before putting the bucket to the side and standing up. "Alright, you can probably go rinse off, now."

"Finally…" growled the older demon, standing in the tub and allowing blood to drip off of him for a moment. He unconsciously flicked his wrists in order to get some off of his hands and arms. Before he could step out, though, he looked up with his two mismatched eyes to see the blonde gawking at him. "What?"

" _I'm not sure how I feel about this image_ …" Alois answered, causing Ciel to roll his eyes.

"Whatever…" replied the bluenette, exiting the tub before stepping onto the tile. "I'm going to get this stuff off of me…"

Alois simply watched as the Phantomhive made his way toward one of the stalls, leaving bloody footprints on the floor. They were in the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers' shower room, as per instruction of Sir Integra. Naturally, there was a sign out front to prevent staff from entering while they were there. That would have been a problematic occurrence. Two demons in the showers, one of them covered in blood with a tub full of the liquid in the center of the room? That was very suspect.

He took off his trunks and tossed them out of the stall with a gross, wet plop. He turned on the water and immediately felt a bit better. He was still covered in red, but at least it was starting to come off. Every time he looked down at the drain, the man immediately thought of the movie _Psycho_ , and he grumbled as he nearly scrubbed himself raw. Meanwhile, his lover was waiting patiently with a towel for him after having washed his own face and hands.

The menace resisted the urge to poke at the bluenette's trunks on the floor with his foot as he waited for what felt like ages, occasionally laughing at something the Phantomhive said while ranting. It seemed that no matter how well the bluenette cleaned himself, he could still feel his skin crawling. Eventually, he had decided that he had been in there long enough and shut off the water, shivering at the sudden burst of cold air.

"You done, Stinky?" inquired the blonde, peeking into the stall. He held out the towel in his hand, prompting the bluenette to dry wrap it around his waist.

"Please don't call me that…" Ciel sighed, pinching a lock of his own hair between his fingers and smelling it. Sure enough, he smelled like iron. He nearly gagged at how strong it was.

"' _Grumpy'_ , then." Alois stated, unconsciously taking in the bluenette's form for a moment. It was brief, as there was work to do, but he couldn't resist. The blonde shook his head before ushering the other man out into the locker-room. "Get changed and I'll meet you outside, okay?"

"Fine." Ciel groaned. He pursed his lips as the blonde pecked them, regardless of his disgruntled attitude at the moment before the other man left him to get dressed.

A sigh escaped the bluenette as he opened the locker that he had temporarily left his things in and examined his outfit for the evening. It was a little flashier than he would have liked, but according to Baldassare, Gentlemen liked that sort of thing. So, he put on the white suit, blue dress shirt and black tie and belt with a gold buckle. He then put on the black dress shoes that came with them before grabbing the eyepatch. It was necessary to the disguise, even though he was known for wearing one. He couldn't have his contract showing, after all. Similarly, the bluenette couldn't have them seeing his fingernails, so he had to wear the black pair of gloves that he was provided with in order to hide them.

The eye-cover was white, matching the suit, with a white strap and a small, gold buckle to fasten it to his head with. Upon looking in the mirror of the door of the locker, Ciel came to the conclusion that he looked ridiculous. Kristopherson Miles could put together an outfit, but this one certainly didn't suit the Phantomhive. Still, it was the point to not look like himself, after all. With no other options, he had to close the locker door and leave.

Upon exiting the locker room, he made his way to the lobby of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters, where his "escorts" were currently waiting with Alois. Charlotte was there, wearing a nice black dress and some concealer to cover the many freckles on her face and shoulders, to her discomfort. Of course, the skirt was easy to remove and she had shorts on underneath as well as a gun strapped to her thigh in case things got ugly. With her, however, was Ciel's other accompaniment. One who he wasn't entirely thrilled to see.

" _Pfft, nice duds, Pooch!"_ Baldassare snickered, earning a glare from the blonde demon in the room. No one used that nickname accept Alois, after all.

The coven leader was in his "adult" shape, taking the form of a young man in his early twenties. He wore a grey suit with a matching tie that had a spiderweb pattern on it, and a black dress shirt. It wasn't that much different than his usual attire, but since he was "Baby-Face" Baldassare, no one would protest.

"Hello, Baldassare." The Phantomhive sighed, not even bothering to even try to hide his lack of excitement.

"You're certainly cheerful, as usual." The vampire jabbed. "Come on. Take the form we all agreed on."

" _Now?"_ Ciel asked, his eye flickering over to the blonde menace.

"Go on. Do it. We need to check your disguise, and we don't have all night!" Baldassare stated.

With a heavy sigh, Ciel complied, encasing himself in the usual black flames as he shifted his form. He became taller, but kept sort of thin. His face became almost fox-like in appearance with beady eyes and a slightly pointed chin. His expression stayed the same, but with this new face, he somehow looked meaner. The man was sure to change his hair from that distinguishable bluenette hue to a more reddish one, making it somewhat maroon. With his new shape, his clothes adjusted accordingly, fitting him perfectly. With that, his disguise was complete.

"Damn, you look like a nasty fucker." Baldassare stated, placing his hands on his hips. The coven leader proceeded to walk over to the Phantomhive and circle him, making sure that he couldn't be identified. Soon, he got close up to the man, causing Ciel to step back and sniffed, much to the former-bluenette's disgust. Then, Baldassare took a few steps back before folding his arms and nodding.

" _Passable."_ He stated simply, trying a bit too hard in order to not seem impressed. To this news, Charlotte simply smiled while the Phantomhive cleared his throat and stood up straight again.

"Good. Now, we can get started." Ciel replied, his voice sounding somewhat steely. To his surprise, however, his beau walked up to him, holding a piece of paper and a large, black coat.

"Your cover information." The blonde said, handing the paper to the other man. "Your name is Cornelius Wainwright. Don't ask me, I didn't come up with it. Anyways, you're also the newest general in Baldassare's coven."

"Thanks." The Phantomhive answered, leaning down and kissing the blonde's forehead. He pulled back quickly when he felt the slightly shorter man shudder.

"Sorry." He said, making the softest smile he could with his current face. " _I forgot."_

To that, the menace shook his head, causing blonde locks to bounce slightly. Alois then stood on his toes before squeezing his eyes shut tightly and kissing the Phantomhive on the cheek. While Ciel was surprised, his beau then placed his feet back on the floor and shoved the coat into the other man's chest.

"I-It's fine. Here's your coat." He said, forcing Ciel to take the garment while looking away in embarrassment. He wanted to kiss the man before he had to leave, but the watchdog's current appearance made things awkward for him. Thus, he turned and began to scurry away, pausing as he was halfway out of the lobby.

"I'll be with Amelie and the backup troops if you need me!" he called before making his exit. Ciel draped his coat over his forearm and smiled after him, apparently provoking a small snort from Baldassare.

" _Faggots_ …" muttered the coven leader.

"Excuse me?"

"You're super-gay." Baldassare replied, rephrasing his statement. "How the fuck can a guy like you go to being all soft and mushy with another bloke? Especially a guy like _that?_ "

"Don't be ridiculous." Ciel answered. "I'd love Jim if he were a woman, too. This may come as a surprise to you, but I'm not a heartless monster."

" _Obviously,_ with that crock of ' _romantic'_ shit." scoffed the other man. He turned to Charlotte and continued to jest. "Ya hear that, ' _bonnibel'?_ Big, scary watchdog is totally _not_ a woofter 'cause he'd love blondie even if he had a vagina! What a load of…"

" _Shut up."_ Interrupted Charlotte in a rare act of defiance. She furrowed her brow and clutched at her handbag as she glared at the other vampire.

"Huh?" Baldassare asked, making a face. He walked up close to the girl, invading her personal space in an act of intimidation. "Wha'd you fuckin' say to me?"

He stared straight into the girl's eyes, noticing a small glimpse of hesitation at the action. Charlotte was tempted to back down, but knew she'd regret it if she did. Thus, her expression hardened again.

"I told you to shut up." She answered. "You're making an ass of yourself."

"What?!" demanded the coven leader. "Who the fuck do you think you're talking to, bitch?"

"You're ' _Baby-Face'_ Baldassare, the head of the Girasol coven of vampires." Charlotte said. "That said, you're at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters right now, so you have no authority here. If you try to do anything about it, you'll be shot on sight."

She quickly glanced over at the Phantomhive, seeing him smile at her and offer a nod of approval. Even though Baldassare was gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, she was right. There was nothing he could do to her. Somehow, with all of this, she gained the confidence to keep going.

"And another thing: Keep you're shitty opinions about other people's preferences and relationships to yourself. No one wants to hear them." She added, flashing the older vampire a smile. "If you were hoping I would have agreed with you, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. While Sir Phantomhive isn't gay, _I am_."

Then, she simply turned on her heel and headed toward the car, leaving her temporary associate gaping. A smirk formed across the Phantomhive's new features as he followed her, eventually catching up and keeping at her pace. He put on his coat as they walked.

"That was _perfection_." Ciel said to the girl. "The look on his face… _I wish I had a camera_." He added, earning a small laugh.

"If you say so." Answered Charlotte with a smile. "Even though I knew he couldn't really hurt me, I was really scared."

"Most people are." The man replied.

"Even you?"

"No, I'm a complete sociopath." Stated the Phantomhive. Charlotte uttered a small giggle at his jest. "It comes with practice." He clarified.

"I guess you're right." The girl answered. "But you're really not, though- _a sociopath._ "

"Really? What makes you say that?" inquired Ciel, opening the car door for the vampire and prompting her to climb inside. He was genuinely surprised, though, by the girl's answer. She looked at him through the open door and replied with:

" _You're too kindhearted."_


	29. On Backup

_"Bravo, this is Echo; is the watchdog in position?"_ called a voice over the radio.

"Affirmative. The watchdog has given us the signal. The mission has started." Answered the soldier seated across from Alois.

The blonde menace found himself in one of three armoured cars stationed several blocks away from the theater. Two were full of troops and one was nearly empty, and to be used to transport the victims. Once given the signal, they were to storm in and take the captives to safety while eliminating all threats. Alois uttered a sigh and put his cellphone back in his pocket.

"You know, if he had your numbers, he could've just texted you guys at the same time." The Macken pointed out, crossing one leg over the other and leaning back in his seat. He had plenty of room, since the human soldiers made a point to sit as far away from both him and Amelie as possible despite the somewhat cramped conditions.

These were grown men and women, grizzled from conflict with hellish creatures, afraid of what appeared to be a teenaged girl and a young, almost effeminate-looking man. It was logical, though. Those monstrous beasts were of a similar breed to these two, and could look just as harmless. Many of them have most likely lost at least one friend or comrade to the supernatural. Some of them might be lost tonight. It wouldn't be at the hands of these two, however. They were on the same side. In addition, they had other things on their minds than killing humans. Alois and Amelie were more worried about their respective partners, who had just set foot into the lair of the beasts.

"It's unprofessional to exchange personal numbers with higher-ups." One soldier said.

"Oh. I do that all the time." The blonde stated, somewhat striking a small nerve, unwittingly. After all, the fact that a demon could have access to the personal information of members of the Round Table was absolutely inconceivable! Despite this, the blonde kept talking.

"Are you also not allowed to call him by name, or what? Or do you guys just use codenames on missions?" he asked.

"We use codenames for key figures, and last names for general agents." Answered another soldier, this one friendlier than the others. She actually prompted to sit next to the menace. "For example; Sir Integra is ' _Babylon_ ', Miss Victoria is ' _Mignonette',_ Sir Phantomhive is ' _Watchdog'_ , Mister Michaelis is ' _Poe_ ' and Amelie over there is ' _Beowulf'_."

"Huh?! Even Amelie has one!?" demanded the Macken, turning his head to look at a grinning werewolf.

"Oui!" the silver-haired girl replied, holding up two fingers. "Charlotte is _'Spotted Lily'."_

"Wait, do _I_ have one?" the blonde asked, looking toward the others.

"No, at this point, you're still ' _Specimen #D-03'_." Answered the soldier seated next to him. "No one was sure what to call you, it looked like." She added.

"How very dare they?" Alois said, crossing his arms over his chest in an overly dramatic fashion. "Am I unworthy of recognition?"

"How about ' _Goldilocks'?"_ suggested one of the other men, earning a few chuckles. It seemed as though the conversation was helping them loosen up.

"Nah. First of all, I'm not the only blonde out of us ' _high-ranking snobs'_ , and secondly; _I'm a man."_

"Could've fooled us." Joked one of the others. "Put some meat on your bones, get a couple of battle scars, kid."

"I can't! I have to stay pretty for my watchdog!"

"That's not very manly…"

"Sure it is, when you're able to make the watchdog _beg."_ Alois said, prompting a few hoots and hollers from the other agents.

"Say what you want, gents, but it takes a brave-ass motherfucker to date _that_ guy." The soldier seated next to him pointed out. The relationship of the demonic duo was by no means a secret at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; so with that, the soldiers nodded and mumbled in agreement at that.

"Damn straight." The Macken said. "I was tortured, sold my soul twice, got stabbed, and tricked the shit out of a bunch of demons by the time I was fourteen! Ciel is _no_ problem." While his tone was cheery, the grins of the other agents faded when he said that.

For a moment, Alois actually became a little nervous; or rather, more nervous than he was at the start. These men were extremely intimidating, after all. They were muscular, with scars and stern faces. Part of him was still a bit afraid of older men, even if he didn't let it get to him, the majority of the time. Now, he had somehow managed to upset this bunch. Did he say something wrong?

"Shit, kid…" the soldier seated directly across from him said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "Why would you keep coming back to this? You're even involved with one of the most dangerous blokes in London… _Why do you do it?"_ There was no hesitation in answering on the blonde's part.

"Because I'm really happy, now." He said with a smile. "Ciel may look like a total arsemonger, but he's a real sweetheart and takes really good care of me. As for this, I guess it's sort of become kinda like a normal job, I guess." He laughed nervously as he was met with silence for a few moments as the others tried to process this information. Soon, however, their grins came back.

"You're alright, kid." Said the soldier across from him as the one to his side playfully punched his arm.

"I'm Brasher. On my right is Denzil and Huckabee; to the left is Eustis and Grant, and next to you is Harland." He listed off, introducing himself and the others. "I'm guessin' you already know ' _Wolfy',_ since she doesn't seem bothered by ya."

"Is she usually hostile?" asked the blonde, looking to his friend.

"Nah, she just doesn't seem to like it when people sit too close to her. We've been on a few missions before, but she hardly says anything." Brasher answered. "And yourself?"

"I'm Alois." Answered the Macken. He leaned forward as the soldier offered to shake his hand. "Or _'#D-03'_ , apparently."

"That won't do. You need yous a proper codename if you're a ' _higher-up snob'."_ The soldier jested. "Whad'ya say, lads? What's this macho-man's name?"

"I dunno, mate. It's gotta be somethin' good." Said Eustis.

"How about ' _Goldfinger'?"_ joked Denzil.

"Nah! That makes him sound like a stripper." Said Grant.

"He kind of reminds me of a lion." Suggested Harland, thinking aloud. Brasher snapped his fingers and pointed at the woman.

"That's it!" said Brasher. "We'll go from there. Lions, people think lions!"

"' _Leo's'_ pretty obvious, innit?" said Grant.

"What about ' _Mufasa'?"_ asked Huckabee.

"Mufasa dies, you twat!" said Harland. "He looks more like a ' _Simba',_ anyway."

"Or ' _Aslan'?"_

"Aslan's good." Said Brasher with a nod. "What do _you_ think, kid?"

Alois was quiet for a few moments, furrowing his brow in thought. Whatever he picked was going to stick with him for a while, so he had to think carefully. Finally, he decided on what he should say next.

"You wanna know what I think?" he asked, his face completely serious. He paused, waiting for things to get quiet before continuing. " _In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight~!"_ he sang. It only took a few notes before the others started laughing. Pretty soon, everyone in that armoured car was singing off-key and being merry as they passed the time with Alois Trancy leading them. Maybe being on backup wasn't so bad after all.


	30. Beau Brummel

The location was the abandoned Coronet Theater in London where the Phantomhive gentleman arrived. Dim light shined through the windows as people shuffled inside. Every last one of them was a vampire save for the watchdog or rather " _Cornelius Wainwright",_ as his cover indicated. He would be posing as a general serving under none other than the leader of the city's largest coven, "Baby-Face" Baldassare.

Ciel had altered his appearance and even bathed in blood in order to mask his scent and blend in, much to his disgust. His hair, his face, and even his sense of style had changed to be that of someone worthy of attending an event hosted but London's second-largest coven, " _Gentlemen_ ", which he had been informed about on his way over. He was careful to memorize the names of the key figures of the organization. It had only three generals, as opposed to Baldassare's four- or five, if you include their imposter. Their names were Dean Grey, Elam Paul, and Gary- _just_ "Gary".

Their leader's name was Jay Brummel. From what Ciel was told, he was an obnoxious, flashy, arrogant man who was in Baldassare's words: " _fucking annoying_ ". He definitely seemed like the sort of person who would attempt to auction off human beings under H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s nose.

Mister Brummel wasn't a complete fool, however. At the door, one had to provide proof of vampirism. One must show their fangs, eyes, and the bite-marks on their neck, which were all incredibly easy for a demon to fake. Ciel simply altered his appearance again in order to adapt.

Baldassare went first, then Ciel, and then Charlotte. Once they were inside, the girl grasped at the demon's arm, as per their plan. Neither of them were entirely thrilled, but it was either Charlotte pretend to be Ciel's partner, or be Baldassare's. She was relieved the Phantomhive was kind enough to go along with it so she didn't have to be in the arms of that awful excuse for a man. Once they were in the door, Ciel sent the blonde a text message, indicating that their infiltration was successful.

The theater's lobby had been fixed up to be the main hall. The snack bar had been reconstructed to be an ordinary bar, serving what could only be assumed to be contraband blood. Upon entry, they were each given a small map with a schedule on the back for various events, and immediately, the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. spies felt disgusted.

"What is this…?" Ciel inadvertently asked aloud. His single eye narrowed as he looked up at Baldassare.

"What's it _look_ like?" the coven leader asked. "I told you that these people were disgusting, didn't I?"

"How can people do this sort of thing?" inquired Charlotte. She gripped the Phantomhive's arm tighter as she looked over the events for that evening.

"They aren't ' _people_ '." Baldassare said. "They're monsters, and _I want them out of my city_. Why do you think I was so eager to cooperate to this operation?"

Ciel looked back down at the pamphlet in his hand, feeling enraged by what was to occur. Feasts of human flesh and public torturing of humans were some of the things listed on it other than the auction that they had come here to stop. Every vile, wicked act imaginable was on that schedule, and as Ciel looked around the room, no one else seemed to be concerned about it in the slightest. In fact, he could overhear arguing about what events other people wanted to go to.

" _Gentlemen?"_ Hardly. They were barbarians in suits. No, they weren't quite. That statement would be insulting to barbarians! These people were monsters and they needed to be exterminated.

"We need to get this information to _Bravo_ and _Echo_." The demon stated.

"Okay? Send your boy-toy a text, then." The other man said earning a mean look from the watchdog.

"He's not a _toy_ , and I'm not sure if I can send _him_ some of this…"

"Well there's your options, Fido." Baldassare stated, waving his arms. "Either give them the information they need to finish the mission, or _don't_." Ciel's brow furrowed again as he looked back at the paper, trying to decide on how he should approach this. He wasn't allowed to for very long, as he was alerted to the presence of someone approaching them. When he looked back to his allies, he saw Baldassare wearing a faux-smile as he greeted the new face.

"Baldassare!" the man said with a big smile. "How are you?"

"Brummel! Good to see you!" the spy said, shaking the man's hand. " _Brummel?"_ That _was Jay Brummel?_

The man was very clean-cut sort of stood out in the crowd. He wore a light blue suit and a pink vest with a black tie. His belt and shoes were white and shined brightly, polished to an absurd degree. Indeed, he was very showy. His hair seemed meticulously looked after and it looked as though he was wearing mascara. In right hand was a champagne glass filled with blood, and Ciel noticed that he had letters tattooed on each finger. "D-A-N-D-Y"? That spells "dandy".

His coven's name was "Gentlemen", he dressed in flashy suits, he had the word "dandy" on his hand, and given the fact that vampires often change their names upon turning, it could be assumed that "Brummel" was a reference to what was known as a "beau Brummel". How revolting. The Phantomhive never liked interacting with his type, and given the type of "entertainment" he's apparently into, Ciel was going to personally ensure that mister Brummel will not leave this building alive.

"And who's this?" the man asked looking over at the two other intruders with a friendly smile on his face. A flicker of hesitation appeared in the other coven leader's eyes, however fleeting. It took only a second for Baby-Face to recover, fortunately.

"This is my newest general, Cornelius Wainwright." Baldassare lied, making sure he used the Phantomhive's cover.

"Oh? Been expanding again, hm, Baldassare?" asked the self-proclaimed "gentleman". He then looked back to the imposter. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Jay Brummel."

"The pleasure's all mine." Ciel fibbed, effortlessly faking a smile. Following the man's eyes, however, the Phantomhive observed that the despicable character was inspecting the girl currently latched onto his arm. He could tell Charlotte was uncomfortable from the grip she had on him. He didn't blame her, either, with the sort of depravity he had planned for the evening.

"This is my girlfriend, Cheryl." Misled the watchdog, hoping that this would discourage the man from attempting anything obscene. Since his supposed "date" didn't have a name, he simply made one up on the spot.

" _Cheryl Garou."_ He added, using the surname of her girlfriend's preferred alias, causing the freckled vampire to blush. In all honesty, it was the only thing that he could come up with in that moment, given the recent news that the werewolf wanted to make the vampiress her wife. As uncomfortable as she was, Charlotte had a role to play, so she put on the best smile she could muster.

"Pleased to meet you." She said giving a small nod in greeting. She shuddered, feeling a grotesque chill run down her spine as Brummel gripped the hand of hers that was on the opposite side of the Phantomhive and brought it to his lips.

"The pleasure's all mine, m'lady." He said in a soft tone, causing the girl to forcibly stop herself from cringing. It was bad enough that she had to fake heterosexuality with a person who she knew the boyfriend of, but having a creep talk to her like that _while_ pretending to be in a heterosexual relationship was almost too much. "You're very beautiful. He's a lucky man."

Her eyelid almost twitched at that remark. As gently as she could she took her hand away in a manner that didn't seem rude before placing it on the watchdog's arm as well. Her fingers dug into the fabric of his jacket against her will as she spoke.

"You're too kind." She said, keeping up her façade to the best of her ability. Remarkably, the man before her appeared to be completely oblivious. After winking at her, he turned his attention back to the faux-vampire.

"You should meet my generals." Mister Brummel suggested. "They're around here, somewhere. Baldassare can probably point them out to you." Suddenly, his eyes shifted somewhere behind the group before flickering back to them.

"I'm so sorry, but there's other guests that I need to greet." He said.

"Don't sweat it. We'll talk later." Said Baldassare causing the other coven leader to smile again.

"I'll see you at the auction, then?" he asked.

"Of course." Replied Baby-Face, waving as the other man walked away. His friendly smile immediately turned into a smirk as soon as Brummel's back was turned.

" _I wouldn't miss it for the world."_


	31. The Sickening Taste of Iron

"Are you alright?" Ciel asked or rather "Cornelius" did, addressing the girl on his arm. Charlotte looked up at him confusedly.

"Yeah, why?" she answered with a question of her own.

"You're clawing at my arm a bit." The Phantomhive pointed out, immediately prompting the vampiress to loosen her grip.

"I'm so sorry!"

"Don't be. I don't blame you in the slightest." The faux-bloodsucker said. "You're in a very unpleasant position after all."

"I guess…" Charlotte replied. "Still, it could be worse. I'm at least in good hands."

"Are you _sure_ you're a lesbian?" asked Baldassare, placing his hands on his hips as he watched the scene. "You seem pretty alright with Fido."

"That's because I know he wouldn't dare try anything." The girl stated. "Did you know that girls can be friendly with boys without being interested in them?"

"Of course I know that!" the other vampire nearly barked. He opened his mouth again to continue speaking, but was cut off by the bluenette.

"Mister Baldassare," Ciel intervened, "forgive my rudeness, but it would be in your best interest not to cause a scene."

To that, the coven leader looked around to see a few fellow partygoers staring, only to look away once the man shot a glare in their general direction. The group was still in the middle of the repurposed lobby of the theatre, in the middle of a large crowd. It was best to speak with discretion, as not to give away their true objective and identities. If word got out that the Watchdog himself was at this party, the place would be evacuated in a matter of minutes, and Gentlemen would still be at large.

It became obvious that the group needed a more subtle way of communicating, however. They had to come up with a plan on how to get the information they had already acquired on the coven's activities back to the other two groups. In fact, they may need further reinforcements in order to sweep the place clean.

"Text your stupid pet!" Baldassare said in a hushed tone. "Get him the information he needs so we can wrap this up!"

Ciel thought for a moment. He knew that his beau was somewhat "touchy" when it came to the sort of thing that was going to conspire later that evening. It was understandable, after all. That's the way trauma works. Knowing the blonde menace, however, he would be more upset if the Phantomhive withheld the information for such a reason. Ciel didn't have to go into detail. All he had to do was convey the information in a way that was understandable.

"Alright." The Phantomhive said. "I'll do i-"

"Not right now." Baldassare quickly said, cutting the other man off. He looked at the watchdog before flickering his eyes somewhere off to the side and back. "We're being watched too closely."

To that his current accomplice followed his eyes, and when he did, Baldassare continued with: "See that squirrely lookin' bloke? The one who looks like he's snuck out on a school night, with the scar on his mouth?"

Sure enough, Ciel saw the person he was talking about, and he was indeed looking their way. He looked like a boy who should be in secondary school, just like Baldassare said. He was scrawny and looked like the kind who was easily picked on. The boy had a nasty look in his eyes, however, that made it look as though he was waiting for them to do something hasty so he can cut them up. To Ciel's surprise, he wasn't dressed too extravagantly. He wore a black suit with a white dress shirt and yellow tie. The Phantomhive's eye looked back to Bladassare.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"That's Gary." The coven leader said.

"The general?" Ciel asked arching an eyebrow.

"Yeah. He's the worst one." His accomplice replied. "He's paranoid as fuck and gets off on cutting people up. Wait 'til you're out of his sight, first. If you can't get a chance, I'll distract him, somehow."

"What about the other two generals?"

"They won't be as likely to notice. They're _almost_ as arrogant as their boss, and probably don't think anybody will fuck with 'em."

"So what do we do in the meantime?" inquired the watchdog.

"Why are you asking me? You're the one behind the operation!" the coven leader answered.

"For now, I think our whispering is starting to get suspicious." Stated Ciel. "Split up and regroup in about fifteen minutes. If we haven't gotten the information out by then, make an opportunity."

"Fine. I'll do some snooping while I'm at it." Baldassare stated. "I can probably get something out of these desperate pigs."

"Swear by it?"

"Listen, I know you don't trust me, and ordinarily, I might agree with you, but know this: I hate this bunch and want them snuffed out as soon as possible." Spoke the vampire, pointing a finger in Ciel's face. "They're disgusting, and their filth puts the lives of _everyone_ in the Glen in danger. I'm not gonna let that shit slide, you got that?"

"Yes, ' _sir'."_ The Phantomhive stated, somewhat pleased with the coven leader's reasoning. The fire behind Baldassare's eyes gave his words credibility. He seemed quite passionate about this cause. Then again, he always did have a soft spot for the residents of the special zone.

"Tsk." The other man clicked his tongue in annoyance at the watchdog's response. With that he began to walk away. "I'm gonna go mingle." He said. "See you in a few."

Thus Ciel and Charlotte were alone in this unfamiliar territory. Neither of them really knew much of coven etiquette, so they weren't entirely sure how to proceed. All they really could do was converse amongst themselves.

"It's comforting to know that he's not complete scum." Charlotte said, still awkwardly clinging to Ciel's arm. "Think we can trust him?"

"Yes. Despite his tongue, Baby-Face really does care about what happens to the Glen." The Phantomhive answered. "It's his home, after all."

"Yeah, I can see that." The vampiress said, somewhat distractedly. Her eyes seemed to wander the room as the pair made their way across the room.

She had been a bit on edge from the moment she walked into the door. Charlotte was very nervous, given that this was her first undercover operation and all. Moreover, she had the morals of the club itself to worry about. She knew that most of the people kidnapped were women, and given the behaviour of the coven's leader toward her, she had every right to be afraid. There was all of this to worry about as well as some other factor that Ciel couldn't quite figure out. When the man started to follow her eyes, however, it dawned on him.

Blood. There was a wait staff carrying trays with champagne glasses full of blood on them. Sometimes, Charlotte's eyes would land on the bar, only for her to catch herself and tear her gaze away. Her eyes seemed more red than usual and her pupils were slit. When she spoke, the watchdog could see her fangs. Charlotte was a vampire who worked at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; and with all of this blood around it was only natural for her to be a bit tempted.

"If you want some blood, why don't you have some?" Ciel finally asked arching an eyebrow. In response, Charlotte looked up to him with an almost startled expression, before uttering a long sigh.

"I can't." she stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "If it gets out that I drank contraband blood, I'll get in serious trouble. More importantly, knowing _where_ it came from… it just wouldn't feel right."

"That's very dignified." Answered the bluenette. "I'm sorry to trouble you with this."

"Nah, it's my job." Charlotte said. "I'd have to do it anyway." Her temporary partner was about to reply, but stopped as he noticed the boy that Baldassare pointed out to earlier making his way through the crowd while heading straight toward them.

"Gary's coming." He said. "Think you can keep your composure?"

"I'll do my best." His date whispered back straightening herself as the boy approached them.

"Hi! We haven't met yet!" Gary said as greeting, his scarred lips forming a bright smile. "I hear you're the newest Girasol general! I'm Gary. No last-name; just ' _Gary'._ I'm one of the generals of Gentlemen. He held out his hand expectantly, waiting for a handshake. When the Phantomhive obliged, he seemed to grip a bit _too_ firmly.

"Cornelius Wainwright." Ciel answered, sticking to his fib. He flashed a friendly smile before gesturing to Charlotte with his free hand. "And this is my girlfriend, Cheryl Garou."

"Nice to meet you!" replied as Charlotte gave him a small nod. Somehow, she managed to revert herself back to her usual appearance, but it might not last long. Gary turned his attention back to the other man. "Your friend doesn't seem too comfortable around here."

"She's not used to these sort of functions."

"Ah, well, she'll learn." Gary said, flashing the girl a smirk. He rubbed his nose with his finger before continuing. "I don't see a drink in your hand, Mister Wainwright. Could you not get your hands on one?"

"No, I'm afraid not." Ciel answered. Baldassare was right. This boy was suspicious. "Admittedly, I haven't been to too many parties like this, myself, so I always have a little bit of trouble."

"Ah, no worries! I'll get one for you!" the younger male said.

"Oh, no, I couldn't." This was bad. It was bad enough that Ciel had to bathe in blood that evening; he certainly didn't want to drink it. Gary was obviously trying to flush him out. Moreover, Charlotte was having a bit of trouble around this much human blood. Who knows what would happen if it got within a certain proximity to her?

Unfortunately, by the time Ciel uttered those words, his enemy had already gotten hold of a glass and offered it to him. He said: "I insist", leaving the Phantomhive with no time to think and with no options. Thus Ciel begrudgingly took the glass.

"You're too kind." He replied, smoothing over the annoyance in his voice and offering a faux-smile. Without a moment's hesitation, he placed the glass up to his lips and took a few sips.

It was revolting and tasted like iron. He simply could not understand how a species could base their entire diet off of the substance. Charlotte was genuinely shocked by the act, but it was masked over by her desire to take the glass from the demon and drink it herself. Somehow Ciel managed to conceal his true feelings about the drink and smile.

"I think I might have needed that more than I thought I did." He lied, his irritation growing as the other male continued talking.

"Glad I could help." Spoke Gary. "So what sort of events will you and your lady be going to?"

"Definitely the auction, but I'm having trouble deciding with the others." Ciel answered. "What would you recommend?"

"The feast, definitely." His enemy replied. "We've got some really choice meats, this time. Also, the torture chamber. That one's my favourite. Whenever they cut off pieces, they'll sometimes toss it at the audience! I once caught a whole arm!"

Disgusting. This person was disgusting. Ciel was already to the point of nearly gagging on the blood that he was forced to continue drinking while the boy was talking and actually _listening_ to what he was saying made the demon want to bash his head in. Still, the Phantomhive had a part to play, and he was certainly not going to let up just yet. He would make this wretch suffer before the night was over anyway. With patience, everything would go according to plan.

That said, continuously downing blood was starting to get to the Phantomhive. The last time he had this much blood on his mouth, he was coughing it up onto the rooftops of a castle while engaged in a battle to the death. It wasn't pleasant then, and it most certainly is not pleasant now. If he just sipped it and left it, it would be suspicious. If he drank it all in one go, that would be suspicious too. Ciel had to drink it at a reserved, steady pace, but alas, the poor man was almost on the verge of gagging.

So this was Gary's game? He was going to wait the Phantomhive out until his cover was blown. Despite the boy's smile, he had a nasty glint in his eyes that seemed to only confirm this. His eyes, however, soon flickered back to Charlotte.

"Miss, you're bleeding!" he pointed out, snapping Charlotte back to her senses. She had become very fixated on the blood that Ciel was drinking, and had been biting her lip in an effort to maintain her composure. Unfortunately, she seemed to have forgotten about her fangs, causing blood to drip down her chin.

Gary's eyes flickered to the Phantomhive, obviously daring him to do something about it. To vampires, it was almost a sin to waste blood, and the pair were supposedly a "couple", weren't they? Gary didn't believe them. They didn't act like it. Their posturing was too awkward to be anything but friends. So, Ciel leaned in and begrudgingly lapped at it, trailing his tongue up his coworker's chin before placing a very chaste kiss at the corner of her mouth.

" _Désolé."_ He whispered, hoping that Charlotte had picked up enough French from Amelie to understand his apology. He had crossed a line and he knew it, but he had to stick with their story. In response, the girl only nodded, startling the demon when she took one of her hands and placed it on his cheek. There was a dazed look in her eyes as the flashed red. Her pupils slit as she could smell the blood on the man's breath.

"Ah, I'll let you two have your moment." Gary said awkwardly. His eyelid twitched in annoyance, having failed to assert his assumption. "I'll talk to you later." He added as he walked away. Once he was out of range, the Phantomhive quickly pulled back.

"He's gone." Ciel said, once again bringing the girl back to her senses. "Are you alright?"

"Sorry." Replied Charlotte, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "Don't ever do that again."

"I'm really sorry. He was suspicious of our credentials." Her accomplice replied. "I'm going to have to come clean to Jim later or else I won't be able to look him in the eye…"

"You almost made me do something stupid." The girl said, her voice laced with irritation. "I almost bit you."

"I know. I realised it after I got close." The watchdog said handing the girl the half-full glass in his hand. "I really want to brush my teeth after that… Had I been human, I would've become chronically ill from that."

"I can't take this." Charlotte insisted, pressing the glass back into the man's hand. "I'm not drinking contraband blood."

"I can't drink it. If I do, I will most likely throw up. It'll be suspicious if I put it back as it is, and you're starting to lose yourself." The Phantomhive stated. "It may be contraband, but you can't complete the mission as shaky as your nerves are, right now." Charlotte took the glass again, eyeing it with an uncertain look.

"Sometimes, choices must be made, even if they contrast with our own beliefs in order to achieve a certain goal." Ciel continued. "Whatever you choose could affect the outcome." The girl's brow furrowed at those words.

They were in some ways, true, but Charlotte didn't want them to be. She wanted to save the abducted, but she didn't want to sacrifice this part of her that felt like taking the blood that was forced from them as her own was wrong. It was too important to her. Yet Ciel and Alois both knew of necessary sacrifice and she trusted their input and wisdom. Ciel was right. She would have to choose. She could either drink the blood and sedate her hunger and clear her head, or she could cope without it and fight with a muddled mind. It was obvious which choice was most logical. Charlotte knew what she had to do.

She set the glass down on a table as the passed it, surprising the demon as she looked at him straight in the eye.

"No." she said surely. "That's something that I'm not able to do. If I drank it, I feel like I'd be no better than _them_." With raised eyebrows the watchdog simply looked at her for a moment before nodding.

"I understand." He said. "I don't think that's a practical decision, but I understand the sentiment."

"What do you know about practical decisions? You're the one who almost refused to message Alois with information Bravo and Echo need to complete the mission." Charlotte pointed. "Are you going to send it to him, by the way? Gary isn't watching." To this, Ciel immediately took his phone out.

"I forgot." He admitted as he began to type. He was able to type quickly, being one who preferred texting to talking on the phone. The Phantomhive decided that it would be best to provide the blonde with tidbits of information at a time so that he wasn't occupied for long. Half of the information made it to team Bravo along with the knowledge that more was on the way. After the message was sent, Ciel immediately deleted it from his history before placing his mobile back in his pocket.

"They have half of it, now." Ciel stated. "Is the coast still clear?"

"For now." The vampire answered. "Hopefully there will be another chance. If not we still have Baldassare to count on."

Meanwhile, a certain boy was making his way through the crowd, rubbing the underside of his nose with his finger. His brow was furrowed, and he was currently seeking out one of his associates to talk to. Gary simply couldn't shake the feeling that there was something "off" about mister "Cornelius Wainwright"; he just wasn't sure what. He did know, however, that he didn't smell quite right. As he continued to smell the fingers of the hand that he used to shake the supposed "general's", he smelled blood, but something else. It wasn't the smell of a vampire, but he couldn't recognise it.

" _He stinks…"_

* * *


	32. Taboo Phrase

Baldassare had left the faux-couple in order to do some snooping of his own. He couldn't babysit them all night; that would be suspicious. Truth be told, he didn't much care for the watchdog's presence, and was somewhat glad to get away from him. The Phantomhive made him feel on edge and he did not like that.

When it came to most people from the special zone, the coven leader was genuinely afraid of "the Watchdog". The demon was far more powerful than Baldassare could ever be. Even after hundreds of years of fighting tooth and nail to get where he was, he is still no match for a demon. Despite his self-destructive tendencies, Baldassare was afraid. He had lived for so long and had come to fear death, even if he sometimes wished that it would release him from the curse of being a child forever. Baldassare has tried everything, but he just couldn't die. Things that would kill humans wouldn't work on him, so although the barrel of a gun had kissed his temple and painted the walls red seemingly countless times, he would not die.

Even the times when he had tried things lethal to vampires, he had failed. He once went out into the sun and sat there, allowing it to burn him. It's Glen rules that you can only use one spell at a time, so it is not within his power to purchase shade gel to protect himself from the sun's rays. Katelyn had found him before too long and brought him back to the Wolf's Glen. He was too weakened to fight back at the time. It took days for the painful burns and blisters to heal. Afterwards, he tired his personal pistol; the one with the antifreak bullets. Despite his wishes, despite his preparation, he hesitated, and simply could not bring himself to pull the trigger. In truth, Baldassare did not want to die. He simply didn't want to be a child anymore. He didn't want to be perceived as weak anymore.

That is what truly frightened him about the Watchdog. Ciel reminded the vampire that he was weak, and had threatened his life on multiple occasions. He would go through with it, too. If Baldassare wasn't useful to the Phantomhive, the Girasol vampire would have been killed off ages ago. It was best to cooperate with the demon rather than oppose him.

There was a lot relying on him, after all. Part of the reason why his coven was the largest in the city was simply because of his desire to protect the people of the special zone. Gentlemen offered fleeting pleasure and debauchery. Girasol offered security and care. Even if Baldassare was rude, foul-mouthed, and hot-headed, he didn't want the people of the Glen to get hurt. He was afraid of death not only for himself, but the worry of leaving the others to deal with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and pigs like Gentlemen themselves. The vampire wrinkled his nose at the sentiment. He hated having feelings.

Fifteen minutes. He only had fifteen minutes before he had to search for his associates again. Now, this wasn't a lot of time, but surely, he could come up with something within that timeframe. He was _the_ Baldassare, after all! Even if this was another person's turf, he was still the head of the biggest coven in London, and subsequently, the United Kingdom. Vampires, regardless of rank or association, had to have at least some respect for that. A smirk appeared across his face as he spotted a prime target.

"Elam Paul!" he called, walking up to the man. The other vampire seemed to jump at the sound of his voice, but turned around all the same to greet the coven leader.

Elam Paul was one of the three generals of the Gentleman coven. Another young –looking man, appearing to be in his mid-twenties. He didn't dress in a full suit. Instead, he wore a tie and a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a blue vest. His hair was tousled and snake-bite piercings stuck in his lips, making Baldassare wonder how on earth he was supposed to bite anyone without tearing his own face open first. Regardless, Paul was the laid-back sort, and was easy to read. If Baldassare asked, he could definitely get something from him.

"Hey, Baldassare." The general answered. "How can I help you?"

"It's nothin', really. I was just wantin' to know if you knew anything about tonight's ' _entertainment'."_ Baldassare answered. He kept it casual, so as to not make this an interrogation. Baby-Face dealt with interrogations in a completely _different_ manner that was somewhat more than "conspicuous".

"Most everything's on the programs. Did nobody give you one?"

"Yeah, I got one." The coven leader said holding it up. This was going nowhere fast. "I was just wonderin' about your set-up on some of these. Like, what's with the Russian Roulette tournament? How do you keep people from getting hit with stray bullets?"

"Oh, I see." Replied Elam. "Well, with that, we have three rows of tables all in a straight line. Then on between them, we built these walls in between the rows to keep the players from shooting the wrong guy."

"I get it." Baldassare answered. He tried not to shudder as he imagined the blood-soaked walls at the end of the game. "What about the torture chamber? Are the ' _players'_ already there waiting?"

"Nah. We just march them through the halls to the room." The other vampire replied. "Get more audience members that way. Piques their interest a bit."

"Huh, hadn't thought about that." Babyface pretended to ponder. "You do the same thing for the auction?"

"Nope. Those humans are already there, gettin' prettied up." Paul stated. "Gotta make them look nice, or nobody will buy them!"

"You got a point, there." Said Baldassare. His attention briefly shifted to pluck a glass of blood from one of the passing waiters. He couldn't think of anything to say that didn't sound too forward, so he simply pretended to be more casual about it than he really was. He took a sip of a drink and wrinkled his nose.

"Did you mix the blood?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Yeah, we put it in an easy place to dispense it, why?"

"Uh-uh. You can't do that." Baldassare said, wagging a finger with his free hand. "Mixing the blood of different people messes with the purity of the taste. Different blood types taste different, and mixing them willy-nilly can make it taste downright gross if you do it wrong!"

"I didn't know that!" the general said. "I never noticed…"

"When you get to be my age, you learn to savour it a bit more. You can't know the difference if you just chug it." Spoke the other vampire. "If you're hunting, you gotta choose your prey more carefully. Get them where you can take your time. Then it's not a problem!"

"Huh… I gotta try that now." Said Paul. He offered up a smile. "You really know your shit don't you? Guess it's to be expected of _the_ "BabyFace" Baldassare!"

As if on reflex, the glass in the coven leader's hand was smashed against the side of the general's head, shattering it and sending the younger vampire to the floor. Elam landed with a thud with shards of broken glass stabbing into his skin and blood staining his previously white shirt. He looked up, clutching the side of his head to see Baldassare staring down at him. The Girasol vampire had his hand held out, covered in blood and cuts from the glass. The mix of both human and vampire blood seeped into his wounds before sealing themselves shut and Baldassare clenched his fist and bared his fangs.

" _What was tha?"_ he demanded as he glared down at the younger vampire. "I think I might've misheard ya. It sounded like you just called me ' _Baby-Face'!"_ The crowd around them gasped as he raised his leg and brought it down on that of the general, breaking bone. Paul let out what was the beginnings of a scream before muffling it with his hand.

"I don't care who you are, what coven you're from, or what rank you are;" Baldassare continued. "Nobody calls me ' _Baby-Face'_. Understand?" Paul nodded his head before snapping his bone back into place. His opponent didn't seem at all phased when Mister Brummel made his way over, trying to see what was happening.

"What happened?!" asked the leader of Gentlemen, looking down at his lackey and then to Baldassare. In an instant, he knew exactly what occurred.

"Your flunky disrespected me." Baldassare said flatly. He began to walk past the man, pausing to hand him the glass that he took only a small sip from. "And next time, don't mix blood types. It ruins the taste." With that he left the man standing there in stunned silence.

"Marvelous…" said Brummel, catching the attention of the other leader.

"Huh?" the Girasol vampire asked, looking over his shoulder and arching an eyebrow.

"Marvelous!" the other man repeated. "Such power and dignity! Such exquisite taste! You, sir, are a true gentleman!"

"Like hell, I am." Baldassare answered, furrowing his brow and wrinkling his nose in disgust. "I'm a criminal, just like you only _better."_

"I'm gonna bounce." He continued, putting his hands in his pockets. "Not really a social butterfly, and I can get my own food."

"But-"

" _Cornelius!"_ Baldassare barked, summoning the demon's attention. Within moments, both he and Charlotte were at the Girasol vampire's side, wondering what on earth was going on. "We're leaving."

Without saying another word, they walked out the door, waiting until they were out of a certain range before speaking. Baldassare was leading them back to the Bravo team's truck. He had information that they might want.

"Why did you do that?!" Ciel demanded. "We were so close!"

"I fucked up and bashed the guy's head, alright? What d'ya want me to do?" asked Baldassare. "Besides, I got info. Apparently, they're keeping the victims in two separate places. The ones that are gonna be sold off are in the same room that the event's gonna be held in."

"And the rest?"

"Probably in the basement." The vampire said. "Relax. We got this. I'll have you know, that was my old place before my group got too big and needed relocating! I can get us back in."

"Fine. We'll need you to go back in with Bravo and Echo, then." Said the Phantomhive. "We'll need to seal the entrances and exits, though. Think you can help with that as well?"

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just go get your bitch this info and give 'em a map."

"He's _not_ my ' _bitch'."_ The watchdog said sternly, actually frightening the vampire a bit.

"Sheesh, you really do love this guy, don't ya?" Baldassare answered, trying to play it off. "Alright, alright. Get it to Goldilocks, then we attack."


	33. The Man With The Plan

"The hell?" suddenly asked Alois, looking toward the door of the armoured car in which he sat. The soldiers paused their game of poker for a moment and looked up as well.

"What is it?" asked Brasher.

"It's Ciel…" the blonde trailed off. "I can sense when he's nearby and for some reason, he's getting closer to us?"

"Can you tell if anybody's with him?" asked Harland.

"Yeah… Two vampires." Alois stated. "Probably Charlotte and Baldassare." Despite his reassurance, the group reached for their guns and got ready. Then, there was a knock on the metal door.

"Bravo-Team, it's me, Sir Phantomhive. We've got information." Called a voice. It sounded like the bluenette, but not quite. Still Alois was confident, so he got up and opened it.

Just as he figured, there was Charlotte, Baldassare, and a rather odd-looking version of the bluenette. Ciel was still in the middle of changing back, so his facial structure was a bit off and his hair was changing back from maroon to bluenette. He was still recognizable, however, making it hard for Alois not to laugh.

"Welcome, milord." The blonde teased, holding out his hand to help his beau into the vehicle. "What brings you back so soon?"

"There's been a very slight change of plans." Ciel replied. "We now know where the captives are located, and they've so generously given us maps of the building. With a little more detail added by Baldassare, we can rescue the victims with ease."

"Super. Let's get crackin'." Alois said, helping Charlotte into the car once the bluenette had taken a seat. The vampiress sat next to her own sweetheart. With that, the girl immediately started tugging at the skirt of her dress, removing it to reveal a pair of shorts underneath.

"So, how was being a heterosexual?" the menace teased, earning a sigh from Charlotte.

"I don't think it's quite for me, thanks." The girl replied, only to be latched onto by Amelie. The lycanthrope then growled.

"You have his scent on you." The werewolf said, glaring at the bluenette.

"My apologies, it was necessary. Charlotte is nice, but I'd rather stick with Jim." Spoke the Phantomhive. He pulled the pamphlet he had acquired from the soiree out of his pocket before looking up. "Who's the commanding officer, here?"

"That would be me." Said Harland, standing up in the tall truck. "Captain Debbie Harland, at your service, Sir." She offered a salute to her superior.

"At ease." Ciel instructed. He crouched down on the floor, spreading out the map. "We need to discuss our plan for attack." The woman followed suit and sat with him as the others leaned in to see what they were doing.

"Any ideas?" she asked.

"We need to somehow seal the entrances and exits." The bluenette stated. "No enemies must be allowed to leave alive. There are a total of five positions. How many are on the Echo's squad?"

"About nine." Harland answered. She looked around and counted heads. "We have ten. I'm afraid it would take at least… maybe three soldiers per exit."

"We'll have to call for another squad to join us, then." Ciel replied, to which the captain turned to Brasher.

"Call for backup." She instructed, earning a "yes ma'am" from the man before he grabbed the radio. Harland then turned to the bluenette. "Then what? Send in troops and do a sweep of the place?"

"Precisely." Said the Phantomhive. "Once it's clear, we'll give the troops on the outside the okay to stand down. It should be a pretty standard sweep of the interior, unless Baldassare has anything to add."

"They've got weapons, most likely." Spoke the Girasol vampire. "I know they've got shit to torture with, so they've probably got blades. That's gonna be where they're going to be leading the humans still in the basement to. I can also tell ya that they've probably gotten their hands on some guns."

"So we'll need some more gear." Harland mused. "Brasher, we're gonna need some bulletproof shields."

"You got it." The man said before speaking into the radio.

"Charlotte, Amelie and I will help sweep then interior as well." Added Ciel. "We won't need shields. Baldassare will have to help us with directions, so he's going in too."

"What about me?" inquired Alois, leaning in to look at the map.

"You're on exterior." The Phantomhive answered.

"What?!"

"I'm sorry, Jim, but it's not my rule." Stated the bluenette. "It's Integra's. You're not allowed in."

" _Uuuuugh."_

"And complaining won't change that." Ciel added, watching as the blonde sulked. "You can actually seal more than one exit on your own with that plant ability of yours. You'll be helping us out immensely."

"Still not the same…" pouted the menace, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm perfectly capable of handling a couple of vampires." His almost childish gesturing caused the Phantomhive to look at him fondly for a moment before getting up and walk over to him. Ciel then took the blonde's face between his palms and kissed his furrowed brow.

"I know you can, but I don't want you to get in trouble with Integra, alright?" the watchdog replied. A blush formed on his beau's face as some of the other agents uttered small " _aws_ " and as Baldassare stuck out his tongue and wrinkled his nose.

"Alright, I got it!" Alois bashfully protested. He tried in vain to shoo the other man's hands away from his face, as he beau took it upon himself to pinch the blonde's reddening cheeks.

"It's cute how you get lonely when I'm away." Teased Ciel. "Don't worry, I'll come back to you quickly, I promise."

"Ugh! Why d'ya have to mess with me now?" the blonde complained. "Do you know how long it took to make myself look _cool_ in front of these guys?!"

"Sorry. I'm just trying to recover from pretending to be in a heterosexual relationship with a lesbian and being forced to drink blood." The watchdog said, releasing the man. Before he could straighten his back, the menace grabbed his head and held it in place.

"D'aw, has the puppy been having a bad day? Poor baby…" he cooed, stroking the bluenette's cheeks with his thumbs while the other operatives tried their best to hold in their snickering. "Do you need hugs and kisses to make it all better?"

"Fine. You win this round, Macken." The bluenette answered. With that, he took a seat next to the blonde. "For now, we have to wait until backup arrives. Until then, I suggest you all contact Echo and inform them of the plan and decide who's going where."

"I'll contact Echo." Said Brasher, leaving the second half up to Captain Harland. With that, the woman thought.

"Alright. Here's what we'll do…"


	34. Now Playing

"This is Alpha team, is everyone in position?" asked Brasher over the radio. "Sound off."

"Gamma's good." Said Huckabee into the radio, earning a nod from Denzil.

"Omega's ready."

"So am I." Alois said finally, uttering a sigh. "I mean _Leo's_ in position." He added, knowing that some of the teams were from Echo and the additional backup.

The blonde was still not at all pleased with the organization of things, but there it was. He was positioned at the back entrance of the theater, and sulked at the realization that hardly anyone will exit that way. Still, it could happen. He'd probably get full members of Gentleman, if anyone did come his way. The easiest solution, though, was to not allow them to even open the door.

His eyes glowed red and he grit his teeth, and raised his arms. The concrete beneath his feet began to crack and large roots peeked out before growing into the back door that sat before him. He did the same thing with the other door that he was assigned to guard, effectively sealing it shut. Now, if the vampires inside wanted out, they would have to go a different way and fall beneath a hail of bullets.

"Backdoors are sealed shut." The blonde said into the radio. He paused for a moment and waited for a response.

"Alright. Alpha squad is moving in. Let's start sweeping." Said Brasher as their truck came to a halt. He leaped out with both his squad, and the squad that would be guarding the front entrance. That squad, Beta, immediately got into position while Ciel rushed past them.

Quickly, he removed his sword from its sheath and broke the glass in the front box. He plunged the blade into the chest of the vampire manning it before he could warn those inside. With that, he had just taken out their first line of security, the same person who performed the check to make sure that Ciel was a vampire that evening, only this time, his true face was plain for all to see.

An eyepatch and a sour look? Strange blueish-black hair? Truly, the vampires inside would be terrified, as the boogeyman that supernaturals warn their children about was here. The Watchdog had arrived, and he brought H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. with him.

He opened the door that connected the booth to the lobby on the inside of the building, sparking the curiosity of those nearby. The smell of fresh blood hit their nostrils, but it wasn't that of a human. It was the blood of the vampire that now laid dead on the floor of the booth and the same blood that now speckled the bluenette's white suit, staining it crimson.

Screams started to erupt toward the front of the house, startling those who were on the outskirts of the lobby. Some began to run toward the doors, only to be greeted with guns in their faces as Alpha squad entered. Charlotte, Amelie, Grant, Brasher, and Captain Harland opened fire, advancing as their way cleared enough to permit it. Baldassare stood with them, as to avoid getting shot himself, simply watching as it all unfolded in stunned silence.

Baldassare was a violent person. He used force often, and even killed people in the process, but this was something that he wasn't familiar with. He wasn't used to seeing vampires running and screaming while others fell in a bloodied heap. There were no good guys here. These humans were just almost as horrible as Gentlemen. The only difference was that they had greater firepower and knew how to use it. As the last person fled into the depths of the theater, Alpha advanced.

"Let's move!" said Captain Harland. Meanwhile, the bluenette quickly glanced over the bodies as he walked through them.

"I don't see Brummel or any of the generals." He said. After that Baldassare looked around as well, finding him to be correct.

"Then stay on your toes." Harland instructed. "They still have their chain of command."

"Baldassare, any ideas as to where Brummel could be hiding?" the Phantomhive asked. "If we can take him out, they'll all fall apart."

The coven leader simply stared at him for a moment, terrified of his gaze. How could he be so calm? He was surrounded by bodies with still more fighting to come, yet the watchdog's gaze was just as stern as always. Now, Baldassare wished that he had brought some of his own generals as well. He was in a room filled with the corpses of vampires and the team that killed him. Furthermore, he couldn't run away.

"Th-there's a room that's deeper into the building." Baldassare finally replied. "That's where I used to hang out when this was Girasol's hideout."

"Then I'll head that way." Ciel said. He dug into his pocket and pulled out his pamphlet before unfolding it. "Mark it on the map for me." Hesitantly, the vampire did as instructed. It was only then that he realised that he had nothing to mark the map with.

"Our priority is the victims." Said Captain Harland, somewhat speaking out of turn. "We have to think about them, first."

"I know." Ciel said. "You take your team and search for them. Kill any enemies you come across on the way. I'm going to take out their chain of command so they can't organise a retaliation."

"Yes, Sir." The woman answered before turning her attention to Baldassare. "What about him?"

"Do you need Baldassare to help navigate?" asked the watchdog.

"No. We've gotten through worse, and we've got a map." Harland replied.

"The he can come with me." Ciel said. The vampire almost flinched when the man's gaze fell on him. "Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" Answered the crew. Baldassare only replied with a nod.

"Then let's move!"

Boots rumbled as they stormed across the floor and deeper into the theater. A duller roar broke off of it as four feet turned in a different direction. The watchdog and Baby-Face traversed deeper into the building as well, with the vampire leading the way. As they did so, however, the Girasol leader was becoming more and more anxious.

With every surprise attack and with every horde they faced, Ciel would leap ahead of Baldassare and swing his blade. Vampires fell again and again, continuously dying the white suit crimson. Eventually, the matching eyepatch had become so stained that the bluenette had to remove it, revealing his contracted symbol. Once he did that, however, the attacks slowed down. Now instead of attacking, the enemies would turn and run away. Baldassare didn't even have to fire a single shot from his revolver. The night was still young, but the team was cutting it close.

"Baldassare, what time is it?" the watchdog finally asked. It took the vampire a moment to snap to his senses before he was capable of reading the watch on his wrist.

"It's almost midnight." Answered Baby-Face, causing the bluenette to scowl.

"We'll be cutting it close, then…" Ciel replied. "What's closer, the room you were talking about, or the torture chamber?"

"The torture chamber." Baldassare stated. "The room of the coven head is deeper inside." His accomplice didn't seem to like this answer. The bluenette paused for a moment to think.

"Change of plans." He stated. "We're heading to the torture chamber."

"What, wh-" the vampire cut himself off as it dawned on him. " _Oh…"_

_"Let's hurry."_


	35. Thought I Understood, Guess I Was Wrong

_"It's almost time for the demonstration!"_ Baldassare said. "Five minutes until they start!"

"There's probably already a crowd in there if they hadn't caught wind of the commotion, by now." Ciel pointed out as they dashed toward the theater in which the sadistic "show" was going to take place.

If they barged in as is, they would most likely cause a fuss, causing the humans to be placed in danger. Still, what choice did they have? Ciel's suit was covered in blood and his eye was visible, giving away his identity right away. The fact that there was a crimson-soaked blade in his hand didn't help either. How could they do things more subtly?

Quickly, Ciel sheathed his sword and wrestled one arm out of the sleeve of his jacket before placing his weapon under it. Then, he removed the jacket from his other arm and let it fall to the floor. He began to roll up his sleeves before messing with his hair, causing it to cover over his eye somewhat.

"What the hell are you doing?!" the Girasol vampire demanded, obviously confused by the man's actions.

"Altering my disguise." answered the Phantomhive, as his body began to change back into that of "Cornelius Wainwright".

Now it simply appeared that the small splotches of blood on his pants and tie were simply part of his wardrobe. It wouldn't fool the noses of the vampires for long, but it would be enough to help them maintain the element of surprise for a few moments. A few moments is all it would take to exterminate a good portion of the enemy-vampires.

The pair slowed down as the approached the door. Ciel gripped the handle before glancing to Baldassare, who offered him a nod and placed a hand in his coat and gripped the handle of his revolver. After a few silent moments, they opened the door, their eyes widening and noses wrinkling at the sight. Soon, however, Ciel's expression of disgust and astonishment turned into a snarl.

There was a large crowd, whispering amongst themselves as they waited for the performance to begin. On the stage in front of them were three large cages, each one containing at least three humans. There were women, children, and a few young men trapped with terrified, despair-ridden faces pointed toward the ground. They didn't even want to look at the various knives and instruments that would be used to bring them a slow, painful, and humiliating death that sat on one of the two table on the stage. The other was weighed down and had leather straps fastened to it so that they may keep the victims restrained. This was a familiar scene, and it certainly made the bluenette's blood boil.

Baldassare almost cowered as the Phantomhive's visage warped with hatred, baring his teeth and furrowing his brow. The vampire actually took a few steps back as the man's disguise began to slip away completely, his body catching fire in a few patches and alerting the attention of the audience. Ciel forgot subtlety and the element of surprise as he drew his blade. He was going to kill every single person in this room who wasn't protected by a cage.

His actions drew the attention of the audience, causing some members to stand. Before any of them knew it, there was a flash of white as he leaped into the air before landing on the backs of a few seats in the middle of the crowd. He leaped again before the blood from the nightwalkers' heads could spray him as they fell apart. Screams broke out as the vampires headed toward the exit, forcing Baldassare to reveal that he had betrayed them by opening fire. He ran out of shots before he needed to reload, giving his kind the chance to rush him, but to their dismay a ball of black flames landed between them. From it sprang black spikes, impaling the closest vampires as well as the ones directly behind the first batch.

From the flame stood a demon. The spikes had come from his dark garb before the threads unfastened themselves and retracted back into the Phantomhive's coat. Once the first two rows fell, Ciel worked on the third, giving his sword a wide swing. The man took a step forward, and the vampires stood back, pressing against each other and shoving in hopes of forcing the others to move. Yet there was nowhere to go. The invaders had blocked the only exit. This made things easy.

As the Watchdog advanced, growling as he tore through the crowd, the Girasol vampire stopped reloading his gun and simply looked on. He knew that the Phantomhive was powerful. He knew that Ciel was unable to be defeated by any ordinary vampire much like the people whom he was slaughtering, and even himself. Yet even with this knowledge, Baldassare had not expected this sort of evolution on the Phantomhive's part. It had been approximately four years since he last saw the watchdog in combat, and the coven leader simply could not fathom how on earth the man became capable of doing all of this. When they had fought, they fought with guns and they fought with arms and legs. Now, the demon was using some sort of dark power.

" _A monster…"_ he uttered, the words absent-mindedly falling past his lips. Was this the same person who could lovingly place a kiss to the forehead of his beloved almost an hour ago? How could this beast do such a thing?

Baldassare was snapped from his thoughts by the sound of gunfire. He dodged, narrowly missing the bullet as it grazed his cheek. He looked from the direction it originated, attempting to stand, only to have his face stepped on and used as a springboard as a figure leaped over him. It uttered a familiar laugh, causing the Girasol vampire to grit his teeth.

" _You son of a bitch!"_ he shouted, turning and firing toward the exit, only to have his foe evade him.

It was Gary. He confirmed it when the vampire mockingly stuck his head back through the door to show him his tongue. Baldassare fired a second round, clicking his tongue in annoyance as he missed. His feet moved him forward several paces before he heard another gunshot and felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. Grunting, he stumbled, catching himself before he hit the ground and leaping out of the way with the third shot fired at his back. When he turned, he found himself glaring down the barrel of another general of Gentleman, Elam Paul, dressed in a new suit similar to his previous one.

"Not so tough now, are ya, _Baby-Face?"_


	36. Roulette

" _Not so tough now, are ya, Baby-Face?"_ questioned the general, smirking at Baldassare as he aimed his gun. His expression changed into a scowl, however, as the Girasol vampire grinned.

"Pfft! You're not so _bright_." Snarked Baldassare, holding his arms out as if he were welcoming the other man into an embrace. The bullet that had entered his shoulder fell to the floor behind him as his wound sealed itself shut. He smiled a haughty, tooth-filled grin as he held his nose high into the air and looked down on his foe. "Y'know, if you were smart enough to use the _right bullets_ , I'd be pretty fuckin' scared! C'mon, Pauly! Gimme yer best shot!"

Elam's eyes widened, realizing his mistake. He had been playing in the Russian Roulette tournament, and the rules clearly state that no anti-freak bullets were allowed. It would be a shame if one of their valued guests were to accidentally die, after all. He knew, for a fact, however, that Baldassare's personal revolver _always_ came with deadly bullets.

"Let's play a game." Baldassare suggested. "You like Russian Roulette, right? This time, though, it's all or nothing. We use _my_ gun."

"Are you fucking crazy?!" the Gentleman demanded. "Why the fuck would you want that?!"

"Pauly…" began the other man. "Pauly, Pauly, Pauly, _Pauly…_ You just don't get it. Not everyone gets to _choose_ to be a vampire, y'know. I've been trying to finish myself off for years, since nobody else apparently can. Still, when it comes to drawin' the curtain for real, I just can't seem to do it myself." Baldassare spun the barrel of the revolver before pointing the barrel at the side of his head.

"You've just given me an excuse." He added, putting pressure on the trigger. He didn't even flinch as the hammer pulled back and he heard a _click._ Baldassare then proceeded to point the gun at the other man. His foe put his hands up and took a step back in order to retreat, jumping as the coven leader pulled the trigger.

_Click!_

"That's two down. Four to go." Spoke the Girasol vampire. Placing the gun back to his own head.

"Stop fucking around!" shouted Elam, puffing himself up to seem threatening. Nevertheless, he still flinched at the sound of the click from the other vampire pulling the trigger.

 _"Three_ …" Baldassare counted, pointing the gun back toward Elam, a grin spreading across his face as the man yelped and placed his hands over his head at the sound of the click. " _Four_ … Two left, Paul. Which will it be? Me? Or you?"

This time Baldassare hesitated. He didn't place any pressure on the trigger right away. This could be it. This time, he closed his eyes and furrowed his brow, biting his lip as his hand shook. The pounding of his heart in his chest boomed in his ears as he braced himself for what was to come. This was just an excuse to go through with it, right? If he lived another day, so be it, if he didn't, would he care? No. If he was dead, he wouldn't, now would he? With that thought, Baldassare finally started to add pressure on the trigger.

_BANG!_

A gunshot rang through the large room and blood splattered over the cushions of the nearby seats and pooled beneath the body that fell to the floor with a loud _thud._ Yet there was something peculiar about the sound that was somewhat off-putting. Baldassare was still standing. Slowly, the Girasol vampire cracked open an eye, widening both of them and unconsciously lowering his weapon at the scene.

His foe was dead and across the room stood a demon with a sword in one hand, and a gun in the other. It was pointed where the other vampire stood, leaving Baldassare the last vampire still standing. The room was silent. The only ones left were Baldassare, the victims in cages, and the demon. Ciel lowered his gun before making his way toward Baldassare.

The Girasol vampire was frightened. As the demon closed in on him, his body tensed and his eyes clenched shut. To his surprise, however, the Phantomhive simply slapped the gun out of his hand. It clattered against the floor and Baldassare looked up, confused.

" _Don't do that again."_ Ciel sternly instructed, his expression serious. "I'm not sure if you knew this: but you're basically the only person who keeps the special zone standing. If you go, then everyone in it will suffer."

Baldassare was silent for a long time before he spoke again. How could he forget? He did care about the people in the Glen, but he also cared about himself. Could someone who is trapped in the form of a child ever be taken seriously? Even when he took potions to change his face, he would still always turn back.

Like he had said, vampirism wasn't always a choice. He didn't choose to have his family torn from him and to be doomed to walk the earth at night for all eternity and feed off of the life-force of others. Who would choose that? The ten-year-old human Baldassare certainly didn't. He missed being able to taste sweets and he missed the sun. What was once delicious now only tastes like ash, and what was once warm, gentle rays have become blistering and painful. Baldassare wanted them back. He wanted to grow up. The very name of his coven, " _Girasol_ "-, _"Sunflower",_ was in part because of this wish. It was impossible now, though. When one is incapable of moving forward, or even moving back, what hope is there?

" _You wouldn't understand…"_ he muttered, furrowing his brow as he looked away.

"Maybe I don't." Ciel said. "That doesn't change the fact that people are counting on you. I _know_ that ' _forever_ ' is terrifying. I _know_ how losing your humanity is. I've wasted a hundred years worrying about it, after all. When I dared to pursue happiness instead, however, my blackened world became a much brighter place. _Don't_ do that again. There are many whose worlds would be much darker if you did."

"Are you trying to _guilt_ me?"

"Not sure. Is it working?" asked the Phantomhive. The man leaned closer, getting almost directly in the vampire's face. "Who provided the funding for Sister Dorothy to repair the church so she could provide both church services, and provide education to the community? You did. You didn't have to, but you did. Who keeps the majority of London's vampires off of the streets and out of trouble? You do. Who decided to cooperate with this mission in order to keep H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. from raiding the Glen? You did. It was all you, and should you disappear, it would all fall apart. You can keep up that tough act of yours all you like, but you _do_ have a heart. Your despair is _proof_ of that."

With that, the Phantomhive stepped back again, sheathing his weapon and leaving the Girasol vampire with widened eyes and mouth agape. Ciel turned and headed toward the stage, flames surrounding him as he walked, returning him back to his usual appearance. How could this be? The Watchdog, the boogeyman that frightened everyone from children to the most hardened of criminals in the supernatural world, who could viciously slaughter and entire auditorium of vampires without much trouble, had expressed concern for both Baldassare and the special zone? How could this person be the same monster? It simply made no sense whatsoever.

Ciel hopped up onto the stage walking straight up to one of the cages. The humans inside understandably cowered, especially the ones who had been so bold as to look up from their hands and witness the display that the demon had just presented. Others only heard the noise, followed by the silence and the stern whispers of the bluenette before hearing his shoes pad against the floor of the stage. They drew closer and closer until they finally stopped.

"Don't worry, we're here to get you out of here." The Phantomhive stated in a calm voice, trying to sound comforting. His words did no good as the humans still quaked in fear, pressing further and further away from him and into the back of the cage. Ciel uttered a sigh before pulling out his cell phone.

He couldn't contact the rest of his squad, as Brasher possessed the radio. Perhaps splitting up wasn't such a good idea after all. Even though he didn't want to do it, and even though it went against orders, Ciel had no choice. He dialed a number before placing the device up to his ear.

" _Hey, Jim? It's me…"_


	37. Don't Fall

A mischievous smirk appeared on the face of a certain blonde gentleman as he stood outside in the autumn air, listening to the voice that spoke to him through the small box placed up against his ear. Did his beau not tell him that he was _not_ to participate? He did, and Alois was going to rub it in. Now was not the time, though. There were people to save and right now, he was the one who their salvation depended on at the moment.

Upon ending the call, the blonde put his phone away before replacing it with the radio in its spot against the menace's ear. Alois followed Ciel's given instructions, informing Alpha team of the situation and alerting some of the back-up soldiers that he needed their assistance. With that, he made sure that his doors were adequately sealed shut before running off to the side of the building to join Gamma Squad.

Huckabee and Denzil were waiting along with a few other soldiers from Echo team were waiting for him. When he jogged up to them, however, a few of the Echo soldiers pointed their weapons at him, immediately causing him to freeze and put his hands up. He was surprised by the action, but fortunately, Huckabee spoke up for him.

"Wait! He's one of ours!" the man shouted, holding an arm out to act as a barrier between Alois and the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers. "That's 'Leo'! Don't shoot!"

The blonde uttered a sigh of relief once his allies lowered their guns. He supposed that it was a rational response. They were instructed to shoot whatever came through that door, and no one else was supposed to be in the area. Perhaps he should start wearing a H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. uniform while on these big operations? When that was cleared up, he put his hands back down before walking over to Huckabee.

"Thanks, mate." He said, putting a hand on the other man's shoulder.

"Don't mention it." Huckabee replied. He nudged his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose before asking: "So what do we do?"

"I'm going to lead you guys to Ciel." Answered Alois. "I can sense him, so it'll be easier than using a map. We're going to go in, and I'm going to seal the door behind us. Then we're going to find Ciel, get the captives, lead them safely out through the front, and then escort them to the truck. Super-easy."

"Sounds like a plan." Huckabee stated. "Lead the way, sir." Alois grinned at being called "Sir". Thus, he turned his attention toward the rest of the soldiers.

"You lot got that?" he questioned. "I'm agent Jim Macken, assistant to Sir Ciel Phantomhive and agent of the Round Table Conference! We're gonna follow this plan, alright?"

" _Yes, sir!"_ the soldiers answered, causing the menace to become practically giddy. He had a huge grin on his face when he gave the order:

"Let's move out!"

The soldiers filed into the building with Alois at the rear, and once they were all inside, the blonde sealed the door. He could still manipulate the roots while indoors. His eyes glowed crimson and the sound of cracking concrete could be heard from outside. Once he thought he was successful, he double-checked it by shoving the door. It held, so he gave his team a nod before heading toward the front of the group to lead them to the Phantomhive.

It was dark. It seemed as though the power went out, so the humans in the group put on their night-vision goggles. Alois was fine without them, his eyes glowing through the darkness. Clear as day, he could see the bodies of dead vampires littering the floor, the blood stains and bullet holes in the floors, walls, and even the ceiling. Somehow, it didn't bother him anymore. The time he fought in Castle Krampus was far worse. Part of him was somewhat worried about the fact that he wasn't fazed, but to the rest of him, this was normal. His definitions of "normal", however, seem to be constantly changing.

His thoughts came to a screeching halt, as did his feet. The soldiers behind him stopped as well as he listened intently, furrowing his brow. Footsteps. Lots of them.

"What is it?" asked Denzil.

"We've got company." Alois replied, reaching into his coat and pulling out his gun. "Shields up! Prepare for combat!"

Just like that, the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers raised their bulletproof shields into position. It was best to keep the vampires at a distance, showering them with a hail of bullets, however, sometimes they would make it past, so it was best to have a barrier between them just in case. Furthermore, Baldassare warned that they may be armed, and unlike the blonde menace, humans were not as sturdy, and could die from being shot with an ordinary bullet.

"Sir, please step back. We don't want to accidentally hit you, too." Said one of the soldiers.

"Oh, right. My bad." The blonde replied, leaping over the wall of men and women that his team has made and taking refuge behind them. Although he could probably take on this horde himself, he wasn't going to run the risk of dying. He had already done so once and it was an event that he would like to avoid repeating.

The H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. troops raised their shields and stuck their guns through the gaps of their barrier before opening fire. Vampires fell in heaps as casings landed at the feet of the squad. When that didn't work, Gentlemen's forces backed off momentarily before knocking tables and whatever else they could over to create a barrier of their own. Some piled the bodies of the fallen on top of each other and hid behind them, seeing as though some the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. weapons seemed strong enough to pierce wood. With their own guns, they returned fire; their projectiles bouncing off the other side's shields. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. was still winning. This would be over in only a few minutes.

When the last vampire landed on the ground with a thud, the team advanced, falling out of their lined formation for better maneuverability. Alois proceeded to take the helm and lead the way toward the Phantomhive demon, kicking the stack of bodies over so the soldiers could make it through the hallway. He was also sure to match his pace to theirs, as well. They were humans, after all, and were weighed down with lots of heavy equipment.

Ciel was getting closer; the blonde could tell. He rounded a corner and made it to the theater where the bluenette was still waiting and opened the door. With the other soldiers he stormed in, only to find a massive amount of bodies surrounding one stage. Ciel and Baldassare still stood casually on it with the captives, who simply wouldn't come out of their cages.

Why wouldn't they? They were terrified. Even the hardened soldiers were frightened of just the aftermath, so goodness knows what they must be feeling. All of this destruction was done by two people, or rather, just one. Ciel lit up somewhat when he saw the blonde as the menace and the team made their way toward the stage. Alois simply hopped up on top of it to join him while the soldiers had to either climb or use the steps.

"Hey, baby." The blonde greeted with a grin. "Looks like you weren't able to follow Integra's instructions, after all."

"Don't even try it." His beau replied, reaching out a hand so that he could pinch the menace's cheek. "You're going back with them, and that's final."

"Uuuugh!" complained the menace, wiggling free of the Phantomhive's grasp in order to nudge the man's shoulder with his forehead. "That's so not fair!"

"Sorry." Ciel stated, bringing the same hand up to pet the Macken's hair. "You're so clingy…" he added teasingly.

"It's not my fault. I just have a lust for attention." Answered Alois. "Hugs and kisses fuel me."

"Is that so? Shouldn't you be using that energy to help those guys tend to the victims?"

"Don't wanna…"

"Now, if you can't do that much, than how are you ever to be trusted with continuing the infiltration?" asked the bluenette. The blonde pulled away with a pout.

" _Fiiiiinnnee…"_ he whined, leaning back in to kiss the other man on the cheek before turning to walk away. He wasn't even sure if the captives would trust him especially now that they had seen him being familiar with Ciel. The problem was that he simply didn't know how to help out.

The other agents were talking to the victims, assessing the damage and trying to persuade them to come out of the cage. Alois didn't know how to do any of that. He was sort of tempted to just start pulling people out, but he was somewhat afraid of making things worse. His beau simply chuckled at the confused faces he was making as he fretted over it. That is, until there was a voice over the radio.

"This is Alpha. We've found the rest of the captives. We're moving them to safety." Said Harland.

"Roger that, Alpha. This is Gamma. We're having a little trouble on our end." Answered Huckabee. "We should be out after you."

"We'll come back after dropping off the victims for a final sweep." Spoke the woman's voice. "If you're still having trouble, we'll help you out."

It wasn't necessary, however. Eventually, the soldiers were able to coax the captives into cooperation. One by one, the people crawled out and stood up, a little wobbly at first, and were helped off of the stage and out the door by the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. operatives. The blonde menace waved to his partner, playfully blowing a kiss before following them. He would cooperate as well, for now.

Reluctantly, he tagged behind the squad as they headed toward the front door. Huckabee radioed Beta squad of this so they wouldn't fire at them by mistake. This seemed like it would be over in a few more hours. That was sort of a relief. Alois was starting to get restless…

… _Wait, that wasn't restlessness._

"Prepare for combat!" he shouted. "They're attacking from the rear! Form a barrier in front of the captives!"

Wordlessly, the soldiers did just that. The captives cowered and some of the screamed. Alois took cover behind the barrier with them. He tried his best to keep them calm, he really did, but that effort was somewhat in vain. It worked on some, but for others, not so much. The guns went off, mowing down more of the undead. This batch was apparently unarmed, as they fell pretty quickly. Even still, they had their surprises.

Alois had been so caught up in trying to keep the peace with the captives that he didn't sense what was in the vents above them. Out slinked a certain serpent by the name of "Gary", falling down right on top of one of the soldiers as the smoke began to clear. The young man who fell prey to him uttered a scream as Gary's fangs pierced his neck.

 _"Denzil!"_ shouted Huckabee, turning and pointing his gun. Immediately, the vampire released his comrade and dodged, forcing the poor member of Echo to fall to the floor. He was still conscious, but he wasn't well off.

" _Wait don't shoo-!"_ The blonde winced as the gun went off, feeling sharp pain in his shoulder. His eyes and Huckabee's widened.

Alois didn't remember bullets being this painful. As it registered, the menace uttered a grunt and grit his teeth, clasping at the injury and leaning against the wall. The wound burned and the blood around it boiled for a few moments. It would have continued to do so, had there not been an exit wound as well. The bullet went straight through the Macken and embedded itself into the wall. Now Alois understood why it took several days for Ciel to recover from his fight at the castle.

The captives screamed, even the ones who were relatively calm, as the Gentlemen general leaped away. He made eye-contact with the demon momentarily, smirking at the menace's glare. Then, just like that he sprinted away, having caused his chaos.

Finally, the dust cleared and the vampires had fallen, all but the one that successfully bit one of the members of the squad. Denzil was bitten. Now, the soldiers had a problem. The young man, who couldn't be any older than nineteen, was coughing and wheezing as he grasped at his bleeding neck, terrified out of his mind as he tried to process what had just happened. Not only this, but their demonic escort had been shot with an anti-freak bullet. It missed both his head and his heart, so it certainly wasn't fatal. It did, however, _hurt_.

"What do we do?" asked one of the soldiers. "We can't leave him like this…"

"Was he a virgin?" questioned another. "Maybe we can save him? He could join the supernatural division."

"Can't. That vampire was a bloke." Said one more. "He's gonna be a _ghoul."_

Upon registering these words, tears formed in the man's eyes. Denzil pressed his face into the floor so that no one could see. Without one single doubt, Denzil was a deadman. Now his comrades had two options; they could leave him, allowing him to turn into a ghoul for the other team to take care of in the final sweep, or they could do what was standard protocol, and kill him _now._

It was considered an act of mercy by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. For one's body to roam mindlessly and devour the flesh of his fellow humans was a cruel fate. Either way, Denzil would die, but the question was: would he die a human, or a monster?

"We could let him go on his own." One soldier suggested. "Just leave him for Alpha squad to take care of?"

"No! We can't do that!" protested Huckabee. "Captain Harland is on that squad! Do you want her to have to go through the same thing _twice!?"_

To that, the soldiers all looked down. That would be cruel. Captain Harland almost quit her work with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. after her teammate; her husband, was bitten by a vampire. Supposedly, he had begged her in his final moments to give him "mercy" before he could become a ghoul. No one knew what killing a teammate a second time would do to her. So it would have to be one of them to pull the trigger.

" _I'll stay with him."_ Alois said. "I need a minute or two to regenerate, anyway. You guys get the victims to safety."

"Are you sure?" asked one of the troops.

"Yeah. Don't worry about it." The blonde replied, standing up from the wall and straightening his back. He winced as pain shot through his shoulder again and as the wound continued to burn. "I'll take care of him."

Some of the men were wary. Alois was a demon, after all. Perhaps he simply wanted to swoop in and steal a soul while no one was looking? Sir Integra seemed to trust him, though, so perhaps not. Regardless, they had to act quickly, for the captives were getting restless.

"Alright." Said Huckabee, struggling to keep his voice calm. "We'll go, then. Take really good care of him, alright."

"I will." Alois answered, watching as the other man struggled. He waited for Huckabee to say "goodbye" to his friend and for the others to leave. With that, he slid down the wall, grunting as his bottom his the floor. This gunshot-wound stuff was painful. Anti-freak bullets were no joke.

He looked over at the man who was currently lying face down on the ground in front of him. Alois did feel sorry for him. Had he been paying attention, he could have prevented this. He scooted over toward Denzil, observing him a while longer but saying nothing. What could he say? This man was dying. Along with the pain in his shoulder, a pang of guilt ran through him as he witnessed his comrade trying to hide his sobs.

"It's okay to cry, you know." Alois said finally. "You've got everything to cry about, right now. Hell, _I_ cried right up until I was killed."

Moments passed as Denzil continued to sob. Eventually, however, he was able to choke out: "I-I don't… want… to… d-die…" He inhaled sharply with every word.

"Few people do…" the menace answered, reaching a hand out and rubbing Denzil's back soothingly. His voice was soft as he spoke. "You'll be okay, though. I'm a demon. I know what happens when you die. Let me tell ya, unless you've done something _really_ fucked up, you're not gonna end up like me."

"Y-you're not gonna shoot me?"

"Well, I _have_ to, eventually. Sorry. I'll let you decide when, though. I can shoot you now, or we can wait a bit. I think that's only fair."

Denzil sniffled. "Wait a little longer…"

"Okay then." Alois replied. "That's what we'll do."

The demon stayed with the soldier, continuing to rub his back and keeping his promise. His comrade never told him when it was alright to shoot, however. The wound to the man's neck bled out quickly. His heart stopped beating and his breathing came to a halt. He was completely still, now. It would only be a few more moment until he started moving again, though.

Alois stopped rubbing the man's back and tilted Denzil's head to the side. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. would without a doubt come back for his body, so he probably shouldn't blow a hole in his face. With that, the demon stood up, grunting at his shoulder again before reaching for his gun. With that, he pointed the barrel at the side of the soldier's head.

"Sorry…" he said softly.

_BANG!_

* * *


	38. This Is Your Captain Speaking

_"Beta Squad, this is Alpha Squad."_ Addressed Captain Harland speaking through the radio. "The first batch of captives have been secured. We're coming at you from the front entrance. Let us through."

"Alpha, this is Beta. Roger that." Answered a voice on the other side of the speaker.

As Harland and her team made it to the front entrance, light shined through the glass doors, illuminating the decimated remains of the lobby. Blood stained tile and carpet littered with corpses became clear in what was once a dark room as the power was shut off. Some of the captives screamed as what they were walking in came to light, only to be reassured by the soldiers that they were going to be safe.

"You're alright." Said Charlotte. "You're almost out of here. Promise."

Harland stepped out first, prompting Beta Squad to lower their guns. Some of them turned the safety on and came to assist the victims, helping them walk toward the transport truck. They would all be rushed to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters for medical treatment immediately. One by one, they filed in with their tattered clothes and tired, frightened faces. Children and teens were given first aid on the spot; the youngest of the group being only eight years old. While most of them only sustained minor injuries and from slight malnutrition, all of them would need serious counseling. As the soldiers closed the back doors on the truck, Harland shook her head.

 _"Damn it_ …" she muttered under her breath with a scowl. Her squad simply watched her for a moment as she recomposed herself.

"Alpha Squad: get ready to go back in for a final sweep!" she instructed. "Fifteen minutes!"

"Yes ma'am!" her team answered, scattering momentarily in order to get ready.

They restocked their ammunition supply and checked their weapons. Amelie took off her belt to put more shotgun shells in its holsters and Charlotte reloaded the magazines for her Hellsing ARMS Anti-Midian rifle. It was standard issue for soldiers who could handle the recoil. Not even Brasher, the brawniest of their group carried one around.

"Ow!" shouted Amelie, putting her gun down and grasping at her finger. When she looked at it again, she discovered that there was a hole in her glove. Now, given the fact that she werewolf, she had to wear gloves at all times when using H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. weapons, especially given the fact that her weapon of choice just so happened to require her to touch individual bullet; all of which were coated with silver.

The girl took off her glove and looked at the injury. The tip of her finger was reddened with a light burn. Out of habit, she found herself licking at it prompting the attention of her vampiric companion. Charlotte reached into one of the pockets on her shirt, pulling out some medical tape.

"Here." She said, holding out a hand, which Amelie took without question. Once she had it, Charlotte began wrapping the other girl's finger before tearing the tape and finishing it up, placing a small kiss on the injury and causing a small blush to appear on Amelie's face.

"Thanks." Said the lycanthrope.

"No problem. You can use my gloves, if you want." Answered Charlotte.

"Non, your hands are too big." Her girlfriend replied. She simply put her gloves back on, carefully picking the shell up again. "The tape keeps it from touching me." Amelie added before putting it in her gun.

"Okay. Just be careful." The vampire answered. "We'll need to get you another pair when we get back."

"Hope I don't forget…"

"Alright people! Time to rock 'n roll! Alpha Squad, we're going in for a final sweep!" called Harland, gaining the attention of her team. The vampire, werewolf, and Grant and Brasher all followed her toward the door, only to stop when it opened. All soldiers pointed their guns, only to see Huckabee standing there, holding his hands up.

"Wait! Don't shoot!" he shouted. "We've got the rest of the captives!"

"Get them to transport!" instructed the captain. "Treat the kids and get them out of here!"

"Yes ma'am!" answered Huckabee, leading both his team and the victims safely out of the building. At least, most of them. As she watched them file out, Harland's eyes narrowed.

"Where's Denzil and blondie?" she asked, part of her already knowing the answer. Huckabee froze momentarily, glancing back at her. He then ushered for the others in his team to go on while he addressed his captain.

"W-well, y'see…" He began. "Denzil… Denzil is…"

" _He's dead, isn't he?"_

"Yes, ma'am…" the man answered, lowering his head. There was a hint of sadness in the woman's voice, almost distracting him from the fact that his own shook. Silence ensued before Harland took a deep breath.

"And the demon?" she asked, finally.

"Agent Macken volunteered to stay with him." Huckabee replied. "He was accidentally shot in the shoulder with one of our rounds, and needed to regenerate. He said he'd take care of Denzil… He was bitten by a vampire…"

"You had the demon keep Denzil from becoming a ghoul?"

"Y-yes, ma'am…"

"I see…" the captain trailed off, her eyes lazily wandering toward the entrance of the theater again. A heavy silence ensued as she thought for a moment. Eventually, a sigh escaped her lips.

"I suppose we'll have to go get him…" she said, raising her weapon before turning to her squad. "This mission isn't over yet!" she declared. "We've still got to sweep the place clean, and recover Denzil's remains. Let's move!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Alpha squad replied. The troops stormed back into the building, their boots thumping against the floor as they did so. Even if they were almost done, and even though they were greeted with unfortunate news, they still had a job to do. They were H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; and they were to search and destroy.


	39. Nothing Personal

A hiss escaped the fair-haired demon as he clutched at his wounded shoulder. It was starting to scab, but it was still fair from healed and it burned like he had been stabbed with a hot piece of metal. While it was only his shoulder, it did affect how well he moved around. He furrowed his brow at the fact, knowing that Ciel had fought a dragon while suffering multiple burning stab wounds from a blessed blade. Surely Alois could do the same.

Thus, he straightened his back, immediately regretting the action as pain shot through him again. He needed to find the vampire that bit Denzil and finish him off. Alpha team could have taken care of it, but Alois was the one who had to put a bullet in the young man's head, a fact that he did not like. In a way, it was revenge. It didn't matter that Alois barely knew the soldier; he was an agent of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. If he has to shoot a fellow agent for any reason, he can get in major trouble with the Round Table.

Unfortunately, he had conveniently forgotten about the order that Sir Integra had given him. He wasn't supposed to be there. He was supposed to be stationed at the back of the building as planned, yet that is not what he wanted to do. It didn't feel like the correct course of action for him to take. Thus, he instead searched for the vampire that killed Denzil, as he personally felt as though it was what he needed to be doing.

Every time he shifted his weight to take another step, pain shot through his shoulder, yet he pressed onward. After all, if Ciel could do it, then so could he. Alois tried to distract himself from the burning sensation that he was experiencing, even as the wound began to close, by focusing on his sixth sense. He could tell where the vampire was and knew that he was going to attack.

When Gary dropped from the ceiling to perform a similar attack to the one he did before, Alois leaped back, evading his foe before whipping out his weapon. The icy blue eyes of the menace widened, however, when he aimed his weapon only to find that the vampire had aimed a gun at him as well. Instinctively, he moved his head, only to have the barrel of Gary's pistol up against his jaw while Alois' own Kaspar was pointed at his foe's forehead.

Seconds flew by and the two stayed that way before they mutually decided to move, separating themselves while firing a few shots. To his dismay, the demon was slightly slower than usual, hindering his ability to dodge, somewhat. Even with this, he managed to get out of the vampires line of fire, hiding around a corner while Gary kicked over a table to seek refuge behind. Both sides took this as an opportunity to reload their weapons before firing again.

Alois shot first, his bullet piercing the surface of the vampire's barrier. His gun was designed to have greater firepower than that of anything an ordinary human could handle. With a scowl, Gary fired back, and kept firing as he sprang up from behind the table and began to charge at the demon, his speed and agility keeping him from his potential death. To turn the corner, Gary put one foot on the wall where the two hallways intersected and pushed off, sending himself hurling at the menace. When the demon tried to avoid him, he winced at the pain in his shoulder, giving his opponent an opportunity.

Gary crashed into the Macken, sending both of them to the floor. The vampire straddled Alois' hips, and when Alois tried to aim his gun at him, he simply locked the man's wrist underneath his armpit, holding his arm in place with his own so the menace couldn't shoot. Gary's eyes scanned over the menace briefly before locking onto the demon's injury. With that, he aimed his weapon, placing the end of the barrel directly over Alois' shoulder. The blonde's eyes widened and he clutched at the other man's forearm with his free hand and tried to move it away. It was too late though.

_BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!_

Thank God they were ordinary bullets. If they weren't, the pain that Alois experienced would have been infinitely worse. A scream slipped past the blonde's lips as the vampire completely emptied his magazine into his already wounded shoulder. Although he tried to crush Gary's arm, the blonde's own had now been rendered completely useless, for the time being.

With own gun now empty, Gary tried to wrestle Alois' from his hand; forming a wicked grin with his scarred lips. There was no way Alois could let that happen. The bullets in it could kill him! He tightened his grip on the handle, refusing to let go, despite his current troubles. He desperately needed his other arm! Once again, he had to resort to the same thing he had done before when pinned down by a supernatural opponent. He leaned upwards, and bit down as hard as he could into his foe's arm.

"OW!" Gary shouted in a whiny tone before releasing the blonde and clutching at his arm. Then he found himself being struck over the head with the butt of the blonde's gun. Alois then used this chance to force the other man off of him, punching him in the face with the unusual guard on the handle of his weapon, forcing him backwards enough so that Alois could free his legs and kick him.

Once they had went their own ways, Alois scrambled to stand himself up, ignoring the now excruciating pain in his shoulder. His arm now twitched as he tried to move it; blood dripping down his fingers. He pointed the Kaspar at the vampire while Gary struggled to reload his own weapon. Eventually, the Gentlemen General decided that ducking and covering was a better option than staying put. He hid around the corner while he loaded another magazine.

"Bastard…" he hissed. " _I'm_ supposed to be the one hurting _you!_ "

"Sorry, pal, I ain't into that shit!" Alois retorted, appearing before the other man and shoving his gun in Gary's face. The triggered was pulled, hitting nothing but wall as the vampire scrambled to get away. His foe then turned around to open fire again.

"That's the point!" Gary shouted. "It wouldn't be any fun if you liked it!"

Alois ducked behind the wall again, dodging the bullets before unleashing his own. "That's disgusting!"

"You're disgusting!" barked the vampire. He took shelter behind the table once again. "What even are you, anyway?! You sure as hell ain't a vampire!"

"I'm a demon!" the blonde shouted back. "My name's Alois, I enjoy long walks on the beach, and am currently in a serious relationship with Satan!"

"Congrats!" Gary replied, dodging as a few bullets made it through the table. "My name's Gary! I'm a vampire! I like cuddling by the fireplace and am currently single!"

"Are you flirting with me?!"

"Fuck no!"

"Good! 'Cause I'm not looking for a side chick!" Alois declared, before taking a moment to catch his breath. He didn't let the other man out of his sights, but he needed his other arm to reload. What could he do? Unless he could fabricate a third hand, he was out of luck!

" _Oh, wait…_ " he quietly said aloud to himself. Following the thought, his blonde, monkey-like tail appeared from underneath his coat. He swished it back and forth briefly in order to stretch it before reaching it into his inner coat pocket and wrapping it around another magazine. Carefully, he flicked it upwards, using it to change the magazine in his pistol. A silly grin appeared on his face as he succeeded, feeling very pleased with himself.

After completing that task, the spare appendage vanished, and he focused on healing his wound. Depending on the size of the injury inflicted, a wound made with an anti-freak weapon could take several hours to heal, and Alois' was only made bigger when the other man fired off six shots into it. At the same time, however, it was a blessing in disguise. The ordinary bullets had stripped away some of the flesh that had been affected by the blessed bullet, making it easier to heal. With a deep breath, that's what Alois focused most of his energy on in that moment. While he didn't let the vampire out of his sights just yet, he didn't attack, either, much to the confusion of his enemy.

"Hey!" shouted Gary. "You run away?!" The general didn't like this. He couldn't tell if his foe was still there or not, as his pulse was faint. It was barely existent, for that matter, so Gary couldn't tell if the demon was still there, or if he was in the middle of fleeing. Part of him thought it was a trap. The other wanted to go after the menace. His brow furrowed and he grit his teeth, annoyed by not knowing.

"Come out, asshole!" he yelled, jumping over the table and slowly walking toward the spot where the demon was hiding.

"Come on! I wanna play with ya!" he continued. "I've never played with a demon before. If I cut you will you cry? Will it heal back immediately so I can do it again? Hey! Answer me!"

"You're _gross_." Alois called out. "What? Are you into that S &M bullshit? Sick! I already told you, I'm not into that shit."

"And _I_ already told you that I don't give a fuck if you are or not!" Gary replied. "Hurting people who're weaker than me is so fun~! Hey, hey, you've got a pretty face; almost like a girl's! What do you look like when you cry?"

He rounded the corner and aimed his weapon, only to see nothing. The fair-haired demon was nowhere to be found. A growl escaped the vampire as he grimaced, taking a step forward to go after the blonde. It was then, however, that a chill ran down his spine, causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand on end. Gary's eyes widened as he felt the presence of something behind him.

"I guess you'll never find out." Alois said. " _You're_ weaker than _me_."

"There you are, pretty-boy!" Gary declared, spinning around to shoot the demon.

BANG!

A gunshot went off, but Gary hadn't pulled the trigger. His face contorted with pain as he fell to the floor, dropping his gun and pulling his knee close to his chest. He screamed from the shockwave of pain coursing from his joint from the anti-freak bullet that was currently lodged inside of it. There was no exit wound. It was still burning his flesh.

"IT HUUUURTS!" the vampire wailed. "MAKE IT STOOOOP!"

"I'm afraid the only way for me to do that is to kill you." Alois replied. "You can't regenerate that. You'll heal at the same rate of a human, _if_ you manage to get the bullet out, that is."

"No, no _, no!_ Don't do that!" Gary insisted. "I was kidding! I wasn't gonna hurt you! Honest!"

"Liar. _You shot me in the shoulder, you piece of shit_. How stupid do you think I am?" the demon asked, looking down at his foe. "You're pretty pitiful, aren't you? Sick and sad. Tell me, did something make you this way, or are you just plain fucked up?"

"I… I was weak as a human…" the vampire answered, pausing to grimace at his wound. "S-so-so I became a vampire! So I wouldn't be weak anymore! I wanted to be the strong one! Just… Just let me go!"

While the words were intended to invoke pity from the menace, it did nothing but ignite anger. He was weak and wanted to become strong? He did that by hurting people? It sounded so familiar. Who begged while he squirmed and felt powerful when he hurt others? Who did that sound like?

Alois didn't know the full story, nor did he know if the boy was telling the truth, but he knew that Gary's words made him angry for some reason. The logic sounded reasonable to him. He understood it too well. There must have been some truth to Gary's words, as he had a scar on his face that didn't heal, as if he had received it while human. Was he telling the truth? Was he lying? Who did he sound like? _Who?_

_Oh. It was Alois._

The menace snarled at the sight of his wretched self; the one that he had put behind him; the one that was weak. It made him angry because now he wanted to take _pity_ on this person, yet he couldn't. He knew he shouldn't, either. As much as he would love to coddle his former self and tell him that everything would turn out alright, this was not him. It was Gary, and he did not trust him. Part of him wanted to, but he couldn't.

" _I have a job to do_." Alois said, aiming the gun at the vampires head. "Sorry; nothing personal."

_"Wait! Don-"_

_BANG!_

Alois pulled the trigger before the other male could make him second-guess himself. He had a job to do, regardless of whatever sob-story that the vampire had in store. Thus, Gary's head fell to the floor with the rest of him; his eyes still open with a frightened look permanently plastered across his face. Alois wouldn't fix it, either. He was not a comrade of his. Why should he bother? It wasn't personal, and the blonde had no desire to make it that way.

Even still, for whatever reason, the menace really wanted to see Ciel. At one time, they, too, were not comrades and had to kill one another to complete an objective. The only difference was that it _was indeed_ personal. Yet somehow, when all was said and done, they somehow became what they are now; not only personal, but intimate.

Really, what Alois wanted in that moment was reassurance that what he had just done was the right thing. It kind of embarrassed him. Honestly he thought that he was beyond this occasional need, unaware of its normalcy.

"I wonder if Ciel will get mad if I try to tag along with him?" he asked to himself. After a few moments, he came up with an answer: " _Annoyed,_ maybe, but not _mad_. Let's see… He's _this_ way…"


	40. We've Already Met

"That idiot…" muttered a certain bluenette as he and his temporary assistant traveled deeper into the theatre.

"What is it?" asked Baldassare.

"Jim hasn't left the building yet." Ciel replied. "I can also sense him getting closer to us. I should have known that he wouldn't actually follow orders."

His eyes narrowed, however, as he sensed something else. His contract was telling him that the blonde was also injured. Now, Ciel knew that the menace could handle himself, but he couldn't help but be worried. The Phantomhive kept his senses sharp, monitoring Alois carefully as he continued onward to complete the mission.

When presented with enemies, he stormed through them, cutting them to ribbons, should they dare to stand in his path. He didn't bother getting to the ones that he missed and only kept pressing forward. The other team would definitely get to the ones that he missed, so he needed to focus his attention to taking out their chain of command. It was then, however, that a thought occurred to him. Alois was following him, and would most likely have to fight them all while injured. Immediately, the bluenette stopped in his tracks, much to the confusion of his vampiric associate.

"What now?!" Baldassare demanded, looking back to see the demon making a strange face. The Girasol coven head stared at the Phantomhive for a few moments with a baffled look before Ciel finally decided to answer him.

" _I'm worried about Jim…"_ he said, putting a hand to his forehead and slumping his shoulders.

"What the hell!? We're almost there! Just kill Brummel and go back for him!" snapped the other man.

" _But what if it takes too long?"_

"Hey! If blondie can kick _my_ ass, then he can handle a few thugs! What's the matter with you?!"

This was annoying. It was almost disgusting to Baldassare, how the Watchdog expressed such concern over and doted on the blonde demon so. It went against everything the vampire knew about the man, after all. Ciel Phantomhive was the devil who punished the wicked, whether they were supernatural or otherwise with brutal force. Baldassare had seen it with his own eyes, after all. Just that night alone, he saw how the demon slaughter all that stood in the way of reaching his goal, yet now, even with all of that, the Watchdog was willing to turn back to confirm the safety of another out of what the man claimed to be "love". A sigh escaped the bluenette's lips before he spoke again.

"You're right…" he said, running his hand through his sweaty, blood-covered hair. "Let's keep going…"

"Whatever…" Baldassare muttered before continuing to lead the demon to Brummel's secret room. He couldn't wait for this night to be over so that he could go home. It was nerve-wrecking simply being on one of these operations, and the fact that H.L.L.S.I.N.G. and the Watchdog were involved only made things _worse_. His coffin was starting to seem like a very inviting idea.

The team continued onward. They were almost there. Al they had to do was round one more corner, and the door would be right there. Two guards stood in front of it, but they both fell with only one swing of the bluenette's blade. His foot then made contact with the door, breaking it right off of its hinges, making the man inside jump.

Brummel's eyes widened at the sight of the two men. Immediately, they fell on Baldassare and narrowed. So it was he who ratted them out to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; even after he went through such lengths to keep the gathering a secret amongst the vampiric community. There was a spy in their midst.

"Baldassare!" he growled, baring his fangs at the Girasol vampire and standing up from his chair. Brummel's hand reached for a radio that sat on the table next to him, only to have the device blown apart by a well-placed bullet from his rival leader. Baldassare clicked his tongue in annoyance before speaking.

"You seriously didn't see this coming?" he asked. "You really think I'd just turn up to one of your fucking disgusting parties for no reason? Did you think I shared your sick-ass ' _interests'?_ Are you fucking retarded?"

"Who're you calling ' _disgusting'?!_ I'm a Gentleman! How dare you?!" Brummel demanded. "My parties always have the best of the best! How can you call this ' _disgusting'?!"_

"You're serious? You don't just kill people, you torture them for sport! You sell them as pets!" Baldassare barked in response. "I may be a killer, but even I know some decency! You think this is _'class'?_ You don't even know what that fucking means!"

"They're just humans." The other coven leader said. "They're livestock. They're for us to _consume_. What does it matter, what we do to them? That's what they're here for, Baldassare! Surely you knew that."

"Don't lump me in with shit like you…" spoke the Girasol vampire. "I ain't trash like you! _'Gentlemen'_!? You've gotta be fucking kidding! You're a bane on everybody's existence and you oughtta just die. No, you're _gonna_ die."

"And what? Are you going to kill me, Baldassare?" asked Brummel.

"Nah. Not my department." Said Baby-Face. "I'm not the only one here, after all."

The other vampire's eyes then traveled to the bluenette and he arched his eyebrows at the sight of the man. He had never seen this person before, as far as he knew, yet he appeared familiar. The man had an irritable expression plastered across his face and odd, blueish black hair. What was really peculiar, however, was the man's mismatched eyes; one being blue and the other being a light purple that glowed in a most peculiar fashion. This seemed familiar, but he couldn't place it. Who was this person? Baldassare smiled at the other vampire's confusion.

"I've introduced you once, this evening, already." He said. "Remember ' _Cornelius Wainwright'?_ Yeah. I lied. That's not his real name, or his real identity. He's actually much scarier than that."

The gears began to turn in the head of Jay Brummel, and an expression of sheer terror washed over him. There was no way. It couldn't be. Those were only stories, weren't they? All of the blood in the gentleman's body ran cold as soon as the strange bluenette began to speak.

"Allow me to introduce myself." The demon said. "I am her majesty's _'Guard-Dog', Ciel Phantomhive._ I've been sent to destroy you."


	41. The Devil's Duty

The devil! It was the devil who appeared before Brummel! It was the same devil that rounded up wicked individuals like himself and punished them for their crimes. That is what the Devil does, after all.

Still, that didn't mean that mister Brummel was at all happy about this fate. Here, before him stood someone who wasn't supposed to actually exist, someone who was rumoured to be cruel and unyielding. The look in the demon's mismatched eyes gave away his intentions. There was anger, disgust, and contempt written all over his face.

This vile piece of trash before Ciel dared to take on a humanoid shape and claim to be civilized, when in fact, he was the most brutish and beastly one in the room. He was a monster. Jay Brummel was a monster, one who takes delight in the suffering of others and reducing them to objects for his own amusement. Ciel, too, was at one point an object for monsters like him; only biologically speaking, the monsters where human.

Regardless, it did not matter. It simply did not matter, as Ciel would fulfill his duty, regardless. He was sent here to vanquish threats to humanity, and that is what he would do. He would rid the world of this beast's presence and prevent it from sapping up any more of the earth's resources; from affecting any more lives.

And yet, that didn't seem like a sufficient enough punishment. Monsters become such in order to rid themselves of pain, sadness, and fear. They do it by forcing these things onto others, and take sick delight in doing so. What they do to others is what they fear the most happening to themselves, and the Devil knew this. Part of him wanted to unleash retribution on the vampire in this manner, knowing full-well that it would mean that he, too, would be a monster because of it.

Then again, it was his nature, which he often defied at the same time. He is not a monster, yet he is not a human. He is both and neither at the same time. So, how would he punish this wicked creature before him? The anger that bubbled from within him at the actions of the vampire made it very clear.

"The Watchdog…" Brummel said in disbelief. His legs turned to jelly and he fell back down into his chair, causing a smirk to form on the demon's face.

"Correct." Ciel answered. "And do you know what I, the Watchdog, do to people like you?"

Upon hearing those words, the leader of Gentlemen reached into his jacket and pulled out a gun. Instead of a gunshot, however, the only sounds that he emitted was a loud _crunch,_ followed by a scream. The pistol fell to the floor as Ciel tightly clasped the man's wrist; his grip crushing it completely.

"That's not the correct answer." The bluenette replied before twisting Brummel's arm as well. "Try again."

"Augh! Stop!" the vampire shouted. "You're hurting me!"

"That's. The. Point!" answered Ciel, suddenly bending the other man's arm until it snapped and yanking it forward so that his foe fell into the floor. He observed Brummel as he clutched at his arm for a few moments, placing a foot on the man's leg when he tried to crawl away.

"Where do you think you're going?" the demon asked. "You can't get away. You're too weak. Tonight, you're going to die in this very room, and there's nothing you can do to stop it, Mister Brummel." With that, he stomped his foot, breaking the vampire's leg as well. His foe let out another yelp before losing his voice momentarily.

"Humans are ' _livestock'_ to you, correct?" inquired the bluenette. "Do you know what you are to me? _Filth._ Worthless, loathsome, _filth_ that must be disposed of. You aren't even good enough to become someone's prey. What does that feel like, Mister Brummel?"

"Please…" the vampire begged. "What do you want? Why are you doing this? For the humans? Is it for the humans?"

"No." Ciel stated. "If it were just for them, I would have cut your head off as soon as I stepped into the door and been done with it. Trash like you needs to know your place. As the Devil, I'm going to teach it to you before I send you to hell."

"W-wait! Can't we tal-" The coven leader was cut off when the Phantomhive crouched down and gripped one of his fangs between his fingers. He stilled himself, wanting to plead with the demon to not do what he was about to.

"Fangs are a source of pride amongst vampires, correct?" the Phantomhive asked. "That won't do. Filth doesn't _deserve_ that luxury." With a swift yank, the vampire had been relieved of one of his precious fangs, causing him to scream and cover his mouth with his working hand. Gently, Ciel placed the tooth on the floor before reaching for the other man's hand.

"There's still three more." Spoke the demon. "Move your hand, or you'll lose it, too."

This was a nightmare. Baldassare looked on in horror as the demon tortured the leader of his rival coven. This was the Watchdog that he knew. This was the monster that children of the special zone were warned about so that they wouldn't misbehave. This was the Devil for whom love was impossible. It should _still_ be impossible. Yet somehow, Baldassare was supposed to believe that even after this; breaking a vampire's bones and ripping out its fangs; the Phantomhive was somehow able to look with adoration into the eyes of another whisper genuine, kind words into their ears. To most normal people, this seemed to rightfully be a far-fetched concept. It certainly was to Baldassare, who was abnormal!

One fang, two fangs, three fangs, four… At last, Brummel was rendered helpless, unable to even obtain food on his own should he somehow make it out of this alive. It was unlikely, though. He couldn't walk, or even crawl. The man simply laid in the floor, curling himself up into a ball in an attempt to shield himself. He could feel the demon's glare stabbing into him as the Phantomhive looked down on him.

Ciel honestly wasn't sure where to go from here. He didn't feel like being especially thorough, but he also didn't feel as though the vampire had suffered enough. He had to make up his mind quickly, however, as he sensed Alois getting closer. Obviously, he didn't need to worry about the blonde after all, as he was quick to catch up, getting closer, closer, and closer, still.

In a split-second decision, Ciel decided to simply end it, shoving his blade into the chest of the vampire on the floor. Brummel grunted, his body tensing before falling limp. While both demons had their sadistic tendencies, Ciel somehow felt that it was wrong to torture a man in front of his beau while he was injured. The bluenette would rather tend to his menace.

The chance to do so arrived as the blonde walked through the door, stopping before he could pass Baldassare. His shoulder was aching and he was personally done with working on this mission. The wound was finally shut, but the soreness persisted, and the spot was still reddened and irritated. He would have been fine if he hadn't been shot and had to kill an ally, but alas, that was not the case. Even now, his mind was not in his work, as he was almost surprised by the body on the floor in front of the Phantomhive. Alois watched as his beau plucked his sword from the vampire's chest and put it back in its sheath before meeting his gaze. The bluenette took a few steps forward, holding his arms open to the other man. Without giving another thought, Alois walked over and took up the other demon's offer, wrapping his arms around the man's waist while Ciel held him.

"You stink worse than earlier." Alois pointed out, grinning as he rested his chin on the other man's shoulder. "Is it almost time to go home?"

"I just took out their leader, so after H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. does one last sweep, we should be free to go." His beau replied. "If my smell offends you, then don't hug me."

"I have to, though. My night's been kind of crummy and I need them."

"Sorry to hear about that." Ciel stated. "Are you alright?"

"I got shot, but I'll be okay. My shoulder just hurts." Answered the blonde. "Do we need to call somebody and tell them that the leader is dead?"

"Probably. Can I borrow your radio?" inquired the Watchdog. Wordlessly, the menace reached into his coat with one hand and grabbed the radio before handing it to his beau and wrapping his arm back around the other man's waist again, forcing a small smile to appear on the bluenette's face.

"Alpha, this is Phantomhive." He greeted as he placed the device up to his ear. "Their leader is dead. The chain of command should now collapse. Is there anything more you need?" He paused as he waited for a response.

"Negative, Phantomhive." Answered Brasher's voice. "Captain says we're all good on our end. You shouldn't leave in case we need you, though. Wait outside with the trucks, if you want."

"I think I might just do that. Phantomhive: out." With that, he put the radio back in the blonde's coat, not bothering to try and pry the man off of him. Afterwards, he briefly stroked the Macken's blonde locks before speaking. "Did you hear that? Let's go make our way out of here."

"Alright." Mumbled the menace, reluctantly letting go of the bluenette, only to grab hold of his hand moments later. If they weren't filthy and covered in blood, one might have actually mistaken them for an ordinary couple.

Neither of them seemed fazed in the slightest by either their appearance, or their surroundings. They certainly didn't feel strange about having killed a bunch of people. To them, it was just an ordinary day at work. Baldassare couldn't help but feel disquieted by the displacement between demeanor and actions; by how the pair flirted and laughed as they walked, like normal young adults as they stepped over bodies on their way toward the exit. It was dumbfounding.

The Devil, who punished the wicked with cruelty and who kept both humans and creatures of the night under his watchful eye, became strangely pleasant in the presence of his assistant, despite his same old disenchantment with violence and gore. It was a most curious sight for Baldassare to come across, somehow drowning out his fear from before. This same devil spoke words of encouragement to the vampire, reminding him to not lose his resolve and his sight on what was important to him. Was that something that devil's do?

As the Girasol vampire examined the duo closer, it slowly began to dawn on him. Ciel and Alois were similar, weren't they? The blonde did not seem to be bothered by their environment, or by the task at hand. He was just as strange, wasn't he? He, too, was a demon, and he was the right hand man of the devil!

The group made their way outside, avoiding being shot by Beta Squad. It was then that the two groups would be taking their separate ways. Ciel and Alois would stay in case they were needed, and Baldassare would go home and rest. It was almost dawn, after all. He needed to hurry before the sun came up.

Baldassare started walking, pausing to pull out his cell-phone in order to call a car to pick him up. As he placed the device up to his ear, he began pacing as he waited for one of his underlings to answer. When he did, however, his eyes honed in on something most peculiar, indeed.

The Devil, who punished the wicked with cruelty and who kept both humans and creatures of the night under his watchful eye, was smiling warmly. His entire expression was kind, right from the bottom of his blackened heart as he embraced his fellow demon tenderly. In return, the fair-haired man grinned and hugged back, nuzzling into the Phantomhive's shoulder before pulling back to peck Ciel on the lips. It was sweet. Too sweet. Could the Devil be this sweet? Unless Baldassare's eyes were playing tricks on him, he could, if he chose to.

Yes, it was the Devil's duty to punish the wicked. And yes, he was cruel and somewhat wicked, himself. Yet despite all of this, the Phantomhive denied these traits immediately before his partner so that one who was much like himself and was abandoned and left to rot by God in his mortal life could find happiness and home in the arms of the Devil.


	42. Werepire Domestication

Hellsing Manor: home to the Hellsing family for generations and part of the home base for the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization. Although the sun had just risen, trucks drove up and unloaded soldiers, who then tiredly put their equipment away and headed home. Two of the soldiers, however, actually lived on the base and only needed to travel downward.

Charlotte and Amelie trudged down the stairs toward the basement of the large house that few soldiers were ever actually permitted to enter without having business there. Amelie didn't even make it down the hallways before she was already taking off her coat and gloves. Her girlfriend her tempted to do the same, but decided to wait until she got in the door. The vampire unlocked it and let both of them in, ignoring Amelie as the girl took off her belt and pants and changed into a pair of shorts before flopping onto the bed.

The two shared what could be comparable to a one-room apartment beneath the manor, as did Audrey and Seras, a few doors down. Amelie actually was assigned her own quarters, but somehow managed to weasel her way into Charlotte's and decided to take up residency here instead. It wasn't as if the vampire minded. She knew that the wolf-girl would have been over all of the time, regardless.

Charlotte took off her coat and made her way to the kitchen. She made a beeline for the refrigerator, opening it and crouching slightly to reach the bottom drawer where any ordinary person might keep produce. Packets of medical blood filled it halfway. It was enough for a month or so, if she ate sparingly. Right now, however, she was practically starving from being around all of that fresh blood.

After grabbing a packet, she shut the refrigerator door before pausing. She decided that it would be better if it was warm. It tasted different and had a different texture that way. Before she did, however, she peeked her head out of the kitchen and looked toward the werewolf.

"Hey, I'm gonna heat this up, do you need to use the microwave, first?" she inquired. She always asked first when Amelie hadn't eaten yet, because while it may be delicious to her, not everyone else was too keen about having human blood near their food.

Upon hearing the question, the werewolf rolled off of the bed and into the floor before starting to get herself up in response. Naturally, her girlfriend took this as a "yes". As Amelie made her way to the kitchen as well, Charlotte was starting to debate on whether or not she wanted to wait to eat, or just drink it cold. She watched the wolf-girl throw in some leftovers from the fridge and set the timer. Seven minutes. No, Charlotte decided that she didn't want to wait.

She leaned against the counter and bent the small tube attached to the pouch breaking the piece of plastic inside before placing it to her lips. It was a lot like drinking out of a regular juice pouch. Admittedly, though, it wasn't quite the same as biting someone. Now that she and her girlfriend were with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and had blood readily accessible, the vampire refrained from biting the wolf-girl, as he knew Amelie didn't really like it. She couldn't really blame her, really. Having your neck stabbed by fangs and being drained of blood must feel awful. Charlotte didn't really remember what it felt like, herself, as she was almost dead at the time.

Meanwhile, Amelie sat in the floor, having lost the motivation to stand. The lycanthrope then scooted backwards until her back was pressed up against the counter. She leaned her head on her girlfriend's legs and watched the clock count-down to when her food would be done. The thought of having to stand back up annoyed her, somewhat, but she had to, unless Charlotte was willing to get her meal for her so she could eat on the kitchen floor. She was tired. She had to run around and shoot at vampires all night, just like many others. As always, Amelie was somewhat amazed as to how the vampire could still stand.

"Tired." She said, shutting her eyes, briefly. She was starting to debate as to whether she could still abandon food for the moment and simply go to bed or not.

"You should still eat something, first." Charlotte replied. "I'll keep you from falling asleep on your plate." A giggle escaped her as the other girl whined, turning and wrapping her arms around the vampire's leg and pressing her face into her outer-thigh. Amelie groaned as the microwave _dinged,_ signaling that she had to stand up again. What a pain.

"I don't wanna get up." She complained.

"If you want, I can get it for you, but you'll have to let go of my leg, first." The vampire replied. Her partner only answered her by tightening her grip and uttering a small groan, causing freckled nosferatu to roll her eyes. Thus, Charlotte simply opted to drag the werewolf with her, slowly trudging to the microwave while the bottom of the other girl was scooted across the tile after her. She held her blood transfusion pouch in her teeth while tending to Amelie's meal. Finally she looked down again.

"You can't eat while holding my leg." She said. "I'm not feeding you, either."

"Fiiinnneee…" Amelie replied, finally releasing the other girl. She held up her hands. "Food please."

" _You're welcome."_ The vampire said sarcastically.

" _Merci."_ Her partner replied. As she was offered the plate. She continued to sit in the floor as she ate, still unwilling to move just yet. "Love you, _Lotte._ "

"You just love me because I get you food." Charlotte teased.

"Oh, no! _You found out my secret!"_

"That's just _mean_ …" the vampire stated, walking over to the trash can to throw away the empty packet. She then walked back to their room in order to change clothes. Military gear wasn't exactly comfortable to sit around the house in.

"I was joking!" called Amelie, sitting in the floor and eating her meal. "You're pretty and nice and smart, Charlotte!"

" _I know."_ Stated the other girl with a smug grin. When she was done, she walked back into the kitchen wearing a tank-top and a pair of shorts.

"Shoulder-freckles." The werewolf said, looking up at her girlfriend.

"You're not going to start counting them again are you?"

"I will make no such promise." With that, Amelie finally stood, setting her dishes in the sink before getting a glass of water.

Charlotte shook her head at the wolf-girl's response. She didn't understand why Amelie found her spots so interesting and she probably never would. Her thoughts drifted elsewhere, however, as she noticed that the salt in the blood she drank had sucked out the moisture in her lips. It was an annoying side effect.

"Do you have any chapstick I can borrow?" she asked.

Without even turning around, Amelie simply answered with "Coat pocket." She didn't give it a second thought until the vampire turned to go rummaging through her belongings. Immediately on that realization, she regretted answering.

"Thanks." Charlotte replied, walking out of the room and picking up the werewolf's coat. She started digging in its pockets one by one, not noticing the panic that her girlfriend was currently in. Frantically, the wolf-girl looked around before finally turning to stop he partner.

" _Non!"_ she shouted, springing into action. She leaped into the air in an effort to tackle the vampire, but missed, crashing into the floor instead. To her horror, her girlfriend had already found it; the small, black box that she had been hiding.

"What's this?" curiously inquired Charlotte, opening the box without a second thought. Inside of it was a small gold ring, much to the confusion of the vampire. It didn't seem like something Amelie would have.

"It's pretty." She continued. "Looks expensive, too. You must've saved up for a while for… this..?" she trailed off as she turned to look at the girl on the floor looking up at her.

Amelie looked mortified. Her face, neck, and ears were completely red; and her mouth hung open as if she was trying to form something to say. She obviously wasn't herself, at the moment, only leaving the vampire to guess as to why. As the gears started turning in her head, Charlotte's face grew progressively redder as well.

Finally, her flush reached its peak when she put together a possible explanation. Her eyes went from the ring and then back to the lycanthrope; back to the ring, and then back to the lycanthrope again. Suddenly, she started walking over to her girlfriend before crouching down to her level, causing the wolf-girl to jump.

"Amelie…" she said. "What is this?"

Amelie opened her mouth to speak again before closing it. She wanted to pick her words carefully, of course, given the circumstance. Unfortunately, though, her nerves got the better of her and she was only able to utter one word.

" _Wife?"_ she said questioningly, immediately looking away upon realizing that she faltered. Her eyes scrunched themselves shut so she wouldn't be forced to look at the other girl. She was embarrassed. Really embarrassed.

It didn't last long, however, as she felt something hot on her shoulder. Charlotte's forehead was burning as she rested it on the shoulder of the wolf-girl, but then again, so was the rest of her face. She hid herself, knowing full-well that it didn't do her any good. Scooting closer, she wrapped her arms around Amelie, before mumbling: "Yes."

That's it. That's all it took for Amelie to perk up. Her eyes opened and she looked at the vampire to the best of her ability, given their current position. Reaching behind her, she grabbed Charlotte's hands and pushed them away, taking the box in the process. An unusually serious expression fell over her features as she opened it and took out the ring. Charlotte offered her a hand, which she took before sliding the band onto her ring finger. With the action complete, she smiled. Her smile was so wide, that it made her cheeks hurt. It was contagious, too as it spread to the vampire as well. After a few moments, their fingers intertwined and their foreheads pressed together.

"Wife." Amelie repeated, causing the other girl to giggle.

"No." replied Charlotte before pressing their mouths together briefly. "You mean ' _wives_ '."


	43. I Stole Everything

With a huff, Alois walked to his next class. He didn't want to go to biology, but he had to. It was his last class for the day, thank goodness, but he wasn't at all thrilled to go in the first place. Oftentimes, he debated on just skipping, but he knew that his bluenette beau would inevitably find out and scold him for it.

The fact that it was going to be a busy week didn't help. He took the day off the day before this one, as he had just gotten done raiding a vampire coven. The soldiers fortunately agreed to keep his direct involvement a secret from Sir Hellsing. He killed a bunch of vampires, got shot a few times, healed, and then had to go to school for the rest of the week. Not to mention that the FUNTOM anniversary event was sometime during it, and so was Alois' birthday.

The blonde was actually looking forward to the latter, given that he was promised a date without any pesky work getting in the way. How his beau was going to accomplish that, however, he hadn't the faintest clue. For some reason, he pictured Ciel trying to convince Integra not to call them on that evening. Now that was a funny image.

For now, though, Alois would have to make an attempt to pay attention in biology class. The instructor said something about a group project a few days earlier, so he could probably dump most of the work on his teammates. That would be nice. Then he could zone out and ponder whatever he wanted. At least that's what he thought before he received a text message from a certain bluenette.

" _Come to the front gate. We're leaving._

_-CP"_

Duty calls. The blonde didn't mind, though. Solving murders or stopping terrorist plots was a million times more interesting than biology class. Thus, the man immediately turned around and started heading toward the campus entrance. He felt the cold, late autumn air whip against his cheeks as he nearly ran, being sure not to do so too quickly as not to draw unnecessary amounts of attention.

Soon he made it to see the bluenette patiently waiting by the front gate. A large grin appeared on the blonde's face upon seeing the Phantomhive, as it did not go unnoticed that Ciel was wearing his coat. What choice did he have? The blonde had stolen the watchdog's own yet again, as usual. The eyepatched demon finally stood up straight from his place leaning against the wall in order to greet the menace.

"So _that's_ where my coat went." He mused, shaking his head at the blonde's actions. Alois drew his arms in close, using one hand to grip the collar of the jacket and pressing the fabric to his face while wrapping the other around his torso.

"It smells like you. It's like wearing a hug." The fair-haired man answered. "So what didja need? We got work, or did you just come here to take your coat back?"

"No. Even if I did, you wouldn't return it." Ciel replied. "It's not really business-related. Did you forget what today's date is?"

"Is it FUNTOM's thingy?" the blonde asked arching an eyebrow. "Do you need help with it or something?" His beau simply rolled his visible eye and walked closer to the blonde, grabbing his hands. The bluenette leaned closer; his breath tickled the menace's ear as he spoke.

"Happy Birthday, you silly thing." He whispered before pulling back a bit and pecking the blonde's cheek. Ciel could feel the other man's face heat up a bit with his lips and grinned. Honestly, how could Alois forget? Between his schoolwork and agent-work, though, it was almost understandable. "I'm going to steal you away for the day. I promised you a date, didn't I?"

"That, you did." The blonde stated. "So what's the plan?"

"First, we're going to go home and drop off your backpack. Then, the rest is a surprise."

"Alright, now I _have_ to know. Not knowing what kind of stuff you've got planned is gonna kill me!"

"No, that can't happen. It would ruin everything." Ciel jested. "It's your birthday after all, and I intend to spoil you rotten."

"Don't you do that anyway?" asked Alois with a giggle.

"Possibly. I do _try_ to hold back a bit."

"You're not very good at it."

"I know." The bluenette replied, letting go of one of the Macken's hands and intertwining their fingers together on with the other. "Shall we?"

"Lead the way, Romeo." His beau answered.

"Romeo dies at the end."

"Fine." Alois stated, leaning in to nuzzle the other man's shoulder and wrapping his free arm around that of the man's which was currently in possession of his other. "Lead the way, _my little chuckaboo."_

Ciel shook his head but smiled, regardless. Clearly, he wasn't going to win on this, yet somehow, he didn't quite mind. In the unlikely event that Ciel were to be honest about the blonde's pet-names, he would admit that he found them a bit endearing. That, however, was an impossibility so for now he would that fact to himself.

In the simple verbal gestures, the blonde was claiming the Phantomhive as his own. Ciel liked that. Only Alois could call him these silly things, just as Ciel was allowed to call his beau "Jim". Then again, he did feel a bit jealous that other people were able to do so as well. Both Luka and the entire Round-Table Conference called the blonde by his birth name, too, and as petty and childish as it was, Ciel wanted to be the only one who could claim it.

While the bluenette acted smooth in his pursuit of this venture, he was actually quite nervous. Between school, police-work, and work with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; there wasn't much time for dates like this one. In fact, he had to ask Scotland Yard and nearly downright _beg_ Sir Integra not to call them out for anything on this particular day. Ciel had arranged most of their dates thus far, but even during the three years that they've been a couple, they haven't been able to go on many, even including the ones that had been interrupted.

The Phantomhive can arrange espionage missions. He can arrange important meetings and events, as well. Even still, somehow arranging a date where he and his beau would finally get to act like an ordinary couple was difficult. The main reason for this, however, could definitely be attributed to the fact that neither man knew exactly _how_ to be "normal". Their concept of the word severely deviated from the ordinary sense, as theirs involved supernatural murder mysteries and such. Ciel certainly hoped that Alois would understand. The blonde had picked a wealthy, demonic, government agent to be his boyfriend, yet the Phantomhive would certainly try his best.

After the pair went home to drop off Alois' school stuff, they set out yet again to their first location. Despite Ciel's protesting and assurance that calling a cab would be no trouble, Alois insisted on driving them in the freshly replaced Mercedes Benz. He was sure to inform the butler of the household that it would come back unscathed.

* * *


	44. Believe It

" _Can I at least have a hint?"_ the blonde asked as he navigated the streets of London with his beau. The anticipation of what the bluenette had in store for him was starting to get to him.

"Nope." Ciel replied. He then pointed. "Turn left right here." He added.

"Not even a little one?" inquired Alois as he turned the wheel. "C'mon! I've gotta know!"

"We're almost there, so you'll find out very soon." Chuckled the bluenette. "It's just around the corner, there. Turn right. Into the parking garage, there."

"Romantic parking garage, date?" jested the menace.

"Definitely _. Surprise_." Sarcastically chimed the Phantomhive.

The two paid the fee and parked the car before stepping out. Almost instinctively, their hands locked themselves together as the watchdog led the way. He led the blonde out of the garage and onto the sidewalk outside, simply strolling along for a while before he saw the building.

"There it is." The bluenette said, pointing his finger. Immediately, the blonde followed it toward a massive building.

"It's huge!" Alois declared. "What is it?"

"The Trocadero shopping and entertainment center." Ciel stated. "I have to admit, I've been wanting to see this place for ages, but never really had an excuse, before. You'll see why once we get inside."

"Oh, so were coming here for you, then?" Alois teased.

"Of course not." His beau answered. "It just so happens to also be a place that seems right up your alley. This isn't the first stop, either. Hopefully I can pry you away by that time."

Alois chose to simply take the bluenette's word for it until they got inside, and Ciel was right. He certainly was not disappointed. There were lights all around them, pouring out of shops and lining escalators while inviting the duo every which way. It looked like the mall, but was a bit grander. To Alois, it appeared as though they had fast-forwarded into the future, and the now nostalgic sense of culture-shock hit the menace. He could have sworn that he was just in sunlight mere moments ago, but now it appeared as though they were in some sort of underground world.

A large grin formed on the bluenette's face as he looked at that of his beau. He took delight in Alois' visage as his eyes widened and his mouth hung open slightly as he looked around. The Phantomhive could see a mix of shock and excitement in the other man, and he found it positively adorable.

"Aren't you glad I kept it a surprise?" he asked with a chuckle, wondering if his smile could get any bigger as his date directed his attention toward him.

" _Uh-huh_ …" Alois managed to utter.

"Where do you want to go first? Just look around and head toward the first thing that strikes your fancy. We've got time." The bluenette said.

"Huh?! I thought you were leading this?" the fair-haired demon nervously asked.

"That wouldn't be any fun, though." Ciel answered. "Let's see, there's bowling, laser-tag, an arcade, The Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum, there's shopping…"

"That's too many things to pick from!" his date declared. After that, he began listing things off as he reasoned on his fingers. "Uh…. Let's see… Laser-tag is like paint-ball, which we play at home… You'd probably kick my ass at bowling… Uhm… so that just leaves the last three…"

It would never stop being amusing to the Phantomhive how seriously the menace took playing. He simply watched his beau as the menace tried to figure out what he wanted to do first, admiring the man facial expressions that came over his boyfriend as he reasoned and unreasoned his next course of action. Finally, the blonde had something worked out.

"I want to save the arcade for last." He said as though he were discussing battle-plans. "But then again, if we go to the shops, we might want to do that last, in case we buy something so we don't have to carry it around the whole time. So that means that we should go to the Ripley's Museum first."

"Roger that. Sounds good to me." The bluenette answered, letting go of the blonde's hand in order to place his own in the small of the man's back. With that, he reached into his coat and pulled out the map he had printed out before leaving and ushered his date into the general direction of their destination.

Thus the date began. Alois simply lit up at all of the oddities inside, trying to imitate the poses of various mannequins, gawking at photos and artifacts, and getting into trouble for getting too close to them. It Ciel hadn't intervened on several occasions, they would have most certainly been asked to leave. It was worth it, however. Somehow, the pair managed to act like an ordinary couple in the process.

"Ciel! Ciel!" the blonde called, prompting the bluenette's attention. The Phantomhive turned away from the shrunken heads that he was looking at in order to investigate as to what the blonde wanted.

"Yes?"

"Check it out! The world's tallest man!" Alois stated, pointing to a manequin. It had the appearance of a plain-looking man with round spectacles and a grey suit. The dummy was holding up a large ruler so that visitors could compare heights. Ciel knew where this was going.

"Eight-foot-eleven…" he trailed off, looking up at the towering figure. "How on earth does that even happen?"

"Who knows?"

"My guess is that you want to compare heights, yes?"

"You know it." Alois stated, walking up to the measuring stick. "C'mon, what's it say?" His beau walked over, setting a hand on the other man's head in order to flatten his hair a bit so he could read.

"Five-foot-seven." The Phantomhive stated. "My turn?"

"You bet, shorty." Teased the menace, switching places with him. As Ciel backed against the stick, the blonde did the same thing that the other man had done to him and flattened his hair with a grin, only for it to fade moments later as he read the number.

"Five…. _Five-foot-nine_ …" he said. His eyebrow visibly twitched as he saw his date smirk at the discovery.

"Cheater! You shape-shifted, didn't you?!" the blonde loudly accused.

"I did not. I was this height when we got here." The Phantomhive said. He took a step forward and put his hands on Alois' upper arms with a grin. "Why? Does it _bother_ you?"

"Shut up! It's crap like this that makes people think that I'm the _'girly'_ one!" Alois said, his cheeks flushing. "Wipe that look off your face!"

"I can't. You're too cute." Ciel replied. He leaned forward, allowing the blonde to place his hand on his chest as he planted a kiss on Alois' forehead. "You're not ' _girly',_ either. You've won more fist-fights than most men will ever be in and you look good doing it."

"Oh? So you like it when I act ' _manly'?"_ Alois attempted to tease.

"Maybe." His beau answered. Suddenly, however, the Phantomhive's smile dropped as his eye wandered elsewhere. Following it, Alois saw a group of teenagers looking at them and talking while laughing. A few of them pointed as well, much to the pair's annoyance.

"Think the one with the eyepatch is looking for the glass eyes?" one asked.

"I don't think that'll help him figure out if he's with a guy or a girl or not!" said another.

"Think they're part of the exhibit?"

Alois furrowed his brow. He didn't take that sort of talk from hardened thugs, so he certainly wasn't going to take it from a bunch of brats. He took his hands off the bluenette's chest and glared at them, and as soon as he did so, Ciel's grip on him tightened.

"Jim, don't do it." The bluenette said. "They're children."

"If you let kids get away with crap like that now, they'll think that they can get away with it when they're older." The blonde said. "Relax, I'm only going to scold them a bit. I'm not gonna hit a kid, Ciel."

Hesitantly, the bluenette nodded and released the menace. He followed the blonde's lead as the other man put his hands in his pockets and casually strolled up to the group of teens, watching as the panic washed over their features and listening to their whispering to each other as they tried to reason as to what to do. They hadn't counted on the butt of their joke actually walking over to them. Now they were scared. As the blonde got closer, they could tell that he was older than them.

"Oi what's up?" the blonde asked. "You havin' a giggle? What's so funny? I saw you lot pointing over at us."

"Oh… Uh… Nothing…" said one of the teens, avoiding eye contact.

"' _Nothing'?_ It sure didn't look like ' _nothing_ '. It looked like you were havin' a real laugh over here! Now, c'mon, tell me~!"

Ciel tried to hold back his amusement at the sight. While it could be deemed somewhat pathetic that the blonde was picking on a group of kids, it was fun to see him put them in their place. The demon was even using his natural accent in order to scare them. The Phantomhive loved it.

"I'm just kidding." The blonde continued. "I know what you said. I heard every word. You think that's funny, huh? Think you're real cute, huh? Bein' all tough makin' fun of the homos, eh? Listen, kiddies, I've pummeled blokes big enough to shit you out for the exact same thing that you just did. Gimme a good reason why I shouldn't do that to you."

"We're sorry, alright?!" one of the teens in the group said. "We were just playin' around!"

"I ain't laughin'." Spoke the demon, leaning in close to the youth. "You're only sorry 'cause you pissed off someone tougher than you. Why don't you be sorry for being a worthless sack of shit instead? Go back home to mummy and daddy and say you're sorry for being such a disappointment."

He pulled back, standing up straight again, and smirking at the group as the huddled against the wall. Satisfied with these results, he turned around and latched onto the bluenette's arm again. His demeanor did a complete 180 as he leaned his head on the other man's shoulder.

"So where to next?" he asked as the both began to walk away.

"I'm not sure. What did you decide on?" answered the Phantomhive, chuckling at his boyfriend's antics. "Was it shopping or the arcade?"

"Going to the arcade next would be more practical, but I still wanna save that for last." Answered the Macken. "So we'll browse the shops, I guess."

"As you wish, your highness." With that, they left the museum, and subsequently the poor, stunned youth that had suffered but a mere fraction of their wrath to the next stop.

* * *


	45. Leopold

_"Ugh! So many delicious things to put in my mouth, and I just can't prioritize them all!"_ complained a certain blonde menace. Even still, he had a _Cinnabon_ cinnamon roll in one hand with a bag or two hanging at his bent elbow. In the other was the hand of his boyfriend.

The pair had been wandering for hours, simply browsing and chatting; occasionally stopping to graze when they found a particularly interesting-looking food vendor. They had played around as well, cracking jokes and pointing out anything that struck them as "funny" or "unusual". Alois had stopped a few times to laugh at awkwardly-posed mannequins in windows, sometimes trying to replicate the odd position, himself to no avail. Passersby were definitely amused as his antics.

They had found a pet store and looked at the animals, too. They were allowed to pick up and play with the hermit crabs, which entertained the menace immensely. Ciel, however, refused after having "bad experiences" with crabs trying to pinch him. The pair got in trouble with the staff after the menace attempted to chase the other man down while holding one of the poor creatures. They were forced to leave.

It was alright, however. They stopped at candy and toy stores afterwards. Ciel practically raided the candy shop for what he claimed to be "market research". He promised that he would share his bounty with everyone else when they got home, and to make sure he kept his word, Alois would have to raid his hiding places sometime over the next few days. The venture did seem to help the CEO, however, as he then started discussing the prospects of combining candies with toys. They seemed to sell very well for others, and it was only a natural way to progress his company. He was baffled as to why he hadn't thought of it sooner.

Pushing business aside, however, he turned his focus to the blonde, feeling rather content with this turn of events. Perhaps it was certainly worth begging Sir Integra to not interrupt them. Moments like these when they could just go out and play were rare. It was even rarer for the Phantomhive to actually let loose during them as well. He listened to the blonde complain, smirking to himself as he leaned in. Just as the blonde was about to take another bit of his snack, the bluenette tore a huge chunk out of it for himself, puffing out his cheeks in the process.

"Hey!" Alois whined at the action. His beau swallowed before uttering a chuckle.

"I know what you mean!" the bluenette teased, licking his lips. "At this rate, dinner won't be necessary."

"There's nothing wrong with filling up on junk every once in a while, is there?" asked the menace.

"Luka is expecting birthday cake sometime soon, so at least save room for that." Ciel stated. "And didn't you scold me not too long ago for doing the exact same thing?"

"Uh… Well… You encouraged my little brother to do the same, and it's different for him because he's the most ' _human-like'_ , physically."

"Ah, I see, so it was just you being a good big brother?"

"Damn straight." Alois replied, briefly sucking on his fingertips to get any remnants of his snack that might have stuck to them. "So what's next on the agenda, datemaster?"

"You said you wanted to go to the arcade, didn't you?" asked the bluenette.

"Right! I forgot…" declared the menace, tugging on his date's arm. "Let's go~!"

"Do you even know where you're going?" the other asked, taking over the lead. He pulled out his map, giving them both a sense of direction. "Slow down, we've still got time."

"Sorry." Alois said, a small blush crawling over his cheeks as he grinned. "I'm just having _way_ too much fun right now."

With that simple utterance and the expression on the blonde's face, the Phantomhive's heart fluttered just a bit. That was simply no fair, launching a surprise-attack in order to catch the man off-guard. The fact that the blonde was enjoying himself definitely massaged the bluenette's ego, but more importantly, Ciel was simply glad that his boyfriend was happy. Alois' blush appeared to be infectious, as the watchdog caught it as well. It was no fair. The blonde wasn't supposed to act that cute when the Phantomhive could do nothing about it.

Even still, Ciel did try. He let go of the blonde's hand and placed his own on the man's opposite hip, pulling him close as Ciel leaned in. Using the map in his other hand, the Phantomhive blocked his actions from the public gaze, placing an affectionate kiss to the blonde's lips.

It wasn't fair. How could the blonde draw him in like this? He was supposed to stay cool and suave until they were alone. Now he had to resort to acting "lovey-dovey" in public! It was no fair. Alois didn't even know it, but he had the ability to bring the noble king of demons to his knees.

" _Good_." Ciel stated as he pulled away, lowering the map. "I'm glad. I hope I'm doing alright at this whole ' _boyfriend'_ thing."

"You're excellent at it." His beau replied. I just wish I could compare!"

"You're good at it. Not many people's boyfriends would launch a rescue mission into a dragon-guarded castle in order to rescue them like some sort of knight in shining armour. You even had magic gauntlets and everything."

"Yes, but it was you who actually _defeated_ the dragon."

"That doesn't mean that you wouldn't have _tried_." Ciel stated. "Come, now, let's get back to playing. The day's far from over yet."

"Right now, it's currently night time, I think." Said the blonde, checking his watch, and prompting to do the same.

"Oh. We'd better hurry and play here while we can, then." Replied the Phantomhive. "We if we, don't, we might not make it."

"Make it _where?"_

"It's a _surprise_." Ciel answered, pressing a finger to his lips in a playful manner. With that, he nudged the blonde into the general direction of the arcade entrance, snapping the man to attention. Alois opened his mouth to protest, but then his excitement returned as he actually laid eyes on the place. It was dark inside, but was lit with the bright screens and flashing lights of the games inside. Alois was practically sparkling only being pulled from his trance when the bluenette tugged at his arm.

"Come on, we'll need to go get some change." The Phantomhive said, leading his boyfriend over to the machine. He chuckled when the menace got excited as the coins came out. If Alois' tail were out at that moment, Ciel could imagine it wagging back and forth. Odd, since he was supposedly a "lion", not a dog.

Immediately after, Alois started running about, going to all of the games that seemed to be the most fun. Some of them turned out to be busts, like the one or two point-and-shoot games that had broken plastic "gun" controllers. No matter how well someone is trained to use them, if a weapon is broken, then it's useless. Other games, however, were really fun. He and the bluenette both blew many coins on the games where they could compete against each other. Fighting games, puzzle games, racing games; it didn't matter. They were all fun. Ciel really seemed to enjoy the racing ones, and even openly laughed when he ran the blonde off the virtual road and passed him.

They killed several more hours that way, just playing and acting "normal". It was odd for things to be so otherwise peaceful, with no school, work, or supernatural interference, but they certainly made the best of it. Before long, however, Ciel looked at his watch and said:

"We should get going. If we don't leave soon, we'll miss it!"

"Are you ever going to tell me what exactly ' _it'_ is?" asked the blonde, turning to face the other man as his character died.

"I told you, it's a surprise. You'll know soon enough." The bluenette stated. "But if we don't go, you never will."

"Alright." Alois replied, turning to trot alongside his beau. He hummed as he walked, excited for whatever it was that the bluenette had in store for him next. On their way out, however, they passed a most peculiar machine that wasn't quite like the others.

It was a box made of metal and glass with controls on the outside and stuffed animals on the inside. From what Alois could gather, one had to operate the controls and move the claw that was inside the box in order to grab the animals. The idea of an actual, physical prize was outstanding, and Alois wondered why there wasn't a long line in front of the machine!

"One more game." Spoke the Macken, making his way over to the box. His beau paused and watched him for a moment before following.

"Those are a scam." Ciel said. "They're impossible to win."

"Can't hurt to try, right?" the blonde asked, putting a token in the machine. "Just once, and then we'll go." He added, twirling the joystick.

His expression suddenly became serious as he concentrated on the crane's movements. When he felt like he had it lined up right, he tapped the button that dropped the claw, grabbing a small stuffed toy. Carefully, he moved the claw toward the drop pit, leaning forward more and more each time he saw the toy start to slip. Finally, when it looked like it might fall, he slammed the joystick so that the claw moved as fast as it could, so when the toy slipped out, it would be sent falling toward the pit. Lo and behold, his plan worked.

"Ha!" he barked at the Phantomhive, leaning down as the game reset itself for the next player. He opened the little compartment and grabbed his prize, before straightening his back again. Ciel found the toy held in front of his face.

"For you, m'dear." Alois said with a grin, offering the plush to his date. When Alois held it up, Ciel couldn't help but chuckle, having seen the toy held up to where it was in his vision at the same time as the blonde. It was a small stuffed lion wearing a white T-shirt with the Union Jack printed on it. Truly, the resemblance was uncanny. While he didn't quite know what he would do with it, he happily took it, unable to control the smile on his face.

"Why, thank you." He said. "It's cute. See? You really are good at the whole _'boyfriend'_ thing. I'm not really sure if it's right for me to get presents on your birthday, though."

"Well, it's only natural, to want to treat my lady." The blonde teased. "So what are you gonna name him?"

"I don't know. I'm not good at stuff like that. Why do you do it?"

"Because he's yours, so you should name him!" the Macken stated.

"Uh… the only thing that comes to mind is ' _Leopold'_ , for some reason."

"Then his name's Leopold! Leopold Lion! Hello~!" Alois said, pinching the plush's paw between his finger and thumb and forcing it to wave at the watchdog. "So happy to see you!"

"Well, then I guess Leopold is going to have to come with us to our next stop." Ciel replied. "Come on. We don't want to be late."

"I bet Leopold is wondering where exactly it is you're taking us, too." Spoke the blonde, grabbing hold of the other man's hand as they left the arcade. "Still no hints?"

"Well, it has to do with your birthday." Answered the Phantomhive.

"Ooh, that's _really_ helpful." Alois said. "Another hint?"

"That's all you're getting." Ciel replied, amused by the pout on his beau's face. He led his date back to the parking garage and waited for the blonde to unlock the door. Once the boy did, they both set their bags in the back before taking their seats. Ciel sat on the passenger's side with the stuffed lion in his lap. As the menace started the car, he took notice and uttered a giggle.

"He's not going in the back, too?"

"Well, if he's anything like you, then he might get lonely." The bluenette jested, relaxing in his seat as Alois backed the car out of the space and took off.

"Are you suggesting that I'm clingy?" jokingly inquired Alois as they made their way out on the street.

"You're very clingy and it's adorable." Ciel answered. "In fact, I quite like it."

"See? You love my cuddles." Giggled the menace. "So where are we headed?"

"Turn left at the next light."

The two traveled along the busy London streets to wherever it was that Ciel was directing them. It was unusually busy for some reason, but Ciel didn't seem at all concerned. When they arrived, however, Alois leaned back in his seat and shook his head.

" _A hotel?_ _Really, Ciel?"_ he asked, giving the other man a questioning look. His boyfriend simply chuckled as he parked the car again.

"I simply don't know what that look is for." The bluenette stated. "I have a quasi-innocent reason for bringing you here, I promise."

"Sure you do, sure you do." Alois said, unbuckling his seatbelt and stepping out of the car.

He was followed by the bluenette after the man gently set his prize down so it sat in the passenger seat. After that, Ciel led the Macken inside, already having the key to their room. Alois simply rolled his eyes at his date's antics, taking his coat off once the door shut behind them and laying it down over a chair. He was about to turn on the lights when the bluenette stopped him, placing a hand over his own as he reached for the switch.

"Don't do that." The Phantomhive said. "Follow me."

Alois did as he was told and allowed himself to be led further into the room. Much to his confusion, however, the watchdog completely passed the large bed and headed toward the sliding glass door. Ciel unlocked it, and stepped out onto the balcony, pulling his cell-phone out of his pocket in order to check the time.

"It should be any minute, now…" he trailed off, causing the fair-haired demon to arch an eyebrow.

He was about to ask again as to what the watchdog was talking about, only to sense something off to his left. He looked up, his eyes widening as he saw a trail of light shoot up into the sky before exploding. He jumped at the loud _boom_ and was awe-struck as he watched it rain down coloured fire. Fireworks. He hadn't seen them in person before. The blonde took a few steps toward them and set his hands on the edge of the balcony.

"Are you kidding?" The words fell out of his mouth as he watched flowers blooming brightly in the sky. A warm hand was placed in the small of his back, capturing his attention. When he turned his head, he saw the bluenette standing closely beside him, watching the fireworks.

"Interestingly, your birthday also happens to fall on Bonfire Night, and it occurred to me that we've never watched the fireworks together." Ciel said, pausing as a loud boom echoed around them, momentarily turning the night sky green. "You can't watch them from the mansion."

Before he could say more, however, he found himself being clung to by the blonde next to him. Alois wrapped his arms around Ciel's waist and hid his face in his shoulder. It hurt from how much he was smiling. Once again, he had been out-done by Ciel Phantomhive, yet somehow, he wasn't mad. Instead, he was incredibly happy; so much, that he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself. The air was cold, but he felt warm with Ciel's arm around him.

"They're beautiful." The menace spoke into the bluenette's neck. He nuzzled into it further, placing a kiss on the other demon while tightening his grip.

"You can't look at them if you hide your face, though." Ciel replied.

Almost immediately, his beau unwrapped his arms from around the watchdog's waist and slid them up Ciel's chest. He pulled away, taking a moment to look at the Phantomhive. The blonde's cheeks hurt from how he was trying to maintain a semi-normal expression, but he couldn't help it. Ciel couldn't help it either as he did the same. Alois' hands cupped the bluenette's cheeks and he touched their foreheads together, nuzzling their noses. Moments passed, and they stayed this way, ignoring the crackles and booms happening around them. They couldn't hear them. The fireworks seemed so far away as all they could hear was their own heartbeats and the sound of each other's breathing. Finally, a new sound was added to the mix when the blonde spoke.

"I love you." He whispered, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the other's embrace. "I love you so much…"

"I love you, too." Ciel whispered back, closing his eyes as well. Their faces drew closer, causing him to eventually whisper against the blonde's lips. "Happy Birthday, Jim."


	46. Best Seat In The House

The next day, the pair had returned home with their bounty, passing around candy to the younger Macken brothers, who didn't really question as to why the pair didn't come home that night. Luka assumed that either something came up or that they were still having innocent fun, since demons like them don't need sleep. Revy, however, knew better, and just didn't want to know any details. As per his master's instructions, Sebastian had taken the two younger boys to one of the festivals in order to watch the fireworks and one of the bonfires. They didn't feel too left out, in the end. They still got cake when the demonic duo returned.

Alois went to school, much to his disappointment. It was still the middle of the week, so he had classes. He still got his "good morning" kisses before he left, and he had fun the day before, so he couldn't complain. Thus, he trudged to his first class after the usual insincere complaining and trying to barter out of it. His beau, on the other hand, stayed home and prepared for that evening.

The FUNTOM anniversary event would be taking place around nightfall, and Ciel had to be ready. He prepared his wardrobe, getting the suit that Kristopherson had put together for him out. While he was at it, he did the same for Alois, so the blonde wouldn't have to when he returned. At this point in time, the Phantomhive was going over the list of guests who had sent an RSVP, confirming their attendance. He stared at the computer monitor, reading e-mails as his butler tidied up around his office.

Sebastian went about the room, dusting off the bookshelves, which were seldom touched, aside from a few books here and there. One could tell which had been read most recently from the patterns in the dust! The butler shook his head at the sight. His master had barred him from entering the office for reasons that he wouldn't specify, yet Sebastian somehow knew that it involved the blonde menace. Naturally, Ciel wished to plan yesterday's outing without the butler's embarrassing input. He still got some, however, as the older demon found something most peculiar sitting on the shelf.

"What's this?" Sebastian curiously asked, holding a plush lion in his hand. The area where it had sat had been dusted so that it wouldn't get dirty. It was an odd find, to the butler, as he didn't recall FUNTOM ever selling such a toy, nor did he have any idea as to why it had been so carefully placed. He looked to his master, arching an eyebrow, watching as the bluenette looked up. Faint pink dusted the Phantomhive's cheeks at the sight.

" _That_ is _Leopold_." The watchdog stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "Don't move him, he's happy there." He jested.

"Ah, and where, pray tell, did _'Leopold'_ come from, might I ask?" inquired the man clad in black.

"He was a gift." Ciel answered. He would never admit it, but somehow, the fact that the blonde menace had given him such a silly thing pleased him.

"From Alois? Wasn't yesterday his birthday?"

"That's what I said, but he insisted." The bluenette stated, trying to sound somewhat aloof on the matter.

"Well, ' _Leopold'_ doesn't seem as though he'd like to be friends with dust bunnies. They seem to live up here as well." Joked the butler, wiping the shelf before putting the toy back where he found it.

"I didn't know where else to put him- _it."_ Ciel corrected himself, trying not to adopt the blonde's habit of talking about toys as though they were people. His butler simply shook his head at the younger demon's antics and resumed working.

"He must be important to deserve such a seat." Sebastian mused.

"I suppose…" Ciel nonchalantly stated, turning his attention back to the computer screen in an attempt to evade discussing the matter further. While he and his butler had grown to be familiar with each other over the years, they certainly didn't discuss personal matters often. Regardless, the butler wished to tease his master about the subject for a while longer, catching on to the bluenette's attempt to rid himself of the conversation. A playful smirk appeared on the man's face as he continued.

"So I take it you had fun." He said, causing a small blush to form on the other demon's cheeks.

"Yes, both of us did."

"I can tell. You were having so much fun, that you simply lost track of time, and before you knew it, it was morning." Sebastian jested. A chuckled escaped his throat as Ciel choked on his own spit. He continued to do so as the younger man coughed, trying to recover in order to reply.

"You know damn well what happened." Muttered the bluenette, furrowing his brow. It bothered him deeply that his butler knew of his more intimate escapes, but the Phantomhive knew full-well that hiding the fact from the man clad in black was a complete impossibility. All Ciel could do was pray that Sebastian couldn't decipher the full details of his more private moments. Sebastian couldn't, fortunately, but still taunted his master, all the same.

"Isn't the rule that you're supposed to save it for marriage?" the butler teased, turning to face the younger demon. "You might go to hell for that."

 _"Piss off."_ Ciel hissed, hiding his face in his work, much to the amusement of his servant. The bluenette's blush had darkened, remembering the events from only two days ago in the presence of his butler. Sometimes, he feared that if he let his mind wander around the man, Sebastian could somehow read his thoughts.

Instead, he focused on work. The anniversary was that night, after all. Ciel hated these events, as they were boring, and he wasn't fond of socializing. At least this time, however, his little "family" would be there to make things interesting.

It was then that Ciel realised something, however. He rubbed his temples as he tried to shake the thought. In order to maintain the lie that Ciel had been using for all of these years, he and the menace would have to pretend to be heterosexuals. The Phantomhive needed to maintain a plausible way to give the illusion of continuing the family line. In reality, he had been assuming the role of his children and grandchildren for decades, as he "couldn't live forever".

Knowing Alois, this could play out in two possible ways. One: Alois behaves and things go smoothly. Two: Alois uses this as an opportunity to harass Ciel without the bluenette being able to do a single thing about it. He tried not to huff out loud at the thought. He knew that the latter scenario was more likely to play out. How annoying. This was going to be a tough night to endure.


	47. Tails And You Win

It was time. After almost a month of preparation, if was finally time for the big event that the Phantomhive family was reluctantly hosting. It was the FUNTOM Company's 180th anniversary celebration. The venue was set, and the guests were arriving. The only thing missing was the host.

It was intentional, too. Ciel was taking his sweet time, trying to postpone having to attend as long as possible. He was still about to transform into his disguise; the image of the persona he had created in order to hide his demonic identity. All he had to do was age himself to appear as though he was in his thirties, and change a few facial features here and there.

His jaw became more defined and his hair became longer and he parted it to the left so that he could cover his eye without an eyepatch. He added a bit of a goatee, as well, causing his face to have the same odd shade of blackish-blue that was on his head. When he put on his suit as well, he looked more like a villain than the owner of a toy company.

" _You look ridiculous."_ Snickered the blonde menace after having aged himself as well. The only other addition to his disguise that he added was a pair of glasses. They were false, of course, so that he could properly see his beau's queer appearance. Playfully, the man trotted over to the business man, pecking him on the lips before slipping something around his neck.

"A brighter-coloured tie might cut some of the ' _mob-boss'_ look from you." He suggested, tying the light-blue piece of fabric for the other man. His lips formed a thin line and he giggled. "It feels so weird to kiss you with a beard.

"Sorry. It's temporary, I promise." Ciel stated with a small smile. "Honestly, I'm surprised that you even tried."

"Stupid beard or no, you're still my poochie." Answered his beau with a small blush. Admittedly, it was a bit awkward for him, with the man's appearance changed so drastically, but it was still Ciel. He could sense it with the mark on his tongue, even if they were a mile apart.

"Maybe I'll keep it, then."

" _Don't you dare."_ Alois said in response to the bluenette's teasing. He tucked the Phantomhive's tie into his suit jacket when he was done fastening it. "I like seeing all of your face."

"I do, too, but I have to admit, the glasses work for you." The watchdog replied.

"Really? I don't think that the whole _'nerdy'_ look suits me."

"Almost everything suits you."

"Are your trying to butter me up before we go or something?"

"Heavens, no. That would be a terrible idea, seeing as though we've ' _heterosexual_ ' tonight." Ciel stated, causing a pout to appear on his boyfriend's face.

"Gross." Alois replied. "I have to keep my hands off you all evening?"

 _"All_ evening." Clarified the bluenette, flicking the other man's nose. He uttered a chuckle as his lover groaned in exasperation. Wrapping his arms around Alois, he pulled him into a hug, which was eagerly returned. "It's only a few hours."

"Yeah, but what if some birds flirt with you? I can't have you being snatched up by someone prettier than me!"

"No one's prettier than you." Ciel said. "Come on, we have to get going. It's unsightly for the host to be late."

"Can I have one more kiss?" the blonde asked, pursing his lips. With a roll of his eye, the Phantomhive leaned forward and heeded the menace's request, brushing their lips together in a way that his unusual facial hair would hopefully not offend Alois too much.

"Is that everything?" inquired the watchdog as he pulled away. He watched for a moment as the blonde appeared to be thinking.

"One more thing…" Alois said finally, causing the bluenette to arch an eyebrow. A blush appeared on the Phantomhive's face, however, when he felt a hand squeezing his backside.

" _Nice."_ The blonde said with a playful smirk.

" _Jim…"_ Ciel said as sternly as possible. Despite this, the blonde was unfazed, and kept his hand firmly in place.

"One more for the road." The Macken explained. "This is mine, even if you are ' _straight'_ for the evening."

"You're hopeless…"

 _"You've_ got a cute butt." Alois said, taking his hand away. "Come on now, love, we must be going~!" With that, the blonde turned to walk out of the room, plucking his coat up and putting it on as he left. His beau paused for a moment to roll his eye and shake his head, but soon followed after.

The pair soon made their way to the venue, where Sebastian, Luka, and Revy were already waiting for them. The butler was dressed as he always was, while Revy wore his Warwick uniform. It was similar to the one that his older sibling wore, only the trim around the collar and cuffs of the blazer were green instead of purple. The youngest member of the household, however was dressed in a most peculiar outfit.

Because of his horns, eyes, and fingernails, it would be odd for him to be running about dressed as an ordinary human. Since this was an event for a toy company, however, the group had the ability to take the exact _opposite_ approach. They dressed him as a devil so that he could hide in plain sight in every sense of the word. The costume was modeled somewhat after Alois' demonic garb, only covering more. There was no way that the blonde menace would permit the boy to walk around with his abdomen showing. Admittedly, he was a tad embarrassed when he did so, himself!

The youngest of the Phantomhive house demons maneuvered his way through the crowd, stopping to have his head pat by older women who thought he looked cute on his way to the snack table. Unfortunately, that's where most of the guests seemed to be loitering. FUNTOM was known for its candy and the demon wanted some of it. He stood on his tip-toes, leaning over the table in an effort to better reach some of the treats, only for some man in a suit to accidentally bump him out of the way. The boy uttered a small huff at his foiled attempt and stuck out his tongue before running off again.

His attention turned to the toy section. There was a place for the kids of the other guests to play with FUNTOM toys and games. Older children seemed to commandeer the videogames while the younger kids played with other toys. Bitter rabbit was there, as well as the "PhantomFive" line of action figures that were popular in America. They were all things that Luka liked, but he had one problem. He didn't want to play with the other kids.

It was to be expected, however. He had never really played with other children, before, even when he was human. They were always a source of hurt for him, as they would chase him, hit him, and sometimes throw stones. They, along with the adults in the village, had hurt both himself and his older brother to the point of wiping them all out. He did it, too. That's how the story of how he got here began.

Now he wasn't sure what to do with this. Should he at least try? He didn't really want to, but didn't know what else to do. It would be strange for him to try and socialize with the adults, and he couldn't find Revy. He could probably find Sebastian, but he didn't want to cling to him while he was directing the caterers. His brother was working, too, so there was nothing for him to do, here. Somehow, being at the big FUNTOM event wasn't as fun as he thought it would be. Thus, he simply turned around to go find a place to sit until it was over.

It was then, however, that he felt a severe disturbance. The demon's face turned red and his eyes widened. His hands quickly covered his backside and he went in search of Sebastian. Now he definitely needed the man's help.

" _Sebastian!"_ he called, frantically making his way toward the kitchen. When he got there, the butler was talking to one of the caterers, and as much as he didn't want to interrupt, he needed to talk to the older demon. Removing one of his hands, he tugged at the end of the man's tailcoat and looked up at him with a mortified expression. It was confusing to the man when he finally granted the boy his attention.

"What is it, Luka?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. When the Macken gestured for him to come closer, he crouched down to his level and leaned in, tilting his head so that the boy could whisper what was the matter.

"There's something attached to me." Luka answered, his eyes starting to water from the embarrassment. Naturally, his caretaker was a bit taken aback by the statement.

"What?"

"There's something attatched to my butt!" the younger demon repeated. The hand that he had been using to filter his words into Sebastian's ear suddenly returned to its previous place on his backside as the boy uttered a yelp.

" _IT MOVED!"_ he declared, causing a few of the other workers to take notice. Sebastian simply smiled at them awkwardly until they went back to work before turning to face Luka again.

"Come on, let's go have a look…" he sighed, straightening his back before escorting the youngest demon of the Phantomhive household to the nearest restroom. Honestly, he didn't know what to expect. There was no foul smell emitting from the boy, so that ruled out the most obvious option, thank goodness. Once they were where no one would see the poor boy, Sebastian gave his next instruction.

"Now what is it that's ' _attached'_ to you?" the man inquired. "You'll have to show me. You don't have to take your pants off; just lower them enough for me to see."

Sheepishly, the Macken did as he was told, lowering the waistband so that the mysterious attachment could be visible. The lad was extremely embarrassed, but it only got worse as he heard the butler utter a laugh before cupping his hand over his mouth. When Luka looked back of him, the man was shaking as he refrained from bursting into hysterics.

"What is it!?" demanded poor Luka, his concern growing with every passing moment. Eventually, Sebastian was able to collect himself enough to formulate a reply.

"A tail…" the man snickered. " _You have a tail."_

Sure enough, the man spoke the truth. Sprouting from Luka's tailbone was a short, stubby tail covered in brunet fur. It was only a few inches long, and looked like that of a rabbit or a sheep. The boy twisted his back in an effort to try and see the appendage, but failed miserably.

 _"For real?!"_ he asked, spinning around as he tried to catch sight of it. Needless to say, it was exciting for the lad. He finally had his demons' tail, and was closer to completing his demonic form. His caretaker, however, only seemed amused by the situation. He was about to start speaking again, when the stub wiggled, as if it were trying to wag itself. Immediately, Sebastian tried to stifle his laughter.

"I'll message your brother and make the appropriate modifications to your pants." He finally say. "Don't get excited. It will be odd if that thing 'wags' in public."

" _I'll try_ …" Luka said distractedly, admiring his tail of his very own while the older demon pulled out a cellphone and began to type a message. Perhaps this evening wasn't going to be a bust after all.


	48. What An Exhausting Effort

A grin spanning from ear to ear stretched across the blonde's face as he read the message on his phone. His baby brother was becoming a big demon, and it warmed his blackened heart. When they all got home after the party, he would have to see it. He needed to see it- at least that's what he convinced himself. Alois was practically glowing at the news, much to the confusion of his bluenette "boss".

 _"What is it?"_ asked the Phantomhive, turning to his assistant while arching an eyebrow. Alois simply continued to grin in a goofy fashion. His cheeks hurt and his faux-glass nudged themselves up his face with them, much to the dismay of the other demon. He wasn't even allowed to comment on the blonde's appearance, as it may come across as "suspect".

"Luka's tail appeared~!" the menace answered cheerfully, placing his phone back in his pocket. "My baby's growing up!"

"Oh. Well, good for him." Ciel answered, unsure as to how to respond in this situation. Internally, he was happy for the Macken boy, but he wasn't entirely certain as to how to express that. His beau simply shook his head at the other man's awkwardness, his grin never vacating his visage. They were in the middle of the room, so there wasn't much that he could say. All he could do was stand by as the Phantomhive subjected himself to the torture of socializing.

Movie stars, businessmen, politicians, as well as other kinds of people spoke with the bluenette, and Ciel had to pretend to be hospitable while the blonde helped him along with useless small-talk. It helped the Phantomhive out immensely. There was minimum awkward silence, and he didn't come across as intimidating. The usefulness of the menace seemed to reach no bounds, but it did, however, come with a price.

As they walked, occasionally, the blonde would briefly hook their pinky fingers together before quickly letting go again as if nothing happened, amoung other, less innocent acts of hijinks. Every single opportunity he found to make an innuendo or lean in close to the bluenette, he took. The blonde would lean directly over the Phantomhive in order to grab things, or in order to "listen better" to the person talking to him if they were standing on the opposite side of the watchdog. Ciel knew full-well that Alois could hear them perfectly. He was just playing his usual silly games.

Yes, the blonde took great delight in watching her majesty's guard-dog trying to refrain from scolding him; noting the slight pink that dusted his cheeks. Even with all of this, it was nearly the final straw when the Macken subtly brushed the back of his hand against the bluenette's rear. Ciel almost jumped at the action, causing confusion from the guests that they were talking to. Thank goodness that their backs were facing the confectionary table, or else someone might suspect something obscene.

"Are you alright, sir?" asked one of the pair in front of them; a businesswoman and CEO of a popular cosmetics company. They had at one point been discussing the possibility of doing a FUNTOM-themed line of makeup when the bluenette's distraction became apparent.

"Oh, yes." The Phantomhive answered. "I didn't know how close the table was, and it startled me." He stated, pretending that he had backed up too far. He put a hand behind him and swiped at his back. "I don't have food on me, do I?"

"Nope. _You look good, from where I'm standing_." Replied the menace, leaning so that he could inspect the other man's back. Ciel felt his eyebrow twitch at that particular choice of words. Damn him. "Now what were you saying about colour?" he asked, getting the conversation back on track.

"Oh, yes!" the businesswoman said. "I was wondering what colour pallet we should use for the line. Pastels seem fairly obvious, don't they?"

"Why not use some FUNTOM toys as inspiration?" suggested the bluenette. "The majority of our most famous products come in all sorts of colours, not just pastels. ' _Bitter Rabbit'_ , for example. There's also multiple variations of him."

"Oh! That could work! Is there any way that I could get my hands on a few samples?"

"Of course." Answered the Phantomhive with a polite smile. It wavered as he heard shuffling from the direction of the blonde menace.

"What are you doing?" he asked, turning his head. Alois had reached over, dragging one of the flower vases from the middle of the table closer to him. To the shock of the guests that they were conversing with. He plucked a colourful rose out of the vase and started nibbling on the petals.

" _Eating."_ Bluntly stated the fair-haired demon. "Nobody's touched the chocolate roses! They're too realistic-looking."

"' _Chocolate… roses'?"_ echoed the businesswoman.

"Yes, we thought it would be appropriate to place one of our new products out on the table as well." Said the FUNTOM CEO. "They're made of coloured chocolate. They're perfectly safe to eat." He added, grabbing a flower for himself. He picked off one of the petals and plopped it in his mouth before chewing.

"That's amazing! I thought that they were actual flowers!" spoke their guest. She decided to grab one, herself. Hesitantly, she took off one of its petals. Sure enough, it was made of chocolate. "Oh! What if we used these?"

"Go ahead and see what happens." The Phantomhive replied. "Just send your concepts to the office, and we'll go from there."

That conversation lasted a few more minutes before the duo finally managed to get away. Thank goodness Alois had bought them some time. Ciel had to sit down on one of the sofas off to the side of the venue to recover. His head leaned back and his eyes shut as he tried not to be overwhelmed by so much socializing. It exhausted him, really. He had done enough chatting for him for at least an entire year and he simply wanted to go home.

Bringing a hand up, he scratched his temporary beard, unused to having facial hair. It only added to his list of annoyances along with overly-talkative businesspeople and a mischievous blonde menace. The other man sat next to him, keeping an appropriate amount of space between them on the couch.

" _No homo."_ He jokingly said.

"Yeah, right…" the Phantomhive replied. "Way to be subtle, by the way. Was that entirely necessary?"

"You know it." Alois answered with a laugh. "How else am I supposed to pester you?"

"I'm certain that you're creative enough to find a way that doesn't involve sexual harassment."

"It's not ' _harassment_ '. It's a _preview_."

Immediately, a blush appeared on the Phantomhive's cheeks. "If I'm not too exhausted by the end of this, maybe." He said.

"Exactly why I need to cop a feel now, just in case." Jested the menace, causing his beau to shake his head. Alois leaned back against the couch as well. "I wanna get home, too. I need to see Luka's tail and stuff. Also, I'm tired of these geeky glasses."

"Tell me about it. This beard is so itchy…"

"Good. Get rid of it later."

"Do you have a problem with this disguise?"

"Yes, it makes my beautiful Doberman look like a scruffy schnauzer."

Ciel simply chuckled at that statement. Perhaps Alois was right, but that was the whole point of a disguise. "Perhaps I should keep it a while longer as punishment for your previous actions." He suggested.

"No! Don't!" Alois replied, turning to face the other demon. "Kissing feels weird with a beard!"

"Volume, Jim." Reminded the Phantomhive. "We're supposed to be ' _heterosexuals'_."

"Screw that!" answered his beau, speaking much more softly this time. "I want the gayest of all your gay smooches that you've ever gayily gayed!"

"Kissing a bearded man is pretty gay."

"But I'm not into that."

"You said ' _the gayest smooch'_."

"But I want to smooch my Ciel, not some scruffy chav." The Macken stated, crossing his arms across his chest. "You look like a tramp and it's not cute."

"You're hurting my feelings." Answered the businessman. "I think I might cry."

"Alright. I'll grow a beard, too, and we'll see how you like it."

"Okay, okay, I'll get rid of it when we leave." Ciel insisted, sitting up straight in his seat.

"That's what I _thought_." Alois answered. He opened his mouth to speak again, but cut himself short as they were approached by another gentleman.

He was grouchy-looking; far grouchier than Ciel could ever appear to be. Regardless, when the Phantomhive laid eyes upon the man, he smiled. Or rather, it wasn't so much of a "smile", as it was an evil smirk. Ciel reclined in his chair as the man stopped in front of them.

" _Phantomhive_." Said the man.

" _Fairburn."_ Said the bluenette, glaring up at him. His beau, however, looked at both of them with a confused expression. What was going on?

* * *


	49. Beginnings of Bad Business

The FUNTOM toy company; It has been the "Candy King" in terms of how far and wide it had spread within the span of a few years, since it was founded, as well as its quality and innovative products. It had been that way for many, many years, until other cooperate giants stepped onto the scene. There was _Mattel_ and _Fischer-Price_ , but there was also _Fairburn_ , which was also the name of the man currently standing before the Phantomhive.

Now Fairburn had always been a rival to FUNTOM. The Fairburn family had been making toys for a bit longer, but couldn't keep up with the playfulness and creative-thinking behind FUNTOM. Thus, the Fairburns had always stayed two steps behind the Phantomhives. Of course, the bluenette wasn't threatened by this man! He had no spark. He was _just_ a businessman, and that's all he knew how to be. Fairburn's eyes hadn't seen anything worth seeing. He doesn't know his market, and he isn't inspired in the slightest.

He's a businessman with a boring suit and an obnoxious tie in an effort to appear "fun". Fairburn was hardly the type of person who should be running a toy company. He was a rich man in his mid-thirties who had done nothing in life but try to wallow in as much money as he could. How could he ever hope to outshine a company like FUNTOM with that?

" _Phantomhive_." He said as he stopped in front of the bluenette where he and the Macken sat. Fairburn paid no attention to the menace as he focused his glare on Ciel. The Phantomhive simply leaned back in his seat, folding his arms as he looked up at the man with a bemused smirk.

" _Fairburn."_ He replied. "So nice that you could make it."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." The other man answered. "It' always wise to scope out the competition."

"Is that so?" Ciel inquired, as if he didn't already know. He had paid several look-ranking employees of Fairburn's to pass secrets onto him. Even factory workers, who would give him detailed descriptions about how each device worked were spies for FUNTOM. He had done this with several other companies as well. Ciel Phantomhive did nothing half-heartedly, when it came to competition, and with his own experience in espionage, it was too easy to stay ahead of the market.

"Well, I do hope you're having an alright time." The Phantomhive continued. "I would hate for you to be bored."

"It's impossible to be bored when _you're_ involved." Fairburn stated, his eyes averting from the demon's intense gaze. Somehow, they ended up on the blonde, alerting the younger gentleman's attention. Alois sat up, unsure of what exactly he was supposed to do in this sort of situation. Ordinarily, Ciel and Sebastian would be the ones to handle business matters, yet here he was.

"Oh, you haven't met." The bluenette said, following his rival's gaze. "This is my personal assistant, Jim Macken. Jim, this it _Ferris Fairburn_ , the owner of Fairburn toys."

"Pleased to meet you…" spoke his associate, somewhat made uncomfortable with the situation. He didn't quite understand what was going on, but he would have to roll with it, regardless.

" _Quite_." Mister Fairburn replied, turning away from the blonde. Alois furrowed his brow at the man's rudeness, but couldn't say anything to defend himself at the moment.

"So, was there anything in particular that you wished to discuss?" inquired the Phantomhive, annoyed at his rival's speech as well. Fairburn wouldn't be so rude, had he known what Alois was capable of. Perhaps the bluenette should have introduced him as his "bodyguard" instead.

"Not really." Said the other businessman. "I was just curious as to why you were sitting over here away from your guests."

"I'm not good with people." Ciel replied. "I've never really been in good health, so I get a little winded, easily. Socialising for too long tuckers me out a bit."

"Surely you can manage. It _is_ your job, isn't it?" asked Fairburn, putting his nose in the air. "If you can't handle one evening, then how can you handle that?"

"I would be more worried about myself, if I were you, Fairburn." The Phantomhive answered, his eye narrowing. "After all, wouldn't it be beneficial to you if something were to happen to me? If you don't pay attention to your own affairs, things can change drastically right under your nose."

"Are you _suggesting_ something?" the other man said with a deep frown, leaning forward as he glared at the bluenette. Immediately, he attempt at menacing was interrupted by a true expert in the field as Alois stood up. His chest was out and his shoulders back as he stared at the man coldly. Ferris leaned back again as his attention refocused on the blonde. Somehow he was more intimidating while standing up. A smile eventually graced Alois' face as he spoke.

"If that's all you came to discuss, then we really ought to be going." He said in a friendly manner. "Mister Phantomhive has a party to host!" As Fairburn opened his mouth to retort, the watchdog stood up from his seat.

"He's right. I'm so sorry, Mister Fairburn." Ciel stated, straightening his jacket. "Please do enjoy the rest of the evening." With that, he simply followed the blonde as they both walked away, leaving a baffled businessman behind them. The man's eyes narrowed as he watched their backs, rubbing his chin as he pondered the two. Something was obviously amiss with them, but not for the reasons that he had convinced himself. There was no way that he could ever imagine their true faces, but that is a story for another time.


	50. Wivelihood

" _Take off the beard."_ Grumbled the blonde as he rubbed the Phantomhive's cheeks while wearing a vain attempt at a scowl. The bluenette fur covering his beau's face felt odd against his fingertips, making him want to rub harder. Meanwhile, the man whose whiskers were being assaulted grinned the best that he could while having his face squished.

"Why? We're not home yet." Ciel answered, chuckling as the blonde snorted in response.

The Phantomhive's were on their way home from the event, having finally wrapped things up. It was late at night and the youngest two members of the family were currently asleep on the car ride home. Revy sat in the front seat with his sunglasses off and carefully tucked into the pocket on his blazer, while Luka sat in the back with the demonic duo, leaning against his oldest brother as he uncomfortable sat with his new tail. Alois sat between him and the head of the household, while their butler drove the vehicle; softly chortling at the conversation happening behind him from his own seat.

"But I want to see your face!" Alois declared. "You look like an old man…"

"I do not." Insisted the Phantomhive, arching an eyebrow as his beau continued to sulk. "Does it really bother you that much?"

"Yes. It's very offensive." Stated the menace, causing the other man to shake his head. With that, he reverted his appearance back to normal and watched as the blonde's pout turned into a grin.

"Oh, hello, there, sweetie~!" he called, rubbing the Phantomhive's freshly smoothed cheeks before pecking him on the lips.

"Why do you care so much about it?" inquired the bluenette, rolling his eyes as his beau took his hands away, bringing one to the head of the smaller boy leaned up against him on his opposite side. Alois only grinned as he stroked his brother's hair soothingly, watching as the younger demon nuzzled into him more.

"Same reason why you would care if I grew a beard. I think you're cuter this way." Alois answered. His free arm now rested on the back of the seats, wrapping around his boyfriend's shoulders.

"I'm not _'cute'_ , to begin with." Ciel stated, folding his arms. "Aren't you the one who's always telling me that your classmates think I'm in the mafia, or something?"

"Yeah, but they don't know you, and don't know that you're actually a total dweeby sweetheart." The blonde teased, causing the man in the driver's seat to chuckle a bit. "See? Sebastian agrees with me!"

"I wear an eyepatch, dress in suits, and never smile. How is that _'cute'_?" asked the Phantomhive.

"Because when you do smile, it's a million times more precious, and you're very shy. It's adorable. Are you upset that I don't see you as a ' _villain_ ' or something?"

"I work hard to maintain my reputation, you know…"

"Well, you kind of screwed that up when you started dating a dumb blonde like me." Stated his beau. "Accept it."

"You're not ' _dumb'_. You're brilliant…" Ciel replied, watching as the other demon's grin widened.

"See? The moment I put myself down, you come out with that." The menaced accused. "Total. Sweetheart. It's so cute. Hey, Sebastian, isn't our head of house just precious?"

"I'm not certain about that, but he certainly is kind to the 'family' that he's made." The butler mused, earning a flustered glare from his master at the back of his head.

"Oh? A family? Don't tell me I'm the _'mum'_ …" Alois replied, furrowing his brow.

"Well, from your current position, you're infatuated with the head of the household, so I'm afraid it might appear that way, sir." Answered Sebastian.

"I'm not his wife!" the menace protested, a blush appearing on his face. It was hidden by darkness, but the other demons knew, especially the man seated next to him, who wore a similar hue. On his opposite side, however, there was a stirring. His voice had caused the youngest of the Macken brothers to wake up.

"Jim?" he sleepily called, rubbing his eye. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, Luka. Sebastian's being _weird."_ Alois answered. "We're almost home, but you can still sleep a while longer."

"Wha'd Sebastian do this time?" asked Luka, finally opening his eyes to look up at his brother.

"I didn't say anything strange in the slightest." Sebastian stated, a smirk on his face and his eyes on the road. "I simply said that because of Alois' relationship with the young master, he has a similar role to that of the lady of the house."

"And _I_ told _you_ that I'm not his wife!"

"Yeah, Sebastian, that's kind of weird." The brunet said, nuzzling into his brother's side as he got comfortable again. "There's not gonna be a lady of the house, because Jim is going to be Ciel's husband."

"L-Luka?!" Alois called, surprised and embarrassed by the youngest demon's words. He even took his arm from around the Phantomhive, in his shared embarrassment with him, as he was unsure of what to say.

"Ain't you gonna marry Ciel someday?" the brunet asked curiously, shifting to look up at the blonde again.

Both the eldest Macken and the Phantomhive sat quietly as they both scrambled for something to reply with. They refused to look at each other, and fidgeted in their seats at the awkwardness of the question. Soon, however, the blonde menace had to spout something.

"Uhm, I dunno if we're really ready for that, just yet." He said, his face completely enflamed.

"But you already act like husbands, so why not?" Luka inquired, causing the man in the front seat to nearly choke as he desperately tried not to laugh while the remaining demons simply didn't know what to do.

"Uh… I… I dunno…" Alois answered, rubbing the back of his neck. He honestly didn't know what to say, as he didn't know the bluenette's opinion on the matter. With that, he glanced over toward his partner, mouthing the words: " _help me_ " at him. After a few moments, the man nodded, cupping the blonde's hands between his own and leaning so that he could look at Luka.

"If we decide to, we will, but right now we're happy with the way things are." Ciel said. "Aren't we, Jim?"

"Uh, yeah! Yeah, we still love each other, but we aren't sure if we want to take that step yet." Stated the blonde. In all honesty, however, he would be more than happy to, but the thought filled him with embarrassment! Thus, it would have to stay a "girlish daydream"; at least for now, that is. Surely, Ciel would find the idea ridiculous and unnecessary.

"Alright?" he asked while offering a smile. Luka simply glanced over at the bluenette before turning his attention back to the blonde with a nod. With that, he nuzzled back into his brother's side, hugging the menace as he got comfortable.

"'Kay." he answered. Alois wrapped the arm that wasn't being held by the bluenette around him and chuckled as the boy completely slumped against him in the process. To his surprise, however, one of the hands of the Phantomhive let go of his own before Ciel rested his arm on the back of the seats just as the menace had earlier. A giggle escaped the blonde as the other man gripped one of his shoulders while his arm wrapped around both of them.

"You can lean on me, too, if you want, Ciel." Alois teased, his cheeks still a bit pink from the prior conversation.

"I'm fine." His beau answered, looking out the window.

He sat to the blonde's right with his left arm around the man while his right hand held the blonde's. Even though he wasn't looking, he rubbed circles on the side of Alois' palm with his thumb. He didn't want to be too affectionate, seeing as though Sebastian was still watching them in the rear-view mirror. The man was still grinning to himself at the conversation, as well as his master's actions. Honestly, the Phantomhive could be so ridiculous, sometimes.

Alois smiled and lifted their intertwined hands, bringing the back of the bluenette's to his lips. Immediately, Ciel turned to look at him and not even he could bear not to grin even just a little bit when the blonde leaned his head on his shoulder. The Macken pulled Luka with him, slightly, being careful not to wake the small demon. Luka did stir a bit, adjusting so that he was comfortable again, but Alois hadn't expected to see what he did.

Sebastian had fixed the boy's pants so that his tail would slip through comfortably. As Luka shifted, his tail really quickly flicked from side to side as he got settled. When Alois saw that, he had to detach his hand from Ciel's and clasp it over his own mouth.

" _Oh my god!"_ the blonde said through his fingers. His speech was muffled, but he could still be heard clearly by the Phantomhive and his butler. Alois turned his head so that he could bury his face in the bluenette's shoulder as his body shook from trying to contain himself. After all, he didn't want to wake the small demon that had sparked this reaction. " _That was the cutest thing I've ever seen!"_

Both Ciel and Sebastian chuckled at the man, amused by his reaction. Ciel allowed the menace to continue to bury his face in his shoulder as he shook his head. First his beau was fixated on ridding the Phantomhive of facial hair, and now he was a mess because his brother's tail wiggled. That sort of silliness, however, was one of the things he loved about him. Ciel allowed himself to rest his head on top of the blonde's for a moment, but it was shattered when the butler in the driver's seat spoke.

"Something tells me that Alois would be the type of parent who dotes on their children." Sebastian mused, earning an embarrassed reaction from the demonic duo. They separated quickly before Alois had something to say.

" _For the last time, I'm not his wife!"_

* * *


	51. Lapdog

Phantomhive Manor: the esteemed household to the Phantomhive family, whose dark legacy continues to persist, and even flourish, to this day. In fact, the household is now a nest for demons and their associates, housing four of them, along with a revenant. This fact is unknown to the outside world, however, and it simply appears to be a stately mansion on the outskirts of London.

Demons or no, this was not the house of monsters. The creatures of Phantomhive house were friendly, making bonds with humans, and even with each other. For example, the head of house was in love with another member of the household. It was his partner and boyfriend, a Mister Jim "Alois Trancy" Macken. Even with this pleasant atmosphere, the manor did have its share of rats.

Ciel could tell as he stared out the window of his office and across the lawn. There was a strange car parked outside the gate and it had been there for hours. That was unusual. No one ever came near the Phantomhive estate, much less park in front of it. The bluenette dug into one of the drawers on his desk and pulled out a small telescope. Placing it up to his eye, he managed to get a better look.

Two men in suits were in the car. One of them was watching the house with a pair of binoculars, and the other was eating a cheeseburger. Ciel wasn't entirely sure who they worked for, but they were certainly watching his house.

"That can't be a good sign…" he muttered aloud to himself as he continued to look for hints as to the men's identity, or at least who they were working for. They weren't government officials. They didn't have the right wardrobe or cars. For the same reason, they weren't with the police. They obviously were with someone with some money, though. That certainly narrowed it down.

Ciel leaned back in his chair and put the telescope away as he sensed the blonde menace approaching. Alois always had to say "goodbye" before going to school. It was routine for him and he felt odd when he skipped the venture. The menace casually opened the door without knocking before stepping inside. His bag was swung over his shoulder as he made his way toward the Phantomhive.

"I'm about to head for school." He stated, pausing as the bluenette turned his chair around to face him. "Whatcha lookin' at?"

"We have ' _guests'."_ Ciel answered, passing the telescope to the other man to peek into. His beau placed it up to his eye and peered out the window with it.

"And to whom do we owe the honour?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but I've got a few ideas." The bluenette said, turning toward his computer and turning it on. "I'll tell you, once I'm certain. Try to be careful when you leave, though."

"I will." Alois stated, putting the telescope down and peering over the other demon's shoulder. "Checking your stocks?"

"No. My competitors'." answered his beau. "That's as good of a place as any to start. If it's what I think it is, this shouldn't be too much of a problem."

"Alright. Tell me if you need anything." He said. Instinctively, Ciel met him halfway as the blonde leaned in to peck the other man on the lips, as per their routine. Alois pulled back and grinned. "Bye, baby. Don't be too lonely without me, today!"

"Will do." The bluenette replied. "Love you." He added as farewell, immediately freezing as he registered what exactly he said. He sounded so _domestic_ and just knew that the blonde was grinning from ear to ear on his way out the door. He was right, too. The Macken paused when he grabbed the doorknob with his face almost hurting from his smile. Opening the door, he looked back at the Phantomhive before replying.

" _I love you too, muffin~!"_ Alois cooed with a toothy grin. He then proceeded to close the door behind him, giggling at his boyfriend's affectionate gesture as he walked down the hall.

It would appear that the Phantomhive was starting to pick a few things up from him. The thought absolutely tickled the blonde menace. It was said that people who are close tend to do that, but seeing it firsthand was incredibly amusing. Whether he liked it or not, Ciel was considered to be absolutely adorable by the Macken, especially when he revealed his softer side.

Alois' thoughts lingered on this all the way to the garage, and even as he started the car to leave. He backed out and then proceeded toward the front gates, only to recall another important detail; The mansion was being watched. As he drove by, Alois slowed down his vehicle in order to look at the two goons parked at the entrance, who hastily pretended not to be up to no good. Through the tinted windows of the Phantomhive family's Mercedes Benz, the fair-haired demon was able to make out a few details. There was a sticker on the other car's window. It said "Fairburn Toys".

" _Son of a bitch_ …" Alois muttered to himself. Awkwardly, he reached into his pockets while still buckled in and pulled out his cell phone. It wasn't a wise decision to talk while driving, but Alois would have to make an exception. Fortunately, he had Ciel on speed dial. Even though he just saw the man, he dialed the phone with one hand and placed it up to his ear before resuming to keep his eyes on the road.

" _Jim?"_ curiously answered the voice on the other end. "What do you need?"

"I got an idea of who the two goons out front are working for." Alois stated. "They had a Fairburn Toys sticker on the window. Honestly, are they even _trying?"_

"That's just _sad."_ Replied the bluenette smugly. "I think I'll leave them be, for a bit. I'll launch my counter-attack, soon, however."

"I can't wait." Chuckled his beau. He was genuinely curious as to how the Phantomhive was going to handle this. He wondered if he would use some form or force or trickery. Perhaps both. Only Ciel knew. "Be sure to save me front row seats."

"I will." Ciel replied. There was a brief pause, as both parties waited for the other to say something. In the end, the bluenette opted to continue with: "I… uh… I love you."

His cheeks tinted pink at the sentiment, but he wasn't sure how to indicate that he was done talking with Alois over the phone. Ordinarily, they texted as the Phantomhive preferred it. Ciel's embarrassment only progressed as he heard the other man speak with a smile wrapping around his words.

"Love you, too, Poochie." The Macken said. "Bye~!"

With that, they both hung up and Ciel placed his head on his desk. What happened to the Ciel Phantomhive that killed Nazis, terrorists, and gang members? What happened to the fearsome watchdog who would tear to shreds any obstacle that stood in his way? Nothing. He simply transformed into a lapdog whenever he was talking to his blonde. It was embarrassing. The bluenette was turning into some lovey-dovey fool! The worst part, however, was that it was voluntary. In a way, Ciel genuinely liked it, no matter how bashful it made him. Still, it somehow bruised his ego a bit. He was going to have to destroy something in order to feel manly again.

Fortunately, Mister Fairburn had offered himself up on a silver platter. So her was going to bring the fight to the Phantomhive household? Very well. That means that the bluenette would play by Phantomhive rules. Ciel sat up again and turned his attention back toward the computer in order to hatch his plan. A small sigh escaped his lips as he tried to forget about everything else.

" _Love_ …" he said aloud to himself, still a bit flustered. It was true, he did indeed love the Macken, and unapologetically so, but it still embarrassed him to me rendered so docile. Then again, there was a bright side that made him smile a bit. Little displays of affection always seemed to make the blonde especially happy, so the certainly couldn't be all bad.


	52. Free Parking

For most of the day, Alois wondered as to what the bluenette was plotting. How exactly was he going to get back at Fairburn? Knowing Ciel, it was going to be good. Hour after hour, class after class, the thought would come and go for the menace. It eventually evaded him, that is, until it was time for him to leave campus.

Alois casually strolled through the parking lot toward his car. His shoes thumped against the pavement with each step, as he looked forward to turning on the car's heater. It was getting colder. While he was a demon, he still didn't care for that too much. Since he was without gloves, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his beau's coat and fiddled with his car key. He was almost there. Just a few more feet and he was home free.

Suddenly, however, he stopped. The Macken felt the presence of someone approaching him. It was human, thankfully, but it probably wasn't good. He simply waited for whoever it was to get close before turning around. When he did, he came face to face with two men dressed similarly to the ones before.

"Oh, that's right…" he thought, recalling that the Phantomhive household and its members were currently under surveillance.

"Hello." The blonde greeted finally. "Can I help you with something?"

"We're with the police." One of the men stated, almost making the menace laugh aloud at the blatant lie. "We would like to ask you a few questions."

"Shoot." Alois replied. "Go ahead, but do hurry. I'd like to go home."

"We know that you live under the roof of a certain Damian Phantomhive." One of the men said, unknowing of the Phantomhive head's true name. "What is your association with him?"

"Why do you ask?" inquired the menace. "Is he in some kind of trouble?"

"Not at all. We just need to know." Both men seemed taken aback when the demon scoffed at them. They furrowed their brows in confusion.

"Impersonating a police officer is a _crime_ , you know." Alois said bluntly, looking at the now shocked flunkies with a bored expression. "I don't have to tell you anything. More importantly, why is Fairburn having you _stalk_ the Phantomhives?"

"Sir, we have no idea what you're talking about…" one of the drones lied unsuccessfully. Alois could tell by the way that he took a half-step back that they hadn't anticipated this.

"If you say so." Spoke the menace with a shrug. With that, he turned to walk to his awaiting vehicle. "It doesn't matter what you say. I'm going home."

"Wait!" called out his harassers. "We're not done talking to you!"

"But I'm _done_ talking to _you_. Good day." Suddenly, the Macken felt a hand on his shoulder, causing him to wrinkle his nose in disgust. "What?"

"You need to tell us what your association with Phantomhive is, or else you're under arrest!" spoke the man with his hand on the demon's shoulder. It was a hollow threat, so Alois didn't take it seriously in the slightest.

"Oh? Can't you tell?" inquired the menace, his tone positively dripping with sarcasm. "I'm his concubine." He stated before tugging this shoulder free and unlocking the door to his car.

"Now, if you'll be so kind as to cease your blatant harassment, I'm going home." He added, opening the door before stepping inside. He sat in the driver's seat before igniting the engine, glancing through the tinted windows momentarily in order to gauge the two flunkie's reactions. They weren't doing anything. They simply stared at the glass. _"Pssh._ " Uttered the menace. These two idiots wanted him to believe that they were with the police? Ridiculous.

Thus, the Mercedes took off, driving through the parking lot toward the exit before heading in the direction of Phantomhive Manor. He plucked his cell phone out of his pocket and quickly punched in the number of his "boss" before placing the device up to his ear, keeping his other hand on the steering wheel and his eyes on the road.

"Hello?" answered the voice of the Phantomhive on the other end.

"Hey." greeted Alois. "Our visitors had friends. They tried to talk to me in the parking lot. They said they were with the police, and wanted to know my connection with you." A smile appeared on his face as he heard Ciel chuckle.

"Morons…" the watchdog replied. "I'm almost done setting the pieces in place. They shouldn't bother you again."

"What are you gonna do?" asked Alois. "I'm dying to know!"

"What would any large cooperation do to a smaller one?"

"Ooh, you're so bad." Giggled the menace, upon piecing together what his boyfriend meant. "You're not messing around, are you?"

"They've tried to set foot into my kingdom and that is something that I can't forgive." Ciel stated. "Also, it would be problematic if they discovered out little _'condition'."_

"True. I can't wait to see how this turns out." Alois took the phone away from his ear momentarily as he turned onto another street. "Sorry, are you still there?"

"Yeah. Are you driving?"

"Yep. Sorry. I probably shouldn't be talking, but I wanted to tell you as soon as possible."

"I appreciate it." Said the watchdog. "Don't wreck the car again, we just got the Royce replaced, and if you end up having to drive that, Sebastian will lose it."

"Don't worry, I wouldn't want to make him cry." Jested the menace. "I'll be there to return the car, soon. Promise~!"

"Good to hear." The bluenette chuckled. "Just come home like you normally would. They can't touch you without having us call the police."

"Or worse, take care of them ourselves."

"That's the plan that Sebastian wanted to go with."

"It's quicker, but this way is a lot more like your style." Alois answered. "I'm almost there. See you then. Love you~!"

"Bye, Jim." Said Ciel, pressing the "end call" button. He was just glad that the Macken didn't make him hang up first. Somehow, it was just bizarrely embarrassing for him. Ciel knew he had done much more embarrassing and intimate things with the fair-haired demon, yet he couldn't get over the domesticity of the action. Perhaps Luka was right. Perhaps they did act like a married couple. The Phantomhive's face flushed at the thought.

Quickly, however, he shook it away. He was awaiting a very important phonecall, after all. It could take minutes, hours, or days, but his opponent would eventually notice what he had done and what he had been continuing to do, even at that very moment. Soon, Fairburn would find out what happens when he got too close to the Phantomhives, and it was a mistake that he will be incapable of making again.


	53. Thieving Rich Bastards

The sun began to rise over London, painting the sky with brilliant reds, yellows, blues, and purples as it greeted the new day. The city was lively as always, while the early-birds started their days in accordance to their own personal routines. Unfortunately, there was one person whose routine was disrupted as he was awoken at this time. Ferris Fairburn usually awoke much later, but he had torn from his sleep by an urgent call from the main office of Fairburn toys.

"What's going on?!" he demanded as he walking down the hallways of the building, trying to get to the bottom of things. "What's happening?!"

"Sir, we just don't know what to do!" said one of his financial advisors. "Our stock is being bought up like crazy! We're being _greenmailed,_ sir!"

"Then buy it back!" barked Fairburn as he and his posse stepped into his office. "Whose responsible for this?!"

"We can't! We don't have the funds! We'll go bankrupt if we try!"

"I think you should take a look at this, mister Fairburn." Added another one of the men in suits tailing him. He handed the man a slip of paper as Fairburn sat down behind his desk. The CEO furrowed his brow as he took the page and looked it over. The area between his eyebrows wrinkled as a snarl appeared on his face.

"That bastard…" he hissed, crumpling the bad news in his hand as he held it. Ferris looked up. "Someone arrange me a meeting with Phantomhive right now!"

Ciel's plan had been put into motion, even while he slept at his home on the outskirts of the city. It was the weekend, so he and his beau were well intent on sleeping in. While Fairburn panicked, the demonic duo were peacefully bundled up underneath their warm comforter with their limbs tangled together, as per usual. Even still, they were interrupted as well, with a gentle knock on the bedroom door.

"Master? Are you awake?" called the butler on the other side, causing the younger demons to stir. With a sigh, the Phantomhive sat up slightly and rubbed his eye of sleep. The blonde next to him, however, was far more reluctant to awake, so he simply kept his arms around the bluenette's middle with a small whine. After a few moments, Ciel spoke.

"I am now." He answered. "What is it?" With that response, Sebastian opened the door, slightly, peeking his head inside.

"Fairburn's people are on the phone." The butler stated. "They want to know if they can arrange a meeting with you sometime today."

Ciel scoffed at the news with a smirk. He had been expecting this. Mister Fairburn had noticed what was being done to him, and was going to beg for the FUNTOM CEO to stop. After all, it wasn't in the capacity of a Phantomhive to merely let someone go with a few scrapes. Oh, no. Ciel was going to crush Mister Fairburn, and take his company away from him. A chuckle bubbled from the bluenette's throat at the thought.

"Tell him I'm busy." Ciel answered. "I want him to sweat it out a bit longer while everything else is being put together."

"As you wish." Answered Sebastian with a small chuckle. He turned and closed the door in order to pass on the message, leaving the two other demons alone again. Ciel laid back down and pulled the blankets back up over his shoulder before draping an arm over the blonde menace beneath them. Before long, the other demon in the room giggled.

"Good morning." Alois said, tilting his head up in order to kiss the other man's cheek before putting it back again. "You're not just going to go for a company takeover, are you? Otherwise, you would've just gone to the meeting."

"Of course not." The Phantomhive replied. "I'm going to ruin his life."

"You're so bad." His beau mused, sighing through his nose. A grin was on his face but his eyes hadn't opened yet, as he was still reluctant to do so. "Are you bored or something?"

"A little. Also, I've been meaning to get rid of him for a while." Answered the bluenette. "This gives me an excuse to finally get around to it."

"You have weird hobbies."

"Perhaps, but you still find them interesting, don't you?"

"Yeah, because I'm evil like you." Alois stated.

"No, you're not. You're sweet in comparison.

"You're sweet, too, but you just don't fuck around when people get in your way." Alois replied. "How long are you going to make him wait?"

"That depends entirely on how long it takes for the Yard as well as the media to process what I've given them." The bluenette said, stroking the flaxen locks on his lover's head. "Perhaps sometime this afternoon?"

"I can't wait. This is going to be good." The Macken said, relaxing into the Phantomhive's touch. They both eventually dozed off again and slept for a few hours until the pair decided that it was time to get up.

By then, the answering machine at the manor had blown up with messages from Fairburn Toys as the company was sent into a tizzy over what the bluenette had done. The demons got dressed, and but this time, Ciel had gotten another phone call; one from the yard. He grinned as he set the phone back down on the receiver before dialing it again. Now, he would accept that meeting with Fairburn. Everything was set in place for him to completely ruin him.

When Fairburn arrived, he practically stormed into the manor, passing the butler, only to realise that he needed the man to escort him through. He had no idea where he was going in the strange place. Sebastian led him to the drawing room, where the demonic duo lied in wait for him. They both assumed their disguises once more as Ciel sat on the sofa with his beau standing behind him. He smiled as his enemy walked in, putting on a friendly façade that masked his true intent.

"Ah, Mister Fairburn, so good to see you again." He greeted. "Now, what is it that you wished to discuss? From the sound and frequency of your calls, I assume it's urgent?"

"You know damn well how urgent it is!" spoke Fairburn, his face red with rage. "Stop buying up all of my companies stock! You're ruining us!"

"That's just how business goes, Mister Fairburn. If you can't keep hold of your company, then it probably isn't able to last on its own." Said Ciel.

"It was just fine until you tried to take it over!"

"Oh, really?" asked the Phantomhive, arching an eyebrow. "That's not what my sources say. Apparently, you've been having trouble selling merchandise over the past few years. At this rate, you would have to sell off Fairburn Toys, eventually. So why not now?"

"Keep your hands off it!" Fairburn shouted. "It's mine! It's been in my family for generations, and I'm not going to let it go to the likes of you!"

"How rude." Noted Alois, causing the human's eyes to wander in his direction. It was then that the other CEO's stern frown warped into a gross smile.

"I've got something that you're not gonna be happy about." Said Ferris. "According to my sources, you've got a dirty little secret, don't you, Phantomhive?"

"Ah, blackmail for greenmail. Interesting." Ciel mused. "And what exactly did you come across?"

"You're gay." Fairburn replied. "Apparently, you've got a young college student boy-toy, don't you? It would be a shame if word got out to the media, wouldn't it?"

"Excuse me?" the Phantomhive inquired, raising a brow. He looked at the menace, who looked back before returning his gaze to the human before him. Both demons chuckled at his threat, amused that he would even bother.

"You mean _my brother?"_ asked Alois, telling the lie that he and his beau had fabricated.

"One of _his_ younger brothers is in a relationship with mine, mister Fairburn." Ciel added. "Surely you knew that. It's not necessarily a 'secret'."

"Wh-what?" the human asked. "They were wrong?! Those fuckers!"

"Yes, about those gentlemen who were stalking and harassing us…" the Phantomhive continued. "You are aware that that's a crime, right?" The human's eyes widened at the statement. Oh, dear. He was certainly in trouble now, wasn't he? Ciel only chuckled at the man's nervous reaction, watching as he fidgeted where he stood.

"Don't worry, I won't press charges." The bluenette said. "All you have to do is surrender your company's assets to FUNTOM, and all will be well."

"Like hell I'll do that!"

"Then enjoy your orange jumpsuit." Ciel looked past Fairburn and toward his butler, who was waiting at the door. "Sebastian, if you'll escort Mister Fairburn out, please?"

"No! Wait!" the human interrupted, holding a hand up. Silence hung in the air as he paused to think of what he was going to say. Ciel waited. He knew that his foe was debating the pros and cons of surrendering now. He would lose his company, but he was still wealthy. It would be easy for him to be put in charge of another corporation right after. Gritting his teeth, the man finally reached his conclusion.

"Well?" spoke the Phantomhive. "What is it?"

"I…" Mister Fairburn began, hesitant to throw away his family's company, but left with not much choice. "I'll… sign the company over to you." He concluded, visibly cringing at the statement. The bluenette simply smiled at him again.

"We'll see you again, soon, then." He stated, waving his hand. With that, the butler came over and quickly escorted the man out, as mister Fairburn nervously looked back at the head of the household. The door closed, and just like that, it was settled. Immediately, the demonic dup resumed their original shapes and the Macken hopped over the back of the couch in order to sit next to his partner.

"Well, that was anti-climactic." He said, placing his arm over the other demon's shoulders. The blonde arched an eyebrow as the other man chuckled at his statement.

"We're not done yet." Ciel stated, crossing one leg over the other. "Turn on the TV." He added, gesturing to the screen mounted on the wall.

With a shrug, Alois complied, grabbing the remote on the coffee table in front of them and switching on the device. The channel was set to some sort of news station, much to the confusion of the menace. His eyes watched as a nicely dressed woman addressed the audience from behind a desk with papers in hand about what was happening.

"This just in: it seems as though the company Fairburn Toys is in hot water today as he faces harassment and conspiracy charges for illegally placing the home of his rival, Damian Phantomhive, owner of FUNTOM toys, under surveillance. He may face additional charges, as one of his people supposedly put their hands on a man who is involved romantically with the FUNTOM CEO's younger brother, Ciel, in order to gain some kind of dirt on his business rival."

A smile appeared on the blonde's face. Ciel lied. He had already sent the police everything, and was it a beautiful thing! Alois turned to the bluenette and pecked him on the cheek.

"That's so evil." He said, causing the Phantomhive to smile as well.

"Sssh, there's more." Ciel stated, and Alois turned his attention back to the screen.

"If that wasn't enough for Fairburn," the news anchor continued, "his wife has decided to file for divorce in a settlement that may rob him of most of his wealth, after been tipped off to Fairburn's affair with a female secretary. More at eleven."

The blonde menace laughed aloud at that. It was the icing on the cake! When Ciel said that he was going to "ruin Fairburn's life", he wasn't joking! The best part was that the Phantomhive only did it because he could! Alois liked this game. Partially because his rich boyfriend was taking out other rich people who weren't nearly as nice, and partially because he liked that Ciel had the power to do so. He leaned over to rest his head on the Phantomhive's shoulder while reaching a hand up in order to play with his bluenette locks. After his giggling died down a bit, he looked up at the other demon.

"What are you going to do with the extra money from Fairburn's business?" he asked, hoping that his beau had one more jab at the other CEO to make. Ciel hummed in response as he thought of an answer, eventually coming out with:

"I don't know. Let's donate it to a few charities." He said, knowing the Mister Fairburn would absolutely hate it. He would make FUNTOM look good, while at the same time, delivering one final blow to his foe's ego.

"That's so wicked." Alois replied, shaking his head even though he was grinning from ear to ear. "Having a rich boyfriend is fun. I don't get what you see in me."

"You're funny, smart, dashing, and just as evil and messed up as I am." Ciel answered. He stood up, straightening his back before turning to hold out a hand to the blonde. "Come on. We promised that we'd go take Luka out for ice cream."

"Oh, yeah! That was today!" Alois said, taking his lover's hand and leading him out of the room. "He says he wants to try a new flavour."

"I bet he'll go for 'birthday cake'."

"No, that's _you."_


	54. Three Months

The Hellsing Estate; the location of Hellsing Manor and the primary base of operations for the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization. Within the base itself were several sectors, including the intelligence wing, the technology wing, and the combat wing, but what we'll be focusing on is what happened in the research wing, as something peculiar happened on his day. It was something that had been anticipated for around three months, and it certainly didn't go unnoticed, although the lab was empty when it happened.

It was almost completely silent in the top secret sector of the base, as none of the operatives who had access to it were present. Only the faint sound of beeping and pumping of air was audible in the desolate room. It was dark, as the lights were turned off, but the scattered papers and reference books were still visible from the illumination emitting from the barred door off in the back of the lab. That was where the sounds were coming from. It was also where the only life in the room was located.

Inside were dozens of machines hooked up to a body lying on a bed in the center. The figure was bound tightly to the bed frame with chains and leather straps to hinder any movement. Its torso was bare, revealing the images cut and tattooed into the flesh. A deep laceration spanned from the left shoulder to the right hip on the body. It was completely healed, but it was blackened. The growth seemed to spread outward a few inches, but stopped abruptly. This is what happens when a human is cut with the claws of a creature known as an "annie", and lived.

The body was still on the bed for three months, but on this day, something unexpected happened. There was a small twitch. A finger moved, ever so slightly, and it was followed by a few more. There was movement behind the darkened eyelids that shielded the vision of the poor soul trapped here. It lasted until they gradually fluttered open, squinting at the brightness casting down on them. Furrowing his brow, the Omid gentleman awoke.

Preston awoke.

His mind was foggy as he tried to process his surroundings. The plain walls and machinery came into view, much to his puzzlement. Where was he, anyway? After a few moments longer, it dawned on Preston that the devices were hooked up to him. When he tried to reach up and touch one of the tubes and wires, his eyes widened as he found himself restrained. Upon that discovery, he did the only logical thing he could think of. Preston screamed.

His voice tore through the room like stones against a wet paper towel. The beeping on the machines sped up as his heartrate increased from fear. Where was he? How did he get there?

His screaming cut off short into a pained grunt as he felt a burning sensation on his torso. The black gash was irritated, and sent a horrible ache through his bones. Preston's mind began to catch up with him, as he tried desperately to retrace his steps. Where was he last? He was at the castle of Krampus, trying to retrieve the bluenette with his friends and the agents of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. He was injured, and Dafydd took to desperate measures while giving him some form of first aid. Preston looked down and saw the markings still engraved in his flesh. They had healed up into light-coloured scars that stood out against his brown skin. It hurt just remembering the knife carving into him.

That's right! He passed out from pain! But where was he? He wasn't in the castle, still, that's for certain. Wherever he was, he certainly hoped that he was safe. Preston was scared. The Omid boy was only human, after all. He didn't ask for this sort of treatment! The man choked out a sob as he recalled the events that he had gone through. He hoped to God that he was safe now. The poor man didn't think that he could take much more fighting. All he wanted to do was go home, but apparently, that was too much to ask.

Poor Preston cried and growled as he tugged at his restraints in an effort to free himself. There were a few attempts to call for help, but he just couldn't form any words, no matter how hard he tried. His arms and legs were weak, like he hadn't used them in ages, making them useless. It was true, though.

The Omid had no idea just how much time had passed, but he would soon find out as researchers rushed to the laboratory. The surveillance cameras had picked up his movement. Speakers crackled, causing the man to flinch as he frantically looked around the room for the source of the noise. Thank God, he heard a familiar voice.

"Preston! You're awake!" declared Dafydd, speaking into the microphone on the other side of the wall. "Don't worry, it's me! Dafydd! You're safe, now. You're at the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. base, undergoing treatment."

Preston was at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.? While concerning, it was a lot better than a raging battlefield, that's for sure. Visibly, he relaxed, sinking down into the mattress at the good news. Slowly, his breathing began to calm down, and his sobs turned into soft hiccups. Maybe he was going to be alright.

Suddenly, the door opened, and the sorcerer walked through it, wearing his white labcoat and nametag. He walked over to the Omid gentleman, making sure that he didn't get too close. After all, they still didn't know how contagious the man's infection of Black Annis is. Even still, he smiled in a friendly manner.

"You alright?" he asked softly. "How are you feeling?"

Preston opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out. What could he say? His body hurt, he was scared and disoriented, and he wanted to go home. That's how he was feeling. Yet all that would escape his throat was the sound of air.

"Ah, I see." Dafydd stated. "Your body is still under a lot of stress, and you've been out long enough that it's gonna take you a while to start functioning normally again…" He rubbed his chin, looking at his former classmate with concern while Preston looked back at him with fear. It was then that the sorcerer put his hands up.

"Oh! Yeah… I don't know how to break this to you gently, but… you've been here for three months." Dafydd said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "Ah! But don't worry! We'll keep taking care of you! After a little bit more rest, we'll get you started on recovery." With that, Preston fell silent.

"And… we'll get you a psychologist, too." The wizard continued. "After the Black Annis incident, the others had to go to counseling as well. They all should be done, or almost done by now. They're alright." His words seemed to make the other man perk up a bit, and then sigh with relief. That was good. His friends were alright as well. With that, the researcher kept talking.

"Now that you're awake, we'll start trying to figure out when you can see them. Should be soon." He said. "Oh, and we're sorry about the restraints. Standard protocol. We didn't know what the Annis would do to you, so we had to take precautions." Oh no. That brought the mood back down again. Regardless, they needed to get this out of the way.

"Because you didn't die, the Black Annis is responding to your body differently." Dafydd added. "We're still not sure what's going to happen, but right now, you're pretty stable. You'll have to come back for check-ups pretty regularly, though, so we can monitor your progress. I'm sorry… We're going all that we can…" To that, Preston fell silent. His eyes dulled a bit as he stared past the sorcerer.

"I'll… I'll let you rest a bit…" Dafydd stated, turning to walk out and leave the other alone. "I'll be back to check on you soon."

The door closed again and locked, leaving the Omid trapped again behind walls of steel. Now Preston only felt numbness throughout his entire being. Tears feel freely from his eyes, once he was left by himself. What else could he do? How does he handle this news? He was sick, and he wasn't going to be able to get better anytime soon. Not now, and not _ever._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus begins one of the best storylines in the entire series... 
> 
> Like, I have no idea how I will EVER top myself with Preston's whole deal. I'm not sure if I can. Look forward to it, though! You're gonna be upset with me...
> 
> So how are you liking this so far? I forgot what all happened in this series... There's so many arcs that I just totally forgot about. Like the last one with that toy company? Totally forgot it existed. Mostly, I just remember Preston and this other bunch that was semi-significant. You guys aren't there yet, so I can't talk about it too much. 
> 
> Until the next chapter, my duckies~!


	55. Shock and Sickness

The Hellsing Estate; the home of the Hellsing family for generations, and the base of operations for the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization. Shoes quickly hit against the floor of the research department as doctors and scientists alike tried to determine Preston's current state of well-being. Physically, he was showing signs of anyone who had just come out of a coma, and from his behaviour, he was acting like an ordinary human suffering from post-traumatic stress.

All of the members of the Sensational Seven suffered a bit after the Black Annis incident. There was depression, anxiety, horrible nightmares and sense of guilt. They had begun to fade in the other gentlemen, while they may be triggered, under certain circumstances. It was doubtful that any of the men would ever be quite the same again. Preston, however, was a different story.

It was doubtful that the Omid would recover to the degree that the others had. Doctors still weren't sure as to what affects the Black Annis infection alone may have on his mind, let alone combined with trauma. Not even Preston's parents were allowed to see him yet, while they were informed of the situation, and had known about their son's condition since the incident. It took some convincing, but somehow, H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. managed to get them to believe the truth. Preston's condition was deemed "stable", but he wasn't deemed suitable for visitation just yet.

He would fidget and pick at his skin- particularly around the area of the gash on his torso. Preston would jump at the smallest noise, and seemed tense when left alone. When told to rest, all he could do is stare up at the ceiling as he lied down. He couldn't sleep, and even though he desperately needed to eat, the very thought made him want to vomit. Under surveillance, he managed to start eating, and when he started, he didn't stop until there was nothing left. At least he didn't adopt the annies' cannibalistic nature.

When he did sleep, it was not peaceful, and it didn't last long. He tossed and turned; mumbling as he had nightmares. That was reported amoungst all of the seven directly after the incident, but it was never certain how long it would last. The doctors needed to determine if Preston was physically capable of going through psychiatric care. Understandably, no one was sure if he was even a _threat_ or not, as of yet. Once a person had become an annie, they were gone, and behaved similarly to ghouls, if they had armour-plating.

The whole situation caused everyone a massive headache, from Preston himself, to the doctors, scientists, and even to Sir Integra, the head of the organization. Integra had problem, after problem, after problem on her hands at the moment, and things did not seem to be looking up. There was the situation with Preston, and the situation with Jonnathan, who was currently living with agent Heinrich at the moment. That demon was still in the middle of being resocialised as "human". Meanwhile, August was still missing. Somehow, the lesser-demoness had managed to lie low enough to evade H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s watch. No one knew how or why she vanished, but she was currently a threat to the crown. She knew a few of the organization's secrets, after all. Of course, they never told the supernaturals much, until a certain point, but as long as the possibility exists, it will not be overlooked.

Speaking of supernaturals, she had another problem on her hand. It was one of a more moral variety, however, and people's lives didn't hang in the balance. Two of her supernatural employees wanted to get married.

Of course, Sir Integra does not care about the sexuality of a person. This was about race. Amelie and Charlotte were both supernatural beings, and as a member of the Royal Protestant Knights, that didn't sit quite right with the woman. The Hellsing motto has always been "we are on a mission from God", in regards to their duty of exterminating all supernatural threats to the country. To unify two supernatural beings in holy matrimony was- well, it seemed a bit odd. What was worse, it seemed odd that she found it peculiar in the first place. She couldn't place why, however. Unholy beings cannot join together in a holy ceremony. That's just the way things are. Regardless, she wasn't at all compelled to stop them.

Shoes quickly hit against the floor as two figures made their way to her office. Sir Hellsing was expecting them, but she didn't expect them to barge into her office in the way that they did. The demonic duo came as soon as they got the call, which was surprising. Usually, they would dilly-dally and possibly show up the day after. How could they this time, though? Preston was awake.

"How is he?" asked Alois, not wasting any time with greetings. Both demons walked into the room, eager to discover any new information on the well-being of their friend.

"He's physically stable, for now." Replied Sir Integra. Her brow furrowed as she rested her chin in her palm and her elbow on her desk. "We really don't know how long that will last, however. In addition, his mental state has been shaken. It was predictable, but he's undergoing a lot of post-traumatic stress."

"Oh…" the menace answered sadly. He couldn't think of anything to say to that. She had just answered his question with blinding bluntness, so there wasn't anything he could use to come up with a follow-up question.

"He has the potential to be worse, actually." The Hellsing woman added. "His injuries were far worse than those of your other friends, and the shock seems to be getting to him. In addition, we don't know about the effects that Black Annis may eventually have on his brain."

"He's never going to get better, is he?" inquired the bluenette, sparking a long pause from Sir Integra. She didn't have to answer with words. They knew.

"We don't know how to cure him of this." Said Hellsing. "We don't know if the damage already done can be reversed, either."

"You're at least going to try, aren't you?" asked Alois, looking to Integra with a worried face. The woman simply sighed.

"Of course. It's the only thing that we _can_ do." She stated, rubbing her forehead. "We'll be sure to keep you updated if anything else happens to him. Right now, we're trying to get him physically well enough to see a therapist."

"Can _we_ see him?"

"I'm afraid not. He's still very fragile."

"Does he at least know what happened?" the menace asked. "Did you tell him how that mission ended? Did you tell him what happened to his friends? There's other stuff that happened even after that, that H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. doesn't have any knowledge of, because it's irrelevant to its mission. Wouldn't that make him feel better? He's probably worried!"

To those questions, a baffled look came over the woman's face. Of course she hadn't thought about that. This was a bureaucracy. The idea of conveying that information wasn't even considered because it was thought to be irrelevant to the mission at hand. Gloved fingers tapped against Integra's desk as she pondered the suggestions. After a few moments, she realised that she had no choice but to concede.

"Very well." She said. "Go tell him. I'll give you one hour, but that's it."

A grin formed on the menace's face while the bluenette simply stared at the woman in shock. Ciel looked to Integra, then over to Alois, and then back again. How on earth was he able to do that?

"Yes, ma'am." Alois replied. "I'll get on it right now." He turned on his heel to walk out the door again, while his beau watched after him. Moments passed, and the Phantomhive snapped to his senses and followed him, trotting up alongside him. Once the door was closed, and they were out into the hallway, Ciel had to express his puzzlement.

"How on earth did you do that?" he asked.

"Do what?"

"How did you get Integra to let you do what you want?"

"I dunno." Shrugged Alois. "All I did was explain my point and ask."

"She never shows me that kind of leniency…" Ciel huffed.

"That's because you try to pick fights with her at the same time." Chuckled the Macken. "Not a good strategy, Pooch."

"Since when do you know how to talk to Integra?"

"Who do you think helped me find your sorry butt after you were captured? Nice woman. Bit strict, but she's not a bad person."

"Date her, then." Jested Ciel. A small smile appeared on his face as he saw the blonde try to backtrack.

"Ew, no." Alois replied. "She's pretty, but I'm not really attracted to her, and besides, if I wanted to do that, I could have when I had the opportunity. Instead I went to find you. Shame, I know."

* * *


	56. Exhaustion of Bailey

New Scotland Yard, 8-10 Broadway, London SW1H 0BG, United Kingdom; The tall grey building watched over the city through tinted glass, and housed investigators, police officers, as well as other operatives whose duty it was to protect the city. When they are incapable of completing this task, however, they are required to bring in special agents to do it for them. These two agents are Junior detective constable Jim "Alois Trancy" Macken, and Senior detective constable Sir Doctor Ciel Phatomhive; or collectively shortened to simply: "The Demonic Duo".

The pair walked up to the building just like any other day that they were called in. They always gave off the impression that they owned the place, but it wasn't as though anyone would stop them. No one was stupid enough to do something like that. It wasn't as though the pair walked with any particular hurry, however. What they expected to be greeted with was another simple case that either of them could do on their own, due to the new and incredibly inexperienced detective Bailey.

Grey cubicles went by as they made their way through the office, passing detectives, officers, and bureaucrats alike on their way to the evidence room. When they finally approached the door, Ciel pulled out his ID card and slid it into the lock, granting them both access. Once they stepped inside, they found the young detective browsing through files that were sprawled out on one of the tables. The man jumped when he heard the door open and scrambled to gather all of the papers and photographs on the table up again. Both demons arched an eyebrow and looked to one another before turning their attention back to the Bailey gentleman. That was odd.

"So, what's happening in your neck of the woods, Junior?" inquired the blonde menace, waltzing right up to the table to peer over the human's shoulder. Seeing as though he would have to show them both anyway, the man sighed and stepped to the side, allowing Alois to look over the files as the other demon walked up to join him.

"We've got another serial killer." The man said. He seemed extremely tense. Ordinarily, he was dressed to the teeth, but now, he was disheveled, with his jacket off, his sleeves rolled up, and his tie loosened. It seemed as though this particular case had given him several sleepless nights. Ciel stepped up behind his beau, plucking one of the many files off of the table and opening it.

"Several people have turned up dead over the past month." Bailey stated. "They seem to be killed with whatever available. A few of them were strangled with something, while others were beaten with blunt objects found at the scene. Their wallets, cellphones, and other necessary items were stolen from the corpses."

"So what makes this person special?" asked the menace. "Surely you can catch somebody who goes around leaving that much evidence. They sound like a common criminal!"

"That's where it gets odd." Answered the human. "According to our reports, the deceased was said to have been living as if nothing had happen days after the autopsy stated they should be dead. One woman's husband was in the room with her while we called her to inform her that he was dead!"

"Interesting…" muttered the bluenette, glancing over the papers in his hand. "It says here that they went missing shortly after that."

"Yes. They always go missing again shortly after the body is identified." Bailey replied, rubbing his forehead before crossing his arms. "They just get up and leave! They vanish without a single trace, and then another body turns up and they cycle repeats itself."

Ciel took some of the pictures of the victims out of the folders and lined them up. Visually, they had absolutely nothing in common. They were of different sexes, ages, and races, with different facial features and body types. They were completely randomly selected. No one could have seamlessly disguised themselves as all of them. That, unfortunately, left only one of two possibilities.

"It's possible that there are multiple perps." Stated the bluenette, putting the images back in the correct folders. "Was anything stolen from the victims' families or close aquaintances?"

"No." answered detective Bailey, sitting down in a nearby chair. He slumped as he rubbed his temples. "Nothing was stolen at all. No belongings, no money- nothing. It's like they did this just to take over the victims' lives. I don't know why anyone would do this. Then again, I don't know why anybody would murder anybody else."

"There's many reasons. I know them personally." Ciel replied, closing the file. "I assume that we can take these with us?" He was met with a waving motion from the human.

"Go ahead. Everything should be there. Just take them away…" The poor man looked exhausted.

"Then we'll be taking our leave." The watchdog informed him as his assistant began helping him round up the rest of the folders. "I think taking advantage of vacation days is a good idea for you." He added. Michael was still a newb fresh out of school, so it was expected of him to be stressed by the job. He was a homicide detective, after all. Unless you're at the demonic duo's ranking, it's a very emotionally taxing occupation.

Not everyone can take trying to keep killers off of the streets, often working around the clock to do so. Some don't sleep. Some have trouble when they have the chance. That's part of what made the duo so fearsome. They didn't bat an eyelash at the sight of corpses. It didn't matter to them if the victim had a family, or had something to offer to the world. It didn't matter that they were human. To Ciel and Alois, all of those things were irrelevant. It was just gore to them, and even then, they had become desensitized to it. To the demonic duo, solving murder was just something to do. It was a game.

There was no sleep lost to the demons, as they didn't even require it in the first place. They could go to a crime scene and have lunch directly afterwards. Moreover, they could do things that ordinary human detectives could not. They had physical ability and even military power at their disposal. Ciel Phantomhive and Jim "Alois Trancy" Macken would solve this case, just like they had others, and they would do it with enthusiastic interest.

They weren't heartless, however. They, too, had friends and family whom they cared about dearly. Just the day before, they had visited Preston, who was still in questionable condition after waking up infected with Black Annis. It took patience to deal with him, at first, because they discovered that the Omid gentleman was quite anxious, especially when it came to the supernatural.

Preston cowered when they had entered the room, and only relaxed after a while of the pair just talking about what all happened between the others after the incident. They told them about Audrey and his work, Travis and his writing, and about Daniel and Kristopherson's increasingly more complicated relationship. Idle chit-chat passed the time that they were allowed to spend in the room with him, but they parted on decent terms. They were even worried about him in their absence, and instructed doctors to simply chat with him on occasion, as it seemed to help him. The demons hardly seemed devilish until they were actually working.

Now they had another case, so their increasingly odd relationships with their friends would have to wait while they worked. Life would go on, except for the victims of this strange killer. How many more there would be, however, was yet to be determined.

* * *


	57. What About Travis?

Oh, it's been a while. You might not remember me by now, but I'm Travis. I'm friends with Ciel, Alois, Daniel, and the others, but I don't really talk much. Sometimes, I'd just rather listen. I've always liked stories, but I haven't really ever thought about telling them.

My mum owns a jewelry company, but is also a fairly popular author of romance novels. I've never really got them, but she seems to like it. Unfortunately, I got my looks from my dad, who's a professional wrestler. I always walk around with a mean expression on my face, but somehow, that came in handy today.

I've been trying to write a book. When you're surrounded by interesting people, how could I not want to? There's demons, grim reapers, werewolves and vampires, and I've made acquaintance with at least one of each and all of them go on real-life adventures, like James Bond or somebody. There's always some idea coming from that, and I just can't seem to shake them anymore. Being there in the middle of it all sort of had an influence on that.

Ciel and Alois said it was fine if I base my characters off of them as long as I don't hint at them being associated at all. So, in the end, I'm writing a story about supernatural spies. It's a little difficult, since I'm not too familiar with some of the details of their work, but that's where the "fiction" part comes in, right?

Lately, though, I've been having trouble with fight scenes. So, Ciel suggested that I go watch some people fight, or learn how, myself. Somehow, I ended up at a gym with Kristopherson.

Kris goes pretty regularly. You can tell by how toned he is, when you actually look past the pastel-coloured outfits of his. He tried explaining to me what all of the machines did, but I still didn't really get it. Maybe that's why I'm not as in shape!

Instead of wasting much more time on that, he pointed me in the direction of the part of the gym that does boxing, since that's what I came for. After that, we both separated to each do our own thing. Kris would go work out, and I would go watch people box. When he was done, he would come find me and we'd leave. Until then, though, I would sit off to the side and take notes, trying to figure out how exactly the boxers did what they were doing.

Some of them were really fast, while some of them were slower, but sturdier. Others just went down straight away without much of a fight. They looked like they were good with other newbies, but up against the regulars, they never stood a chance. It was always kind of funny to watch them put on airs before the match and then try to shift the blame afterwards.

It took a few days to figure out all of that, but I did. I still didn't know how exactly they were moving like they did. I didn't think I could get a good description from this, while I eventually managed to get the scene blocked out in my head. I tried to remember what it was like in the couple of scuffles that I've been in in the past, but I'm not a professional in the slightest.

There's this one girl, though, who's really good. She shows up almost every day around the same time, and beats guys who're either around her size, and sometimes bigger. She always takes out the newbies in one- maybe two punches, if they're lucky.

She's pretty, with light brown skin and hair of a darker shade. Her smile is haughty in the ring, but genuinely playful while she isn't fighting. We go to the same school, believe it or not; she always shows up in a hoodie from our uni. Kristopherson would cry. Occasionally, she'll look over toward my little corner with a confused expression before returning to whatever she was doing. Today, I finally figured out why.

"Hey, what are you doing?" she asked, towering over me from where I sat on the floor. She bent over at the waist and looked over the crumpled papers around me from my many botched attempts at writing.

"Writing." I told her. "I'm trying to write a book."

"At a gym?" She didn't seem too convinced. Come to think of it, I guess it was a bit weird. "Wouldn't a library be a better place to do that?"

"I'm trying to write a fight scene." I said. "I've been in only one or two, so I'm not really sure how to put it into words."

"Why don't you, y'know, box or something?" the girl asked. "You come in here almost once a week, and I've never seen you box once. What's with that? Wouldn't it be easier if it were fresh in your head?"

"I don't have anybody to box with. Besides, I don't know how."

"Then come on, I'll show ya." She said, holding out a hand to me. It took me a minute to tell if she was serious or not, but from the look she gave me; yeah, she was.

Now, the last time that I had been in a fight was at that castle when we were trying to rescue Ciel, and before that, I roughed up Cameron a bit at camp. I'm not really a fighter. That's my dad's thing, even though he's retired. I would have just asked him, but he hurt his back when he was still working, and can't do the moves anymore, and his explanations didn't make much sense. I was kind of scared to follow this girl and try to box with her, since I know she's good. I haven't seen her take down a guy my size, but I know she could.

Before I could find a way to weasel out of it, she took my arm and forced me to stand up before dragging me over to the ring. Soon I had on mitts and headgear and so did she. Then she told me the rules. Punching is allowed, kicking is allowed, but only above the waist. No elbows or knees. That was it.

I was nearly scared half to death when she threw her first punch. I put my arms in front of my face to protect myself, but then she punched me in the gut and knocked the wind out of me. Now, I knew she was tough, but I didn't think she'd make me fall to my knees like that. My stomach and lungs hurt as I coughed. Thank God she didn't hit me again. She just looked at me with a confused face and squatted down to get on my level.

"You alright?" she asked. I coughed a few more times and nodded. "Wow, you really haven't been in a fight." She paused for a second before asking: "Sorry, I hit you, and I never even learned your name."

"It's Travis." I told her, clearing my throat. "Travis Sullivan." The girl's immediate reply consisted of her standing up and grabbing my wrist again to pull me up, too. She didn't let go of it right away, but she shook it while she introduced herself.

"Well, ' _Travis Sullivan'_ , my name's Patricia." She dropped my wrist. " _Patricia Ramirez_. Or, Pat, Patty, whatever floats your boat. And next time, don't hesitate to throw a punch. You'll never know how to fight like that."

Patricia started to walk away, hopping over the ropes and walking to collect her things. She turned around for a moment to yell at me. She said: "Come back in we'll box again if you want to suck less!"

She seems nice. I think I made a friend.


	58. Tracking The Invisible

Phantomhive Manor; home and base of operations of the Phantomhive family. While technically, there is only one true "Phantomhive" currently residing in the house, the supernatural beings who live there are still referred to as "family". While this is true, they don't always participate in "family" activities together. Today, for example, the head of the household and his partner were currently in the middle of work, or rather, tried to be.

The pair were seated on one of the two sofas in the Phanomthive's office, examining the information that they had been presented by the new detective Bailey. The Phantomhive looked over the map with the locations where the bodies were found while the Macken looked for a connection between the victims. He flipped through picture after picture, but simply couldn't come up with anything. With a furrowed brow, the menace ran his fingers through his hair. His hand hit his boyfriend's thigh as he used it as a pillow while reclining on the couch.

"What do you think?" he asked the bluenette. Alois held up some of the pictures up for the other demon to see. "Master of disguise, or something else?"

"I assume maintaining that sort of disguise would be difficult long-term." Ciel answered. "I assume that it's multiple people who look similar to the victims in an organised group."

"But what for? It's not like some of these people had any sort of big secret that they would be guarding that would be of any use to anyone." The blonde replied. "I mean look, this one's a school teacher, this one's a store clerk- they aren't hiding any government secrets, or anything…"

"Maybe someone closely linked to them is." Spoke the watchdog. "And it doesn't have to be a large-scale government conspiracy, as fun as that would be. It could be anything to drugs, to weapons, or anything else."

"Then what are we going to do? Are we trying to think of a motive so we can catch them?"

"That would be useful…" Ciel trailed off. He moved the menace's bangs out of his face as he spoke. "We know that they're all from around the same area, but none of them seem to have anything in common. We also know that the culprit or culprits replaced the victims once they were dead. They did it almost seamlessly, and left only when they were discovered without violence. They stole nothing, either. What does that mean?"

"It sounds like something out of a shitty sci-fi flick." Alois mused, closing his eyes at the bluenette's touch. It was then that his eyebrows furrowed. "Come to think of it… doesn't this sound like something a _human_ couldn't pull off?"

The Phantomhive blinked in response. That was entirely possible. Why, even he could shape-shift, so that made it perfectly feasible. Come to think of it, there was only one victim at a time. Had there been multiple individuals, there would be more. In addition, that also explained why there was nothing stolen- why they seemed to slip into the role of a human being for no material gain.

It was survival. It was becoming increasingly difficult to survive as a supernatural being in the modern world, so blending in was a challenge. Perhaps who, or whatever did this, was merely trying to live another day?

"That makes sense, actually." Ciel answered, running his hand through flaxen locks. "Good work."

"I try." His beau said with a grin. "But how exactly does one catch a shape-shifter, and determine if there even _is_ one?"

"Now that, is a good question…" sighed the bluenette. How exactly does one capture someone who could possibly be anyone at any given moment? Moreover, how can it be confirmed that even such a person even exists?

"Are there any witnesses, or anything?" questioned the blonde. "Or security cameras, like in the _'Graffiti'_ case?"

"I'm not sure. These spots seem pretty secluded. There's alleyways, isolated places in the park, and a spot on the shore of the Thames… I doubt it. The best way would to be able to catch them in the act, but that seems very unlikely of ever happening."

"Is there any other evidence that could help us figure anything out?"

"Just the locations, the victims, and the methods used to kill them."

Alois huffed in a bit of frustration at the lack of information. The Phantomhive was equally troubled, but less expressive of it. As the menace looked over the images again, his eyes wandered to the photo of the latest victim.

"What if they didn't change back after running away?" he inquired, tilting his head to look up at the other man for a reply. "If they have to take someone else's form in order to blend in, maybe they're still in the form of the last person they killed?"

"Could be…" answered his boyfriend. "In that case, we could try surveillance tapes and the like, but how do we find them? The area is very broad."

"Is it possible to call in reinforcements?"

"Not yet. We'd first have to prove that there's supernatural involvement before deploying H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. investigators."

"What about the police?" suggested Alois. "Surely we can boss around a couple of them…"

"They have to follow the law, unfortunately, which is not how we operate." Ciel stated, rubbing his chin. He was now deep in thought as he tried to figure out a plan of action. They might as well be searching for someone who is invisible! That's basically what this person was. Ciel and Alois simply had to find a way to expose them, and that would be the end.

"Damn… I hate laws and shit…" the blonde replied. "A stakeout by ourselves wouldn't work, though. It would take up too much time, and we might not even get any results." He paused to think for a moment before speaking again.

"We could wait until another body is found…" he suggested. "Only, we wouldn't tell anybody we found it. Instead, just, identify who it is, and then go look for the imposter where the victim is supposed to be."

"That's horrible." The watchdog accused. "It would work, though. Alright, until we come up with a better plan, we still have that."

"One more person isn't gonna do much harm. It's better one more person dies than ten, right?"

"Precisely, but I couldn't tell you how many people would agree."

"I don't get _'normal_ ' people. They're so unreasonable…" huffed the Macken, reaching up to play with his partner's hair. "So, what could we do that's ' _morally just'_ instead?"

"There isn't anything, it seems. We can't expect to find them just out of the blue. There's no such thing as miracles."

"That's a depressing thought."

"Sorry. I'm not known for my cheery demeanor, you know." Ciel uttered, watching as the blonde menace sat up. He opened his arm so that the other man could sit while leaning against him while his other hand kept a grip on the file that he was looking at.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Doing nothing, though, seems a lot like waiting for one." Spoke the menace, resting his head on the bluenette's shoulder and getting comfortable. His eyes stared intently at the map in front of the other demon, while he wasn't really paying much attention for it. "Chasing things and beating them up is the fun part…"

"I know what you mean. Unless we can come up with a more ' _involved_ ' plan, this is what we have, though."

"Why don't we ever get orders to just beat the crap out of people?"

"We're detectives, not thugs, Jim." Ciel paused for a moment. "You just want to act out and crush somebody, don't you?"

"That is the true nature of violence, Ciel." Quipped the fair-haired gentleman. "It is inescapable to those who have had a taste of what power is like."

"Are you trying to go all philosophical on me?"

"I'm bored."

"Hi, ' _bored_ ', I'm Ciel."

"Oh, fuck off!" whined Alois. "I'll kick _your_ ass."

"First, you want to wait for another person to die to catch a murderer, and then you threaten me?" jokingly asked the bluenette. "You're horrible. I'm so upset. Really, I am."

"You're full of shit, that's what you are…"

"And yet you love me anyway."

"I suppose somebody has to." Teased the menace. "Who else would be able to tolerate a weirdo who solves murder for giggles like you?"

"Now you're resorting to name-calling?"


	59. An Unpleasant Run

"Guh!" Travis grunted as he felt a swift blow to the face before landing flat on his rear with a thud. Even though the fist that struck him was padded, it didn't prevent his nose from bleeding. The Sullivan gentleman rubbed his face, sniffling in an attempt to keep himself from bleeding all over the ring. He was hit hard. He was certainly getting good material to write about.

The generally silent member of the sensational seven had been sparring for the past couple of weeks, each time he came to the gym. He still went with Kristopherson to the building before they both parted ways as per usual procedure, only now he would meet up with Patricia in order to box. Despite Travis' lineage and stature, he wasn't very good. While he was getting better, he certainly wasn't going to be wining any tournaments within the next hundred years. Patricia was fast, and knew exactly where to hit him. She saw every small act of hesitation and used it to her advantage. It was easy, given the fact that Travis wasn't all the fighting sort by nature.

"Sorry, are you alright?" asked his opponent, dropping her stance in order to look down at the male. "Didn't mean to hurt you, but it happens, sometimes. Just tilt your head back and I'll get something to mop it up with, 'kay?" Patricia said, taking off her gloves and headgear. Travis did as instructed, breathing through his mouth as he couldn't through his nose.

Yes, he was definitely getting some good material. As he sat there, he mentally started trying to convert what he was feeling into words- how his nose throbbed, ached, and stung while he smelled and tasted iron. He could describe how his muscles ached from prancing around the ring and how his forearms hurt from blocking punches and kicks. Yes, this was going just as planned, except for the part where he was in pain. That part wasn't so great.

Travis nodded in response before simply laying back on the padded floor of the ring and staring at the ceiling. If he could breathe through his nose, a nap sounded nice, but as soon as his new friend came back, it would be back to work. It would seem that the Sullivan boy was certainly not cut out for fighting. He closed his eyes for a while, but opened them when he had a towel dropped on his face.

"You suck at this." Laughed Patricia as she looked down at the man.

"I'm not used to it." Travis answered, sitting up and pressing the towel to his face.

"I'll give ya that. I still can't believe you're willing to get yourself beaten up for a book, though." The girl in front of him sat down, crossing her legs with a slouch. "I mean, I like stories as much as the next guy, but that's pretty intense."

"I think it's helping, though. Maybe not my face, but my writing's improving."

" _That's weird, mate."_ Bluntly spoke Patricia, shaking her head. She was right. It was a bit odd, wasn't it? Most people wouldn't willingly get in fights for the sake of putting words together. Travis was bleeding, after all. Was it really worth it? "That's crazy, and I get my head knocked around worse that you! What is your story even about, anyway?"

"Hmmm…" the Sullivan gentleman paused for a moment, taking the towel away from his face to turn it over. He had almost stopped bleeding, but blood was still coming out. "It's about these two detectives. They solve murders, but they also deal with monsters, sometimes. They're based off of friends of mine."

"So it's like a supernatural murder mystery, huh? Cool." Said the boxer. "Are your friends like, actual detectives in real life, or is that just for the story?"

"No, they're actual detectives. One of them goes to our school and is studying while acting as an assistant to the other one." Travis replied. "They're decent fellows- really weird, but, they're pleasant to be around."

"Even weirder than _you?_ " teased the Ramirez girl, arching an eyebrow with a playfully questioning look.

 _"Way_ weirder. The detective looks like a bad guy you'd see in some spy movie, and his assistant used to wear short-shorts."

"What's wrong with that?"

"He's a bloke."

To that, Patricia laughed, trying to imagine the often quiet Travis hanging out with two people like that. "Oh, my god, that's brilliant."

"He says it was just a phase, but none of us will ever let him live it down."

"You shouldn't. That's golden."

"See why I picked them to base characters off of?" Travis asked. "They're good at fighting, too, but there's no way I'd ask them to help. They'd accidentally send me to the hospital."

"There's no way people like that can be real. You're got to be joking."

"I'm not, thank goodness."

"You should let me read some of your stuff sometime- at least when it's done." Patricia said, standing up and stretching. "I gotta see these guys."

"I could probably introduce you sometime" Travis looked up, wiping his nose one last time before taking the towel away from his face. "Going home?"

"Yeah, if it gets too late, it'll be a pain getting back." The woman answered.

"Want me to drive you?"

"Nah, I'm good. I'll just take the tube."

"Alright, then. Same time next week?" asked the writer.

"Yeah. Work on the whole ' _hitting back'_ thing until then for me, alright, Hercules?" Joked the boxer before heading out.

Patricia put on her hoodie and headed for the metro station. Even though she was wearing shorts in late fall, she was still sweating as she jogged to get there. Her muscles ached, and her lungs hurt from the cold air that stabbed against their inner-lining, and now all she wanted to do was sit down and ride the rest of the way home in peace. Unfortunately, it seemed as though that wasn't what was going to be happening.

Even humans had a "gut feeling" that tells them when something wasn't right, and Patricia sure felt it. She kept jogging, not wanting to slow down and potentially find out what it was. London was a big city filled with many dangers, after all. When she heard a soft, polite, "excuse me" calling from behind her, she didn't even look back. In fact, her pace quickened as she heard footsteps following her. As they got faster, the boxer became scared.

She started running. The cold air pierced her lungs harshly, but she didn't even register it. She had other, more pressing matters to think about. She was being chased by someone- she didn't know who, and she didn't care to find out. Whoever it was, they were determined, as they followed Patricia for another block.

Tired, she slammed her foot down on the ground before turning, and slamming the other one down as well, turning to fast the threat while adopting a fighting stance. One punch would be all it would take to end this, and then she could go home. Skillfully, she swung her fist, causing it to collide with her pursuer's face. The impact from her blow on its own would have knocked someone down, if not out, easily, and combined with the speed that they crashed into her at, they definitely shouldn't have gotten up.

But they did. The person who was following her sat up and locked eyes with her. He looked like a businessman who was at least in his forties. It should have been impossible for him to even follow her, with as fast as she was running.

It only took her a mere second or so to decide that she needed to start running again. She lifted one foot and moved it, tripping when the man leaned forward and grabbed at her ankle. Patricia fell against the concrete sidewalk, scraping her exposed knees in the process before she started kicking. She kicked her foot in an effort to free herself, but when that didn't work, she swung her other leg and hit her attacker right in the face. It obviously hurt them, but that was her intention. Alas, they had but one more trick up their sleeve.

Suddenly, the hands of the attacker started glowing and the flesh started to bubble beneath the surface. The man's old, chiseled hands began to morph into much smaller, more feminine hands with worn knuckles, wearing skin that was a similar hue to the boxers. It crawled up the attacker's arms, and even the man's clothing started to change. It changed to match Patricia's.

Her attacker's body took on a completely different shape now, shifting from that of a middle-aged man to a young woman! Their hair lengthened and changed the same shade of dark brown as the boxers, and their face… oh, their face…

Of course the human girl was dumbstruck by this. How exactly does an ordinary human being respond to such an outrageous and disturbing display? When whatever it was opened it's eyes, green met green as they locked with hers. Miraculously, the Ramirez girl snapped back to her senses and gave another kick, this time, aiming for her attacker's hands.

They let go and clutched at them in pain, all while Patricia took this opportunity to scramble to her feet and run. She ran like she's never ran before in her life, not even bothering to try and make sense of what just happened as she did so. Wisely, she was more concerned about making it out of there alive!

Patricia ran, and ran, and ran, and ran, and she never looked back, even as she stormed into the metro station. She didn't look back until she was on her train and the doors shut behind her. Understandably, she nearly collapsed then and there, thankfully making it to a seat before doing so. Her entire body ached and her blood was pumping as her heart beat wildly. She was panting, her lungs feeling like she had been inhaling glass from running out in the cold and her body was shaking as her mind started to catch up with her.

_What was that?_

The woman was attacked by something. She didn't know what, or why. Regardless, she was certain that it couldn't be human. She was hoping that she only imagined it. Surely it was impossible for a man to just transform into her likeness right before her very eyes! No matter what she told herself, however, she wasn't convincing enough. That was real, and she could have died.

Right then and there, the boxer started crying, having feared for her life. It didn't matter to her who all saw her in that state at the moment. She was more concerned about the fact that she might not have lived to break down in the first place!

Her train ride ended and she was afraid to walk the rest of the way to her house alone. She wondered if Travis' offer still stood to drive her. It was worth a try. With trembling hands, she reached into her pockets and dug out her cellphone. Maybe someone writing about paranormal detectives would know something about this? Or better yet, point her in their direction.


	60. A Not-So-Pleasant Drive

It was late by the time Travis arrived to pick up Patricia from the station. It took him a while to figure out her directions on how to get there, but he finally managed. The Sullivan did not mind in the slightest about having to turn around and help her out. He had offered, hadn't he? And it's not like he could just leave her there. Patricia sounded so scared over the phone, so it had to be serious.

It was quiet on the drive to Patricia's flat, save for her occasionally speaking up to give directions on how to get there. The poor girl was freezing and her eyes stung. She tried not to cry in front of Travis, only letting a small hiccup or two slip by. She was shaking. How else was she supposed to react? She had just been attacked, and her attacker took on her exact appearance in the middle of it. Whatever they were, they definitely weren't human.

"It's going to be alright." Travis said, his eyes leaving the road in front of them for a second as he glanced over at the girl. "Do you want to call the police?"

Patricia only shook her head in response, not trusting her voice. Who would believe her? No one in their right mind would ever believe that she was assaulted by some shape-changing monstrosity! What was telling anyone going to do?

"Nobody would believe it…" she mumbled to herself. "It's too unreal…"

"You'd be surprised by what's real." Travis answered, knowing that he wasn't even being spoken to. "Do you want to talk about it?"

To that, Patricia scoffed. "You wouldn't believe me."

"I believe in all kinds of things." The Sullivan gentleman said. " _Trust me_."

"I don't even know if that thing was human…" stated the woman after a few moments of silence.

"Like a monster?"

"Yeah…"

"Maybe it was." The author pondered, wondering if what his friend saw was linked to the supernatural. It was possible. It certainly wasn't the first time that one of his acquaintances had been attacked by strange creatures. It was a bit of an odd subject to bring up, seeing as though the man couldn't exactly tell if she was being serious or not.

"How do you know?"

"I've seen some weird stuff."

"Were you ever attacked by a real-life monster?" asked Patricia with some skepticism. Surely Travis was only playing around and trying to make her feel better.

"Yeah." Travis answered. Involuntarily, he shuddered, recalling scenes from the castle of Krampus. He would never be able to get over that. He still had nightmares.

The woman in the passenger seat looked over at him curiously. Travis wasn't much of a talker, so she was left with trying to figure him out based on his face and movements. There seemed to be a bit of a shift from his usual calm, but she had no idea what that was supposed to mean. The boxer leaned back in her seat and averted her gaze toward the road ahead.

"That sucks." She said. With that, things returned to awkward, looming silence. It hung in the air like thick smog as neither of them could think of anything to say. Both were deeply disturbed by memories of their own attacks, and while they did want to talk it out, didn't know how, especially since they didn't know if the other was truly aware of the supernatural. Before long, however, Travis had to say something.

"Which way was it agai-"

_BAM!_

He averted his eyes from the road for a split second, and out jumps a human figure, crashing into the hood of his car. The author slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a complete halt. Both of them looked out of the back window, completely unable to say a word. They were sweating, shaking, and overall stunned. Travis just hit someone. He quickly unbuttoned his seatbelt and opened the car door, stepping out in order to see if the person was alright.

"Hey!" he called. "Can you hear me? Don't move, let be call an ambulance!" the author instructed, digging in his pockets for his cellphone. Despite his suggestion, he saw movement illuminated by the red brake lights on the back of the vehicle. Immediately, he stopped digging as the person stood up, bloodied and wheezing. Travis' jaw dropped at the sight and his eyes widened. The person he hit looked just like the girl seated in his car.

He looked to Patricia, who looked back at him with a terrified expression on her face, before looking back again. The man was flabbergasted. The imposter took a step toward him, but he didn't move. He was completely frozen.

" _Travis!"_ yelled the boxer from the passenger seat. She was frantic. Thank goodness, it seemed to snap the Sullivan back to his senses. "Get back in the car!"

Quickly, he did as instructed, not even bothering to buckle his seatbelt again after slamming the door shut. He stomped on the gas petal and took off, leaving the imposter to try to futilely chase them. Thank God, it didn't seem to have some kind of bizarre, supernatural speed or anything. They flew down the street, Travis grabbing the wheel with a death-grip and Patricia digging her nails into the upholstery.

The boxer was terrified- more so than Travis, even. She was too scared to cry and too scared to utter a single sound. What was that?! How did it find her?! What did it want?! The woman had no answers to any of these questions, but Travis seemed to have an idea of what he was doing.

He drove nearly all the way across town, creating a massive amount of distance between them and the shape-changer. When the car came to a halt again, it was in a well-lit area. It was silent, except for the sound of the car's motor and the panicked breaths of the two young adults. The two sat in this anxiety-ridden quiet, shaking almost violently before one of them finally said something.

"What was that?!" Travis blurted out, losing his calm composure. When the girl jumped at his outburst, however, tensing up at the loud noise, he softened again. That was what attacked her, wasn't it?

"I'm sorry for yelling." He said, adjusting his tone. Once again, he started digging for his cellphone. "You just try to calm down, and I'll get us help."

Patricia looked over at him, confused as to what he was going to do. He wasn't going to leave her alone in the car, was she? What if they hadn't lost the imposter, and it appeared while he was gone? Tears fell from her eyes again as she feared for the worst.

"Remember those ' _detective friends'_ of mine?" Travis questioned, pulling his phone out of his pocket and scrolling through the contacts. "The ones who I based the characters in my story off of? They actually deal with stuff like this all of the time. I'm going to call them, alright?" His friend nodded and he offered a reassuring smile before pressing the dial button. Travis took a deep breath in order to calm his nerves before placing the phone up to his ear.

" _Hey, Ciel? It's me."_

* * *


	61. Monsters Aren't Real

"Time for work!" Alois cheerfully declared as he hastily put on his boyfriend's coat.

"That's mine." The Phantomhive stated, knowing that it was futile to try and retrieve his coat from the menace. Instead of arguing, he simply grabbed Alois' coat from where it rested draped over the back of the sofa and put it on. "If you like it so much, then why don't you just keep it?"

"I can't. If I do that, then the scent will wear off, which defeats the whole purpose. It's gotta be refreshed often, Pooch." Replied the Macken. With that, he started heading out the door. "C'mon! We've got a shape-shifting supernatural murderer to catch!"

"You are having _way_ too much fun right now." Spoke the watchdog, quickly following after him. They both hurried downstairs and headed toward the car, only to be stopped by a slightly drowsy Luka.

"Big brother, where are you going?" the boy asked, rubbing his eye. It was almost time for him to be going to bed, so he knew it was odd for the duo to be heading out at this hour. Immediately, Alois paused before crouching down to the younger Macken's level.

"We've got to go to work because of a little emergency." He said, ruffling his brother's hair. "Don't you worry about it, though. We'll be back real soon, m'kay?"

"Okay." Luka answered with a nod. He knew his sibling's work was important, so he couldn't complain. The blonde menace smiled and kissed the boy on the cheek before standing up again and heading toward the door, walking backwards on his way out.

"Bye~! I love you~! Night, Luka~!"

"G'night~!" the brunet replied with a grin, waving as the eldest of the Macken brothers scurried out the door with the Phantomhive Watchdog in tow.

The duo got in the car and got strapped in. Ciel pulled up a GPS app on his cellphone and punched in the address that Travis had given them before they took off down the road. Down the driveway, through the gate, and off they went in pursuit of not only Patricia's attacker, but a murderer.

The lights on the city streets flickered, illuminating the inside of the car as they passed by. Ciel looked out for Travis' car as Alois drove, listening to the directions spoken to them by the app on the bluenette's phone. Eventually, they saw it, with two people sitting inside of it. Travis opened the car door and stepped out as the demonic duo pulled up and parked beside him. The two then stepped out to greet him.

"Hey." Called Alois, shutting the door. "Heard you got a shape-shifter problem."

"I don't know what it is." The Sullivan replied. "Whatever it was, it attacked my friend, here, not once, but _twice_."

"All of the other victims in our case had died at the scene of their attack." Ciel stated, leaning so that he could look at the girl in the human's vehicle. "She got away, so it's probably going to try and finish the job so it can replace her."

"They say that those who meet their doppelganger will surely die." Spoke the menace, peering in as well. He offered the girl a thumbs up. "Don't worry, though, we won't let that happen. This thing couldn't even chase your car, so it sounds totally weak."

"What are you talking about?" asked the frightened girl, confused. "Wait, did you say 'shape-shifter'?"

"Yeah, we've been looking for one for a couple of days." The Macken bluntly stated. "Have you seen any? They're tricky to catch."

"You're joking…." Patricia murmured, her eyes staring intently at the blonde as she tried to read him. It was understandable for her to be wary. These things weren't supposed to exist after all, and she didn't want to make a fool of herself for believing in something so childish. No one in their right mind would believe her story unless they saw it for themselves.

 _"'Fraid not."_ The blonde said, resting his hand on top of the car.

"You're going to have to tell us what happened." Ciel said, stepping in. "We deal with _'unnatural'_ occurrences like this quite often, but we still need to act with caution."

"Why? We're just gonna kill it in the end…"

 _"Jim."_ The Phantomhive said scoldingly, looking up at the menace. His singular eye turned back to the girl for a moment as he waited for an answer.

Was this happening? These two were exactly as Travis described, both in appearance and personality. More importantly, however, what was that part about dealing with this bizarre sort of thing "often"? Also, what's this about killing it? Surely they were joking. They were joking or they were insane. Travis claimed to be good friends with them, so surely they couldn't be that bad. Unless of course, Travis was insane too.

"I don't think she quite believes what she saw, Ciel." Spoke the blonde, straightening his back and leaning against Travis' vehicle. "If your hunch is correct, though, it shouldn't matter. It's gonna come back eventually, so we'll just have to hang around."

Patricia tensed up at the statement. This was far from over. She knew that they were right. If she really did see what she thought she did, it was definitely going to come back and finish her off. No matter how she didn't want to believe it, and no matter how badly she wanted this all to be some bad dream that she'll wake up from at any second, what happened, happened. There was no denying it. The Ramirez woman hung her head, trying to find the ability to speak.

" _It has my face…"_ she said in a hushed tone. Her voice sounded strange. "It didn't when I first saw it, but then it grabbed me and… and…"

"…And it took on your appearance." Ciel concluded, standing up straight. "don't worry, we'll get rid of it. Jim is right, though. The best way to find it is to stick around for a bit."

"It probably won't come if we're all just hanging out like this." The blonde pointed out. "There's too many of us. There's no way it'll come out of hiding like this."

"In that case, we'll need a plan…" the watchdog trailed off, rubbing his chin as he pondered. His eyes wandered around the scene, his brows furrowing and unfurrowing as he thought about the information they had. Soon, a small smirk appeared on his face.

_"I've got it."_


	62. Twinsies

Patricia walked up the steps of her apartment building, obviously in a bit of a daze. It had obviously been a long night and climbing several flights of stairs really didn't help. She just wanted to get to her apartment and relax, but the night wasn't over yet. There was still much to do.

When she got to the door of her flat, she reached out and grabbed the knob, only to find that the door was locked. Seeing as though she didn't have her keys, she had no way in. Patricia knocked on the door despite the fact that she lived alone and there was no one to answer. She knew this, yet she still whole-heartedly expected someone to be on the other side.

Thus, she assumed a fighting stance and waited. She waited for whoever it was on the other side of the door to open it and let her in. Sweat accumulated at her brow as she heard the lock begin to turn. Just a few more seconds. The doorknob slowly began to turn.

BAM!

A fist made harsh contact with flesh as it shot through the door frame. Patricia was sent flying and crashed into the wall behind her. Clutching at her face, she looked up and glared at the door while blood dripped between her fingers. The person there was someone whom she hadn't expected, and someone who she didn't recognise at all.

"Evenin'." Spoke the blonde menace, casually placing his hands in his pocket and looking down at the girl with a smirk. "I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the girl who lives here? Yeah, we hid her. There's no way you'll be able to get to her, either, _Doppelganger."_

"I don't know what you're talking about…" spoke the imposter, wiping her nose with the back of her hand.

"The real Patricia is at my house, where you can't get her." Alois stated. "By the way, that punch I gave you would have cracked a normal human's skull. You're obviously some kind of freak, while the real Patricia is obviously human. Try harder."

Gritting their teeth, the shape-shifter scowled at the revelation. They really didn't take kindly to being called out. As the blonde took a step forward, however, they also realised that they didn't like the atmosphere emitting from the man. It wasn't normal. Thus, they decided to make their escape.

Suddenly, the doppelganger's skin started to bubble and glow. The blood that had dripped from their nose was gone and its injury healed. Alois had touched it when he punched it. The doppelganger's figure changed from female to male, and their clothes changed to match the blonde's as well. The pigment in their hair and skin lightened, and their green eyes turned icy blue. Now, Alois was staring himself in the face!

The faux-menace scrambled to his feet and darted down the hallway, only to have the real one follow him. They were fast. It even surprised the doppelganger! It was at that moment that the imposter realised that Alois was in fact, inhuman as well. Smirking, he saw a window at the end of the hallway. The doppelganger then jumped, thrusting his legs outward and kicking the glass. It shattered and he was suddenly free falling above the streets of London.

It was only three stories. That was nothing to the blonde menace, therefore it was now nothing to the doppelganger! He landed on his feet, disregarding the shards of broken glass at his feet and on his person. He straightened his back and looked up at the menace who had only stopped at the window, smirking at his new power. The true menace looked down at him, placing both hands on the windowsill.

"Tch." Alois clicked his tongue with disapproval, watching as his lookalike darted away. He had to act fast, so he leaped out the window as well, landing in a similar spot in relation to where the doppelganger had before him.

This was bad. He had to find Ciel quickly and rethink the plan. He should have blown a hole in the creature's head when he had the chance. It was too late now. They had his face, and there was no doubt that they were going to use it. Quickly, the Macken had to make it to where Ciel was hiding in case he needed backup. For all he knew, it was already too late.

Thank goodness, Ciel hadn't been reached before one of the two had shown up. He was right in the alleyway where the blonde had left him, and he was alone. The bluenette looked up at him with a surprised expression before it shifted into his usual one.

"That was fast." The Phantomhive stated. "Did you take care of it?"

"No." Alois panted, shaking his head. "It got away. It took my shape and ran off. I was going to run after it, but I had to make sure that you were alright. Sorry…" The blonde looked down at that last part. He had felt somewhat guilty about his actions, but there was no going back now. The bluenette, however, only smiled.

"That's alright. At least they won't go after Patricia anymore, and judging by the looks of things, we have some data on how they work." Ciel replied. "Come on, let's talk about it in the car. It's _freezing_."

"Maybe you should get a better coat." The blonde teased, following the bluenette to the Mercedes. He crawled into the driver's seat and ignited the engine, turning on the heater so that they could warm up. The temperature was dropping outside, and it certainly wasn't the weather to be performing a stakeout in. "So, what's the plan?"

"We go back to the manor." The Phantomhive said. "We'll tell Patricia what happened in the morning and send her home. We'll also contact H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. to search for your 'twin'."

"Sounds good to me." Stated the fair-haired man. He then proceeded to put the car in gear and take off.

He had to admit, he was a little shaken. He hadn't expected things to turn out this way, after all. A sigh of relief escaped him as he was glad that his "twin" didn't make it to the Phantomhive boy first. Who knows what would have happened?

Occasionally, he would glance over at the bluenette, and eventually, he discovered the boy to be on his cellphone. The screen illuminated his face, making it more visible in the dark. Ciel was pretty, the blonde had to admit. The Phantomhive had long eyelashes and pretty eyes, a cute nose and an overall cute face. Before long, the blonde was staring, causing the bluenette to look up.

" _Alois, the road."_

"Huh?" the blonde asked before jumping. "Oh, shit!" Icy blue eyes focused themselves on the road in front of them, and the fair-haired man corrected their course. He almost swerved into the other lane, he was so distracted. It wouldn't have been the first time.

"Sorry…" the blonde said. "Who're you texting?"

"Sebastian." Answered the Phantomhive. "I've got to let him know what we're going to do so he can tell Patricia."

"Ah, I see." The blonde said. While his response was unfazed, it contradicted what he was actually feeling. His head felt foggy and he had trouble focusing. His eyes kept wanting to wander over to the bluenette. His cheeks heated up to the thought, somehow. When Ciel was finally done with his phone, he placed it back in his pocket before the blonde took the opportunity to grab his hand.

"Sorry…" he said. Why did he feel the need to apologise?

"It's alright." Ciel assured, but his face heated up as well. This was not good.

"Hey Alois," he called, alerting the blonde's attention. "Turn left up here. There's a shortcut."

* * *


	63. Gemini

The blonde continued to follow Ciel's directions, becoming more and more confused as time went on. He didn't recognise where they were going in the slightest, and they seemed to be driving in circles. Soon, the lights from the buildings around them began to fade as they drove further from the hustle and bustle of the city. They weren't even on the right street that ended up at the mansion, and the blonde was starting to get concerned. Where was the Phantomhive leading him?

His fears were realised when they stopped in front of a factory that had shut down for the night. The blonde was forced to park the car without any idea of where he was, but he did have an idea as to why he was here. The man next to him never had any intention of leading them home.

"Ciel, what are we doing here?" he asked, jumping in surprise when he heard a small click. When he turned his head, he found the barrel of a gun shoved in his face.

"Get out of the car." Ciel ordered. His tone was cold and his face matched with a hint of anger bubbling beneath the surface.

"What are yo-?!"

"Save it. Just get out of the car. I'd rather not get blood on the seats, I just had the thing repaired not too long ago." The Phantomhive stated, tilting his nose slightly in the air. "Did you really think I would knowingly invite an imposter into my home with open arms? Don't be foolish."

The blonde seated next to him stared back in shock for a few moments, unable to concoct a response. The only thing on his mind was a question. "How?" he wanted to ask. How did Ciel know he was a fake?

"How did you guess?" asked the imposter, using Alois' voice to speak.

"I didn't _'guess'_. I'm a detective you know. In addition, I think I would be able to distinguish my significant other for a cheap knock-off." The Phantomhive said, the weapon in his hand never straying from the doppelganger's head.

"Jim doesn't answer to ' _Alois_ ' when I'm the one calling him. He hates it. That was the first strike against you." The watchdog continued, his gaze harsh. "In addition, when I texted his phone, you didn't answer it. He did. I even asked him to snap a photo of himself to make sure it wasn't stolen. Finally, I can sense him anywhere. I would definitely know when he was right beside me, even if my eyes were closed. You're an obvious fake. No matter what knowledge you gained from being in contact with Jim, you didn't know enough in order to know that you couldn't fool me."

The doppelganger frowned. "I see…. And I suppose you'd like for me to get out of the car so you can shoot me, huh?"

"That'd be nice, yes."

" _Could_ you?" the imposter inquired, arching an eyebrow. He placed a hand over his chest before continuing, his eyes looking straight into the bluenette's. "Is it within your capacity? I get a basic understanding of a person's place in life when I become them, as you can see. I know things about you, too. You're not really as cold-hearted as you try to appear, are you? ' _That one'_ doesn't believe you to, at least. He really loves you, doesn't he?"

Ciel's visible sapphire eye widened at this. His eyebrows raise as his gun lowered somewhat. He hesitated. Curses. This creature was trickier than he thought.

"' _This one'_ doesn't think you are, either." The imposter continued. "Because I now have some of the basic talents of the other one as well, I can see what he can. Your resolve shook when I said that, didn't you? You really aren't the kind who could kill someone with the face of someone you love, are you?"

With a heavy sigh, Ciel furrowed his brow. His gun lowered, and he put the weapon back in its holster. The Phantomhive hated this. He crossed his arms and looked straight ahead.

"No." he stated. "I guess I'm not."

"Then what is it that you want to do?"

"Get out of my car." The bluenette instructed again. "I'll give you a ten-second headstart."

"You're too kind." Spoke the doppelganger, unbuckling his seatbelt and opening up the car door.

"One…" Ciel counted off as the other male left, watching him carefully as he did. "Two…"

He had to admit, for a fake, the blonde's likeness was perfect. Had he not tried felt odd when he hadn't sensed the other demon, he might not have thought to check! He was angry at this turn of events. How dare this creature wear Alois' face? How dare he try to assume the menace's place in his life? That was unforgivable. The faux-blonde menace had to go.

And yet, Ciel, himself couldn't bear pulling the trigger on that face. The doppelganger could understand what the true Macken saw in the bluenette. What a funny fellow. That said, the false blonde didn't like this turn of events either. He had to get away immediately and find another target quickly. Or maybe this form would give him a bit of a shield for the time being?

It was somewhat painful, though. As the doppelganger ran into the factory and tried to lose the bluenette, so he could officially make his escape, he found that his chest hurt somewhat. It always did when he had to leave a life in which the person had strong feelings for someone else. Memories, talents, abilities, and appearance weren't the only things necessary for a "perfect" disguise. This time it almost felt as though he had been rejected.

Suddenly, his thoughts came to a crashing halt as he saw a flash of blonde pass in front of him in another part of the factory. So that was Ciel's plan? He had contacted the blonde menace to lie in wait for him in an ambush. If that was the case, he would need a different shield.

The doppelganger's skin bubbled and glowed once more as he adopted a new shape. His heart pounded a bit as his previous self vanished and was replaced with the one he was wearing. With that, his pseudo-feelings for the Phantomhive vanished as he, himself, became the bluenette demon master. With that, he was ready for the blonde's attack. He darted out into the open, and sure enough, a bullet whizzed by his head. He looked up to see the menace standing on top of one of the many machines.

"Jesus, Ciel! Don't scare me like that!" Alois said, hopping down from his hiding place in order to walk up to the bluenette. It was at that moment that the doppelganger felt his eyebrow twitch and his face heat up a bit. He had seriously taken that form moments ago? The blonde was beautiful…

The imposter quickly shook his head, shooing away the thought. The feelings that the pair had for each other were certainly intense, as he unfortunately discovered. It was making it harder for him to get away!

"Did you see the doppelganger?" he asked the menace. "It escaped, and then took my face as well… Did we meet between our texts and now and was I acting weird?"

"No." Alois stated, shaking his head. "I haven't."

"Good." The imposter said, letting out a breath. Why was he so relieved? He wanted to get out of here! His eyes widened, however, as he heard the familiar clicking of a gun. "Jim?"

"Don't call me ' _Jim'."_ The menace said. "Only certain people are allowed to, and you're not one of them, asshole."


	64. Stunned and Dazed

" _Don't call me 'Jim'."_ The menace said. " _Only certain people are allowed to, and you're not one of them, asshole."_

The doppelganger looked genuinely shocked, it's face conforming to how it would have been expressed by the Phantomhive whom he was impersonating. He somehow genuinely didn't expect the supposed "Lion" of the underworld to pull a gun on him. Perhaps it was the true bluenette's sense of trust in the menace affecting him, or perhaps he was just arrogant. Who knows? Either way, it did sting.

It hurt a lot worse than it should have. The doppelganger almost felt betrayed, somehow. This really _wasn't_ a good idea on his part, was it? Alois' feelings were his. Ciel's feelings were his. At the same time, however, they weren't, as he could never possess them entirely.

"Are you going to kill me, then?" asked the doppelganger in the voice of the bluenette. He watched as the blonde's lips formed a straight line at the question, brows furrowing, and attempting to look threatening. Alois' finger moved from the guard to the trigger of the gun, stalling, as if confused.

It made Alois angry. That voice was Ciel's. That face was Ciel's. Those expressions were Ciel's. The person before him, however, _wasn't_ Ciel. He knew that. Alois knew that with all certainty, yet he still hesitated. It was almost the same as Castle Krampus, yet he managed with the help of the true watchdog's loud barking.

Alois was angry. Not only at himself because he knew all of this. He knew what needed to be done and that the imposter's form was only an illusion, yet he still hesitated to fire at the bluenette. Why? The blonde felt weak and stupid for this, but he couldn't bear the sight of watching the man die by his hand. How ridiculous!

Sweat collected at the menace's brow as his icy eyes glared daggers at his enemy. The doppelganger waited calmly, already knowing from _being_ the blonde what the answer was. His expression remained neutral as Alois lowered his weapon in a huff. The menace placed it back in the holster on the inside of coat that he had "liberated" from his beau earlier that evening.

" _Bastard_ …" the Macken grumbled, his face shifting into a slight snarl. How dare this creature steal Ciel's face? How dare he try to replace him? Alois was not only angry at himself for being weak against the doppelganger, but also at the doppelganger for taking advantage of this. When his foe smiled with that face in response, however, the blonde snapped.

Quickly, Alois charged forward, cocking his fist back before letting go again. This was the second time this evening that he had caught the creature off-guard and punched him in the face. He punched hard. It was a lot harder than he had punched before. This time, the doppelganger actually dented the metal of one of the machines as his back hit it from the force of the Macken's strike. No, there was no way that Alois could _kill_ the doppelganger in that state, but he sure as hell could beat the tar out of him.

The impostor got on his hands and knees as he tried to get up. He was in the midst of seeing stars and the room was spinning. Raising a hand, he wiped his face, finding that it was bleeding. As to whether it was from his nose or his lip was yet to be determined. The sound of footsteps approached him, indicating that the blonde was coming in for another blow, but the man hesitated when the doppelganger looked up at him. There was hurt on the creature's stolen face, expressed in the same manner in which the bluenette would have. He didn't seem to want to fight back, just as the Phantomhive would have in his position. He couldn't. Not Alois. Even the doppelganger, having based himself off of the watchdog's likeness, knew exactly how Ciel would feel in his place. He felt it, too.

When Alois came to attack him again, he only braced himself for what was to come. Instead of being hit, however, he was grabbed by the collar of his coat and hoisted up into the air. His feet dangled above the floor as the Macken glared at him.

"Why are you doing this?" the blonde asked through clenched teeth. "What is the point?"

The doppelganger paused before speaking, looking down at the menace. "I don't have my own face." He said. "I can only take them from other people. I steal their faces, names, skills, memories, and feelings. I don't have any of that on my own. I'm jealous."

"Then why didn't you just copy the face and make up the rest?" demanded the Macken. "You can go somewhere else!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that…" the impostor said, shaking his head. "I copy it all at once. There's no other way. If someone was suddenly told to just disappear from their life, would they? Of course not. As far as I'm concerned, their life _is_ mine."

"Like hell I'd let you replace Ciel!" Alois growled. "You're not the same. You don't know anything about him or the people in his life."

"I do. His full title is _'Senior Detective Constable Sir Doctor Ciel Phantomhive',_ he's the owner and CEO of FUNTOM toys and is known as ' _The Queen's Guard-Dog'_. He was human until a brush with you and has been a demon ever since." The doppelganger listed off, startling the fair-haired demon. "He used to not get along with his superior and distant relative Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, head of the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization and Chairman of the Council of Twelve. He has formed an odd friend ship with his butler, Sebastian over the one-hundred and twenty-nine years that they have spent together, and an even stranger sense of kinsmanship with your brothers, Luka and Revy Macken. Then, there's you…" He let go of one of the arms holding him up to run a hand through the blonde's hair, causing the other man to flinch. The doppelganger smiled softly and asked:

"Did you know that to himself he often calls you ' _stunning'?"_

With that, Alois hurled the creature across the factory like a ragdoll. How dare the doppelganger pull something like that? How dare he try to play with the Macken's feelings that way? It was unforgivable. For that, Alois made sure the doppelganger hit the wall hard enough that it would have seriously injured a human being. His face was flushed and his brow was furrowed. This cheap knock-off had to pay for that. Alois didn't know how, but he would make him pay.

"I'll kill you!" the menace bellowed, trudging forward in the direction that he had launched the poor doppelganger. He had thrown him so far, that he was clear on the other side of the factory!

"Liar…" the doppelganger muttered quietly, forcing himself to his feet and trying not to cough. He knew that the blonde couldn't kill him, but then again, he couldn't kill the blonde. As silently as possible, he tried to make his escape. He had to make haste and find a new identity, as this one was extremely troublesome.

_"He really is stunning…"_


	65. Watching Dogs and Copying Cats

Quietly, the doppelganger tried his best to swiftly make his way through the building so that he could finally escape. It was difficult with two demonic detectives and sometimes-assassins after him. He knew the Macken gentleman was still somewhere behind him, but he had no idea where the Phantomhive was. That seemed to get to him. His senses weren't nearly as sharp as those of the two demons. He as a "fake", after all.

Even still, he was able to move out of the way when he was attacked from above. His visible eye widened as the true bluenette's fist whizzed by his face and impacted the ground, cracking the cement. Ciel attacked with lethal force, and almost lopped off the tip of his opponent's nose. The Phantomhive straightened his back, removing his fist from the ground, leaving a hole in the concrete floor.

Without the blonde's face, the doppelganger was open to attack from the watchdog as his only shield had vanished. This was bad. The doppelganger would have to make an opening and run for it. He wasn't certain of his physical strength, even while in this form. He could probably last a little while, but this certainly wasn't an easy match. Still, the imposter took on a fighting stance, firmly planting his feet on the ground and keeping his eye on the watchdog.

"I told you to run." Ciel stated, flexing his hand so that the joints popped. "Did _my_ partner find you?"

"Tch." The way that the Phantomhive asked that struck a nerve with his lookalike, causing the faux-Phantomhive to clench his fists. It was a strange sort of anger that was sparked by those words- one that the doppelganger couldn't quite place. He knew that the blonde menace belonged to the true Ciel and that he never was, nor will be in the possession of the fake, but why did it make him angry?

Ah, jealously. The false watchdog felt just as the real one would have in his position, after all. He was slightly possessive of the man who hated his existence, but he simply couldn't help himself. In a twisted way, the doppelganger harbored some feeling for the blonde. He wanted to stop, but couldn't. He needed another face. At the same time, however, he wanted to bash the smirk that his twin wore right off of his visage.

"What is it?" the Phantomhive asked, taking a step forward. "Why are you angry? There's nothing for you to be angry about. After all, he isn't yours. Jim is mine, and mine alone; just as I am his. There is nowhere for you to fit into this equation, _copycat_."

"You're absolutely right, _watchdog_." Spoke the phony. "There is no way that your beloved will ever be ' _mine_ ', and yet…" He paused, watching as the other bluenette's smirk fell.

" _He_ couldn't finish me off, either." He continued. "I am within his soft-spot. Perhaps I _could_ steal him from you? After all, we both know what it's like to be ' _fakes'."_

"Am I really that arrogant?" inquired the bluenette. "That's not funny, even as a joke! I don't recall ever having that sort of wishful-thinking, either. You will _never_ have him."

"And just what makes you so certain?"

"The fact that I won't allow it!" the Phantomhive roared, taking a few steps forward before swinging his leg at his duplicate's head in a round-house kick. The doppelganger ducked, knocking the watchdog's grounded leg out from under him, forcing the demon to put his hands out in front of him in order to catch himself. With that, he swung his legs again, only to be dodged once more as his foe leaped into the air.

The lookalike kicked downward, trying to land a strike from the air. His foot cracked the concrete as it only hit the floor. Ciel straightened his back and went for a punch, only to have his face struck as well by his copy's fist. Both of them went for a follow-through, attempting to strike with their other fist as well.

Blood dripped from the men's noses as the gashes on their lips from where they were cut with their own teeth healed shut along with any other blemishes. They separated, trying to create some distance until their next strike, but the doppelganger had other ideas. After dancing with the demon to see who would move first, he turned to the side and jumped, leaping off the wall and up onto one of the machines. The fake now had the high-ground.

It didn't last, as the Phantomhive followed, bringing them to both duke it out on top of one of the conveyor belts. The watchdog continued to chase his faux counterpart, leaping over things and sliding under them. Suddenly, the doppelganger jumped, grabbing onto a chain that hung from the ceiling, and using the inertia he swung back around and kicked the Phantomhive square in the jaw. He let go of the chain and landed on a platform covered with switches and buttons.

Quickly, the fake started messing with the controls, turning on the lights to the factory and starting up machinery. Ciel almost lost balance as the conveyor belt that he was standing on moved. Now, he had to run against it in order to get to his phony. It was easier said than done, as he was nearly crushed and flattened by some of the stations that lined the track, and almost sprayed with toxic chemicals at others.

Meanwhile, the false Phantomhive leaped down and made a run for it. He had to get away. Faster. _Faster!_ He had to escape the building. The doppelganger's legs carried him as fast as they could as he navigated the maze of machinery. Onward! Just a little bit more! Once he was out of the factory, he could escape the demons for good! That thread of hope was cut, however, by a single sound.

_BANG!_

The doppelganger grunted and grasped at his shoulder, his movement stopping for just few moments. It hurt. It really hurt! Just that night, he had been hit by a car, and it still didn't hurt this badly! When the phony forced his hand a way to inspect the damage, it was covered in red liquid that boiled as it seeped from the festering wound. Anti-freak bullets did not take kindly to supernatural beings.

Still, he had to get away. He was so close to the exit! At a slower pace, the copycat put one leg in front of the other and trekked onward. That is, until the second shot went off.

_BANG!_

Right in the doppelganger's kneecap. This time, he actually let out a pained cry as he fell to the floor. He let go of his shoulder and clasped his hands over the damaged joint in a vain attempt to absolve the agony. The doppelganger's body tensed up and he hid his face in the floor in an effort to save himself at least some dignity. Yes, even now, he was still acting as if he were the Phantomhive. He only looked up as he saw a shadow looming over him, peeking up in order to get a glimpse of who it was. When he saw them, however, he did a double-take.

"Jim?!" he gasped, staring up at the blonde menace in shock. It stung. Why did this hurt so much? He wasn't "betrayed". They were never on the same side! Even still, for the blonde to be against him- it hurt to see.

Alois had shot the doppelganger, not once, but twice. They were only aimed to incapacitate the creature, as the menace wasn't sure if he had the resolve to actually kill the copycat. Still, he pointed the gun directly at the false Phantomhive's head, looking down at him with a concerned look. It was hard to see the image of his beau on the ground in pain before him, but he just had to keep reminding himself of the truth. It blurred, however, at what the doppelganger did next.

" _Jim…"_ it said sadly Alois had made his choice. There was no going back now. Even still, the sadness that he felt in that moment was very real. The copycat let go of his knee before using his arms to crawl toward the menace, wrapping his arms tightly around the man's leg, hiding his face in the fabric of the blonde's pant leg.

Naturally, Alois took a step back from the phony at the action, but once it had him in its grip, he couldn't move. All he could do was gawk at what was happening. His foe was showing him affection, and sincerely, too. His hand began to shake as the body of the man at his feet did. He felt a warm wetness on his leg where the copycat's face was. At that, Alois couldn't pull the trigger. Thus, his hand fell to his side as he tried to figure out what to do. In the end, however, the decision was made for him.

A shoe harshly made contact with the copycat's head, knocking him from the blonde's leg. In a daze, the doppelganger rolled over on his back, as he tried to stop seeing stars. Alois saw nothing at all as a familiar hand came up from behind him and covered his eyes. Those of the imposter widened as he found himself in trouble yet again.

"Wait-!"

_BANG!_

Alois flinched as the gun went off and he reached his free hand up to grasp at the one on his face. He needed the bluenette's touch as the doppelganger was rendered silent. He could hear the body hitting the floor, falling completely limp. The menace didn't even want to look at it, and was thankful that the true Phantomhive took that into account.

Keeping his hand over the menace's eyes, Ciel placed his gun back in its holster before using his freshly freed hand in order to grab Alois' shoulder and guide him so that his back was facing the body on the floor. With that, he took his hand away so that the blonde could see again, cupping the man's cheeks in his palms.

"Are you alright?" the bluenette asked with a worried look on his face. Yes, _his_ face. He was now the only owner of it once more. Alois smiled and turned on the safety on his own weapon before putting it away. He placed his hands over his beau's and said:

"Yeah, I'm alright." He paused and his smile faded. "What about you? Didn't you just like, kill yourself?"

"I suppose I did, didn't I?" the bluenette chuckled nervously. Indeed, he was a bit spooked, but it was more of an afterthought. "I was more worried about you at the time." He softly rubbed the blonde's pale cheeks with his thumbs in a soothing fashion. "You looked so scared…"

"I was…" Alois admitted. "I just couldn't bring myself to shoot him. I know it wasn't really you, but… It would have been like watching myself kill you, somehow… You know?"

"I understand. I had the same problem…" spoke the Phantomhive, taking one of his hands away before running the other through the other's flaxen locks, placing a few behind the man's ear so that they weren't in his face. "Let's go home, shall we? This was a lot more trouble than I thought it was going to be…"

"Yeah… Should we call H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. to clean up?"

"Probably." Ciel replied. He stopped playing with the blonde's hair before moving to place it in the small of his back in order to usher the menace away from the grisly scene. "Let's get in the car, first. Looking at my own corpse is making me nauseous."

"That'll do it." The blonde jested, walking along with the bluenette as they made their way out of the factory. He put his arm around the Phantomhive as well, somewhat craving his contact. He was frightened. That person who looked just like the one whom he was in love with was just murdered in cold blood. He wanted the real one as close to him as possible, as if to make sure that he was safe. Soon, his eyes started wandering, soon making their way to the Phantomhive's visage.

Ciel had a pretty face. He had long eyelashes and pretty eyes- a cute nose and an overall cute face. It was Ciel's face, and he was the only one allowed to wear it as Ciel. It got the blonde wondering, though. What about his face?

"Hey, Ciel?" Alois called, capturing the Phantomhive's attention.

"Hmm?"

The Macken flashed a teasing grin and asked: " _Do you really think I'm 'stunning'?"_

Poor Ciel almost choked on his own spit. His face heated up and he coughed into his fist. How on earth did the blonde know about that?!

"U-uh…" began the Phantomhive, pausing to clear his throat. "Yes…" He bashfully admitted. While it wasn't the first time that the bluenette had told his beau something similar along those lines, the way he was suddenly caught off-guard by the question seriously affected his demeanor.

"You're handsome, too." Alois replied, pecking the other man on the cheek as they reached their vehicle. Paused to unlock the door before speaking again. "That said, I like having only one of you best."

"Oh? Does it matter which one?" the bluenette teased back, trying to regain the upper hand as he crawled inside the passenger side.

"Yeah. I want the original one. That's the best one." Answered the Macken, sitting down in the driver's seat and shutting the door. "I love him the most. He's kind of a weirdo, but he's sweet and takes good care of me."

" _Sounds like I should meet him sometime_." Ciel jested, earning a playful slap to the bicep.

" _Ow."_


	66. The Morning After

Phantomhive manor; an old, Victorian-era mansion that was home to many unusual things. There was a revenant and several demons in that household- two of them were bisexual secret agents, one of them was a butler who was practically perfect in every way, and one of them is a youngling who is curious about everything. All of them had their own quirks, and they were far from "ordinary", but they were still happy. Today, however, there was a guest at the mansion.

Due to the events from last night, a certain Patricia Ramirez stayed the night at the estate while seeking shelter from a murderous doppelganger. She didn't sleep well in the slightest, so it was a good thing that they hadn't woken her up until the next morning. It was hard to sleep, when you've suddenly found yourself seeing all sorts of things. Monsters were real. How can one focus on trivial things like sleeping at that discovery.

Her surroundings didn't help, either. She had never set foot in such a place before. In addition to the discovery of monsters, she had discovered that her new friend, Travis, was wealthy and had even wealthier friends. Things were just getting more and more ridiculous! How on earth did she manage to find herself in this situation?

Eventually, the soft bed and pillows dragged her into a deep slumber, but that didn't help prevent bags from forming under her eyes. Patricia woke up a bit disorientated both from this and her unusual surroundings. Being awakened by a strange butler was also a massive part of it.

The man was tall, well-dressed, and she had to admit, good-looking. He had a bit of a strange atmosphere around him that she couldn't quite put her finger on, but given recent events, she had an idea. Regardless, she still followed him to the dining room. In all honesty, she was surprised that she was given breakfast, given the fact that she somewhat barged in. She didn't object, however. The contents of her plate looked delicious.

Heavenly! It took only one bite to decide that this was perhaps one of the best things that Patricia had ever eaten. She almost wondered how much it would cost to hire a chef. She almost lost herself in her meal until she saw someone else enter the room.

"Good morning…" said a small, sleepy voice. It was the voice of a small boy, who looked to be about nine or ten years old. He walked into the dining room, his bare feet slapping against the hardwood floor as he did, still wearing his pajamas as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. His stubby tail flickered back and forth occasionally- yes, his tail.

Patricia's eyes widened at the boy and she dropped her fork. This child had a pointed ears, crimson eyes, a tail, and horns. Unless she was severely mistaken, most human children have none of those things. As soon as the metal object clattered against the plate, the boy actually looked up at her. His grogginess faded almost immediately as a panicked expression came over him.

"Sebastian!" he called loudly, turning tail and running in the direction he came from. "SEBASTIAAAANN! THERE'S A LADY IN THE DINING ROOM!"

"Hey!" Patricia called out, standing up slightly. She sat back down as the boy was ushered back into the room by the mysterious butler clad in black. The butler gently pushed against the boy's shoulders, shooing him along back into the room.

"Now, now, there's nothing to be worried about, Luka." Sebastian reassured. "This is Patricia. She is a guest. She'll be going home after breakfast, so be polite."

The boy, apparently known as "Luka", reluctantly sat down in his usual spot, where a plate was already waiting for him. His feet swung back and forth as they dangled, unable to touch the floor while he started shoveling in food. Remarkably, he seemed to forget about their guest momentarily, as he was seemingly distracted. The woman who was also seated at the table, couldn't help but stare at him. Without a doubt, he was the strangest little boy that she had ever laid eyes on.

"Where is Revy?" The butler asked of the child, arching an eyebrow.

"In his room, still, I guess." Luka said with his mouth full. He offered a small shrug as well. "I think he's still asleep."

"I told him to get up fifteen minutes ago…" Sebastian muttered, shaking his head. "Was he up all night blogging again?"

"Dunno, I didn't ask."

"I'll have to go get him, then…" the butler said, turning to walk away. "I'll return shortly."

"Wait, Sebastian! Don't lea-" The bruenette cut himself short as the older demon already ventured out of sight. Now, he was all alone with a stranger and he didn't know how to act. The poor lad fidgeted in his chair, suddenly feeling incredibly self-conscious about his horns and tail. He shrunk himself, keeping his eyes on his plate as he slowly started to eat again.

"Relax, I'm not gonna bite." Patricia said, feeling bad for the tiny demon. "I'm too tired and I'd rather be biting my breakfast."

"What are you doing here?" asked the demon, peeking up at the human ever so slightly.

"I needed to hide from someone, so the blue-haired guy let me stay here." She replied. Embarrassingly, she never learned the name or identities of the two detectives that let her in. They never introduced themselves. "My name's Patricia, by the way. You can call me ' _Patty',_ if you want."

"I'm Luka…" the child bashfully said. "You're… human, right?"

"Sure am." Answered Patricia. "And you are?"

"I'm a demon… Not a strong one, but a demon…"

"Okay, I've seen everything, now." The woman declared, shaking her head. "First there's shape-shifters, and now demons… What's next, the wolfman?"

"One of my babysitters is a werewolf, does she count?" The boy watched curiously as the girl seated near him put her head in her hands.

"This has got to be some weird dream…" She said. "Or a prank… If Travis is pranking me, I will kill him so hard…"

"Oh, you're new to this stuff…" the demon said aloud. "It's really not that weird. We're not bad demons, so you don't gotta worry about that."

"There are ' _good'_ demons?" the human girl asked, looking up. After a few seconds, she seemed to pick up on something. "Wait, what do you mean ' _we'?!"_

"Me, Sebastian, Jim and Ciel." The boy listed off. "Oh, Jim is my big brother. He doesn't like it when most people call him that, though, and usually goes by _'Alois'_. Ciel is his boyfriend. He's the one with the blue hair and he also owns this house."

"So… everyone in this house is a demon…?" inquired the house's guest.

"No, Revy's a revenant."

"What's that?"

_"A dead body possessed by a spirit."_

Patricia honestly didn't know how to respond to that. That was absolutely terrifying. She was the only human being in a large mansion inhabited by supernatural beings. It sounded like she was the protagonist in some horror video game. How does one respond to that? The demons seemed polite enough, so as bad as she wanted to, she couldn't exactly run screaming in terror.

"I want to go home…" she said, pushing away the plate in front of her and laying her head down on the table. "I'm going to hell…"

"We're not gonna hurt ya!" Luka protested. "We're good guys!"

"I can't deal with all of this… Am I dreaming? I'd like to wake up now…"

_"Hey!"_


	67. Pestering Peons

That morning, the demonic duo were awakened by a knock at their bedroom door. The Macken released a small, annoyed groan, as it was finally the weekend and he could sleep in. He simply shifted, squeezing the bluenette beside him tighter in hopes that whatever it was would go away if he ignored it long enough. A second groan escaped his lips as his beau sat up in order to address their unwanted visitor.

"Yes?" called the head of the household, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. It was his butler who peeked through the door, opening it just a mere crack.

"My apologies for waking you, master, but I'm leaving in order to escort our guest home." Sebastian informed. "Is there anything that you need while I'm out?"

"Not that I can think of." The bluenette replied. "I'll text you if I think of anything important."

"Very well, then. I'll be taking my leave." Answered his servant. He paused for a moment before adding: "My apologies to you, too, Alois."

 _"Uuuuugggghhh…"_ moaned the menace in complaint. He childishly made an attempt to burrow himself further into his pillow in an effort to escape. With a chuckle, the butler simply shut the door again and left, leaving the two gentlemen alone again. Ciel ran a hand through his hair, sighing, only to have the blonde sit up and wrap his arms around him once more.

"Oof!" grunted the Phantomhive as he was pulled back down so that he was lying beside the menace again. A smile formed on his face as Alois made himself comfortable again, squeezing the watchdog tightly and nuzzling against him. Ciel had no other choice but to pull the covers back up and allow the Macken to have his way.

"This is my favourite part of the morning." Alois mumbled into his partner's nightshirt. "How dare you try to take it away from me prematurely?"

"You're so clingy…"

"You are, too." The menace accused. "Remember that time I didn't cuddle up next to you on the couch just to see what would happen and you looked so dejected?"

"I was merely confused because you went against your ordinary behaviour." Ciel said.

"Liar, you looked pitiful." The blonde accused. "You're just as needy as I am." He ran his palms lower down the other man's back before taking them away. He playfully brought his hand down on the Phantomhive's rear, playfully patting it. "Silly puppy…"

"Is that entirely necessary?" asked the bluenette. It wasn't exactly an uncommon occurrence for the menace to do such things, but it was still embarrassing.

"Yes." Alois stated. "It's just a playful little butt-pat. I could do worse."

"Well, if you're going to do that, then do it soon. I have a business-meeting in a few hours." Replied the Phantomhive. He sighed and ran a hand through his beau's hair. "Christmas is coming soon, and we've gotten a late start, this year…"

"Noooooooo…" whined the menace. He rubbed his face against the fabric of his beau's shirt. "It's the weekend and I'm supposed to bother you."

"Sorry. Work is work." Ciel chuckled. "I'm always busy around this time of year. You know that."

"Fine… Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Not that I can think of, at the moment." The bluenette answered. "Mostly just behave until I get back from all of the meetings I have to go to."

"Ew, no." Alois replied. "I don't even know how and that's really gross. I can't believe you would even _suggest_ such a thing!"

"I'm sorry to offend you."

"You're lucky you have a cute butt, or else I might not forgive you." Stated the menace, giving his beau's tush a playful squeeze.

"I'm glad I can somehow make amends." Ciel jested. He pecked the blonde on the lips before grabbing the man's hand and moving it so he could sit up. "I'm sorry to cut your fondling short, but I have to get ready sometime soon."

The menace pouted at the revelation, but decided to sit up as well. He wrapped the blankets around himself, having lost his preferred source of heat. He asked: "How am I supposed to stay warm now?"

"You have blankets, and there's a perfectly well-lit fireplace in the other room." The Phantomhive said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and walking over to the dressing room in order to get ready.

"I am being neglected." Alois declared. "How very dare you?"

"I love you too, muffin." Playfully retorted the watchdog, selecting the suit that he was going to wear that day. His business suits were in a completely separate location from his "work" suits. They came in different colours and shades instead of the plain, black, cheaply-made suits that he tore through while on missions and such. He selected a dark blue suit and a black tie. He put on the pants along with a shirt and was about to tuck it in, when he felt a familiar presence behind him.

"Jim, you can't sneak up on me anymore. You know that." He said with a small, yet amused smile. The menace huffed and placed his forehead in between the other man's shoulder blades.

"This is the worst part about having a contract…" he grumbled before turning around to go back to bed. When he did, however, he jolted and let out a small squeak before facing the Phantomhive again with a reddened face. Ciel held his hand up in a fist, tapping his thumb against his index finger with a smirk.

" _Revenge_." He said mischievously as the blonde rubbed the now stinging spot on his backside. He huffed before crawling back into bed and trying to get comfortable, mumbling and grumbling at the "unfairness" of the watchdog's actions. Ciel simply chuckled and continued getting dressed, assuming his "CEO" disguise in the process.

When he walked back into the bedroom, he found the menace occupying as much of the bed as he possibly could, monopolizing all of the blankets, and even hugging the watchdog's pillow. Ciel rolled his eye at the juvenile act of protest against his actions and made his way toward the blonde. He leaned down in order to peck the blonde on the cheek one last time before getting his papers sorted for his meeting, only to have the blonde interrupt him.

"You better not try to kiss me with that manky-ass beard again." Alois stated, not even bothering to open his eyes. His instructions were willfully ignored as the bluenette leaned down and kissed the menace on the cheek anyway with a smirk. He did it again, and thrice more, chuckling as the blonde squirmed and complained.

"Gross!" the Macken declared, scrunching his nose and wrestling his hands out of the blankets in order to shoo the other man away. "Quit it! Arrgh! Fucking ugh! Piss off, bloody douchelord!"

"Oh, come, now, you're hurting my feelings." Ciel jested. He shifted his form so that it was closer to his ordinary face, getting rid of the beard before leaning down and pecking a disgruntled and pouting Alois on the lips. After releasing the man, he changed back and walked toward the door, turning to peek in at the menace one last time before he left.

"Have a nice day, _Jimmy_." He called, sweetly.

"Fuckity- _bye!"_ the Macken barked, throwing the covers over his head as he heard his beau laugh outside the door.

It was then, and only then that he allowed himself to smile at the watchdog's antics. One of his favourite things about dating the bluenette was that he, and only he was allowed to see this playful side of Ciel's. Alois laid in bed for a while longer, pondering what all he was going to do that day. It was then that he got an awaited phonecall.

Alois' hand reached out of the blankets and groped around the surface of his nightstand for his cellphone, listening to the sound of its obnoxious ring. He really ought to change the tune. Once grabbing hold of the device, the blonde pulled it under the covers with him and placed it against his ear.

"What's up, Bass-man?" he greeted, knowing full-well that it was the butler on the other end. He could almost hear Sebastian rolling his eyes as he waited for a response.

"I'm on my way to take care of that little _errand_ of yours." Answered the man clad in black as he drove down the street. "Hopefully everything will be sorted out in time."

"Good." The blonde replied. "Sorry I had to ask you to do this. I thought Ciel's meeting was _next_ week, and also, to be honest, I have no idea how to go through the process."

"Perhaps next time, you should accompany me." Sebastian said. "It's quite alright. After all, if I couldn't do this much, what kind of butler would I be?"

"A bloody awful one." Giggled Alois. "Ciel's about to leave for the day. He's getting his stuff sorted before he heads out."

"There's plenty of time." The man reassured. "You're really going all-out this time, aren't you?"

"It's only fair..."

"Didn't the master specifically ask you _not_ to worry about it?"

"I told him the same thing, but did he? _No_." replied the Macken, rolling onto his back while keeping the phone against his ear. "Besides, I just want to…"

"How sweet." Chuckled the older demon. "Now if only you didn't have me do all of the dirty work."

"Not cool, mate. Not cool." Alois said, sitting up. "Oh, did I give you my card? You might need that."

"You did. You told me the pin, too."

"Oh, good. That would have sucked." The blonde stated.

"I'm already here. I'll call you if I need anything else." Sebastian replied.

"Okay. Later, Scratch." Alois replied, hanging up and putting the device back on the nightstand. He then stretched his arms over his head with a grunt and shook off some of the sleep. Now it was time for the Macken to get ready for the day.


	68. Rev It Up

Warwick Academy-… It's supposedly a rather nice school. I don't know. I've never been to any other schools; at that I can remember. My brother, his boyfriend, and their friends used to go here. They graduated last year. Now, this is where I go to school. Let me tell you right now, when your brother has a major reputation and you look exactly like him, things get a little bit complicated.

The first few weeks were a living hell. Basically everybody who was scared of Alois thought it would be a pretty good idea to go after me. I've had things stolen, gotten in fights, gotten beaten up a lot, and all because "The Blonde Menace" is my brother. Not that I hold that against him or anything- it's just that I'm not as tough as he is. I heard that one time he didn't like math class so he jumped out a window. I can see that happening. I'm not crazy enough to do it, though.

Fortunately, I was able to make a few friends. One of them is the little sister of one of Alois' friends. Her name is Samantha Westley. We call her "Sam", though. She's the smartest person in our year, and I'm pretty sure she could come up with some pretty good plans for world domination.

Then there's Geraldine. She's from the Midford family, and is their youngest. I think she's Ciel's first cousin three times removed or some nonsense. She's the other blonde in our group, but she's definitely a lot prettier. Gerry is kind of an odd one. For example, she has one lock of hair that's way longer than the others over her left ear so "evil spirits don't whisper in it". I'm not gonna argue, though. She's on the fencing team and jokes about "bathing in the blood of her enemies".

Yeah, they both know about supernatural beings. They always ask me stuff, but I don't know the answers to a lot of it. Like, I dunno if vampires really don't have reflections or not. I've never caught one in front of a mirror! Sometimes I can answer them. Like, no, the show _Supernatural_ isn't realistic at all. You think salt can hurt a demon? Alois could practically inhale chips all day and be perfectly fine. In fact, that would make him really happy. It's kind of disturbing to watch him eat them sometimes.

My eyes cause me lots of trouble. They're black where they should be white, and it took me a hell of a time trying to convince all of my teachers to let me wear my sunglasses in class. They've been stolen from me I don't know how many times. I just tell people that I have a weird hereditary disease or something and they buy it. If I told them I'm dead, they wouldn't believe it because I don't rot.

This body causes me lots of problems. I had to opt out of taking gym classes because I couldn't stand being in the changing room. Do you know how weird it is to change in front of other people in a body that you know isn't yours? I also just can't stand seeing that many naked blokes. It's gross. I don't even like seeing myself naked, let alone other people. Wearing somebody else's skin is weird, and usually I forget about it, except then. Not too heartbroken about missing gym, though.

Uh… Let's see what else is happening? Alois us up to no good again-, this time he's not arranging whatever it is with Ciel, though, and has Sebastian helping him. I dunno what that's about. It's scary what Alois can accomplish when he's serious. It's not natural. I'm still surprised that they all haven't gotten together to overthrow the government or something. That seems like the sort of thing that they'd do for giggles on the weekends. They're crazy.

I'm surprised Luka hasn't figured out that they're a bunch of criminals sometimes. So far, it seems like he thinks that they're just monster policemen or something. Sometimes they are, but sometimes they're exterminators or assassins. They kill supernatural creatures, which is definitely something police officers don't do.

Our family is weird. Too weird. Can't we just be normal for once?


	69. Hard To Swallow

It was December. It was FUNTOM's busiest time of the year and products were flying off the shelves. Meeting after meeting, the CEO had to attend, making sure that progress was running smoothly. One small mistake could prove dangerous. When Christmas finally comes, the Phantomhive will finally have some time off, but until then, it was all business.

He was getting tired of working so hard. Yes, even Ciel Phantomhive, who liked to shut himself away in his office and work liked to sit around and do nothing sometimes. Sure, he had plenty of other things he could do, but some seemed more appealing than others. For now, the bluenette simply wanted to relax and rid himself of stress.

The Taxi ride home seemed to take longer than usual. Perhaps it was his haste, or the choking smell of cigarettes that seeped into the seats of the cab, but whatever it was, it was suffocating. He really wanted to rid himself of this silly, older form. It was stuffy. When he finally made it to the front gate, Ciel hastily paid the driver and walked through it. The bluenette got approximately a few yards from the door when he hears a voice.

" _Ciel, oh, Ciel! What for art thou, Ciel?"_ called the blonde menace from somewhere above him. Ciel looked up to see the menace leaning out their bedroom window on the second floor, grinning down at him. "Deny thy harshness and refuse thy beard. Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn by my love and I'll no longer be an idiot."

"That's not how it goes." The Phantomhive called back. Still, he changed his form back to his usual appearance, surrendering the "CEO" disguise. "Perhaps you should brush up on your Elizabethan literature."

"Oh, lay off. I'm tryin' to flirt, here. Gimme a break." Alois replied. Being the mischievous soul that he was, he placed his foot on the bottom of the windowsill and jumped, soaring through the air with his hair whipping around his face as he fell. Effortlessly, he landed on his feet before trotting over to the bluenette and kissing him on the cheek. "Welcome back, pooch. Have my words wooed you, yet?"

Ciel chuckled. "Perhaps not in the way you intended, but somehow, yes." He said. His Macken's hijinks were always endearing. Even if the man deliberately butchered Shakespeare for a laugh, Ciel could see a bit of charm in Alois' actions.

"Close enough." Answered the blonde. "How was your meeting?" he asked, walking alongside the bluenette toward the manor.

"Dreadful. It was just the standard stuff, what are market research has come up with, how our sales are doing, and the like. Nothing of any interest. I don't see why they didn't just fax the information to me." The Phantomhive stated. "What about you? What did you do, all day?"

"Oh, you'll find out pretty soon." The menace cryptically replied.

"Have you been up to no good?" questioned his beau.

 _"Always,_ but today's a little different than usual."

"Oh, and why's that?"

"What's today's date?"

The palm of the bluenette's hand met his forehead. Of course the menace was up to something on this day. " _December fourteenth_ … What did you do?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise!" Alois declared. "I went through quite a bit of trouble to arrange this. It was really long, hard, and exhausting, but hopefully it'll be worth it."

"Can you give me a hint, at least?" inquired the watchdog, causing the blonde to hum in response as he thought.

"Pfft-! It goes between your legs, how's that?" A naughty grin appeared on Alois' face as a blush appeared on that of the bluenette. He almost cackled at the other man's expression.

_"Jim!"_

"Calm down, don't get so excited." He walked ahead of the Phantomhive a few paces and waved for the man to follow. "Hurry up and come inside. Unless, of course… you want me to…"

"Just get in the house." Ciel replied, quickening his pace so that he walked ahead of the Macken. Alois watched after him for a few seconds before calling out to him again.

"It's not that way." He informed, causing Ciel to stop in his tracks. The watchdog looked over his shoulder confusedly. "Follow me. I said we were going inside, but I never said which entrance."

Arching an eyebrow, the watchdog curiously followed his beau, walking around side of the manor. He was puzzled by what the menace could possibly be up to, but then Alois stopped in front of the garage. Suddenly, the menace took a few steps toward Ciel, causing a look of surprise to appear on the man's face as Alois gripped his tie. The blonde put a hand on Ciel's shoulder as he loosened it before tugging it off. Now the Phantomhive had absolutely no idea what his boyfriend was doing!

"It'll be more fun if you're blindfolded." Alois said, placing the fabric over the bluenette's eye and eyepatch. He reached behind the other man's head in order to tie it before stepping behind Ciel and grabbing his shoulders. Alois then started guiding him forward. "Let's go~!"

"You're killing me…" Ciel stated as he stepped onward. He wasn't worried about tripping over anything, seeing as though he could sense if he was about to be in distress and had Alois' guidance in addition. They both stopped and he heard the garage door open before moving forward again. "

"Don't be such a tight-ass. We're almost there." The blonde replied. "In fact, we're already here. Happy Birthday."

With that, the tie was removed and Ciel opened his eye. Now it made sense. Among the Phantomhive vehicles was now a motorcycle, matching the black hue of the cars around it. Ciel looked at the vehicle before looking back at the menace with a spark of excitement on his face.

"How did you…?" he began to ask, baffled as to how Alois managed to acquire such a thing, let alone know that Ciel would hold interest in it.

"Well, I figured I'd get you something that I knew you really wanted, but would never get for yourself." The blonde answered, smiling at the bluenette. "I see how you look at the dealership every time we pass it, and you've said so yourself that they're ' _pretty cool'_. As for how I got one; since you take care of most of the expenses, my paycheck adds up. Money wasn't a problem, it was getting the bloody thing. I had to have Sebastian's help. Oh, and by the way, he also added something to your schedule. You'll be taking the class to get your license starting next week. By the way, I've already got one. Remember when I said I was staying after school to work on a project? Yeah, that was only half-true."

Bluenette locks shifted as Ciel shook his head back and forth, wearing a big grin and trying not to chuckle. "That was elaborate." He said. The amount of time it probably took for the menace to arrange this and how he did it without the Phantomhive even suspecting a thing was impressive. "You never cease to amaze me, Jim."

"Don't laugh at me! I tried really hard!" pouted Alois, snaking his arms around the watchdog's waist. He buried his face in his beau's shoulder, actually a bit nervous as to what to other demons would think about his gift. "Do you like it?"

"I love it." Ciel replied, placing his hands on top of the blonde's. "I just don't really know what to do with it!"

"Easy." Alois stated, pulling away and placing his hands on his beau's chest. "Do whatever you want, whenever you want, for as long as you want."

"It'll still be a while before I can do that. I still have to get my license."

"True, but in the meantime, I could always take you for a ride." Answered the Macken. "Then again, it wouldn't feel right to be playing with your toys."

"I don't mind." Spoke the Phantomhive, putting his hands on his boyfriend's hips. "We'd be doing it together, so I don't see the problem."

"Good." Alois said. "Oh, while we're on the topic, you've still got one more present to unwrap. There's just one condition…"

"Really? What's that?" With a grin, the lover of the watchdog leaned in to peck the man on the lips before pulling back again.

"You'll have to catch it first." Alois pushed the Phantomhive away with a giggle, forcing them both to separate so he could run away. Then, his beau simply stood there in silence with a stunned look on his face as he watched the menace and heard him laugh as he fled. Soon, however, a smirk graced his face and he began to walk after Alois.

"You really are a clever one, aren't you?"

* * *


	70. The Night's Not Over Yet

Before the demonic duo knew it, the sun had gone down. Ciel found himself alone, stark naked in his bed as the blonde menace took a shower. Although he was still catching his breath, there was still more to do. The others were coming over soon, so the Phantomhive needed to make himself decent. At least he was able to relax for a while. Perhaps now he had the strength to interact with people a while longer.

The Phantomhive sat up, stretching his arms before tossing the sheets off of himself. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and began to pick his clothes up off of the floor, starting with his underwear and putting them on as he went. He tried to straighten himself up to the best of his ability, but his hair was a mess. He would have to fix it after Alois was done in the bathroom. Eventually, he opted to ditch the tie and suit jacket and roll up his sleeves for a more casual look. It was just a small party amoung friends, after all.

Having nothing left to do but wait on the blonde, he sat down in a chair and leaned back, releasing a rather content sigh as he got comfortable. Ciel sat back, lazily reclining in his seat as he listened to the sound of running water coming from the other room. It had only been a few minutes since Alois first stepped inside the shower, so Ciel had some time.

A smile graced his face as he thought about his beau. The blonde menace had manage to completely blindside him yet again. The gift itself was irrelevant to the Phantomhive, while he did appreciate it. Ciel was more impressed with Alois' abilities. The Macken really could be clever when he wanted to be, for someone who absolutely despised going to class. Perhaps that was part of it. Perhaps the menace simply didn't regard schooling with the same importance as he did murder and kidnapping plots. It was a good hierarchy of priorities to have, but Alois really could do it all, if his interest were captured. Ciel was honoured to be one of those things that could catch the Macken's attention. It made him feel like a lucky man.

He sat up just a tad when he heard the water shut off, and so he commenced waiting for the menace to vacate the bathroom so he could finish getting ready. Before he knew it, Alois had stepped out with a towel wrapped around his waist. Water dripped from his blonde locks and landed on his chest, shoulders, and back as he walked over to the watchdog, bending over at the waist in order to peck the man on the lips.

"Hello, sunshine." Alois greeted, placing a hand on the armrest of the chair. "So, has this been a pretty decent birthday so far?"

"You bet." Replied Ciel, placing a hand over the menace's. "Though I admit it's a bit odd to be spoiled so extensively."

"You do it for me all of the time, so I wanted to return the favour." The menace stated. "And before you say anything, the party wasn't my idea. It was Dan's. He said he was going to show up regardless, so I kind of had no choice."

"That idiot…" Ciel said before having his hair ruffled and ruined completely by the blonde menace. He tried to frown as the blonde cackled, leaving to put on his own clothes. With that, the watchdog grumbled and got up to go fix his appearance.

"He can't help it. He's not that bright, Ciel." Said the Macken as he dropped his towel and put on some underwear. "I didn't think you'd want a party, but I didn't want them to show up _'uninvited'_."

"There's nothing we can do I suppose…"

"Don't worry," began the menace, slipping his T-shirt back over his head and sticking his head through the neck hole. "We'll pick up where we left off later."

A mischievous grin crawled across Alois' face as he heard things falling out of the medicine cabinet in the bathroom where the bluenette was and with that, he was finished dressing. The menace started walking toward the door, shaking his head one last time in order to rid himself of any access water droplets before gripping the handle. He turned to face the general direction of the bathroom in order to address the bluenette one last time.

"I'm going to go check on things downstairs." He called, receiving a small noise that he could only assume was acknowledgement from the Phantomhive at his words before stepping out of the room.

Trekking down the lengthy halls, Alois made his way to the ballroom. He began stepping down the staircase, only to look up and see the butler answering the door. A sigh escaped the blonde's lips at the sight of the Westley and Miles gentlemen. They were early. Still, the Macken greeted them just as he normally would.

"'Sup, nerds?" he said, his foot hitting the floor after the final step. "The hell are you doin' at my house?"

"We're here for the party, stupid." Daniel stated. "You can't have a birthday without a party. It's science."

"Are you a scientist?"

"Damn straight."

"You're anything but."

Daniel's brows raised at the accusation and his cheeks tinted pink. He opened his mouth to speak, but immediately closed it, realizing that he was unable to argue. "Whatever, you're still the gayest one here. Where's the party at?"

"Ballroom. Sebastian will lead you there while I… not do that and go do something else. I don't know. You're not worth my time, Westley." Alois jested.

"Before that, why is your hair wet?" asked Kristopherson, arching an eyebrow.

"I just got out of the shower."

"Don't tell me you banged Ciel before this…" Daniel trailed off. Alois, however, didn't reply, and instead made a small humming noise before walking away without another word. He left the pair with the butler, not willing to answer the questions directly. "Gross!"

"Let's just go wait for the others, Dan…" spoke Kristopherson, having already followed the butler halfway out of the room. His friend had to jog in order to catch up with them.

"Hey! Wait up!"

"Goodbye."


	71. Awkward Meeting

There was a party going on at Phantomhive manor. The master of the household was turning one-hundred and thirty-nine on this day, prompting many jokes about his current relationship with an eighteen-year-old blonde from his friends. Daniel and Kristopherson were particularly ruthless in their teasing, given their personalities.

The two were compatible in their mischief, making jabs, poking fun, and being otherwise obnoxious in the most positive meaning of the word. They acted as they always have, despite everything that has happened to them over the past few months. Between Kristopherson's guilt over Preston's injury, Daniel's guilt over confusing the faux-blonde, and their confession of their feelings to each other, they were quite relaxed.

They still hadn't made any progress in their relationship since then, given the fact that Kristopherson has decided, and rightfully so, that he refuses to get romantically involved with the Westley gentleman until Daniel has come clean to Anastasia about his true feelings. As expected, Daniel, in an act of cowardice, has decided to simply try and "fade" out of the relationship with the Miles girl.

Daniel was having lots of problems lately. There was his problem with Anastasia, and his problem with her brother. The poor Westley had grown to become somewhat hyper-aware of Kristopherson at times, especially when the other man's old habit of wearing women's clothes around the house started to surface. Tight pants and T-shirts sparked a reaction in Daniel that he was not accustomed to, and it often made the brunet blush and stutter while averting his gaze. He really didn't know how to handle this.

For now, however, he was fine. They were in public and Kristopherson was dressed "normally". The fact that they were both actively bothering people for their own amusement added to his sense of calm. It was then, however, that he spotted someone who he hadn't seen before.

"Hey, Kris, who's that?" he asked, gesturing off in the general direction of who it was he was talking about.

"Who?" inquired Kristopherson in response.

"That girl. Over by Travis." Daniel said, this time actually pointing.

"I don't know." A sly smile spread across the faux-blonde's face. "But she seems to be sticking awfully close to him."

"Could it be his girlfriend?! What the fuck?! How did he do that?!"

"Well, he always has been good at winning people over…"

"I'm gonna get to the bottom of this."

" _Gay."_ Kristopherson said in monotone, prompting a glare from his flatmate. He laughed as the brunet bashfully walked away, trying to pretend that he hadn't heard the other man, or even understood him.

He walked up to the Sullivan man and the woman with him, dead-set on finding out who she was, with the secondary goal of possibly embarrassing Travis with the information. Actually, he was going to do that whether he received it or not. When the Sullivan noticed the Westley, he looked up and his friend followed suit.

"Yo! What's up, nerds?" greeted Daniel in an unnecessarily irritating manner. "Travis! It's been forever! How're ya doin'? How's your book coming along?"

"It's almost halfway done." Travis replied in his usual serene tone. "If you wanted to talk, you could've just called."

"Yeah, but what would I say? ' _Hey, Travis, I was just calling to bother you at a possibly inconvenient time. Hope ya don't mind?'_ "

"If I was in the middle of something, I'd call you back."

"But what if you forgot?" asked the Westley gentleman.

"Then I'd assume you'd try again later." Travis stated before pausing for a moment. "Wait, why are we arguing about this?"

"I dunno." Daniel shrugged. "I was just curious as to who your lady-friend is." He said, wiggling his eyebrows and earning an eyeroll. With that, the Sullivan boy simply gestured to the young woman with him.

"This is Patricia." He informed. "She's been helping me study for the fight-scenes in my book. After a really weird series of unfortunate events, she now knows the ' _group secret'_."

"Oh, so she knows about ' _Satan'_ and his little boy-toy, then?" inquired the Westley as his flatmate walked up to the trio as well. "Oh, yeah, I'm Daniel." He said, introducing himself. "This is Kristopherson. So you know about monsters and all that too, then, huh?"

"Wait, you know, too?" questioned the boxer, arching her eyebrow. She let out a sigh ad rubbed her temples. "What is this, some club of rich people who play with monsters?"

"Actually, no. That's a different group entirely." Daniel bluntly said. "Don't sweat it. You'll get used to it in no time! It's pretty normal around here, so it's not really a big deal."

"' _Not a big deal'?"_ Patricia asked with a skeptical look.

"We usually don't get involved in the dangerous stuff." Kristopherson added. "It happens, but it's really rare and is never intentional. It's Ciel and Alois who deal with that sort of thing. It's their job, after all."

"So basically, you're telling me to just accept it, yeah?" asked the boxer, pinching the area between her brows.

"Yeah."

"Like hell I can!" Patricia declared. "It's not that easy to let go of everything you know, and I'm still convinced that this is some kind of prank!"

"Damn, Travis, control your woman…" teased Daniel.

"She's not my woman, she's my boxing coach." The Sullivan clarified, causing a concerned look to fall over the brunet's face. He looked at Patricia, and then back to Travis.

"I didn't know you were into that sort of thing, Sully…"

"Oi! Blondie! _Control your woman_." Spoke Patricia to the faux-blonde, causing a slight pink to dust his cheeks and a darker one to splatter the Westley's.

"I'm not his woman!" Daniel barked, furrowing his brow and trying to seem intimidating. He wasn't good at it in the slightest, so he wasn't at all convincing.

"It was a joke, mate. Relax. There's no way either one of you could be the ' _girl_ '." Cluelessly said the Ramirez woman. With a small cough, Kristopherson answered.

"We're… We're not together…" he said, hiding his embarrassment far better than his flatmate.

"No? Huh. Sure fooled me." Said Patricia. She slapped the Westley on the back in a friendly manner, perhaps hitting him a bit too hard on accident. "My bad~! Sorry, mate. I just thought you'd look cute, is all!"

"I take it back! Travis! You are forbidden to elope with this girl!" declared the Westley gentleman, pointing a finger at the boxer accusingly. The woman in question simply stuck out her tongue in response.

"You're not my parents, Dan." Said the Sullivan.

"Oh, so you _would~?"_

"I don't know. If things turned out that way, I guess, but I don't plan on it at the moment." Travis stated.

"Wow, Travis, you're cold…"

"What did I say?!"

* * *


	72. How Nice

"Birthday boy off the port bow! Ready the harpoons!"

"Amelie! Get down from there!"

The lycanthrope stood on top of one of the tables in the ballroom, being rambunctious, as per usual. She pointed as the Phantomhive finally decided to make an appearance at his own party, causing him to almost come to a complete halt as the entire room now stared at him. At that moment, he actually debated on turning right back around and hiding upstairs. He didn't care if he was around friends. Being the center of attention at social events was exhausting.

A hand appeared on each of his shoulders from behind and he was gently pushed forward. He recognised it as the blonde menace almost immediately, but he didn't need to use his sixth sense for that. He heard the man's giggle! Alois simply continued to push him further into the room before taking on of his hands away and pacing so that he now had his arm around the bluenette.

"Don't harpoon Ciel. It isn't nice." The Macken stated. "Congrats on your engagement, by the way, poodles."

"You're getting married?" asked Audrey, looking to his two coworkers with an arched eyebrow. The lycanthrope straightened her back, proudly baring a toothy grin with a small blush on her cheeks. At last, she finally hopped down off of the table. Amelie didn't land with her feet on the floor, however. Instead, she opted to land on her fiancée's back and wrap her arms and legs around the woman.

"Charlotte is my wife!" the wolf-girl declared.

"Not yet, Amelie." Charlotte bashfully stated, placing her hands on Amelie's legs in order to support her. The vampire then turned her attention to the bluenette. "Happy Birthday, Ciel. How old are you this year?"

"I'm one-hundred and thirty-nine." Answered the Phantomhive in a matter-of-fact tone. To that, he was met with an extremely distressing proposition.

"Then we have to sing the birthday song one-hundred and thirty-nine times!" spouted the Westley gentleman from somewhere in the room. He took in a deep breath in order to start singing, but lost it as he was seemingly punched in the stomach by the watchdog's glare.

"Now, now, let's not." Said Alois, placing his hands over the bluenette's ears. "If you try, somebody's gonna end up dead and it's either going to be Ciel from embarrassment, or you by ' _mysterious causes'_ , Dan. Do you want the probability statistics on that?"

"Uh… on second thought…" mumbled Daniel, taking a few steps back before hiding behind his faux-blonde flatmate.

"I'm not good at parties in general. Don't make it worse." Ciel bluntly stated, simply waiting until the menace felt like removing his hands from his head. Understandably, it was somewhat difficult to take him seriously in that state. When the blonde finally released him, he continued speaking. "Mostly, I'm just interested in cake."

"So that's why everybody decided to show up…" mused the menace. "Cake is important. But, I'm pretty sure everybody else just hasn't seen each other in a while, and wanted an excuse."

"That makes sense." The bluenette replied. "As much as I'm not too fond of them using my birthday for that, I suppose it was well-intended…"

"Oh, c'mon, Ciel! Can't you just unwind and have fun for once?" asked the Westley again.

"For once, the idiot has a point." Kristopherson chimed in. "You're among friends, here. You should at least try to have fun."

"I still don't like my birthday for _personal_ reasons." Answered the Phantomhive. "You'll have to forgive me if I'm not feeling sociable."

"You heard the man. Let him be grumpy. It's his right." Spoke the menace. He then leaned to face the bluenette. "You can go hide, if you need to. All you needed to really do was show your face."

"I'm aware, and thank you." Ciel replied with a small smile. "I think I'll go do that…"

And with that, he did. First, he acquired a piece of cake, and then he sat on a sofa in a somewhat secluded area of the room away from the action. The Phantomhive simply observed the others and eaves-dropped here and there. It was amazing what all he learned without even having to engage in conversation!

Charlotte and Amelie were getting married, and are currently saving up to do so. They were worried about finding a place and time, with their work and supernatural persuasion and all. Daniel and Kristopherson still weren't together, but are on good terms. They both seemed as though they wanted to advance, but Daniel was obviously afraid of confronting Anastasia about their predicament, and was also still new to the idea of being with a man. His parents wouldn't be too keen on it either.

Relationship gossip wasn't all he learned. Audrey had apparently been moved from the combat division to the intelligence department at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. once his skills at acquiring information came to light. Meanwhile, Travis and Patricia talked about the Sullivan's book and how certain characters would engage in combat in various situations. So far, it sounded like an interesting read, although it didn't match Ciel's life exactly. In fact, it was probably better that way. It would be strange to read a summary of everything one has done.

The Phantomhive also watched how Revy and Luka were raiding the snack table. Revy was eating everything that had meat in it, while Luka was gorging himself on sweets. Ciel shook his head lightly as Sebastian intervened in order to scold them.

While all of that was happening, the blonde menace made his rounds, acting as the party's "host" in the place of the bluenette. Alois was talking, joking around, and interacting with guests with utmost ease. Since they were among friends, it was to be expected. At least the menace seemed to be having a good time.

Ciel was just about to get up and rid himself of his empty plate when the Macken began walking his way. The Phantomhive simply waited for Alois to sit down. A grunt escaped the other man when he did and the blonde leaned his head back over the back of the couch.

"Hello."

"Hi." Ciel said. "Having fun?"

"Yeah. Bit weird, though, trying to host someone else's party." Admitted the menace.

"I'm not the one who wanted it. That was all Daniel." The Phantomhive reminded. "Besides, you're better suited for this type of thing. I'm simply terrible at it."

"No you're not. You're just not used to the situation. If you were to spot one of the others in public, wouldn't you say ' _hello'?"_

"Probably." Ciel replied. "When it's a party, though, I feel as though I have to be entertaining."

"I think you're plenty entertaining, but then again, I'm pretty biased." The blonde jested, reaching out to play with his beau's hair.

"I can see that." Chuckled the watchdog, allowing Alois to do as he pleased. Soon the bluenette found his hair being braided by the other man, but he didn't mind in the slightest. This sort of thing was normal Alois behaviour, so naturally Ciel didn't think much of it. He simply closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his beau's fingers running through his locks.

"You can go hide upstairs, if you want. You don't have to stay here." Alois said. "Aren't you bored?"

"It would be rude to just leave you here to run everything on your own." His beau replied. "Shouldn't I at least pretend to be interested?"

"My, such a gentleman you are!"

"I try."

"I don't really mind. I just want you to have a good time." Spoke the menace, letting go of the other man. He left the braid for the bluenette to remove at his leisure. "You spoiled me rotten on mine, so I should do the same for you!"

"You've already done plenty." Ciel said. "I'm really impressed at how extensively you planned this, and your execution was perfect."

"Yeah, and then this party got in the way…" pouted the Macken. "Way to go, Dan…"

A chuckle escaped the Phantomhive at his beau's reaction. "And what would you have lined up instead, had we not been surprised by this? I'm curious."

"I don't know. I'm no good with romantic stuff…"

"Really? _I thought you were pretty romantic earlier_."

"Ciel!" the blonde said scoldingly, slapping the watchdog's arm in a playful manner as the other man laughed.

"I liked that part, too, though. That was a _very_ good present."

"Yeah, but we do that all the time, so it really doesn't seem like much. Besides, isn't it kinda… y'know…"

"Not really. I had lots of fun." The bluenette said. "But, if it makes you feel uneasy, then we don't have to." He reached down to grab the blonde's hand and intertwined their fingers.

"I just like spending time with you without having to solve murders, exterminate covens of vampires, thwart terrorist attacks, and that sort of thing." He continued. "It's nice."

"I suppose so. Sometimes I just forget how sweet you are like that. When I do, I guess it just turns into a game of how I can match you." Alois replied, looking down at his feet.

"Don't do that. You do your best when you do things your own way. You don't have to prove yourself to me or anything. You already have!"

"I know, I know… I just can't help it sometimes." The blonde tilted his head to look up at his beau again. "You'd feel that way a bit too, if your boyfriend was a blue-blooded noble who owns the house you live in and has an impressive business, _and_ is completely capable of getting almost anything he wants on his own."

"Perhaps so, but that isn't likely to happen, seeing as though the only one I want to be with is you." Ciel replied, leaning closer to the menace. "Out of anyone and everyone in the world, is has to be you. No one else is capable of being at my side."

"See? You _are_ the romantic one!" giggled the blonde, grinning from ear to ear. He opened his mouth to continue speaking, but was cut off by the sound of Ciel's phone ringing. The bluenette looked to him apologetically, waiting for the blonde to offer him permission to answer it.

"Go ahead." Alois stated, making a shooing gesture at the other man. The older demon the proceeded to reach into his pocket and pull out the device. When he looked at it and read the name, his other hand came up to rub his forehead.

 _"It's Junior."_ He said.


	73. Once More

New Scotland Yard, 8-10 Broadway, London SW1H 0BG, United Kingdom. The demonic duo had excused themselves from the bluenette's birthday party in order to make it, although it didn't necessarily hurt their feelings any. Normalcy was appreciated at times, but in other circumstances, it was suffocating foreign.

The demonic duo walked through the front entrance and into the lobby. No one said a word, while those who weren't employees were a bit perplexed by their odd presence. They certainly didn't look like police officers, and they certainly didn't look like they belonged there. They walked into the elevator and ascended several stories before walking through a maze of cubicles on their way to the evidence room. Detective Bailey sounded absolutely frantic on the phone, so it must be urgent.

Stepping lightly, they finally made it and with a slide of a key-card, the door was unlocked and they stepped into the room. When they did, however, they were a little surprised to see others inside with a very troubled looking Bailey. There were other detectives, as well as police officers. Indeed, this was important, wasn't it?

"What happened?" inquired the bluenette, looking around the room at the different faces in hopes that one of them would provide him with and answer.

"Bomb threat." One of the men said- a portly gentleman who spoke with an oddly irritating tone. "Thought you'd know something about that."

"And why would I know something like that?"

The first man gestured to one of the officers. "Show him." He instructed, and the policeman presented the demon with a typed-up letter addressed to the London Metropolitan police.

 _"To whom it may concern,"_ the letter began.

" _I would like to give you a slight warning in advance in regards to what is about to occur. On 12/16/14 I would like to play a small game with you. In honour of Ciel Phantomhive's 139_ _th_ _birthday, we will be playing a small game of 'tag'. And by 'small', I mean spanning all across London. You'll have to either find me or find all my little toys. Should either condition fail to be met, the general public will be met with the greatest act of terrorism this country has ever known. I'll be waiting for mister Phantomhive._

_Signed, Cerberus"_

" _Cerberus?"_ the Phantomhive echoed, finishing the letter. "I have no idea who would go under that alias."

"You've never heard of them?" asked detective Bailey.

"Not that I can remember." Ciel replied. "It could be anyone. I seem to pick up enemies left and right, after all."

"This isn't a joke!" spouted one of the detectives in the room. "Fix this!"

"What do you mean _'fix this'?_ I've done nothing wrong." Answered the watchdog. "I'll do my job, and that is all."

"Doesn't the M.O. sound familiar, though?" inquired Alois, rubbing his chin with his index finger. "Like ' _Simon Says'?"_

With that, there were whispers around the room, merging together to create a loud murmur. The two demons tried to separate the individual voices, but the words were still jumbled. So, they simply had to wait until one of the officers cared to explain what the matter was. Eventually, the moment came and detective Bailey spoke.

"Simon Smith, uh…" began the detective. "He was taken from his prison cell a week or so ago…"

"Are you fucking stupid?" demanded the Trancy, slamming a hand down on the table and startling the humans. "Why the fuck didn't you tell us then?! More importantly, how fucking idiotic do you have to be to not be able to make that connection? How do you not figure out that a known terrorist with a similar M.O. who possibly has a grudge against me and Ciel and has recently escaped, _might_ be related to this? Unbelievable! You call yourselves detectives? Solve the mystery of why you're such morons!"

While the Macken went off his tangent, the bluenette chuckled to himself at the display before beginning to ponder. How did Simon escape? Where was he now? More importantly, what was it that he wished to "talk" about, if he was involved? Either way, they had to find this "Ceberus", and stop the bombs.

"What's done is done." The bluenette finally stated, finally causing the menace to back off a bit. Alois took a few steps back and returned to the watchdog's side before Ciel continued. "We can't go back and fix it now. Our first priority must be stopping the bombs."

"And how do you intend to do that?" asked one of the detectives. "He said he planned to scatter them all around the city!"

"That's right. That's also our only clue." Ciel answered. "Think about it for a moment. If you were a terrorist about to scatter bombs all over a city, where would you put them?"

"Government buildings, probably." Stated one of the police officers. "Let's check there."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Spoke the Phantomhive. "Even if there's a lot of bombs, if they're scattered, there's no way that they could do enough damage to even a singular building."

"He talked about the general public." Alois pointed out, having thought about it. "So, what about areas that are heavy with tourists?"

"Plausible, but even those places are usually heavily guarded buildings." Ciel replied. The room went dead silent as everyone thought. Humans and demons alike pondered where they could possibly find explosives.

Alois mind began wandering, as usual, thinking back about the first time that they dealt with a similar case. Simon Says attached bombs to people and scattered them out in public. They went to a museum and the tower of London, but Simon's target was only one person. In this case, it was many, so the explosives would have to be slightly larger. They would also be in places that were possibly cramped or crowded. That's when it hit the blonde. One of the places that Simon Says instructed them to go was…

" _The metro_ …" he said aloud, capturing the attention of the others. Everyone perked up and turned their heads to face the menace.

" _Mass transportation_." Ciel stated. He nodded his head in a agreement. "That's perfect." It was then that the bluenette turned to face the humans in the room. "I want police at ever metro station in the city within the next hour or so. Search every station, every train, and every bus you can find, and then search it again. Look for anyone suspicious or acting suspiciously. Move quickly! We don't have much time. If we're lucky, we can still catch them as the bombs are being planted!"

As the Phantomhive barked his instructions, the police practically scrambled to their feet in order to get ready. They would need officers, bomb units, and dogs, with only a short amount of time to get everything ready. The demonic duo, too, needed to figure out where they were going to start. They needed to locate Simon Says, after all.

"Good job, thinking like a terrorist." Noted the bluenette as they made their way down the hall.

"Thanks. I figured it was the sort of thing you'd do." Said the menace.

"You flatter me. But how are we going to find this ' _Ceberus_ ', person?"

"Beats me. The only clues we have is the letter, and maybe if we find a bomb."

"So we should try and find a bomb?" asked Ciel.

"Sure. Sounds like fun."

* * *


	74. In Anticipation of What Is To Come

December 15th, 2014: the demonic duo had begun formulating a plan that would aid them in capturing "Ceberus", or more than likely, "Simon Says". According to the letter, the attack would begin the next day, so police were quickly mobilizing into action. They were following the bluenette's instructions, searching trains and buses, including stations. Anyone who looked suspicious was also stopped, but it was difficult to tell who could possibly be carrying a bomb, since it was December and everyone was wearing coats and other bulky clothing that anything could be hiding under. The dogs were currently their greatest asset, but it was uncertain as to whether or not they could find everything.

So far, nothing had turned up. They had no bombs and no way to find the source of the threat. All they had was this short little note that they were left with, and perhaps their past experience with Simon Says.

"Should we try thinking like terrorists again?" asked the fair-haired demon, reclining lazily on the uncomfortable couch in the bluenette's office. He looked at the other man as he leaned his head back over the armrest, his bangs hanging out of his face as the blonde waited for an answer. Eventually, the watchdog sighed.

"That's all we really can do, for now." Ciel stated, resting his chin in his palm as the fingers on his free hand tapped idly on the surface of his desk. "If you were going to bomb a bunch of places all at once while waiting on a specific person to either find them or you, where would you hide?"

Alois pondered for a moment, closing his eyes and pursing his lips as he thought. A humming sound escaped him as he formulated his answer. Finally, he said: "Probably somewhere I could monitor you, somehow."

"Alright. That's a good point." His beau replied. "But where would that be?"

"Well, don't subway stations each have like, security cameras and junk?" the menace inquired further, sitting up in his seat. "Streets have them, too. I'd assume they're both hooked up to one, or a couple places."

"So whoever's the one monitoring them normally is…?"

"Dead, probably. Or being used as a ' _walking bomb'_ against their will." It was then that icy blue eyes widened as he looked up at the bluenette. Almost immediately, Ciel understood, but the blonde clarified anyway. "Have any security guards been reported missing, lately?" As soon as he asked, Ciel picked up the phone.

"I don't know, but I can find out." The bluenette answered, dialing Scotland Yard. While he was doing that, the blonde simply waited patiently while he was uncovering the information, thinking about all of the possible outcomes.

Quite frankly, he wasn't too confident in the police's ability to snuff out the bomb threat while they were looking for Simon. Something told him that the bluenette wasn't, either. It was understandable. Humans were only so competent under that sort of infrastructure, and could only do so much. Their bodies and senses were weak. Alois shook his head at the thought. He, too, was human at some point, after all. He was starting to think like Sebastian.

Since they couldn't rely on the police for much, they would have no choice but to attempt and tear out the threat at its roots. Finding the mastermind behind the attack was their best shot at victory. If this little thought of theirs didn't amount to anything, then they would be forced back to square one.

"There is one." Ciel finally said, capturing the attention of the menace as he hung up the phone. Alois sat up on the couch and listened intently. "His name's Davie Moore. He went missing a few days ago, around the same time Simon Says was broken out of prison."

"That can't be a coincidence." Replied the Macken. "Where's his station located?"

"They're finding that out now." Stated the bluenette, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. He gave a sigh. "They said they would call back as soon as they found out so we can check it."

"So, what do we do in the meantime?" asked Alois. "Don't tell me we're stuck playing the _'waiting game'_ , are we?"

"I'm afraid so…"

" _Uuuuuuuggghhh!"_ groaned the menace, leaning back so he fell backwards onto the cushions of the notoriously uncomfortable sofa in the bluenette's office. "I hate this part of the case…"

"I feel the same, but there's not much else we can do." Ciel replied. The bluenette leaned forward again, resting his weight on his elbows and folding his hands as he watched the blonde pout. He honestly didn't expect to find "Ceberus" so easily, but simply sitting around and doing nothing seemed like a waste of time.

This whole sequence of events seemed unnecessary from the start, really. Why would Simon Says want to speak with the Phantomhive? Revenge for locking him away? Did he really think achieving revenge on a demon would be that easy? More importantly, how on earth did he manage to escape prison? There was no way that a man like Simon would have been able to escape on his own, even with his technical knowledge.

Security tapes report seeing a figure burst through the wall and grab him. That was the kicker. Simon had help. The bluenette had requested a copy of the security footage to look at, but it hadn't ended up in his hands just yet. The police were so busy running around like headless chickens while trying to mobilise, that they aren't able to focus on information flow. That was a mistake.

A sigh escaped the bluenette's lips as he tried to think. Who on earth was out there that would want to collaborate with Simon Says? Anyone that Ciel could possibly think of was either locked up or dead. That would certainly hinder a revenge plot.

Suddenly, the phone rang, prompting the bluenette to answer it. He listened to the person on the other end speak for a while, occasionally giving input, but inevitably hung up shortly after. Grabbing a memopad from his desk, he quickly jotted something down. His beau seated elsewhere in the room sat up again and looked his way.

"What's new?" questioned the menace, hugging his knees as he sat sideways on the sofa in order to face the other man.

"We found out where that guard was stationed." The bluenette replied, standing up. "The police are going to check it out."

"Then where are you going?"

"To the scene. I'm _'police'_ too, after all."

"Yeah. You're the ' _bad cop'_." Jested the menace with a grin. He, too stood up as the Phantomhive put on his coat.

"Well, if Mister Smith wants to see me, it would be rude to simply give him the cold shoulder, wouldn't it?"

"True. Especially with all the trouble he went through to get your attention!"

"I hope he doesn't mind that I'm showing up early." Ciel said as the other demon got ready to leave as well. "I do like to be punctual, you know."

"Indeed. Hopefully he's prepared for our ' _visit'."_

" _For his sake, he should hope so."_


	75. Gaurdian (Fallen) Angels

_"Think he'll be there?"_ asked the menace as the demonic duo briskly walked through the building. They had found out where the missing surveillance official was stationed and while they still had over half a day, the pair was going to try and ambush the perpetrator of the terrorist threat.

"If not, we'll wait on him." Ciel replied, turning the corner.

They passed police officers, internally cursing the fact that they were there. The men and women in uniform would have scared the perp off without a doubt! Was there even any point in pressing forward? The duo would soon find out as the bluenette reached for a doorknob. He didn't hesitate before swinging it open and setting his sights on what was inside.

It was dark; there were no laps on. The only light source in the room was the dim glow of the monitors that lined the wall. On the screens, one was able to see subway stations and busy intersections where London streets met. The hallways were visible. Ciel and Alois could see some of the police officers standing guard.

" _Empty…"_ the Phantomhive grumbled. With that, he immediately began searching for any evidence as pointing to anyone having been there recently while his beau did the same. So far, there wasn't much to be found. It was just a desolate, dark room with a bunch of screens.

"Either he was kidnapped here, or the perps got hungry…" Alois stated suddenly, catching the bluenette's attention.

"What makes you say that?"

"Half eaten doughnut on the desk." The menace pointed out. "Not sure what good that information's for. Just throwin' it out there."

"It's something…" replied Ciel, examining the doorway. There were no signs of forced entry. So, what on earth really did happen, here? Surely, if the guard was captured while he was still here, the door would have been locked.

" _Ciel."_ Called the menace as he stared at the wall of screens. His brow was furrowed in concentration and he leaned forward, placing his hands on the desk in front of him. Upon hearing his name, the Phantomhive turned in order to see what the menace had found this time.

"What is it?" he asked, following Alois' eyes with his own. His single visible eye honed in on one of the screens and began to try and figure out what it was the blonde was pointing out. Soon, his assistant saved him the trouble, reaching out and placing the tip of his finger on a screen.

"There." Spoke the fair-haired demon, pointing to the image of a man sitting on a bench while waiting for his train. Examining the figure, he couldn't tell what Alois was pointing out for a moment, until the man looked up, his eyes peering directly into the camera.

 _"Anastasia?"_ inquired the Phantomhive, recognizing the sibling of their friend, Kristopherson. They hardly ever saw her, but still knew what she looked like. "What's so strange about her being there?"

"Watch her closely." Alois replied. "See the way she's moving? How she's looking around the way she is? She looks terrified of something."

Just then, the Miles girl looked up and peered into the security camera, unwittingly staring at the demonic duo. The look on her face was a definite cause for concern. Her eyes were puffy and reddened and puffy as though she had been crying, and the expression she wore was that of terror. The girl was looking into the camera as though she were hoping for something. Like she wanted someone to come and get her.

"That coat isn't hers." Ciel said as the blonde took his finger away. "A girl like her whose mother is a fashion designer? It's not stylish enough. It's too plain and bulky…" Suddenly, his eye widened and both demons looked to one another.

"How much time do we have left?" he asked, and the blonde pulled out his cellphone in order to look at the clock.

"It's almost midnight…" Alois stated. "It's about to start."

"We have to get over there." The Phantomhive stated heading toward the door. "Let's go."

"Roger that." Answered his assistant, tailing him.

That specific station wasn't far, but it was a matter of arriving there before the train left. If Anastasia got on, it would be a _hell_ of a time catching up with her. Needless to say, if things came to that, it would be done. Thank goodness the girl was unknowingly acquainted with demons. It was a bizarre sort of blessing, almost, as if they were the darkest guardian angels in existence. Then again, even Satan himself was an angel once. Perhaps it wasn't so far off after all.

The pair made a mad dash to the station, running down the street while maneuvering past unwitting bystanders who simply thought they were some sort of hoodlums causing a ruckus. A police car tried to follow them as closely as it could, having recognised the duo and been alerted of the threat. It was easy to put together what was occurring. The Phantomhive demons were onto something.

Cold winter air pierced their lungs as they avoided frozen patches on the sidewalk and people alike. When they finally reached the station, they bypassed the stairs altogether, leaping over them as they made their descent into the subway, stunning a few passersby. When they got there, however, they couldn't find Anastasia anywhere. Ciel and Alois had found the exact bench where she had sat, but there their target was nowhere in sight.

Quickly, they looked around, whipping their heads in an effort to catch a glimpse of the girl. That's when they heard the sound of the train. The demons turned to see that it was leaving. Of course this would happen. Luck never was on their side.

It took no time at all for them to reach a consensus as to what to do. Without even looking at one another, they sprang into action, taking off after the train. Spectators gasped aloud as they jumped down from the platform and onto the tracks to chase their target. Light soon disappeared as they entered the tunnel, and the murmurs of humans who would soon forget the ordeal vanished.

"Mind the tracks." Ciel instructed, soon teasing the other demon about past experiences. "You don't want to get shocked again."

"Shut up!" Alois blurted out in response. "That was _one_ time!"


	76. A Horrendous Fashion Statement

The tunnels were filled with endless blackness. One couldn't even see how narrow they were, or even their hands in front of their face! There was a faint speck of light ahead of the demonic duo, and three red dots revealing their location as their eyes glowed while navigating the underground tunnels.

Demons could see through the darkness as though it were a bright summer day. The pair avoided the electrified tracks with ease as they dashed forward, their legs carrying them at inhuman speeds. The train got closer, and closer, and closer until they could actually see the people inside through the windows.

Alois went first, leaping into the air and latching onto the rear car. He tried to open the door, failing to get the handle to work. A few passengers noticed, watching him with much confusion and curiosity, but uncertain as to what exactly to make of it. That wasn't normal. How on earth did that young man get there?

 _"I can't get it open!"_ the blonde shouted at his partner who was still running behind him.

"Then force it!" Ciel called back. "It doesn't matter if you're seen!"

"Alright then…" Alois said, digging his fingers between the door and the frame, forcing apart metal with his inhuman strength. He continued prying the door open, shattering the glass window inside as he crumpled it like paper.

He looked up as he heard the screaming of the bystanders, afraid and confused by what they had just witnessed. No one would believe them if they spoke of it afterwards, so there wasn't much to worry about at all. The only thing that mattered was finding Anastasia and ridding her of the bomb.

The humans stepped back, some disappearing into the car in front as the blonde climbed inside. He was soon followed by the bluenette, and they both traveled further into the train as well. Anastasia… Anastasia… Where was Anastasia?

She was only a few cars ahead, stationed in the middle of the train. The two demons stopped in front of her, staring down at her where she sat as she looked back at them in astonishment. As the duo silently tried to decide what exactly it was they were going to say to the girl, she spoke up instead.

"What are you doing here?!" she asked, her voice cracking and her face showing just how afraid she was even though she tried to hide it and remain calm. "I mean, you… You can't be here!"

"Anastasia, what's wrong?" asked Ciel. He watched the girl grasp at her bulky coat at the question. "Do you know anything about-… There's no easy way to ask this, but…"

 _"Do you know anything about a bomb?"_ interrupted the menace, getting straight to the point. The girl before him jumped in response, and although she said nothing, the duo immediately knew. It was obvious, how her face contorted as she tried but failed not to cry. Tears silently streamed down her cheeks as she looked down, clutching at her coat. With this, Ciel turned to the crowd.

"I need everyone to head toward the front of the train!" he instructed, reaching into his jacket and flashing his badge. "We're with Scotland Yard! There's an emergency!"

"Everyone please hurry, but remain calm." Alois continued for him, showing off his badge as well. "Everything is going to be fine, but we need to be safe."

Slowly, people began to get up and leave. They traveled through the narrow doors that connected the cars in single file. A few stubborn individuals stayed behind, but the duo weren't going to bother with them. They had more important things to do.

"Come with us." Spoke the bluenette, holding out a hand to the Miles girl. "We're going to help you."

"What can you do?" the girl asked between sobs. "Even if you're police, can you diffuse a bomb?"

"I took a class or two a while back." Ciel replied in a soft tone. "Trust me. Everything will be fine."

With no other options, the girl took the man's hand, instinctively gripping it tightly as she stood. Alois took the girl's other hand as they led her toward the back of the train. If there were people still in the cars, the duo would perform the same routine they did before in order to evacuate them. The final car was empty, thank goodness, and although they sound of the train traveling the tunnel loudly filtered into the room through the broken door at the back, it was relatively calm.

"Take off your coat." The blonde gently instructed. He helped the girl do so, making sure not to hit anything that might trigger the bomb as he did. Once that was done, the Phantomhive began his examination.

Anastasia was wearing a vest with explosives attached to it. Wires attached each charge to one another and a timer was frozen on the vest. What he could tell from that was that the counter wasn't going to start unless something triggered it. The question was, what was going to do that?

"Jim, help me take it off of her." He said, reaching for the zipper. He carefully pulled it downward, carefully avoiding the wires that crossed her chest and abdomen. "I'm going to need you to help me pull it off over her head."

"On it." Alois replied, gripping the garment's shoulders between his fingers. He pulled it upward while the Phantomhive did the same while grabbing the bottom. Anastasia moved so that she could slip out of it, crouching down so that she could escape. Once it did, the pair carried it off away from the girl before carefully placing it on the floor. With that, the bluenette turned to the girl.

"You did good." He said, reassuring the terrified girl. "Do you have any more on you anywhere?"

"No…" the girl answered, shaking her head while wiping her eyes. An uncontrollable smile adorned her face as relief washed over her. "Thank you… Thank you so much…"

"It's not over, yet." Said the menace. "We still have to deactivate it."

"We could call a bomb squad to deal with it at the next station." Ciel said. "We don't know if it's activated by remote control or not, however. And we don't know if Simon Says is watching."

"Then diffuse it here. Didn't you take classes?"

"Uh…" began the bluenette, causing the menace to look up at him. "I… uh… That was years ago…"

"You mean you've got no clue how to turn it off?!" demanded Alois. The frightened look worn by the Miles girl returned in that moment.

"Are we going to die?!" she demanded, sitting on her knees in a state of shock.

"No we're not! We're going to fix this!" the Macken said back. He stood up to address their acquaintance, accidentally tapping one of the charges with his foot.

It was then that the counter lit up. Red numbers began to count down from one minute. The demons looked down and then to each other.

"Any ideas?" asked the bluenette. Alois stared back at him for a moment before looking to the bomb.

"Just one." The menace replied, picking up the vest again. He worked fast, taking a few steps forward before hurling the object out the open door at the back of the train.

"Everybody get down!" he shouted as the garment landed on the track. He and the other demon crouched down in front of the human girl, blocking her from the blast.

Once the bomb hit the ground, it went off, and the pressure struck the back car like a truck. The lights flickered as the tunnel shook. The stone walls cracked and the train began to slow down as the connection to the track faltered. Sparks flew as the breaks activated, stopping the train while it's back car was blackened at the very rear crumpled from the force. Despite this, the duo and the Miles girl were completely unharmed.

Anastasia's eyes were wide as she witnessed the spectacle over the shoulders of the pair guarding her. The fact that she could have been in the middle of all of that terrified her, but at the same time, she was happy that she wasn't. She didn't question how the duo knew that she was carrying the bombs. She didn't care. All she cared about in that moment was the fact that she was alive. Once the train lulled to a complete stop, the demons pulled back from the girl. Ciel reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone as he looked back at the damage done.

_"We're going to need some assistance…"_


	77. An Unexpected Reunion

The game had begun. Simon Says had begun scattering his bombs and they were attached to people whom the duo would have never expected. Now they either had to find Simon, or diffuse the bombs; which ever came first. Their search, however, did not take them to comb London at first. Instead, it took them to 8-10 Broadway, London SW1H 0BG, United Kingdom.

The Phantomhive demons briskly walked down the halls of the Scotland Yard building to the interrogation room. They had acquired a very useful witness to the case, but had yet another problem. She was the older sister of one of their friends, a human who knew nothing of the duos police and Round Table affiliations, or of their demonity. Moreover, her emotional state was a bit fragile at that moment.

She sat meekly in her chair in the interrogation room. Her hands were on her knees as she stared down at the cup of tea placed in front of her by officers. Anastasia's appearance was a mess, with her ponytail fallen, now loosely hanging down on the blanket that rested over her shoulders. Her brown eyes had dark circles around them and lacked any spark. She was stunned. No one ever expects to somehow land themselves in the middle of a terrorist plot. It was a lot to take in.

Anastasia sat alone in that room for some time, but then the door was opened by an officer in full uniform, letting in the demonic duo before exiting and leaving the three alone. Ciel calmly took the seat across from the girl as the menace stood behind him with his hands behind his back. Although their suits were dirty from the blast of the explosion, they still maintained their air of professionalism. After a few moments of that, Ciel finally broke character and asked:

"Are you alright?" The girl seated in front of him looked up slightly, still keeping tightly drawn into herself.

"More or less." She replied. "I'm alive, so that's a start." She attempted at a joke. She laughed quietly to herself, almost hysterically. It was a common symptom of shock.

"You've had a rough day…" Alois said. "We don't have much time, though. We need you to tell us everything you know about the people who strapped that bomb to you."

"You don't think I'm one of them, do you?" inquired the Miles.

"No, we just think you were somehow unlucky enough to get involved." Ciel answered. "We don't think you wanted to blow yourself up at all."

Anastasia sat up a bit. "Thanks." She said with a small smile. "I'm not sure what to tell you… It's sort of unbelievable… I was out minding my own business, and all of a sudden, this guy in a weird devil costume comes out of nowhere and hits me over the head. At least, I think that's what happened… I blacked out."

"Devil costume?" echoed the menace. "What's that about?"

"I don't know… That's what it looked like, though." The woman replied. "He had a cape and horns on his motorcycle helmet and everything. It was bizarre."

Ciel jotted that down on a memopad he had somehow produced from his coat before asking: "And then what happened? Do you remember?"

"I woke up somewhere." Anastasia replied. "I don't know where. The devil-guy was there, and a few others. There was a girl- at least I think she was a girl; she was wearing a skirt- with like, the mask for some sports mascot on her head. It was a rabbit. There were a few less-bizzarre characters there, but I can't really remember much about them since they weren't as strange. There were other people too in the room I was kept in, too. Some of them were knocked out, and some of them were awake. I stayed there for I think a couple hours before bunny-girl came for me and they put the vest on me. From there, some other guy shoved me into a car and dropped me off at the station and told me I had to get on the train and ride it until he said so."

"What the fuck kind of story is that?" asked the blonde. "I mean, what kind of crazy characters are we up against, anyway?"

"I don't know…" the Miles woman said, hanging her head again. "It's like I said… One minute I'm on a street, and next thing I know, I'm in an apartment building on the East end…"

"Tell us more about that." The bluenette stated. "What kind of apartment was it?"

Anastasia shrugged. "Shady." She said. "The kind of place you wouldn't go if you wanted to escape with all your limbs. I've never been to that part of the city before… It was almost deserted…"

"Any landmarks?"

"No…" she answered. "The only thing I really remember about the place was that I kept seeing posters everywhere, when they walked me out."

"What did they say?" inquired the bluenette. Perhaps if they were advertising something local, they could narrow down their search even further.

"Well… One of them said something like, ' _Beware the Watchdog'_ on it…" replied the woman. "Another one said something like: _'For Your Safety, Always Mind Curfew'_ and had a crest on it… The same crest showed up on other posters, too…"

"What did it look like?" questioned Ciel. He turned the memopad to a blank page before sliding it across the table to the girl. "Can you show me?"

With that, Anastasia nodded before picking up the pencil and starting to draw. She was surprisingly good, but then again, she was the daughter of a fashion designer, and the brother of another one. Quickly, the pencil moved across the page.

"It was red…" she said. "And black…" The Miles woman drew a picture of a shield that was divided into fourths. The top right and bottom left were shaded in, but the bottom right had a picture of a chess piece inside of it. It was a rook. "I can't remember what it said in the last square." Added Anastasia. "Something about God. I remember that this rectangle at the top said _'Hellsing'_ or something in it in big letters. It was yellow."

The demonic duo looked at each other for a moment. A grin appeared on the blonde's face while the bluenette managed to keep it down to a small smile. They both mutually understood what that meant.

"We know where that is." Spoke the Phantomhive. He stood up and the girl who was still seated handed him his notepad. "Thank you, Anastasia. You've been a great help."

"Please, call me ' _Anna_ '." The Miles girl replied. "It's not a problem. You saved my life. It's the least I could do. I'm a bit surprised, though. I had no idea you two were cops, now." As Ciel put his belongings back in his coat, the girl looked up with a determined look.

"You hunt down those bastards and throttle them." She continued. To that, the duo smiled.

"Now that, we can do." Said the blonde. "Don't you worry about a thing. We'll take care of it. You just go home and get some rest, alright?" He followed the bluenette out of the room, leaving the girl on her own to be escorted out by another officer. Watching them, she chuckled to herself.

"You two haven't changed a bit…"

* * *


	78. Accomplice Of The Rudest Kind

The Wolf's Glen, located in a nearly abandoned section of London that had initially been set aside for redevelopment, was a small café that provided services to the various supernatural beings in that section of city in an effort for ensured survival. It was run by the witches, and had a few elves employed there as well. Customers of the café would go there to eat, seek help with employment, receive donated goods, and many other things. Today, the café was serving a somewhat familiar face. This time, however, he had remembered to fill his prescription for his shape-changing spell, and had temporarily rid themselves of his childish appearance.

"So, I've got the bastard by the hair, right? And he starts begging me to let him go like a little bitch! This guy was actin' all tough and shit earlier, and all it took was a baseball bat to the jaw a couple times to make him cry!" Balassare laughed, joking with his underlings.

The Girasol vampires were seated in one of the larger booths along with their leader, "Babyface" Baldassare. The man was laughing and joking around with his generals as they killed time. They didn't have anything better to be doing at that moment, after all. With the Gentlemen coven gone, things were very much relaxed at that moment. It was a shame that this was about to be spoiled by a phonecall. The man was so distracted at the moment that he didn't even bother to look at the number on the screen before putting in up to his ear.

"Yeah?" he asked, not bothering with a greeting.

"Baldassare?" spoke the voice on the other end. Suddenly, the vampire's mood went sour. His brows furrowed and he huffed as he leaned back in his seat, putting his feet up on the table.

"Oh, it's you…" he replied. "The fuck do you want? Aren't you done dragging me into your messes?"

"I'm afraid not, and it might be your mess too, this time." Ciel answered.

"What's that y'say?"

"It affects the Glen. We've got a bit of a 'situation' on our hands, and from what we can gather, the people behind it are hiding somewhere in the special zone." Informed the Phantomhive, not bothering to dance around the point with someone as impatient as Babyface. If Baldassare lost interest, he might hang up and ignore future calls, which could be detrimental to the case.

"And what? You want me to find 'em or somethin'?" questioned the vampire. "I ain't no bloodhound, pooch. That's you. What does your crap have to do with the Glen? Don't tell me that cigar-chewing broad's got something to do with this…"

"Hellsing had _nothing_ to do with this, at least, not yet." The watchdog replied. "This time it's the metropolitan police. You see, we have a bit of a bomb problem. They've been scattered throughout the city via mass transportation. They've kidnapped humans and strapped bombs to them. If we can find the source of the problem, that threat with vanish."

"So? What does that have to do with me?"

"If you don't help, Hellsing will have to show up and search the area for our threat."

"You fucker! Keep your nasty nose outta people's ass-cracks!" Baldassare shouted, startling his underlings and he stood up and slammed his hand down on the table. "Do you know how many people they'll kill if they do that?! They'll find a fucking reason! They don't give a shit about us! They'll kill us for fucking _sneezing_ because they fucking _can!_ Keep that bitch out of the Glen, y'hear me! I'll fucking murder you!"

"Then I need your cooperation." Spoke the watchdog, ignoring the more vibrant aspects of his informant's speech for a moment. "All I need you to do is ask around and see if there's been anybody unfamiliar sneaking in and out of the special zone recently. If you can find out a location for us to hone in on, this will be over without H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. getting involved. Can you do that?"

"Oh yeah, you want us to go do to door like fucking girlscouts. _'Scuse me, miss? Have you seen any dodgy shits 'round lately?'"_ Baldassare mockingly spouted in a high-pitched voice. "Who do you think I am?! I'm one of the dodgiest fuckers here!"

"Just do it, or you'll have both bombs and soldiers to worry about. This isn't a negotiation, Babyface."

"Don't call me ' _Babyface'_ , you piece of chewed-up shit!"

"We have less than fifteen hours to resolve this before the bombs start going off, Balassare." Ciel informed, his tone turning grave. He was done with the cove-leader's nonsense. He had played along for long enough, there were people to save, and time was running out. "Even less time before H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. can make an appearance in your stead. I suggest you get moving."

With that, Baldassare grew quiet. He was more than aware of the position he was in, but he felt the need to puff himself up with needless bravado. He didn't like feeling small and he didn't like being someone else's pawn. It just wasn't "him". Regardless, as he looked around the room at the stunned faces who had observed his outburst and at his equally astonished generals, he couldn't keep up that farce. If he didn't play along, some of these faces might not turn up again tomorrow, or ever again. It was low for the Phantomhive to use H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. as a threat, holding the citizens of the Glen hostage, just as Simon Says held the humans of London. The vampire grit his teeth and clenched his fist, forcing himself to say what he did next.

"I got it…" he said, his tone still irritable, but much quieter. "I'll get you what you need… Just don't bring that lot into it, alright?"

"Will do." Replied the watchdog. "I don't want any needless deaths, that's why I came to you, first."

"Yeah, right… So… Anybody specific I need to look out for…?"

"Our witness described a man in a ' _devil costume'_. He had a cape on, and a motorcycle helmet, too. She said that the helmet had horns on it." Ciel described. "Another person that she described had on a ' _mascot head'_ that looked like a rabbit. There were a few others in plain clothes, but those two are the dead giveaways."

"You're joking…" Baldassare replied. "We're looking for fucking Disneyland rejects?"

"It would appear that way. Get going. I'll keep searching for bombs in the meantime, but as soon as you can tell me where these people are hiding, we can put an end to them in one fell swoop."

"Sure you don't want me to just take them out?"

"No. There will be humans involved. Leave that part to me."

A sigh escaped the vampire. The man reached up an scratched the back of his head with his free hand as he still held the phone to his ear with the other. "Alright… Got it… I'll tell ya what I can when I get it…"

"Excellent. I'll hear from you then."

With that, the Phantomhive simply hung up, leaving the vampire in silence. That is, until he gestured for his generals to stand up as well. Judging by the yelling and the mean look that the Girasol leader still wore, this was not good.

"What's going on, boss?" asked one of the other vampires as Baldassare put his phone back in his coat pocket.

"Dog prblems." Answered their leader. "He wants us to find out if anybody new has been sneaking in and out of the Glen."

"Oh, I think I might know something." Said another. "Lately, there's this grey van that's been cruising around. Not too many people have cars around these parts, so that was weird. They weren't vampires, though, so I didn't think much of it…

"What'd they look like?" asked Baldassare. "Tell me everything."

"Dunno. They always wore a hood."

"Right, so we're lookin' for a grey van driven by some hooded fuck." Clarified the leader. "That fits. Anybody else?"

"I saw a weird guy with a cape drivin' a motorcycle." Spoke another. "He had horns on his helmet and everything. Like Halloween comes every day for him or some shit."

"That's one of the guys!" shouted Baldassare. "Where'd ya see them!?"

"In district four, 'round Brawly Street." Answered the fliunkie.

"That's around where I saw the van!" imput the first.

"Right! We'll start there!" declared the Girasol leader. "Grab yer coats, boys, it's cold outside!"


	79. Attack On Sunflower

Although it was daytime, there were vampires out and about. They wore long coats, gloves, and hoods to protect themselves from the sun. Since it was winter, however, they fit right in. The Girasol vampires patrolled the area, looking for their grey van or motorcycle devil, their leaving tracks in the snow that covered the road. It was never cleared away in this part of the city. Three was no need. Officially, no one was supposed to live there.

They weren't the only thing, though. Something else left tracks as well. Tire tracks. Some of them were thick and parallel to each other, but the other one was narrow and singular. A van and a motorcycle. Just what they were looking for. The tracks were heading out of the special zone, too, from the look of things.

"Let's follow them." Said one of the generals.

"Follow them backwards." Baldassare instructed, heading in the opposite direction from where the tracks were going. "That will lead us to where they're hiding."

"Got it." The others answered. Following orders, they then proceeded to follow the trail. It led them to a series of apartment buildings put together. Before they took one more step, however, Baldassare stopped them, extending his arm out in order to block them.

"That's far enough." He said. "See the tracks? That's where they are. Now, I'll just text the watchdog the address, and then we're done."

"Seems like a waste, though…" said one of his underlings. "I mean, we're here and all, so why not take them out ourselves?"

"You wanna explain to the watchdog face-to-face why we didn't do what he said?" asked the coven leader, tapping a few buttons on his phone. Immediately, the vampire who proposed the idea went silent and shook his head.

"No…"

"Then shut up while I do this…" Baldassare stated, as he continued to write. He mouthed the words that he was typing as he did, conveying the message to what was known around this neighbourhood, and "urban legend" that just happened to be true. Once he was done, he pressed the send button before casually placing the device back in his coat.

"Alright, let's go." He finally said before turning in the direction that they came from. It was then, however, that they heard something that they did not expect. It was the sound of a motor.

"Shit!" Balassare hissed. They were about to be caught by the bombers. "Run for it!" he ordered, and the group took off dashing in another direction in order to make their mistake. Baldassare ran alongside his crew, only to have something dark blue dash past them. It was then that the coven leader stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening as he turned to check on the others.

The rest of them stopped as well once they saw it. White snow turned crimson as one of the vampires' heads hit against the concrete, their body soon following after it. Baldassare looked up in order to get a glimpse of their attacker. A snarl formed on his face as he did.

A blue motorcycle with a rider clad in navy stood before them. The killer wore a cape and a motorcycle helmet with horns on top of it, brandishing a sword in one hand that dripped blood onto the previously untouched snow. The cape was fastened by a silver chord, and a matching amulet adorned the rider's throat. They stood their quietly a moment longer before revving their engine again. Then, they charged the group once more!

"Scatter!" ordered the leader of the Girasol vampires. He leaped into the air as the biker zoomed by, landing on a fence while another one of his underlings landed on the ground missing a head. The coven leader bared his fangs, flaring his nostrils at what has been done.

"You fucker!" he shouted, reaching into his coat before pulling out a pistol. He aimed the weapon at the biker and pulled the trigger, but they didn't seem fazed. "What?" the man said aloud, taken aback by what he had seen.

A rabbit. Not just any kind of rabbit. This one had antlers and stood on two legs. This character wore a black coat that reached the ground, trimmed in white fur that contrasted the blackness of the rabbit mask. Underneath the coat was what looked like a standard schoolgirl's uniform, with a dress shirt, tie, and a plaid skirt. It wore the same amulet around its neck as its accomplice. With pick eyes with dead pupils staring up at the coven leader, the rabbit stood between the vampire and the biker, shielding itself from the gunshot with what looked like a guitar case.

" _What the fuck?"_ the vampire said again, inadvertently lowering his gun as he simply stared at the absurd sight. He snapped back to attention as the rabbit leaped toward him and swung at his head with his case. Baldassare wasted no time dodging, not even bothering to stay and fight. He didn't want to be involved, so he instead retreated.

"Boss! Over here!" called what remained of his men from a nearby roof. Babyface leaped in their direction, avoiding the strange rabbit, as it appeared to lose interest once they got to a certain distance. Miraculously, the rest of the Girasol generals were able to escape with their leader as the rabbit simply looked on. Once they were out of sight, the rabbit turned to the biker, who looked after them as well.

" _That was unnecessary_." It said in a woman's voice. "It wasn't protocol."

"My apologies." Spoke the biker in return. Their voice was similarly feminine. "I don't know what came over me."

"We need to get this cleaned up before anyone sees." Replied the rabbit. "Master will be displeased."

"Indeed." Said the biker. "It was almost like instinct."

"Excuses are irrelevant. They hinder the assignment. Stick to protocol, Jack."

"Apologies, again. It will not happen again, _Jack."_


	80. Simon Says Goodbye!

"We've got the address." The bluenette informed his assistant, holding his phone in his hand.

The demonic duo was currently scouring the city alongside the metropolitan police for any suspicious characters who might be carrying bombs. Anyone with absurdly thick coats looking distressed was a potential suspect. It wasn't hard to differentiate them from the crowd, really. Someone who was upset about breaking up with their significant other looked incredibly different than someone who was despairing over a deadly bomb strapped to their body.

Alois nodded at his beau's words, opening his mouth to reply, but closing it as something else caught his attention. "Wait, Ciel, look at that." He said, pointing out at a man sort of meandering through the crowd. He certainly fit the criteria of one of their targets.

"Alright. We'll have the police tail him while we go take care of this." Answered the Phantomhive. He placed began dialing his phone in order to inform the others, only to watch his boyfriend take off. "Jim! What are you-?"

"There's no time!" the menace said back. "I'm gonna apprehend him before he disappears into the crowd! Call the bomb squad!"

With that, the menace disappeared into the crowd, leaving the bluenette trying to figure out what to do. "Dammit, Jim…" The watchdog said, dialing his phone as he took off after the other man.

Both demons disregarded common courtesy as they shoved people out of the way in order to get to their target. It wasn't just their imagination that the man that they were chasing increased his speed, swiftly making his way through the crowd in a frantic manner. He turned around a few times to look over his shoulder, only showing parts of his face to the others. Surprisingly, he wasn't running toward the train. He was running toward the exit!

"Stop!" called out the menace, running up the steps that lead to the busy street outside. Now, the crowd wasn't so packed together so the demon could actually make progress. He sprinted toward the man in the coat, steadily closing the gap between them. Alois quickly grabbed his target's shoulder, forcing him to turn around. Icy blue eyes widened as he stared back at the terrified eyes of the last person he expected to see.

" _Simon says?"_ the demon asked aloud, surveying the man's face. He was scruffy. His hair was long and greasy, as though he hadn't trimmed or washed it in a few days, and from the looks of things, he hadn't shaved, either. The criminal recognised the menace as well, and grabbed the blonde's shoulders before shaking them.

"Help me!" Simon pleaded. "Get this thing off of me!"

"Why do you have a bomb strapped to yourself?!" asked the menace, swatting Simon's hands away. "Are you crazy!?"

"I didn't put this thing on, you idiot!" shouted the former bomber. "Just get it off and I'll tell you everything! I don't care! Just save me!"

At that point, the bluenette had caught up. All he could do was stand and stare with the same astonishment that Alois was wearing on his face. If Simon Says didn't want revenge, then who was behind this?! Ciel didn't have the time to ask before he heard the revving of an engine speeding their way with no signs of stopping.

A motorcycle? The Phantomhive turned his head in order to confirm his suspicion. A motorcycle. The rider was dressed in dark blue, wore a cape, and had horns on their helmet like some kind of blue devil. In their right hand was a sword and they were preparing to strike.

"Jim! Dodge!" the watchdog instructed, and without a second thought, the Macken leaped backward, avoiding being struck by the vehicle. That said, he failed to retrieve Simon Says. The man let out a pained gasp as the blade cut through both him, and the explosive vest he was wearing.

_**BOOM!** _

The street was aflame. Cars were toppled over and bystanders were hurt. Burned by the fire and stuck by the pressure expelled by the blast. This included the blonde menace, as he was still in range. His back struck the wall of a building before he struck the ground again. As quickly as he could, he propped himself up on his hands and knees before looking off in the direction he came.

Simon was gone- or rather, _scattered._ Unfortunately, he was not as sturdy as the demon. Blood was burned by the flames along with cars and gasoline after the bomb went off. If they didn't evacuate the remaining bystanders quickly, there would be more once should the cars explode as well.

"Everybody clear the area!" Ciel barked, ordering the innocent citizens to assist. "Move the injured away from the cars! Someone call 999! Get the police and fire department over here now!" With that, he began jogging over to his beau, bending over in order to help the blonde stand.

"Are you alright?" he asked, helping the somewhat wobbly menace to his feet. He waited patiently for Alois to answer. He was somewhat caught in an explosion, after all.

"Yeah…" the Macken replied, rubbing his head in an effort to quell the ringing in his ears. "I'm fine. Just gimme a sec. Where's the rider who killed Simon?" he asked, looking up again.

Their eyes scanned the scene, peering through flames and skimming across rubble. They then, however, saw the rider at last. They sat on their bike, quietly staring back at the duo. Their sword was sheathed, now, so it was debatable as to whether or not they were going to attack. Ciel and Alois knew what they were going to do, though, and they made their move.

Dashing forward, the demons charged the rider, only to be forced to a stop when one of the nearby cars erupted into flames, spewing burning gasoline all over the street. Alois put his arms out in front of him, shielding himself as the bluenette's eye remained locked on their target. Once police sirens rang in the distance, the biker perked up before putting their hands back on the handlebars. With that, they turned around and drove off, leaving the pair on their own.

"We have to catch them!" Alois shouted. "We still can!"

"Our car is still at the station." Ciel replied, speaking over the roaring flames around them.

"We still have Scratch on stand-by, don't we?" asked the menace. "Have him chase 'im. We can make our way to their hideout while he's doing that."

The Phantomhive thought for a moment. If they could keep their key players split up, it would be easier to apprehend them all at once. This was especially true if they used their "deus ex machina" of sorts.

"Fine." Ciel answered. "I'll give him a call. Then, we head over to the address given to us by Baldassare."


	81. Spring-Wheeled Jack

"Oh dear…" spoke aloud a certain butler as his eyes scanned over the text message he had just received.

The man had be lying in wait until he had received such a message, knowing that the situation might call for his assistance. His tailcoat had been unceremoniously replaced with a leather jacket and his white gloves were now of a similar shade so that he may blend in better with the crowd. Sebastian's face was concealed by a helmet, as he had even been given special permission to use the Phantomhive's new toy for just this occasion.

Upon being given the location of where the blue biker had been sighted as well as the direction that they had driven off in, the butler placed his phone back in his pocket before taking off in pursuit of the criminal. In reality, it probably would have been faster if he traveled on foot, but his master would have been most displeased if he turned on the news the next day to see reports of some sort of "flying man" leaping from the rooftops of London like Spring-heeled Jack!

Sebastian paid no mind to the traffic around him. He weaved in and out in between cars, trucks, and bikes alike, missing them by a hair while trying to bypass the one driver he was looking for. Had the police not been so busy with a terrorist threat, he might have been stopped, or, at the very least, there would have been an attempt to stop him. Freezing air whipped by, chilling the demon to the bone as he searched, until finally, he spotted them.

A blue motorcycle driven by a man wearing a blue cape and a helmet with devil horns attached. There was a sword at the biker's waist, so they were still armed. Now all Sebastian had to do was apprehend the suspect.

It didn't take long for them to notice. A man dressed in all black who was tearing through traffic in the same way they were? Anyone would suspect themselves of being followed. Immediately, the blue biker started trying to ditch the man clad in black.

Their weaving got more daring. They cut people off in traffic, barely missing them. Sebastian could feel the heat from the engines of the other vehicles as he passed them, giving him a split-second to recover from the harsh winter air. Shades of grey ran together with flashes of colour, with how fast they were traveling.

They ran red lights in an effort to meet their ends. A semi had begun to turn, barely missing the biker in blue as they passed, but Sebastian wasn't so lucky. He had a total of five options, he calculated. He could hit the side of the truck, slow down and wait until it passed, find another way around, or take the option that he did. Turning sharply, he slid along the frozen ground, barely avoiding the concrete as he continued moving forward. The man looked up toward the heavens, watching as the trailer flew right past his nose as he ducked underneath it. Once he could see the dreary, grey sky once more, he shifted his weight and flipped the bike upright before continuing as usual.

The lights on the bike cut through the fog that hung over the road slightly, making the butler's target visible. It blended in with many others, but the demon's senses were honed in on that particular trail. It was different. Very different. _Inhuman_.

That is what Sebastian was focused on, not the many cars who had stopped abruptly and rear-ended one another or swerved into a post to avoid the two bikers. Flakes of snow flew past the pair, a few specks landing on the small window of their helmets only to melt against the hard plasitic while the searing cold cut at the flesh through the leather of their gloves and the fabric of their pants. The leather of their jackets somehow were resilient enough to defend them from the elements.

It was becoming obvious to the biker in blue that they weren't going to be losing the man tailing them anytime soon, so they now had to get creative. They actually surprised Sebastian by moving underground; down the steps of the subway station, only to have the butler boldly follow them. People scrambled out of the way, barely making it in time as the biker in blue passed the yellow line and onto the track.

The demon followed, still. The motorcycle complained as it fell into the tunnel, but kept going, regardless. The Macken boy who had worked so hard to acquire it was bound to be upset at the possible damage by the time this was over. As the tunnel grew darker and darker, the headlight on the front of the vehicle led the way, not that either party really needed it.

Shockingly, the biker in blue outrageously veered toward the wall of the tunnel, traveling up its surface. They slowed down once they were above Sebastian, causing him to accidentally pass them. His foe then kept going until they looped around to the other side, winding up behind the butler.

" _Well, well_ …" smirked the man clad in black as his opponent sped up once more. It would appear that the tables had turned on this chase, much to Sebastian's amusement. It wasn't often he got to play like this, anymore. However, it was dangerous to take care of things where they were.

Thus, Sebastian took things outside once again, veering toward the opposite wall, just like the other cyclist had done, only to loop around and land on the platform, avoiding bystanders to the best of his ability. Lo and behold, the biker in blue did the same, only reaching out into the crowd to grab a hostage, it seemed. The human struggled in their grip even as they made it back out on the street.

" _It couldn't be_ …" the butler trailed off, looking over his shoulder. It would appear that Sebastian's assumption that his foe wasn't human was corrected as they hoisted the human over their head with one arm, being careful to maintain their balance on the vehicle. With that, another smile appeared on the demon's face as he reached into his coat pocket.

Silverware. The demon threw it behind him, aiming straight for the cyclist's body. Just as expected, they used their hostage as a shield on instinct, causing the explosives attached to their body to go off.

BOOM!

The hostage was no more. And so was the mystery-biker's vehicle. Pieces of metal, plastic, and rubber scattered across the street, forcing traffic to a complete stand-still. Sebastian stopped his own vehicle, twirling it around so that he could face the source of the explosion. He was looking for a body- not the body of the hostage, who was now painting the street with remnants that were burnt to a crisp. No, the butler was looking for the cyclist. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the scene, but he couldn't find the blue baddie on wheels.

That is, until they parted the smoke, literally slicing through it with their blade. Their helmet was cracked, the horns broken off and the visor shattered; their cape started to smoke as parts of it were starting to titter on burning, yet they seemed completely unharmed. No, they were definitely not human.

Without a bike, the terrorist made an attempt to flee on foot, dashing toward a nearby alleyway. Sebastian followed, removing his helmet and dashing after them. This would be over shortly, without a doubt. To his further amusement, they did not take the fire escape to make their ascent. No, they leaped off of the sides of the walls, and so Sebastian did the same, making it to the rooftops of London, where they continued their chase.

From rooftop to rooftop, the butler chased his target. He couldn't helped but be entertained. A masked figure in a cloak, leaping over London trailing fire? Why, if it wasn't a modern-day _Spring-Heeled Jack!_

Alas, he had to cut their venture short. Once again, the man clad in black reached into his coat, brandishing more eating utensils to hurl at his foe. The blue biker's feet planted firmly on the ground as they tore the chord from their cape, unfastening it from their body and using it to deflect the knives. It was a good try, but Sebastian was fast. He was almost right on top of the biker, forcing them to swing at him with their sword. Too slow. _Too slow_. Sebastian dodged, couching down and forcing the blade to pass over his head. He readied himself to attack, only to feel a stinging pain in his back.

" _What?!"_ he uttered aloud.

"Jack" had twirled the sword by its handle and gripped it with the blade pointed downward, only to sheath it into the demon's back. The tip of the blade stuck out clear on the other side of the man's torso, dyeing it red. Jack drew the blade back, removing it completely before reaching down with their free hand, crossing it over to grab the man's neck. With a shove, they were able to force the demon away, throwing them across the rooftop to land on the other side.

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Sebastian watched the other carefully for a moment until he decided to stand up. The wound that the other created healed up almost instantly. Obviously, his opponent wasn't armed with a blessed blade. It was unfortunate for them. They would never be able to kill a demon like Sebastian with this mortal blade.

Despite this, his foe pounced again, swinging at the man with impressive speed. Light on their feet, able to strike with precision—the butler actually had some difficulty dodging, earning gashes in the fabric of his clothes and cuts in his skin. It was as though they were highly trained, aiming straight for the head and the heart although they were armed with only an ordinary sword. Every time Sebastian moved to strike back, his opponent was met with a similar arrangement, only occasionally receiving a full blow.

When they did, they struggled to keep their feet on the ground, only occasionally being sent flying. Jack was forced into the air, and sent straight toward another rooftop. They stood on their hands and knees, shaking their head as blue-tinted plastic shards feel from the screen in front of their face. Immediately, they rolled over, only to be pinned to the ground by the demon. They were able to block the knives in Sebastian's hand with their sword, but it didn't change the fact that they were in a bit of a bind.

"Well, well…" Sebastian said aloud, looking down at his foe. One of their eyes was now visible from the damage done to their helmet. Amethyst, out of focus eyes stared up at the demon with only a slight hint of awareness to them, with hair that was as white as snow peeking out around them, as well as from the edges of the helmet itself.

" _An angel_." The butler mused. "Ah, but there's something _off_ about you…" Garnet eyes scanned the angel in search of whatever was causing this disturbance that he was sensing. He never let up on his grip, continuing to brutally force his knives against the angel's blade. His gaze turned to the silver amulet around "Jack's" throat.

"Ah-ha!" he declared, reaching out with his free hand in order to grab it. Before his foe could respond, his arm drew back again, tearing the hexed piece of jewelry off. As soon as he did, his opponent's eye widened before their body went temporarily limp. With that, Sebastian retracted his weapons.

"Now," he began. "While it could happen, I'm sure, I highly doubt an angel would voluntarily involve themselves in a plot that is specifically designed to kill God's children. He mused. "Judging by the fact that an enchantment was used, that assumption is correct, isn't it?"

"Get off of me…" the angel beneath him began. It was a woman's voice. A smirk appeared on the butler's face and he was about to reply, only to need to dodge as the angel quickly swung her blade, slicing his throat open before he could completely. The demon was actually taken aback by the strike and moved quickly before his opponent had the chance to do it again. As the wound sealed shut, the angel stood and practically roared at the man. "…You _monster!"_

The angel struck again, lunging at the man and swinging her blade with absurd speed, precision, and power. Blood stained the butler's clothes each time he failed to evade her. Each time she got a hit, she seemed to get more and more aggressive.

"You foul, loathsome, vile, deceptive beast!" she accused. Sebastian put up his silverware in order to block an attack, only to have them cleanly sliced through. A grunt escaped the man as the sword made its way buried into his chest. The angel had aimed for his heart, and he was so shocked from everything, that she actually hit it.

"…Sebastian Michaelis." The angel hissed, spitting the name out like poison. The butler honestly had no idea who on earth this person was, but they definitely knew him.

Gripping the angel's blade with one hand, slicing up his flesh in order to prevent his attacker from freeing their weapon, he struck with his other. He aimed straight for the angel's helmet, hoping to shed some more light on the situation. The helmet flew off, landing elsewhere on the hard rooftop and revealing the rest of the angel's face. It was familiar, but the butler couldn't quite place it. Big eyes, smooth skin, and curly hair that travelled down to the woman's waist—her features were familiar, but different.

"Who… are you?" the man finally asked, blood dribbling from his lips. He hacked up more of it as the angel's boot struck his abdomen and she freed her weapon from his chest. She took a few steps back, letting him lean against the wall as she swung her blade downward, relieving it of some of the demonic blood on it and forcing the concrete to be splattered crimson.

"I don't blame you for not recognizing me." The angel stated. "It must be hard for vermin like you to memorise the names and faces of those whose lives you've invaded, especially when things have changed over the years. Then again, it's also thanks to you that I finally discovered my true calling: exterminating monsters like you. It's not as _cute_ as what I had initially intended, but I've come to discover that a woman's place is not just at a man's side. It's also on the battlefield."

As it slowly began to sink in, Sebastian's eyes widened. "No… It couldn't be…"

"It's been a long time, ' _Mister_ ' Sebastian." Spoke the angel, raising her sword again. "Almost a century and a half? Back then, when you still knew me- when I was still human, and just a little girl, I went by a name that was slightly different than the one I eventually ended up with later in life…" With that, she lunged once more, swinging her weapon straight at the man's head.

"I was _Lady Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford!_ And this time, _you won't get away!"_


	82. Out Of Spite

Ripping through air, the sword missed its target as the man clad in black ducked down and shuffled away. Sparks flew as the metal scrapped against the brick wall. Elizabeth turned to face her foe again as he staggered to stand on both feet. She had struck his heart with a mortal blade. While it could not kill him, it would definitely slow him down a bit.

"Lady Elizabeth…" he huffed, gripping at his chest. "Why are you doing this?"

"To what are you referring to?" inquired the woman. "Attacking you? I suppose it's to vent just a bit. I can't exactly kill you with this thing." With that she pointed the sword in his direction. "I'll have to finish you off later."

" _The bombs."_ Sebastian said. "Why are you planting the bombs?"

To this, Elizabeth's eyes widened. Shock washed over her face at the suggestion. Indeed, she did recall there being a terrorist plot, but as to her involvement, it wasn't completely "there". Eventually, her eyes sharpened again.

"It was the amulet." She stated. "I was on a mission, and came across some _fiend_ who thought it was a good idea to fight me, weaken me, and place that thing on me while recruiting me in with his goons. Why else would I be like… Like _this?"_

True, it was all very out of character for the Midford girl. Terrorist plots and ridiculous outfits were certainly not her thing. That said, it was also true that revenge also wasn't something she could be interested in, as memory serves.

"We have to stop the threat." Sebastian said. "There isn't a lot of time left. Master is currently heading toward the hideout of the mastermind behind this, we cannot stay here and fight."

"You're right…" Elizabeth said quietly. " _We can't_."

The woman lunged one last time, swinging her blade with her feet planted firmly on the ground. The snowy rooftop was stained red as she cut the demon open. His head fell. His body fell. They fell at her feet with a mighty thud. She knew it wouldn't kill him, but it would take him a while to get himself put back together again.

Elizabeth looked over Sebastian's body for a moment, tapping it with her foot. After deciding that he wasn't going anywhere, she crouched down, flipping him onto his back before rummaging in his pockets. After finding what she was looking for, she stood up once more, gripping the motorcycle keys in hand. Although she had them and knew what she needed to do, she just wasn't sure if she _could_.

Cutting off Sebastian's head and stealing his bike was not a problem. Her anger toward him had festered for a good portion of her life, after having realised the truth about him. That's why she helped found the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization—so that people would never have to be tricked by demons ever again. Elizabeth knew this was silly, however. Had it not been for Sebastian, Ciel would have died at the hands of that cult all those years ago, and the Phantomhive wouldn't be alive to this very day.

It simply hurt. It hurt knowing that all of this time, Sebastian was only there to devour Ciel's soul. It hurt knowing just how badly her former fiancé was hurt. The truth was ugly, but she had assured herself that she had accepted it. Seeing Sebastian's face, however, only seemed to prove otherwise. It was easy to point her frustration at someone who had tricked her, but that would never change that it happened. It would never change the fact that Ciel was now one of those creatures that she had sworn to vanquish.

She didn't know how she would face the Phantomhive, _if_ she could. Elizabeth had no idea if he would ever accept her being there, especially since she had lopped off his butler's head while throwing a bit of a fit. Regardless, she had to go to " _Ceberus'_ " homebase. She still knew details about the plan that Ciel did not, so she would have to go and warn him, no matter how afraid she was.

Thus, she turned around and began walking, picking up her broken helmet as she walked away. The woman put it back on, despite how damaged it was, in hopes of being able to still employ it as a mask. While it was uncertain where she would go afterward, her obligation was to the people. There were still many innocent lives at stake. Humans, all of which were unaware of the danger they were in, were her priority. She left Sebastian, making her way toward the man's master. Her only hope was that she arrived on time.


	83. Lackluster

A sudden sharp pain shot through Ciel's right eye. Clasping a hand over his eyepatch, he winced, but just as soon as the pain came, it was gone. His eye felt cold, somehow.

"What's wrong?" asked Alois, looking to his beau with concern.

"I'm not sure…" answered the bluenette. "Whatever it is, it can't be good…"

"Did something happen to Sebastian?"

"I don't know… I can still sense him, so he's alive…"

The two sat in the back of a taxi on their way to the address sent to them by Baldassare. When they got to the special zone, they quickly paid the driver and hurried the rest of the way on foot. It was wisest not to be too conspicuous, and a cab in the middle of the Glen was just that. No one from the special zone took cabs. It was too expensive. Moreover, if they got into a scuffle, they would have the driver to worry about. Bringing anymore humans into this was extremely counter-productive.

Quickly, they made their way through snow-covered streets, their feet padding along frozen patches as not to slip. The Glen was practically deserted, as everyone opted to stay inside. It was common, as the streets were never cleared unless residents opted to do it themselves. The only tracks on the road were from a truck and from a motorcycle, just as the vampire had informed the duo.

"We should be getting close." Ciel declared, looking at his phone for directions.

"We should try and come in from the back, if we can." Suggested Alois, following him. His nose, lips, and ears were reddened from the cold and had he not been wearing black, he would have disappeared into the background, he was so pale. Perhaps if they wanted to achieve the element of surprise, they should have stopped being "satanic" for a moment for better camouflage.

"If we can." The bluenette stated. "In this case, we need _this_ street." He added, changing course.

Soon, they arrived at the building. It was old, run-down, and close to many others exactly like it. There was no way that they could try and infiltrate from the side, as there wasn't even an alleyway. It looked as though there wouldn't be many opportunities for civilians to get involved, so luck was on their side in that department. Unfortunately, things didn't appear that way all around.

Up on top of the roof, standing with a guitar case strapped to their back was a lone figure wearing what appeared to be the head of a mascot rabbit with antlers on its head. It stared down as the duo approached like a stone statue, from how they were not moving. No signs of life, no animation, just stillness and a dead stare.

"What the fuck is that?" asked Alois, looking back at the figure as they approached. "So much for the element of surprise…"

"It's the rabbit." Ciel stated, but upon further inspection, he changed his analysis. "No, it's a… Jackalope?"

"What in blazes is a Jackalope?"

"It's a rabbit with antlers that comes from America. They aren't real." Answered the bluenette.

"Looks pretty real to me!" jested the Macken gentleman. "So, what's the plan? Want me to fight them while you visit the boss?"

"Think you can handle it?" teased his beau with a grin.

"Babe, if I can storm a fucking castle, I can handle a little bunny."

" _Jackalope."_

_"Jack-off."_

With that, the two continued forward, but the Jackalope did not budge. It just kept staring at them as they approached. While Alois was seemingly determined to scale the building and go after it, he ran into Ciel's outstretched arm as the bluenette came to a halt. The menace looked to the other demon with a confused expression across his face. Didn't he just say to go after the creature?

"What is it?" asked the Macken. After a long pause, his beau ceased his pondering and answered.

"Something's wrong." Replied the Phantomhive, his eye never leaving the creature. "It's not moving. We're this close, but it doesn't seem concerned at all."

"Are you saying it's a trap?" questioned Alois.

"Possibly."

"So what do we do?"

A small smile crossed the bluenette's face. "We spring the trap, of course."

"Sounds good to me!" declared Alois, dashing forward alongside the bluenette. Silently, they had agreed to attack the same spot, for if something happens, he can provide support directly to the bluenette. He dashed ahead of the man in order to divert any preemptive attention toward himself, but then, he heard _it_.

Quickly, he leapt backward as the rumbling of an engine tore past him. Alois' feet dug into the snow, trying to harden his stance as he and the bluenette watched the rider of the motorcycle make their way back around in order to block their path. The duo's eyes widened at the appearance of the biker. They were disheveled and injured. Puffs of warm breath seeped from their broken helmet, was broken, missing one of its horns and revealing one of their amethyst eyes that stared back at the two with a somewhat unreadable demeanor. They were riding the Phantomhive's motorcycle—the one that Sebastian had been given permission to operate for this mission.

 _"What did you do to Sebastian?"_ asked Ciel, eye wide and face prominently overtaken by shock. If the biker was here, and had Ciel's bike, then what had happened to the butler? The thought genuinely frightened Ciel. Sebastian was a critical figure in his life—he had always been there for the Phantomhive, and he was certainly wouldn't have fallen so easily. Ciel's breath was visible as it was forced out into the freezing air; he clenched his fists and grit his teeth. Gradually, the Phantomhive's visage contorted with anger.

 _"What did you do?!"_ he demanded once again, his voice domineering and his demeanor menacing. The biker actually seemed taken aback by the man's outburst. It was understandable on her end. She had not laid eyes on the bluenette in the flesh or heard his voice in over a century, and this was the first thing she witnessed.

Elizabeth was fully aware that Ciel was a troubled individual. Quick to anger, reclusive, and generally gloomy from the occurrences of his past, and possibly of his present, for all she knew. Sebastian was important to him. It was obvious. The man was Ciel's primary pillar of support for many years, traveling all the back from when the Phantomhive was a human boy. Yet she couldn't let this deter her. The woman had an objective, after all.

"Your butler will be alright." She answered, managing to keep her composure. "He's badly injured, but it's certainly nothing that a demon can die from." Suddenly, the two demons reached into their coats and pulled out their guns.

"Get the fuck out of the way!" barked the blonde menace. "Move it or lose it! We've got things to do, here!"

"I can't let you pass!" the woman spoke back. "It's a trap! You have to listen! Once you try to open the door, the entire house is rigged to go off, and so are the bombs in the city!"

At that, the rabbit on the roof finally move, tilting its head to the side as they listened. Their colleague was no longer acting "right". Revealing the plan was against the plan. Despite this, Elizabeth made no qualms about disclosing critical information. Alois looked to the bluenette for instruction. This was not working well on all sides.

"Why would Cerberus blow themselves up?" asked the Phantomhive. "What is their intention? To take themselves out with me?"

"No. I'm not sure of their goal, as I'm certain that they already know that this wouldn't kill you." Answered the woman. "Cerberus isn't here. The plan was to escape once the bombs were out among the public. They don't have a specific timer. The countdown only starts after they've been disarmed improperly or shaken around a bit. Otherwise, they go off as soon as the door is opened."

"Why are you telling us this?" the bluenette inquired. "You've been antagonizing us as well. You have had affiliation with Ceberus. How can we know that you're not giving us false information?"

"That was not within my control." The angel replied. "Both myself and the rest of Cerberus' underlings were subject to an enchantment. They place an amulet around our neck that controls our thoughts and movements. Your butler tore mine off during our fight." She turned and looked up, staring straight at the rabbit on the roof. "They have one too."

Suddenly, the guitar case on the rabbit's back hit the rooftop with a loud _thunk_. It opened, and Elizabeth tilted her head to the side in order to dodge the weapon that thrusted forth from of it and stabbed into the ground. _An extending halberd._

Casually, the angel swung her leg and dismounted off of her stolen vehicle. She then proceeded to grab it, holding it tightly in her grip as the rabbit tried to tug it free. Examining it, the woman came to a conclusion that certainly surprised her.

"An anti-freak weapon?" she mused. "Technology sure has advanced…"

The halberd retracted again, only since one end was held by Elizabeth, the other end came flying forward, bringing the weapon's owner with it. Shifting her weight, Elizabeth swung the weapon, sending the rabbit hurling toward the earth instead.

"Ciel! Hurry! Take them out!" she ordered, startling both demons. As Ciel quickly aimed his gun, however, the menace spoke out.

"Wait! Ciel! The halberd!" Alois shouted. "It's H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s! Think of _who else_ fights with a Halberd?!"

" _Someone who went missing_ …" muttered the Phantomhive.

Suddenly, the bluenette shoved his weapon back into his coat and ran over to the stunned underling. Shoving them in order to force the rabbit to face him, he revealed the silver amulet at their throat. Fingers frantically curled around it as a gloved hand griped at the man's forearm in an effort to fight him off, but with a swift yank, the pendant was torn off. Just as it was, the rabbit's hand relaxed, as did the rest of their body. After a few moments, the rabbit stirred again.

" _Sir… Phan…tomhi…ve?"_ it weakly uttered, the sound muffled beneath its mask. That confirmed it. The Phantomhive gently placed his hands on both hands of the ridiculous mascot head and carefully lifted it upwards.

It was a girl. Sharp, red eyes and short black hair that curled outwards at the end in a bowl shape. She looked just as she did the last time Ciel saw her at Krampus' castle.

"So this is where you've been, _August_." The Phantomhive said softly. The girl had joined H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. months ago, but had gone missing during a mission. "You seem to have a knack for getting brainwashed, don't you?" The girl only looked at down at her hands.

"I want to go home…" she replied, looking up when the bluenette grabbed her hands, and standing up with his assistance.

"That is perfectly understandable." The man stated with a soft smile. After a few moments, he turned to his blonde assistant.

"Jim, call H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and have them pick August up. Get a bomb squad over here, while you're at it." He instructed.

"Yes, my lord." Jested the menace, placed his hand over his heart. With that, he whipped out his cell phone and began dialing. "I'll also have them pick up Sebastian while they're at it."

"Thank you, kindly." Ciel said with a smile. As soon as he did, though, it faded as his attention went elsewhere. It landed on the motorcycle in blue.

"As for you…" he began. "What on earth are we to do with you?"

Now that, was a question that stumped even Elizabeth, herself. She really hadn't thought this far. All she knew was that she needed to warn her cousin about the impending threat. Now that that was done, she wasn't entirely sure what to do.

Could she go back to the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. estate? Surely they had a new head of the family, now, and she wasn't sure how they would respond to her being there. She had no idea about the Midford household, either. Where they still aware of the supernatural from her marriage into the Hellsing family? It wasn't certain as to how they would react, either. Lastly, there was the Phantomhive estate. She couldn't stay there without revealing herself to Ciel, and quite frankly, she didn't know if she had the courage to do so, just yet. How exactly would the Phantomhive feel about her walking back into his life, especially after having decapitated his butler? There wasn't much confidence to be had about her situation.

Still, Ciel's single, sapphire eye stared at her, silently demanding that she answer. Problem was, she had none to give. She was afraid. One who had fearlessly smited countless nightmarish fiends and who had aided in the foundation of an organization dedicated to that cause was afraid of revealing herself to her own relative.

"I don't know…" she stated. "I have no idea what I'm going to do now…" The Phantomhive watched her for a moment, forcing her to wait for his own response. Each second caused her to tense up a bit more as it passed. Suddenly, the man spoke.

"Well, for starters, you could take off that helmet, or at least give me your name." he said. "I suppose we could work out something for you, but we won't get that far without even knowing what to call you."

Elizabeth's stomach dropped at the suggestion. She wanted to run away and hide, but her legs wouldn't move. Her hands shook as they considered reaching off and removing her helmet, but they hesitated. It took a greater amount of time than what could be considered "appropriate" for her to finally begin to lift her arms. Slowly, carefully, uneasily, her palms made contact with the sides of her helmet. As she lifted it off, locks of long white hair that matched the snow that they both stood on fell past her shoulders.

When her face was revealed, the bluenette's eyes widened as he was astonished by how familiar she looked. She was beautiful, but unsettling. Ciel felt like he should know who she was, but he couldn't make the connection. The woman opened her mouth to speak, but it took several tries before words would come out.

"Ciel…" she began, trying to force herself to form the words. "Ciel, it's me… _Lizzie_."


	84. What To Do?

Elizabeth. Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Hellsing- formerly "Midford". She was one of the last people ever to walk the face of the planet whom Ciel expected to see again. He had left her over a century ago without any explanation, only with a note that hinted at his supposed "death". Afterward, she had gone on to marry another, a mister Isaac Hellsing, the son of Abraham. It was that generation of the Hellsings who had set almost everything into place as it is today. Some of the biggest advancements in antifreak technology were made with Elizabeth's help, and she became an expert in the supernatural. There was absolutely no doubt that she had figured out what exactly happened to her cousin. There was no speculation. She had said so in the letter that she had left the bluenette before she died.

In that same letter, she said that she wasn't angry with Ciel, but the Phantomhive couldn't quite accept that. How could he? Surely no one was _that_ forgiving. After he had caused her years of heartbreak, sadness, and confusion, how on earth could she possibly even want to see him again? In Ciel's mind, she didn't, really. He noticed how hesitant she was to reveal herself. Was he supposed to face her now or disappear again? If not, then how would he speak to her? The thought made the bluenette's head hurt.

He sat on a sofa at the Hellsing estate, waiting for doctors to finish sewing his butler back together. Elizabeth was certainly angry enough to behead Sebastian! According to the woman herself, the butler would be perfectly fine, as she hadn't used a blessed blade. It may take a day or so for Sebastian to repair his spinal cord and get his nervous system back online, but as soon as that was done, the rest would come easily.

Snapping the man back to attention, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his neck from over the back of the couch. He placed a hand on Alois' arm as the fair-haired demon leaned down to kiss the top of the Phantomhive's head before nuzzling it. Both of them stayed that way for a few moments before either of them said anything. They already knew what was going to be said.

"Hey." The menace finally greeted in a quiet tone. "How're ya feelin'?"

A scoff escaped the bluenette, as he wasn't quite sure where to start. "Overwhelmed." He said. "Just… I don't know…"

"Not surprising. It's a lot to take in, I imagine." Alois replied, staring at a corner in the room. He turned his head to kiss the Phantomhive's again and gave him a little squeeze. "I'm not sure what to do about it, but I'll help you out any way I can…"

"I'll tell you if I think of something." Ciel's free hand reached up to cub the blonde's cheek as he lifted his chin in order to face his beau. "Thanks."

"No problem." A smile spread across the bluenette's face as Alois leaned into his touch. "You would have done the same for me." The blonde added, causing the watchdog to pause and think.

"Hey, Jim?" Ciel began, looking up at the other demon questioningly. "When Luka came back… How did you feel?"

A warm smile graced the blonde's face at the thought. When he first found out that Luka was still around, he was scared, yes—but he was also happy. When he finally saw the younger Macken's face again and was able to hold him, however, Alois was overjoyed.

"Ecstatic." He answered bluntly. There was a moment where he struggled to find his words. How exactly does one describe that feeling? "I mean, I was scared, too. I was afraid that he might not forgive me for not protecting him— that he would hate me, because he signed that contract and died for my sake. Most of all, though, I was scared of losing him again…"

Ciel closed his eyes as the man leaned down and placed a kiss on his forehead. He was still at full attention while the blonde continued still.

"Even if Elizabeth doesn't warm up to this ' _you_ ', you're still a really wonderful man, you know that?" questioned Alois. "You've done so much for me, and for Luka, and for so many other people, too. I know that she was— _is_ , really important to you, but even if things turn out to be less than ideal, you've still got people who love you and look up to you, alright?"

In truth, the bluenette was a tad surprised at the words of the menace, despite him knowing that the blonde was bound to give some form of encouragement. Alois was certainly skilled at reading the Phantomhive. He was also skilled at making an argument that even the watchdog's most stubborn of mentalities can't simply ignore.

"You're right." Stated the bluenette, stroking the other's cheek with his thumb. "You know, you're really too good for me, too."

"Yeah, right. You've got it the other way around." Snorted the other demon. "Tell me that when I'm paying all of the expenses and catering to all of your silly whims, like taking home random demons and junk."

"They're not ' _random'_ if they're important to you. Besides, I'm a CEO and I own the house. It's only natural for me to be paying most of the bills."

"See? You're like… uh… what was the rich guy from that one movie's name?"

"Which one? It could be _Batman_ , for all we know."

"Well, you're sorta like him, too." Alois replied. "Cool gadgets and sweet mansion, a butler who kicks ass and you take in orphans left and right while taking down ridiculous villains? Is it Ciel Phantomhive or Bruce Wayne?"

Chuckling, Ciel reached up and gripped the back of the blonde's head. He shifted himself in his seat so that he was sitting sideways somewhat before pulling the man in to kiss him on the lips. Once they both pulled away, he leaned back again, returning to his original position.

"So what do you think I should do?" he asked finally. "I have no idea how to face her…"

"Yeah… that is a bit of a problem, isn't it?" the blonde speculated, resting his chin on the top of the other's head. "What is it that you _want_ to do, or think you _should_ do?"

"Well… I think a bit of an apology is in order…" answered Ciel. There was a bit of uncertainty to his voice that was a bit hard to ignore. After a few moments of waiting for Ciel to continue, Alois realised that this was all that his beau could really think of. That said, it was a start.

"Alright." Spoke the fair-haired demon. "Then do that. If it goes over well, that's fantastic, if it doesn't, you can try giving it a little more time and trying again, right?"

"I suppose so…"

"Just remember who you belong to. I don't want anybody encroaching on my territory, y'know." He teased, causing the other to laugh a bit.

"Don't worry, I will." Answered the bluenette. "That ship has sailed, and besides, you're the only one I've ever really loved like this, so you have nothing to fear."

"Good." Grinned the menace, followed by a pause. "Uh… think she might be a little mad that I swore at her and pointed a gun at her?"

"Probably not as mad at me for waving one at her as well." The Phantomhive replied.

"Dunno what to tell ya 'bout that, mate."


	85. The X-Files

The Hellsing Estate; home to the Hellsing family for generations, and the home base of the organization of the same name. The members of this household protect the United Kingdom from creatures that go bump in the night, and this duty has been passed along accordingly. It started with Abraham, then Isaac, then Arthur, then currently, Integra.

The current head of the household is a courageous, charismatic woman whose very presence is said to be powerful enough to make monsters quake with fear. Lord knows where she got this power, but a certain Phantomhive gentlemen suspects it may come from the Midford Family crossing over into hers. She didn't treat Elizabeth like family, however. The woman was interrogated just as harshly as August was for their association with the Cerberus bomb threats. After a few hours of this, both women were lead to the basement of the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. estate and guarded closely.

Elizabeth was shocked at how drastically things had changed. The estate had not only grown in size, but had visually changed as well, with linoleum tiles and chrome finish around the entrance to the base, a front desk, and people moving left and right, some of them carrying absurdly intimidating guns! The uniforms had changed, but the crest remained the same. Elizabeth was certainly surprised at the amount of supernatural personnel on staff. A good portion of them guarded both her and August as they sat in their rooms. The only ones who were absent were Audrey and Dafydd, who were assigned to different departments.

Two vampires and a werewolf stood before the detainees' doors. The vampires were pleasant and friendly, while the werewolf was quiet with a bored expression seemingly stuck across her face. All of them were women, which was also new to the wife of a former Hellsing head. There weren't many women in H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; even before she died and there certainly weren't this many supernaturals, and they certainly weren't like the one that she knew.

Hours passed without anything to do in that small room. Occasionally, Elizabeth would make small-talk with the guards, who seemed more than happy to accommodate. She learned their names; the one with black hair pulled back in a short ponytail was named Charlotte and the other vampire with blonde hair and the only one wearing a skirt was called Seras. The werewolf's name was Amelie, although she wasn't the one to say so. It was Charlotte who told her name.

A lot was learned in that time about the organization itself, and apparently, Seras worked closely with the current family head as she seemed to know a lot about her. From what Elizabeth was told, she was a rather intimidating woman, although she was not at all "heartless". Supposedly, she was a lot like Ciel.

There was a thought. What was she going to do about Ciel? The expression on his face when they first set eyes on each other was unlike any expression Elizabeth knew he could make. He seemed very keen to pass her off on Hellsing. Perhaps he didn't really want to see her. Perhaps he was simply shocked. It didn't matter. Elizabeth truly did wish to see him again and speak with him, but it has been a while.

Anxiety and doubt sank in further as time went on. Truly, the former Midford had no idea what she was going to do or what was to be done with her. She didn't know what she was going to do about Ciel, she didn't know where she was going to go, and she didn't know what H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. had planned, either. Everything was a mess. She actually jumped at the sound of the knock at the door.

Before she could say anything, it opened, and in walked a young man with a cart of boxes. Just from a glance, Elizabeth could tell he, too, wasn't human. Only, instead of a vampire, he was most likely a Grim Reaper, judging by the eyes. Somehow, he seemed a bit nervous while speaking.

"Sir Integra has decided to disclose these documents to you." He stated. "She says that she would like to meet with you some time tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, mister…" Elizabeth's eyes scanned the patch on the man's uniform with his name on it. "… _Baines._ I'll be ready." She added with a friendly smile.

With a nod, the man left, leaving the entire cart in the room with the angel and closing the door behind him. How strange. Very strange. Perhaps someone had convinced the angel's granddaughter that she was indeed legitimate. Regardless, she needed to look over the documents before the meeting, so she started on that. Walking over to the cart, she reached into the box and pulled out a stack of files before placing them on a table in the room.

"Specimen V-001, Specimen V-002, Specimen L-001…. _What is this?"_ Elizabeth said aloud. After opening one of the files, she discovered that they were on the supernatural members of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. She found the information on all of the guards watching her, as well as the man who had given her the files. A lot of her hypothesis were correct about them, give or take a few details.

Other than that, she found the research records on each individual, discovering a lot about their personalities and such. So far, there was nothing out of the ordinary, however, the fact that Charlotte and Amelie were revealed to be involved romantically was a bit of a surprise. A blush formed on the Hellsing woman's face as she read that part. It seemed incredibly inappropriate, but it was said that they were otherwise in a healthy relationship and even seeked to marry. Now _that_ was a foreign concept. This time period sure was a wild ride.

She tore through file after file, understanding almost everything perfectly. Soon, Elizabeth was done with that stack of folders and stretched her arms over her head before working on the next. It had taken a while. According to the clock in the room it was past one in the morning. Despite this, Elizabeth stood up from her chair and made her way over to the box again for more files.

This batch was going to be interesting, she could tell just by skimming through. "Specimen D-005" was the lesser-demon that had been involved with the Cerberus case with her and "Specimen D-004" was a child. The woman stopped dead in her tracks through skimming through the stack as she got to a particularly thick folder labeled "Specimen D-003". She recognised the face in the photograph. It was the blonde gentlemen that Ciel was with earlier that day. The woman quickly looked at the next file and almost dropped it.

" _Specimen D-002; Name: Sebastian Michaelis_ " it said. There was a picture of the butler and everything. If this was the case, then surely, without a single doubt in her mind, when Elizabeth looked at the next file it would say:

" _Specimen D-001; Name: Ciel Phantomhive_ "

With that, Elizabeth placed the folder back on the table. Her face was in her hands, propped up on her elbows resting on the table. Whether or not she was mentally prepared for this, she knew that she had to read the file. Not just for the sake of this meeting she had in the morning, but for herself. Even though her heart was racing and her face felt hot; even though her eyes watered slightly and that she was afraid of what she might see, she had to read it.

Leaning back in her chair, staring at the ceiling before closing her eyes altogether, the angel drew in deep breaths in order to calm down. She had to do this. In that absurdly thick folder was almost everything she needed to know about Ciel currently. Everything she wanted to confirm was inside, and all she needed to do was open it and start reading.

Scooting her chair forward a bit, she got to work. There were the experiments performed using his DNA samples, which she only glanced over in order to get to the parts that she wanted to look at. Ciel still owned FUNTOM, it seemed, and was still doing detective work and H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. work, too. He was still rather serious, but had seemed to have lightened up. She soon found another case study within the file labeled " _Experiment 66-B_ ", which surprisingly held everything she really wanted to know that she didn't think a formal document would tell her.

According to the file, this experiment was geared toward "humanizing" the demonic residents of the Phantomhive household, Ciel, in particular. They were going to use an unauthorized summon that the bluenette performed as a tool to use in this effort, as Ciel seemed to have grown attached to the summon, much to everyone's surprise. That summon was called "specimen D-003", or "Jim Macken". Elizabeth made a mental note of the name before continuing.

Ciel had made a friend whom he cared about deeply, it seemed. Elizabeth couldn't help but smile as she read. It was more than a relief to see that the Phantomhive had made at least one good friend. According to the file, he made several, including Specimen G-001, a mister "Audrey Baines". Jim, however, was always his closest. More members of the household joined, including Jim's younger brother, Luka, whom Ciel permitted to stay.

The woman's smile grew wider and wider with every little out of character act of humanity that Ciel did. Ciel was happy. It was such a relief to the woman. All of this time she had been afraid that Ciel was miserable, but clearly, this wasn't the case. She was smiling uncontrollably as she read the document, but then it suddenly faded. Instead, it was replaced with a bright red blush across the woman's features upon reading the words "romantic love".

Now, it had been a long time since they had been engaged, so it shouldn't have been surprising at all that Ciel might have found someone whom he was interested in "in that way". Elizabeth paused for a moment to regain her composure. In this time, she also speculated as to what this woman would be like, or who it was.

Was it August? Ciel was indeed helpful toward her after freeing her, but they spoke with such formality toward one another that it seemed impossible. Was it Seras? No, somehow, that didn't seem right, either. In all honesty, Elizabeth really couldn't imagine what kind of woman would be a good match for the grouchy watchdog. Without any further ideas to speculate on, she had no choice but to keep reading.

When she did, however, her blush darkened and spread to her ears. Elizabeth nearly fell out of her chair at reading this, and had to take another break just to let the concept sink in. She knew who it was, or rather, recognised the name from another file.

" _Jim Macken_." That is who Ciel was romantically involved with. A man. Her former-fiancé was involved with another man; his friend; his assistant and partner. She couldn't believe it. Surely it was a misprint or something.

Elizabeth knew that the Phantomhive hardly showed any romantic interest in her while they were both engaged, but she had assumed that it was merely because he was immature, or more likely because their marriage was arranged. Never in her wildest dreams, would Elizabeth had thought that Ciel might be interested in men. While having a homosexual lover was not something unheard of, it was still incredibly shocking for her to discover that Ciel might have one, especially over a woman. Then again, those two guards were supposedly engaged, and they are both of the same sex, so perhaps it wasn't as depraved as she thought.

Either way, to say that she was merely "shocked" would be an understatement in this case. Now, she also needed to confirm this as well. If the files said nothing more about it, then she might have to ask either man herself, and knowing the bluenette, it might be a bit difficult to find the opportunity. Thus, Elizabeth started by searching in the blonde gentleman's file.

As it turns out, the pair did have a lot in common. Similar histories, interests, and expertise; and while their personalities were different, they were complimentary. On the surface, they seemed like a decent match. Elizabeth couldn't be so sure, however. She needed to make sure that Ciel was alright. Just like this, the task of examining the Phantomhive's lifestyle was added to the woman's list of things to do.


	86. Recap

Morning broke, but Elizabeth hardly noticed, as she never went to sleep. Thank goodness, angels didn't require it. She had spent all night tearing through folder after folder. Since the room she was kept in had no windows, she had no idea that the sun was up until someone came through the door and informed her.

"Lady Elizabeth?" called Seras, holding a stack of neatly-folded clothes as she walked into the room. "I brought a change of clothes for you. They're nothing fancy. Just a standard-issue uniform. I'm sorry, but it's all we've got for now, I'm afraid." The Hellsing woman simply shook her head and smiled.

"No, that's alright." She said. "It's still better than this… whatever-it-is, I'm wearing." Seras returned the smile and set the clothes down on the desk.

"Your meeting is in a few hours..." informed the Draculina. "Oh! Do you want breakfast? We know that demons don't need to eat, but we really don't have any data on angels, so we didn't prepare anything… I'm sorry, that was really rude of us…"

"You're fine. Angels don't need to eat or sleep, either. Thank you for the offer, though!" With that, the vampire offered a salute before turning to make her exit. Once the door was closed, a small sigh escaped Elizabeth's lips.

"I should get ready, then, I suppose…" she said to herself.

She took a bath and then got dressed. It took her longer to put on the uniform than she thought it would. The new uniforms were very practical, but were hardly elegant. Elizabeth couldn't quite decide how it was to go on. She remembered the man who had given her the files, and had realised that the uniform was similar to his. After that, she simply tried to replicate what she remembered of it. Once that was done, she did what she could with her hair, and then simply waited. There was an effort to tidy up the mess she had made, but she soon got distracted again.

How on earth was she going to talk to this woman? Supposedly, the current head was her granddaughter, yet from the sounds of things, she couldn't exactly refer to her informally. They had never met after all. Elizabeth had died decades before Integra was born.

She didn't understand the "Sir" as Integra's title, either. According to Seras, no one really knew why she went by "Sir", but supposedly it was to sound intimidating. How incredibly unladylike! This impression of the head of the household would only solidify, once she was whisked away to Integra's office.

Elizabeth was completely taken aback by Integra's appearance. She wasn't anything that the angel expected—or rather, was everything, but only exaggerated. The woman wore a suit like a man and an eyepatch beneath her spectacles. She smoked a cigar while sitting behind her desk as she waited for Elizabeth's arrival. It was hard for Elizabeth to believe that her son raised such a daughter, despite Arthur's quirks. The rumours were true, however, as a chill ran down the angel's spine as Integra looked up at her. The family head casually put out her cigar on an ashtray on her desk before speaking.

"Have a seat." She instructed. Despite her appearance, Integra's voice was extremely womanly, albeit low in tone. Elizabeth did as instructed and took a seat on a sofa nearby.

"Did you read the files?" questioned Integra, leaning forward in her seat somewhat.

"Yes." The other replied with a nod. "They were quite shocking, I must say. So much has happened, and I missed all of it."

"That isn't your fault." The human stated. "You lived for as long as you could, didn't you? It's ridiculous to ask someone to put off dying."

"I suppose you're right…" Elizabeth said. Seras was right. Integra really was a lot like Ciel. "So, what is it that you wanted to speak with me about?"

"Well, that pertains to what exactly you want to do." Integra said. "You're free to leave, if you like, but if you don't have anywhere to go, you're welcome to stay here. That aside, jurisdiction over the Cerberus case has been handed over to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; and your further involvement would be of great assistance."

"I would be happy to help, Sir Hellsing." Elizabeth said. She flinched as she caught the other woman staring intently at her. Had she said something wrong?

" _Integra_." The head of the household corrected. "You may call me by name. You're of Hellsing blood, after all, aren't you?"

"I guess that's true." Elizabeth answered. "In that case, call me _'Elizabeth'_." She figured that "Lizzie" or "Grandmother" would be too much for the woman, but Integra nodded in acknowledgment.

"Though, I am surprised that my legitimacy wasn't questioned." The angel admitted.

"There was no need to do so." Integra stated. "Someone vouched for you."

"Ciel?"

"Yes."

So it was Ciel who made things go so smoothly for her. Thank goodness. She would have to thank him for that. It was also nice to know that the man was looking out for her, somewhat, just like he used to. It seemed to make the possibility of seeing him again more likely.

"He should be arriving in a little bit, actually." Continued Integra. "I you'd like, you can meet with him then."

"O-oh, no! I mean, I don't really know if he wants to see me…" Elizabeth trailed off. She looked down at her hands as they sat in her lap, trying to think of something to say. She didn't have to, as the other woman spoke for her.

"I wouldn't be so certain." The family head stated. "From my knowledge, I do believe that he would like to apologise to you."

"Really?" asked the other. "For what?"

"I wouldn't know. You would have to ask—" suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"…Him." Concluded Integra. With that, she raised her voice so that she could be heard on the other side of the door. "Come in."

Elizabeth's eyes widened as a man dressed in black cautiously stepped from behind it. He had sensed the girl's presence and had to prepare himself mentally for showing his face, but it still wasn't enough. Almost bashfully, he tried to overlook the angel's presence in favour of focusing on Sir Hellsing.

"You wanted to speak to me, Integra?" he asked, straightening himself and speaking in his usual, dignified manner. On the surface, it seemed as though the man hadn't changed a single bit.

"I'm taking jurisdiction over the Cerberus case." The woman stated. "I would like your full cooperation, and if possible, a report on what you already know sent to our intelligence division as soon as possible."

"That's what I thought you were going to say." Ciel replied. "Very well, then, I'll get on that."

"In the meantime, I would assume that you would like to catch up with Elizabeth?" questioned Integra. "It isn't polite to blatantly ignore a lady, you know."

"I wasn't _ignoring_ her." The Phantomhive indignantly huffed, trying to cover his tracks. A blush formed on his face at being called out on the matter. "I was simply focused on business!"

" _Right_." Spoke Sir Hellsing with all skepticism, standing up and placing her cigar case in her pocket. Casually, she began making her way toward the door. "I'll be leaving you two to it, then. You're free to leave the mansion, but please inform me before doing so."

"Wait, Integra—" called the bluenette, but it was too late. The door had been shut and he was all alone with his cousin. Hesitantly, he looked behind him facing the woman before averting his eye again.

"E-Elizabeth." He forced out as greeting. Ciel had no time to react at all before a pair of arms were around his neck and he was being tightly squeezed.

"Ciel…" the angel began. "It's so good to see you again." She pulled back and cupped the man's cheeks, trying to get a better look at his face.

"You've grown up so much!" she pointed out. "You're even taller than me, now! I didn't know it was possible."

"Shape-shifting…" the bluenette sheepishly answered. "I'm sorry… I'm still not very good with people."

"That's perfectly alright." The woman said, releasing him and taking a step back. "I didn't really expect much. I'm just glad to see you alive again…"

With that, a pang of guilt shot through the bluenette's core. He remembered his objective for when he spoke to the woman, but wasn't quite sure how to bring it up. Unfortunately, he wasn't especially skilled at this sort of thing. Alois was, but he wasn't. So, Ciel opted to try and take the menace's approach, and simply dive right back in.

"I'm glad to see you too, Elizabeth." He said with a smile.

" _Lizzie."_ The angel corrected.

"Huh?"

"I've told you time and time again to call me _'Lizzie'_." The woman said, crossing her arms. She watched the dumbfounded look on her cousin's face with much amusement as he tried to think of something to say. She arched an eyebrow as his expression changed and he started laughing. Now it was Elizabeth's turn to be dumbfounded as Ciel began genuinely, heartily laughing.

The woman hadn't seen him laugh like that since they were children. This, by far, was the most surprising thing that she had witnessed thus far. Ciel laughed so hard that he clutched at his stomach, finally forcing her to ask:

"What's so funny?" It actually took Ciel a few tries to calm down enough to answer coherently.

"Y-you!" he said between chuckles. "All this time, I was so afraid of talking to you, and here you come out telling me to call you ' _Lizzie'!"_

The woman couldn't help but smile at this and let out a few giggles herself. "You're right. That is pretty silly, isn't it?"

Moments passed and their laughter died down. They were finally able to have a conversation again, while neither of them knew about what. No, that wasn't true. They both knew perfectly well what they wanted to talk about.

"It's good to see you laugh again." Elizabeth finally said. Her smile was still prominent on her face against her will as she grinned uncontrollably. "I haven't seen you laugh like that since we were little."

"A lot has changed." Ciel replied, wearing a smile, himself. "Things have been going very well. I got your letter, by the way. I'm glad to see that you've been doing well, too."

"Letter…" the woman mouthed. "Oh! That! I didn't know I would be coming back to tell you myself, so I thought I would leave you with that. It's a little embarrassing."

"No, I'm glad you wrote it." Stated the Phantomhive. "I feel like I needed that, so… thank you."

"You're welcome." Elizabeth answered, taking a seat on one of the sofas. "So, you know what all I've been up to." She began. "What about you? From what I've heard, you've been very busy."

"Depends on what you've heard." Ciel took a seat on the sofa across from her so that they could continue their chat.

"Well, I hear that you fought Nazis, solve murders, carry out assassins… You're a regular James Bond, aren't you?"

"Not especially. I just do my job."

"I also here that you've made a few friends and secured a little make-shift family, too." The Hellsing woman said, crossing her arms with a grin. She watched as her cousin's face went a little red at the statement.

"I have." He said bluntly. "My assistant and his brothers now live with us. Things have been very lively around the manor, lately."

"Yeah… I'm sorry I beheaded your butler, by the way…"

"Well, he isn't dead, and knowing him, he won't be out for long." The bluenette replied. "The problem is that he's out only staff member. We'll probably be eating out until he regenerates."

"Oh? But don't demons not have to eat?"

"No. It's the younger ones that have to. Luka hasn't become a 'full-fledged' demon yet, and Revy isn't a demon at all."

"I'm sorry…" the woman said again. "I didn't know…"

"We'll manage." The Phantomhive then looked at his watch. "Oh! I have to be going soon. I'm meeting the others for lunch…"

"That's alright. We can talk later." Elizabeth said. "Maybe I'll be able to meet them, someday." Ciel paused for a moment as he stood up again, lost in thought. It wasn't long before he turned to the woman again.

"You could come with me, if you'd like." He said. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

"A-are you certain?" the Hellsing woman asked. Thoughts circled through her mind of meeting the bluenette's lover and having to sit with them.

"I'm pretty certain. It was Jim—my assistant, who insisted that I talk to you and not run away."

This "Jim" fellow seemed friendly enough from what she had heard of him, but she wasn't entirely certain on how he would react to meeting Ciel's former-fiancée. After all, Elizabeth knew that she would be having mixed feelings if she were in his situation. Yet even still, she was very curious on what Ciel's "family" was like. She had made it an objective, after all.

"If it's not too much trouble." She said, finally. To that, the bluenette pulled out his cell phone.

"Not at all." He said. "I'll tell Integra that I'm taking you out."


	87. An Awkward Afternoon of Eating

Today, Alois was a bit anxious, although he sat colouring with his younger brother in a restaurant booth. He drew mustaches with Luka on the little characters on the kids' menu, waiting for Ciel to arrive with Elizabeth. He had gotten a text that he was bringing her, and Alois knew that he had to be on his best behaviour.

After a few more messages, Alois had discovered that the meeting had gone well. While it was a relief, it also raised a bit of concern. The blonde was fully aware of the bluenette's feelings for him, and trusted him entirely, but there was a shred of doubt lingering in the back of his mind about the entire ordeal. It was enough to cause him a bit of distress in that area.

Had it not been for Alois, Ciel and Elizabeth would have certainly gotten married. They got along well, it seemed, and would have surely prospered. It was hard to sit there with that knowledge. Ciel could have lived a relatively normal life, had it not been for the blonde. The only way that got in the way after that was the fact that Ciel had sold his soul to a demon. While Ciel said he was happy, now, the blonde couldn't help but wonder if he would have been happy if he hadn't gotten in the way.

"You broke the crayon!" pointed out Luka, snapping the man back to reality. The young boy pointed at Alois' hand, sticking his own out from beneath the sleeve of his oversized hoodie that covered his horns. Lo and behold, a red crayon sat partially snapped in half in the blonde's hand.

"Sorry." The menace said. "I pushed down too hard."

"It's okay. I used to do that a lot, too." Spoke the youngest brother, seated across from Alois. "You just gotta be careful when you're making it darker."

"I'll try." Alois replied. He tried to keep his thoughts in check, but they continued to wander dangerously. His heart dropped completely when he saw a cab pull up to the curb outside the window.

Out stepped Ciel and who he assumed was Elizabeth. Alois was nervous. The woman was even paler than him with hair that matched the snow outside, and he had to admit, she looked good next to Ciel. Too good. As much as Alois tried to stop it, he was feeling a bit self-conscious. A girl was definitely better next to Ciel.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when the door to the restaurant opened. He looked up to see the Phantomhive making a beeline right for him, Hellsing woman in tow. Naturally, he stood up to greet them.

"Hello, sunshine!" he said to Ciel, putting on his usual excitable face. "And who have we here?"

"This is Elizabeth." The bluenette answered with a smile. He then turned to the other. "Elizabeth, this is my assistant, Alois Trancy, also known as ' _Jim'._ "

"Pleased to meet you, Alois!" the Hellsing said. She was a bit confused for a moment, but then remembered that the name was listed as an alias in his file.

"It's good to see you, too." The Macken answered with a grin, reaching out to shake the woman's hand. The two boys behind him were a bit confused as to who the woman was, so he opted to introduce them as well.

"This is Luka and Revy." He stated. "They're my little brothers. Luka, Revy, this is Elizabeth, Ciel's cousin." The two sort of gawked at the woman for a little while, especially Luka, before finally uttering their odd little greetings.

"Call me ' _Lizzie_ '." Spoke the angel. "I hope we all get along~!"

Curses, she was very pleasant. There was no doubt in Alois' mind that the others would warm up to her nicely. Alois' thoughts were cut short, however, as the bluenette turned him around and started to gently push him toward the table while shaking his head. The Phantomhive could tell that his beau was fretting over this; he could see it in his eyes.

He seated the man in the booth before taking a seat next to him. Elizabeth followed, taking the seat next to the bluenette. Now Alois was certainly trapped. He had a wall to his left and two Phantomhives on his right.

"A girl on each arm, huh?" Revy said teasingly. "Must be nice, Ciel."

"Who are you calling a 'girl'?" questioned the menace, his face heating up at the sound of Elizabeth trying to hold in a giggle. "You and I share a face and out of the two of us, you're the more effeminate one!"

"Whatever you say…"

"Don't _'whatever'_ me!"

"Relax, Jim." The Phantomhive intervened. He placed his hand over that of the menace, having almost an instant calming effect. Still, he leaned in closely to whisper in the Macken's ear. "You're fine."

Alois sank in his seat, somewhat, trying to calm down. Unfortunately, it would seem that he was allowing the situation to get to him. He didn't know how to behave at all. What exactly does one say to their boyfriend's former fiancée?

The gesture didn't go unnoticed by the Hellsing woman, nor did Ciel's act of grabbing the man's hand. He had clasped it for far longer than what could be considered "appropriate" for two men, so perhaps the files weren't wrong. Just to be safe, however, Elizabeth was going to observe for a while longer. It would be awkward to accuse one's cousin of being a homosexual, only to discover that one was mistaken. Thus, she decided to beat around the bush a bit.

"So you're the Mackens." She said. "Ciel was telling me all about you in the car over here. Judging from the looks of you, you're Luka, and you're Revy, right?" she asked pointing to each boy.

"Yup! That's right!" Luka giggled. "We don't have middle names though."

"Oh, that's odd." Elizabeth began. "I have two, so maybe I stole one!"

"Really?! What's your whole name?"

"It's Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Hellsing."

"Sir Integra has two middle names as well." Ciel noted. "Perhaps you started a trend. How was she, by the way? Was she at all friendly?"

"I'm not sure if ' _friendly_ ' is the word I would use." The angel replied. She played with the edge of the menu as she spoke. "She was polite, but…"

"Frightening?"

"A bit, yes." Admitted Elizabeth. "It's amazing that she's Arthur's child…"

"Arthur only raised her until she was twelve." The Phantomhive stated. "After he died from illness, her butler raised her. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"

"I did get the impression that she was a lot like you."

"Are you saying I'm frightening?"

Hand resting his palm and his elbow on the table, the fair-haired demon kept his eyes down, tuning out the conversation happening right next to him. In an attempt to ignore the current conversation, Alois pretended to read the menu. He wasn't at all keen in listening in on how his boyfriend and his former fiancée were getting along. From the outside, they probably looked like a couple; the thought made him mad. It had been a long time since his face was so gloomy, and his brothers picked up on it. They simply opted not to say anything, as the menace looked as though he really didn't want any contact with a living being at that moment.

He was almost forced to pay attention to the bluenette, however. A blush appeared on his face as the other man began stroking his hand with his thumb in a soothing sort of way. While Alois was happy that he was being thought of, he was nervous as to what the woman would say once she noticed. Most people don't affectionately hold hands with their mere assistants. Sadly, he hadn't thought to discuss whether or not they were going to reveal their relationship to Elizabeth or not. They had only thought as far as an apology.

Oh, how Alois wanted to cling to the Phantomhive—to declare the man of belonging to him, claiming him for all to see. But he couldn't. At least not until Ciel's true intentions were brought to light.

"You've been awfully quiet, Alois." Spoke the Hellsing woman, startling the menace. "You're a lot shyer than I thought."

"H-huh? Oh…" the Macken began, trying to formulate an excuse. "I'm not, really, I just can't really think of anything interesting to say. Do I look shy or something?"

"No." Elizabeth replied, shaking her head, lightly. "I just didn't think someone who could shout obscenities at me while waving a gun could be so quiet." She jested.

"U-uh, yeah…" Alois sheepishly said. "I'm sorry about that…"

"It's alright! I was just teasing." She stated. "I imagine that it's part of the job."

"It is, in a weird way." The blonde answered. "If you act like a crazy person who's gonna shoot somebody, people are more likely to listen to you."

"And now I see how you and Ciel are able to get along!" Giggled Elizabeth. Poor Alois almost sunk into his seat again, believing himself to have said the wrong thing.

"Despite his use of this method, Jim can be very precise and orderly, when he wants to." Spoke up Ciel, leaning back. "Once, I was captured for a month by a band of demons, and it was Jim who tracked them down and rescued me!"

The bluenette spoke with much pride about the menace. It was so odd for Elizabeth to see the man so enthusiastic, but it made her smile all the same. Indeed, Ciel wasn't the same boy who had left her. He had changed, grown up, and branched out. To see the man so obviously attached to someone forced a smile across the woman's face. Seeing Ciel happy made her happy, even if she wasn't the one to have caused it— even if the one who did was a man.

She was pulled from her thoughts as a waitress finally came over in order to take their orders. Quickly, she picked something from the menu that she had only glanced over while the others told the woman what they wanted. Once that was done, everyone resumed talking again.

"You would eat a steak raw, if you could get it." The blonde was heard saying to the revenant on the other side of the table. The younger Macken had ordered a rare steak, as per usual.

"So? It tastes good." Revy answered. "What about you? You always order fish n' chips!"

"I _like_ fish n' chips!" grinned the menace. "They're good for you!"

"On what planet?"

"Good your _soul,_ Revy."

"I like 'em, too." Luka joined in. "They don't come with a toy, here, though."

"You would be happy if we took you to eat almost anywhere, wouldn't you?" questioned Alois, arching an eyebrow.

"I don't like Chinese food." The youngest answered.

"I said ' _almost_ '."

"Maybe next time, Luka can pick where we eat." Ciel suggested.

"I want McDonald's, then." the brunette stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "The food doesn't take as long to get here, and they have toys." The adults couldn't help but utter their own distinctive laughs at that. Elizabeth giggled, Ciel chuckled, and Alois laughed.

"Yes, your highness." The Phantomhive replied. He then turned to Elizabeth. "If you want, we can take a tour around London. It's a bit cold, though."

"That sounds lovely, but it is cold." The woman answered. "In all honesty, I would just like to catch up a bit more."

"We could always go back to the manor."

In that moment, Alois' hand slinked away from Ciel's and dropped into the seat. The Phantomhive's single, blue eye flickered toward the menace, and his hand fell into the seat as well. Hidden by the table, the pair locked them together, intertwining their fingers and holding tightly. With that bit of reassurance, Alois offered a small nod.

"I would love to." Elizabeth said. "Has it changed any since I last visited?"

"Most likely." The Phantomhive answered. "There's more people living in it and over a century has passed. I'm sure that it's definitely changed, somehow."

"I want to see it!" giggled the Hellsing woman. Suddenly she paused and leaned forward, looking past the bluenette and over to the blonde menace. "…That is, if it's alright with you, Alois."

"It's not really my place to decide." Alois stated. It wasn't really his house, after all, and if they were keeping a façade of friendship, then there would be no reason for him to particularly mind it. "Go ahead. It'll be fun."


	88. In Flagrante Delicto

The car ride to the Phantomhive estate was relatively quiet, save for the sound of Luka and Elizabeth talking in the backseat. Luka was teaching the woman little games and telling her all sorts of things, while Elizabeth was more than happy to listen. The two were very excitable. Occasionally, the corners of Ciel's mouth would tilt upward at something said. It would appear that the Macken boy had reached Elizabeth's quota of "cute".

He and his beau in the front seat, however, were silent while the menace was driving. Alois' face was oddly serious as he focused on the road, Ciel noticed. Perhaps it wasn't the wisest decision to invite the Hellsing woman over for a visit, after all. It was somewhat selfish of Ciel, but he did want to socialize with Elizabeth some more.

Alois understood this, which is why he was compliant. Elizabeth was important to Ciel, so she was important to the menace, too. Despite this, he wasn't particularly thrilled with having to entertain her. While he could have simply gone somewhere else and left the pair to converse, he was still somewhat uneasy about the idea of leaving them alone.

Soon, the mansion came into view and the car started to slow down. Elizabeth stared up at it through the window, gawking at how it looked. On the outside, it changed only slightly. It was still nostalgic to look at. She couldn't help but stare as they all exited the vehicle.

Immediately, Luka took her hand and started leading her inside. The boy had obviously taken a liking to her. Revy followed, but was in no hurry, and the final Macken was about to do the same before he was stopped by the bluenette. The other demon grabbed his arm to tear his attention away from the others as they disappeared into the house.

"Are you alright?" questioned the Phantomhive. A small smile appeared on the blonde's face as he shook his head.

"I'm alright." He stated. "I just have no idea what I'm doing, and don't want to make things worse."

"You're not going to make things worse." Ciel answered reassuringly. "Just be yourself. Elizabeth is bound to love you. Trust me."

"Are you sure?" Alois asked. "And, uh… Are you sure I'm not just… y'know… in the way?"

"Of course not." Spoke the Phantomhive, reaching down and grabbing the blonde's hands that hung at his sides. "In fact, Elizabeth seems curious to know more about you. You're not in the way at all."

Ciel's response somehow made the menace feel a bit mixed. While it was reassuring to know that he would probably be able to win the approval of the Hellsing woman, it felt that the bluenette had missed the mark. Yes, Alois was worried about fitting in, but he was also worried about how the Phantomhive had warmed up to Elizabeth so quickly again. He knew it was silly, and he knew that Ciel loved him, but the thought still lingered that he might not be wanted, now that Elizabeth was back. Alois didn't want to be a burden, yet he didn't want to be left out or alienated. As childish as it may seem, the menace wanted Ciel's attention, and he wanted it all to himself. Icy blue eyes looked down as Alois fished for a response.

"Alright." He said. "If you say so…"

The Phantomhive smiled sweetly, cupping the blonde's cheeks in his palms before tilting the man's head downward. He planted a small kiss to Alois' forehead before tilting his beau's chin up again so that they were looking at each other square in the face. Brows tilting upward and face contorting into a deep front, the Macken kept his gaze looking away from the other demon, eventually opting to simply close his eyes as the bluenette soothingly rubbed his cheeks with his thumbs. While the Macken grabbed the man's wrists, he couldn't force Ciel away. He didn't want to. He needed the watchdog's focus and didn't want to give it up.

He felt silly— like he was overreacting and being unreasonable. That still didn't change the fact that he felt upset, however. Surely the Phantomhive thought he was being childish.

"It's okay." Ciel said. "You're okay. You aren't being replaced, or anything. Elizabeth is an _addition_ to the family, not a _substitution_ for anyone."

BAM! The Phantomhive had hit the nail on the head. It wasn't hard, really. Ciel knew that Alois had difficulty with abandonment in the past, and no matter how much he had grown up and improved, a major change such as this could cause unrest in practically anyone.

" _Really?"_ the menace sheepishly asked, still refusing to meet the bluenette's gaze.

"Really." Answered Ciel, pecking the other man between his eyebrows. "Come on, look at me." He instructed, waiting for the other to do as he said before continuing.

"Elizabeth isn't going to replace you, because she _can't_." he said softly. "In fact, there's no one who ever _could_. Even if I want to talk to her for a little bit, she's not you. You're the one who I fell head over heels in love with, not her, or anyone else."

The blonde sniffled before hiding his face in his beau's shoulder, and the man simply let him. Ciel wrapped his arms around Alois' shoulders, pulling him close while the other calmed down. "Alright?"

"Alright." Alois answered, pulling back and rubbing his face a bit. He didn't dare cry. It was bad enough that he got himself worked up at all. "Sorry…"

"Don't be. I imagine that it's perfectly normal to be upset when your boyfriend's former-fiancée comes over." Informed the watchdog. He leaned forward and pecked the man on the cheek one last time. "You know… to tell the truth… I would probably be upset too, had the situation be reversed." He paused, smiling as Alois did at the statement.

"So should we go inside, then?" he asked. "It's cold out here, and it's rude to keep guests waiting."

"Alright." Alois nodded. "Let's go!"

"See? You can do this." The watchdog stated, grabbing the other demon's hand and escorting him inside. What neither of them noticed, however, was the flustered angel observing them through the window on the second floor.

Elizabeth's face was pure scarlet and she couldn't even think about focusing on the small demon who was excitedly trying to show her around the mansion. She tore her eyes away as the duo disappeared into the house as well, placing her hands against her cheeks and shaking her head. Somehow, it seemed as though she had seen something that she really shouldn't have.

While she couldn't hear what the pair were saying, it didn't matter. Never before had she ever seen Ciel look at someone like that, let alone offer them that kind of affection. Obviously, he had waited until he could catch the blonde alone before kissing him. The scene kept replaying itself in her head over and over again against her will, only embarrassing her further. Baring witness to two men behaving amourously toward one another was… well, it was a new concept. Not to mention the fact that one of them was none other than Ciel Phantomhive, who was known for his surly demeanor and humourless attitude. For him to fall in love was shocking, but for him to fall in love with a man was almost too far out there to be imaginable.

When she saw them together, however, she could tell that the Phantomhive was genuinely happy to be around the other. It appeared as though he was comforting the blonde, and doing so in a rather affectionate and caring manner. When on earth did he learn to do that?

It was Alois. Alois was the cause. Recalling how the bluenette described the Macken so excitedly, she could tell that the blonde was incredibly important to him. Ciel loved him, and what the angel witnessed had just confirmed it. Thus, Elizabeth decided that no matter how odd it may be, she had to support the Phantomhive's happiness. That said, she still wanted to know more about Alois.

* * *


	89. For The Worse

The demonic duo walked through the door as if nothing happened. While taking off their coats, their eyes scanned around for Elizabeth, but she wasn't anywhere in immediate view. Both of them jumped to the conclusion that Luka had been showing her around, but they both sensed her presence nearby.

"Elizabeth?" Ciel called. Lo and behold, the woman stepped out of her hiding place and appeared from around the corner.

"It's ' _Lizzie_ '." She corrected. Less-than-casually, she leaned against the wall, trying to seem nonchalant. "So… What was the hold up, out there?"

"We were just talking." The bluenette answered, putting his coat away. He arched an eyebrow at the woman's odd behaviour. Something wasn't right. "Why?"

"Oh, _no reason_." Elizabeth stated. That was a lie. She knew what the pair was doing and simply wanted them to admit it. It was presumed that calling someone out about the fact that they haven't quite _properly_ introduced their boyfriend was a major social faux-pas.

"So, what's the plan, man?" questioned the menace. "I take it that Luka's already showed you around, then?"

 _"'Man'?"_ asked the woman, arching an eyebrow in confusion. The blonde didn't speak as though he were trying to insult Elizabeth, but she certainly wasn't sure why she was being referred to as such.

"Modern vernacular." Ciel informed. "He's being friendly."

"Oh! Alright then?"

"Sorry…" spoke the menace shyly, averting his eyes as though he were searching for an escape route. "I wasn't thinking."

"Oh, that's quite alright. I just didn't understand it." Stated the Hellsing woman. "I'm not entirely sure what to do either. I'm fine with almost anything, really."

"Unfortunately, I'm not too creative when it comes up with fun things to do." Ciel replied. Immediately, his eye turned to the blonde menace. "You've always got something up your sleeve, do you?"

"I don't really know…" the blonde said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Maybe play a game? I don't know what, though… Nerf battles are out of the question."

"Nerf battles?" echoed the angel, now somewhat intrigued by the menace's strangeness.

"They're toy guns that shoot foam darts that stick to things. It's like tag. Ciel and I play all the time, but it wouldn't be any fair— _us_ against _you_ …" Alois said. " _A master monster hunter against demons?_ I would be terrified…"

Giggling, Elizabeth answered. "I suppose you're right. Though, my specialty is swords, not guns." She said with a grin. A small smile appeared on Alois' face as well at the positive response.

"Also, you and Ciel wanted to talk, didn't you? It's hard to do that while shooting at each other." He said. "How about something more tame? Like Jenga."

"Once again, I haven't the faintest clue as to what that is…" the woman admitted.

"Perfect. You now have an opportunity to learn!" replied the Macken. With that, he led the Hellsing into the entertainment room, followed by a very pleased-looking bluenette.

Ciel continued smiling as he watched Alois explain the rules to Elizabeth and start building the tower. Despite how knowledgeable he seemed about the game, it was usually Alois who made the tower fall in the end. Perhaps he chose it for this very purpose. Who's to say? Alois was very clever, so he might have a bit of a strategy to win the girl over.

Either way, it warmed the Phantomhive's heart a bit to see the pair at least making an attempt to get along, especially given how the blonde was reacting before. Ciel simply looked on with a small grin as the menace gently nudged one of the blocks out of its place and gently put it on top of the tower. Elizabeth did the same, doing exactly as Alois had demonstrated. After a few moments, both of them turned their attention to the bluenette.

"Well?" asked the menace, arching an eyebrow.

"Well, what?" answered Ciel with an inquiry of his own.

"It's your turn." Alois stated. "You'd know that if you weren't staring dreamily off into space." He added, causing the angel to giggle. With a roll of his eye, the bluenette took his turn, removing a block and placing it on the top of the tower.

The trio took turns doing this until they had to start standing up in order to place their blocks. The tower was in shambles. It was surely on its last legs. Peg upon peg had been removed without stopping, and surely the tower would fall. Of course, it was now Alois' turn again.

Icy blue eyes scanned the tower, searching for the right brick to remove. He actually got up and circled it a few times, but given the tension of the situation, the other two did not find anything silly about it in the slightest. As Alois set his sights on a block, his hand hesitantly reached out and he began tapping it out of place with his finger. Ciel and Elizabeth unconsciously began to lean forward as the block was displaced, and Alois' brow furrowed in deep concentration.

A sigh of relief escaped all of them as the wooden piece was finally free. The tower still stood and the game could continue, but it was still Alois' turn. He now had to carefully set the block on top of the tower. Slowly, steadily, the menace began to place the block in position. When the tower seemed to protest, he drew back again and reconsidered. Alois then tried again, this time placing it somewhere else. His eyes never strayed from what he was doing, and neither did his competitors. At last, the tower felt steady and the blonde drew back. His turn was over. The tower was still standing.

"YES!" the blonde celebrated, throwing his hands into the air. Out of nowhere, however, an orange dart made out of Styrofoam came hurling toward his masterpiece, hitting it. The tower came crashing down with a loud barrage of clattering. Immediately, Alois' hands found themselves on his head.

"NO!" he shouted, looking up to the sound of mischievous giggling. "LUKA!"

Lo and behold, the youngest of the Macken brothers stood with a toy gun with a naughty grin on his face. The adults were having so much fun without him, so he decided to crash the party. Unfortunately for Alois, it had cost him the game.

"I'm gonna get you!" declared the blonde, leaping over the table toward his brother. Luka immediately dropped the gun to the floor and tried to run away so he could hide, but Alois was simply too quick.

"RRRrrRAAAGH!" roared the menace as he scooped up his laughing younger sibling. He swung the boy around a bit before placing him over his shoulder. "I'll be right back." He said to the others before walking off with his captive. The other two adults simply laughed.

"Alright. You do that." Ciel said, shaking his head with a smile while beginning to pick up the wooden blocks that had scattered all over creation.

"Should we play again or find something else?" he asked, looking up at his cousin. He arched an eyebrow at the woman's continued giggling. "What is it?"

"It's nothing." Elizabeth answered, shaking her head. "It's just… the way he jumped over the table and…" She couldn't even finished her sentence before erupting into another fit of giggles.

"That's just Jim." The man stated with a smile. "He's almost always like that."

"He reminds me of Isaac a little bit." The Hellsing woman said, joining the other in picking up the blocks. "Only, he wouldn't have jumped over the table like that. He would have ran _around_ it."

"He sounds like a very good man." Ciel replied. "I'm really glad you found someone."

"I am too." Spoke the angel. "Without him, I wouldn't have been able to have done a lot of the things I did. Working with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. was very fulfilling. It felt like it was my calling, almost."

There was a long pause while the two picked up the pieces, both trying to think of something else to say. Ciel felt guilty that he left the woman, but then Elizabeth seemed as though she lived happily without him. He furrowed his brow in concentration while he thought, but nothing ever came to him. How could he say what he wanted to without making things feel awkward again?

"So you don't have to worry about what happened." The woman continued, surprising Ciel. He looked up to see her staring directly at him. "I still lived happily ever after. My ' _prince_ ' might not have been as high-status at the time, but I loved him, and he loved me. We went on adventures together and started a family. I was still worried about you, of course, but… we all lived, didn't we?"

"Yeah…" Ciel answered quietly with a nod. Truly, he was happy for Elizabeth and relieved that she lived well. "We did, didn't we?"

"Isaac was also better at dancing." The woman suddenly teased.

"Now, that's just mean." Chuckled the bluenette, unfazed by the "ruining" of the moment. "I've gotten better, I'll have you know."

"I'm sorry." His cousin insincerely apologized with a laugh. They resumed picking up the blocks again, reaching the last few pieces.

"What about you?" she asked, placing another brick back in the box. She already knew the answer, but truthfully, she wanted to hear it from the man himself. "Have you found anyone in all this time?"

A blush immediately formed on Ciel's face at the question. She was close. She was very close to receiving the truth of the situation. Meanwhile, the Phantomhive faced a very tricky dilemma.

Should he tell her about himself and Alois or not? Elizabeth had always been the type to adore romance and romanticism. The idea of the princess marrying her prince was always the best possible outcome. That, however, was not the case for Ciel. There was no princess, but Ciel did love Alois. He loved the man in the same manner that any other man would love a woman, but he was uncertain as to how the angel would take this. She didn't at all seem phased by the fact that he was a demon, but being in a homosexual relationship might be over the line.

That aside, it wasn't fair to Alois to keep him a secret. Ciel didn't want to. He wanted to love the Macken out in the open without a single shred of apology. He wanted everyone to know that this person was his and vice versa, and yet before his former fiancée, there was hesitation. Ciel did want Elizabeth to know, but he had feared her rejection before, and now he was at risk for it again.

Alois had said something on the matter before, however. Even if Elizabeth didn't accept the Phantomhive as he was, then he still had a family. It was the one that he had scrounged together, and while they might not be at all related by blood, they all still cared about each other deeply. He was accepted amoung the Macken's, as well as by his butler and colleagues. Surely that was enough. Although Ciel desperately wanted to incorporate Elizabeth back into his life, he still had people who liked him as his is.

"I have." He said vaguely, trying to test the waters. "We aren't married, but we still love each other."

"Really?" asked the Hellsing, eyes lighting up. "Ciel, that's so wonderful!" she said excitedly, reaching out and grabbing the bluenette's hands. "What are they like?"

"Well…" the bluenette began, blush darkening. It didn't at all go unnoticed by Elizabeth, but she refrained from commenting until the bluenette bashfully thought of a way to describe his lover. "They're very smart— very witty and clever with a good sense of humour… though, it can be rather ' _odd_ ' at times. While they have their faults, I only seem to find them endearing. It's like they're just as strange as I am…"

Elizabeth's smile only widened as the demon seemingly got lost in talking about his love. She merely watched as the man described them while idly picking up the blocks. For a moment, he looked for more after he put the last one away.

"What do they look like?" she asked, snapping the other back to attention. The corners of Ciel's mouth twitched as he tried not to smile.

" _Stunning."_ He said, accidentally spouting the first thing that came to mind. Embarrassedly, he shook his head as he sat down on the floor where he was gathering the blocks, only to be joined by his cousin.

"I mean—well, yes, they're very beautiful… You couldn't miss them in a crowd. They're really pale all around, with their skin, eyes, and hair…" he trailed off. That was sort of a giveaway, but perhaps the woman wouldn't make the connection—

"It sounds like you're describing Jim." Elizabeth pointed out, startling the man and dashing his hopes. He couldn't hide his flustered self any longer as the woman tilted her head and looked at him with knowing eyes. "Are you?"

Ciel's mouth opened and closed like a fish on land trying to breathe. He tried to form words, but he had none. There was no backup plan or witty remark that he could default to. Taking a deep breath, he looked down at his hands.

" _Yes_ …" he bashfully said, at long last deciding to come clean. He braced himself for whatever harsh or disgusted words that were sure to come from the angel's mouth, but they never did. In fact, she said something directly opposite.

"I know." Elizabeth stated. "I read your files while I was at the Hellsing estate, and I saw you two from the window when we first arrived. I just wanted to hear it from you. You really do love him, don't you, Ciel?" Swallowing his pride, the man looked up to address the woman.

"More than anything." He simply replied. An earnest look adorned his face as he spoke with all sincerity. Slowly, the angel cupped his cheeks in her hands.

"I'm so happy for you." She said quietly, a smile still prominent on her face. "You've changed so much… I've never seen you like this before."

"Time heals all wounds." The man stated, the corners of his mouth gently turning upwards. "Sometimes, it takes a little more than most people have."

"You look so handsome." Elizabeth uttered, stroking the demon's cheek affectionately with her thumb. "You're much taller than me now. Anyone would be lucky to have you."

"I wouldn't say that." The bluenette answered. "I still have my faults."

"I still love you."

"I love you too."

With that, the Hellsing woman pulled the Phantomhive into a tight embrace, wrapping her arms around the man's neck while he did the same with her waist. It was a bit awkward while sitting in the floor, but they still managed. Even after all of this time, they still cared about each other, even if fate had other things in mind for them. It was love, but not the romantic sort. Instead, it was a more familial bond, but that wasn't how it appeared to Alois in that moment.

He stood there in the doorway, mouth agape and eyebrows bent upwards. His heart dropped from his chest at the scene while it felt as though he had been simultaneously punched in the stomach. He wanted to run away— just run away and hide for a while, taking as long as it took to forget what he had just seen and heard, but he couldn't. Alois' limbs were cold as they were numb, rendering him unable to move. Throat tying itself in knots and stinging appearing in his eyes, the blonde was paralyzed and helpless to do one single thing about it.

Those words of encouragement; that promise that Ciel's heart belonged only to him seemed to be part of one massive and elaborate _lie_. Now that Elizabeth was here, Alois was surely going to be replaced. It was naïve for the menace to think that a noble such as Ciel would ever love someone of such low status, let alone a man. It was disgraceful. Now that Ciel's fiancée was here, it would be they who upheld the Phantomhive legacy. How on earth could Alois have been so stupid to believe that he would be the one to stay at the bluenette's side?

Doubt now ruled over the Macken as the bluenette looked up and spotted him. The smile on the watchdog's face only stung, as it felt like Alois was being laughed at. Ciel's smile dropped as he witnessed the menace's mouth press into a thin line and the man clutch at his own shirt. The expression on Alois' face caused the Phantomhive physical pain. As Elizabeth turned her head in order to look at the blonde as well, the gears in Ciel's head started turning. He looked at the angel, and then back to his beau. His eye widened as he finally figured it out.

"Jim…" Ciel began, gently pushing the woman away and standing up. He reached out a hand, but the blonde only took a step back. "Jim, wait!"

Alois did not. He turned around and walked back in the direction he came. Quickly, the bluenette started after him, being swift enough to grab his arm.

"Jim, please, just listen." Continued the watchdog. His voice was gentle as he pleaded with the menace. "It's not like that… She's just—"

"Leave me alone…" Alois interrupted, keeping his head turned away. His voice was weak as his lower lip quivered. "I don't want to talk to you."

"Jim, it's just a misunderstanding. We need to sit down and talk about this."

"What did I _just_ fucking say?" spouted the Macken, his voice more firm. At last, he turned to face the other, his eyes angry and hurt.

"Your fiancée's back. Good for you." He continued, staring the bluenette square in the face. "I'm happy for you, but I will _not_ be your _mistress!"_

On the final word, he wrestled his wrist free from Ciel's grip before storming off. For a second, Ciel tried to go after him, but he was stopped by an arm blocking his path. Elizabeth stood between them, allowing the other man to get away.

"Leave him alone for a little bit." She instructed. "If you go after him right now, he'll blow up again…"

"I can't just leave him like that, though…" Ciel protested. "I have to talk to him!"

"You will. Just give it a minute or two." The woman said, lowering her arm. "Trust me. I've had children!" She stated with a smile. The bluenette, however, did not smile back. In fact, he said nothing as he merely averted his gaze toward the ground.

"It's going to be alright…" the angel said reassuringly, rubbing her cousin's back in a soothing fashion. "Come on, let's work out how to fix this…"

* * *


	90. The Weather Outside

The menace was nowhere to be found inside the mansion. He was no in the master bedroom, nor the office, nor the kitchen, or the foyer. He was not in any nook or cranny or hidden room throughout the place. His coat was still hung by the doo, and yet he went outside anyway.

He had on only a long-sleeved shirt and a black dress-shirt over it to shield him from the harsh, December air. He trudged through the snow, carelessly leaving footprints behind as he prowled the surrounding woods of the Phantomhive estate. He didn't care if he was found. He simply needed a moment to cool off.

It was literal, as the man's ears, nose, and lips turned red against his pale features, his warm breath escaping his mouth and nostrils in the form of mist. Alois felt angry, and as time went on, the direction of his anger slowly began to shift, turning back on himself. Enduring the cold now was merely a form of self-punishment. The menace truly wanted to believe Ciel when the bluenette insisted that it was all merely a misunderstanding. As he continued to think about it, maybe it was.

Ciel and Elizabeth were related by blood. They were family. Family members hug and tell each other that they love one another. Even Alois himself did that with his younger siblings. It just seemed so out of character for Ciel, though. Never before had Alois heard the watchdog say those words to anyone but him. Ciel's love belonged only to him, and as childish as it seemed now, Alois wanted to monopolize all of it.

He knew Ciel wouldn't lie to him. The man who almost died for him; the man who shoved aside his massive amounts of pride in order to _cry_ for him; would never betray the blonde menace. Alois knew this. It was that irrational doubt of his that caused him to forget.

The Phantomhive was prideful. There was no way that he would love his cousin of all people romantically. It simply wasn't the time period. More importantly, however, there was no way on earth he would have done everything he did for Alois if he wasn't serious about him. It was Alois who told him that he would love him no matter what. It was Alois who had promised to support him while he won back part of his family, and to remain by his side no matter what. It was _Alois_ who lied to _Ciel_.

Tears stung the eyes of the fair-haired demon, feeling warm against his cold cheeks as they fell, but their trails becoming freezing as they disappeared. Quickly, the Macken tried to wipe them away, only to become angry at the fact that he was crying in addition to everything else. Stream hissed outwards through his clenched teeth as his fist grew tighter and more solid through the frustration that continuously bubbled up and boiled throughout his body. With a roar, the menace swung his arm, his fist impacting against a tree.

He watched with a snarl still on his face as it fell to the ground, echoing throughout the forest. The sound would have most likely been heard from the manor, but Alois didn't care. He didn't care if he were found. The menace didn't want to hit things; he wanted to hug Ciel with ridiculous strength that only a demon could withstand. Alois knew he needed to listen to what happened, but he was still hurt. He was afraid of being wrong because of that nagging doubt in the back of his mind, reminding him of past misfortunes and possible disasters. To be found or not to be found… Alois wasn't quite sure which one he wanted. It wasn't for him to decide however. It was too late for him to, even if he could. Already, he sensed someone coming up behind him, but he only vaguely recognised their signature.

"Alois?" called a gentle, feminine voice. Immediately, the blonde whipped his head around to face the woman. It only took a second for him to take in her concerned face and features before turning away again.

"You want me to apologise, I suppose?" he asked in more of a statement. Elizabeth, however, only shook her head as she clutched at the fabric of her coat.

"No. The opposite, actually." She replied, surprising the blonde. Slowly, he looked up at her, her visage nearly disappearing against the snow. "I'm here to apologise to you."

"What for?" questioned the menace, a confused expression on his face. Truly, he had no idea what the woman had to apologise for. He didn't exactly place the blame on her. In his mind, she had no idea of the duo's romantic relationship, therefore there was no way she could have possibly known why he was upset. Regardless, he listened intently to whatever it was the Hellsing had to say.

"For barging in on everything, for one." Answered Elizabeth. "I sort of popped in out of the blue, and sort of expected things to pop back into place, to some extent. I factor in everything at all, and I'm sorry for intruding."

"You're not intruding." The blonde answered. "Ciel was happy to see you again. Now that I've met you, I really don't blame him…"

"It's not like that." She said, with a small smile. "It would never work. We're cousins, and neither of us really see each other in _that_ sort of way. It's incredibly inappropriate." Idly, Elizabeth fidgeted with a particular part of her ring finger that was now empty. "Besides, I've already fallen in love with someone else. I have a family already and I'm still not ready to let go of that—even if most of them are gone…"

"I'm sorry…" Alois uttered, looking away.

"No! Don't be!" interrupted the woman. "What I'm trying to say is, I'm not interested in Ciel, romantically, and neither is Ciel toward me. We love each other in the way that family does. You just walked in at the wrong time."

To that, Alois looked up again, his cheeks red both from embarrassment and from the wind whipping at his cheeks. From the looks of the woman before him, there were hints of it in her as well. He couldn't think of anything to say in return. All that he could do was wait until Elizabeth decided to continue.

"You didn't hear what came before that." She informed. "You didn't hear the way that Ciel spoke of you, or see the look on his face while saying it. Alois, I haven't seen him make a face like that since we were children! You've changed him. He loves you with all of his heart, Alois!"

To that, the demon's eyes widened. Elizabeth knew. She knew about the pair's relationship, yet she didn't at all seem phased about it. In fact, she seemed more concerned about it possibly being threatened!

"I-I… uh…" His face was completely red as he scrambled for a response. While his eyes darted about, searching for a possible escape route in vain, the angel stepped closer to him.

"I read your files while I was at my— or rather, the Hellsing estate." She stated. "I knew before Ciel and I even spoke to each other again." She stopped directly in front of the man, staring him straight in the face and subsequently forcing him to do the same.

"At first, I was really confused, but when I see just how happy you make him… That doesn't matter." Elizabeth reached down to grab the nearly frozen hand of the menace and to clasp it together in her gloved ones. "So, thank you… For everything you've done for Ciel. Please keep looking after him, alright?"

Eyebrows raised, eyes wide, and a look of all-around surprise plastered across Alois' face, he was speechless. Ecstatic, but speechless. Did this mean that he somehow won the woman's approval? More importantly, did Ciel really talk about him like that to Elizabeth? The Phantomhive really was what Alois thought he was. He wasn't a liar. He was Alois' most precious person, and it went both ways.

"I have to go find him…" Alois finally declared. "I need to go tell him I'm sorry. I just… When I see you next to him, I get jealous… Ciel really deserves a pretty girl, and not me."

"You _are_ my pretty girl, though." Spoke up another voice; one that the blonde knew well. He didn't even have to turn to see who it was. He could already sense them. Regardless, his head whipped around in the direction of the voice while the warmth of the angel's hand disappeared as she let go. There, the bluenette stood with a warm smile, having heard what the blonde had said. "You don't need to say you're sorry, either."

"Ciel!" called the menace, leaving the angel's side in favour of the Phantomhive's. Elizabeth paid no mind to it as she instead smiled at the sight of the blonde dashing over to his beau and Ciel wrapping his arms around the man.

"I'm sorry!" Alois said, ignoring both Ciel saying it was unnecessary and the bluenette calling him a "girl" in favour of hugging him as tightly as he could. "I'm so sorry… I knew better, but I—"

"I already said you didn't have to say that." Interrupted the watchdog, pecking the other demon on the cheek. "You're freezing!" he declared, pushing the other man away briefly before undoing the buttons of his coat.

He held the garment open with both hands before stepping forward again and wrapping his arms around Alois again, trapping him in his coat. The Macken didn't mind in the slightest, simply snaking his arms back around the bluenette's waist and closing his eyes as he was warmed up and resting his cold cheek against Ciel's warm one. While he didn't want to move, he turned his head anyway to kiss his beau's face, causing him to grin.

"I love you _most_." Playfully whispered the bluenette into the other demon's ear, his smile widening when the menace hid his face in the older demon's neck.

"Ciel…" interrupted the angel, grabbing both of their attention. Alois froze in place while his boyfriend looked up at the Hellsing.

"Yes, Lizzie?" the bluenette asked. Without skipping a single beat, Elizabeth answered.

"He's so _cute~!"_ she excitedly declared. "You _have_ to keep him!"


	91. Meeting The New Help

All was well, even though the duo did feel a tad awkward behaving as they usually did around the Hellsing woman. Elizabeth, however, didn't mind in the slightest. Admittedly, it was still a bit odd to her, but over the course of the evening, she slowly began to become desensitized to the demons' more domestic behaviours. The group got along well, and Elizabeth went out to eat dinner with them before the entire household escorted her to the Hellsing estate.

Elizabeth was a tad nervous about returning to the manor, however. She didn't know how to interact with her granddaughter, nor was she fully aware of any more recent additions to protocol within the organization. Thank goodness, she bypassed the base and simply entered via the residence itself, saving herself the embarrassment of having to navigate the hustle and bustle of the modernized headquarters. Even with an escort, it was hard not to be overwhelmed by both the scenery and the people.

"Sir Integra says that she wants to see you before she turns in for the night." Said Charlotte, who led the angel through the halls. "I'm not sure about what, though. She didn't say."

"That's alright." The angel replied while following. She uttered a long sigh as she fretted over what to do. It was almost unbelievable that she felt intimidated by her own granddaughter. Then again, they had never met until that morning. Integra was born decades after Elizabeth had died, so they didn't quite feel like "family".

"Don't worry about it too much." Stated the vampire. "Despite her first impression, Sir Integra is actually very understanding and considerate."

Somehow, that sounded odd coming from Charlotte, but the angel figured it was because she knew the woman liked other women. That was something Elizabeth was going to have to get over. Thus, she internally corrected herself and went onward, eventually arriving at the door of Integra's office.

There, she found Sir Hellsing, smoking a cigar while seated behind her desk. Her arms were crossed, and she had a very cross expression on her face. It actually made the angel's back stiffen a bit as she braced for whatever was to come next.

"You were gone an awfully long time." Integra finally said. An audible sigh of relief escaped Elizabeth, much to her granddaughter's confusion. That's what she was upset about. The angle had thought it was something far worse.

"My apologies." Elizabeth finally answered. "Ciel meant to call you, but all of us lost track of time."

"I suppose it doesn't matter…" the other woman stated, sighing herself. "You still followed my instructions, so there's not much I can do. Just be sure to check in every so often."

"Yes, ma'am…" the angel murmured. It felt so awkward being so formal around the other woman, but it felt disrespectful not to. Integra finally stood up from her seat.

"I don't expect you to adjust so easily." The head of the family pointed out. "I don't even expect you to take up residency here. You may do as you wish."

"I do want to stay, but everything is so foreign. The only thing that is even vaguely familiar is the basic set-up of the house." Spoke the older. She fiddled with her ring finger for a moment, pondering as to whether or not she wanted to continue.

"Uhm… I'd even like to get to know you a little, if it's not too out of place…" she added. The room went dead silent as neither of them quite knew what to say. The younger Hellsing simply stood with her back to the other, pretending to look out the window as she formulated a response. Truthfully, she wasn't at all sure how she felt about that. She didn't know Elizabeth, and Elizabeth didn't know her. Still, there was surely something they had in common as women of the holy order of protestant knights.

"I'm not sure how one would do that." Integra admitted. "I haven't had a blood-relative since I was twelve. I don't know how to act around ' _family'_. I suppose I'm in the same boat as Ciel, in that aspect."

Even though she couldn't see it, the angel smiled brightly at the statement. If the woman was truly anything like Ciel, that meant something along the lines of: "I would be willing to try it". Her main concern now was figuring out how exactly to bond with her granddaughter.

"By the way…" Integra began, rummaging behind her desk. Elizabeth took a few steps forward and tried to peek at what the other Hellsing was doing, only to have something thrown at her. Without even thinking about it, her hand shot out in front of her, and her fingers wrapped around the object, catching it. Elizabeth's eyes widened at what she had been given.

"While searching the scene of the ' _Ceberus_ ' headquarters, this was recovered." Integra stated, indicating toward the sword that was now in Elizabeth's hands. "That's an Angelic blade is it not? I would assume that it's yours…"

"It is!" the angel answered. "Thank you! I was worried that I wouldn't get it back!"

"That's good to hear. If it wasn't yours, I would have been concerned." Integra said, sitting back down. The other woman nodded and did the same, taking a seat on one of the sofas in the room.

"I wouldn't blame you." She said. "Obviously, I'm not the only supernatural being that Cerberus had under their command. While they allowed Miss August to keep her antifreak halberd, they took my weapon and gave me a substitute because I'm an angel. Their influence was gradually growing weaker over time because of this, it would seem, but I was still very much influenced. They're very careful…"

"Do you remember anything about your time there?"

"Not really. I can't even remember if their leader was a man or a woman! They were a freak, however. Otherwise, disarming me would have served no purpose." Elizabeth replied, tightening her grip on the scabbard of her sword as it rested in her lap. "I just remember that they had quite a few supernatural beings under their command. There were all kinds, running all ends of the spectrum of good an evil. Some of them were ' _awake_ ', however. I still can't remember much about them, though…"

"Do you at least have some sort of idea as to what they could want?" questioned Integra, leaning forward as she rested her elbows on the desk in front of her. "They seem to have great interest in Ciel."

"They do, but I'm not sure why." The other woman stated. "That trap they set for him… If they were careful enough to take away my sword, they certainly must know that a bomb can't kill a demon."

"So you're saying that their intention wasn't to kill him?"

"Yes, but that doesn't explain it's purpose. Was it to merely incapacitate him? Or, could have been a distraction for something else…"

Elizabeth looked to her granddaughter, her facial features perking up a bit from her serious tone. The woman was looking to the laptop that sat on her desk, punching in a few keys before jotting something down on a piece of paper. While Elizabeth wasn't sure what the device was, she felt that now was not the time to ask. Instead, she simply waited for Sir Integra to give her notice again.

"Here." The human woman said, holding out the piece of paper. Elizabeth took it and glanced it over. "I want you to go talk to Lieutenant _Suyin Chu._ She's the head of the intelligence department. We need any and all information and reports of recent supernatural incidents that could possibly relate to what we have just discussed. Meanwhile, I will call Ciel and have him informed. It would appear that we may need his help after all…"

"Alright then." Elizabeth answered, folding the paper that gave her instructions on where to find the lieutenant and placing it in one of the pockets of her borrowed uniform. "I'll be happy to help."

" _'Help'?"_ echoed Integra. "No, you're a vital player. You aren't going to be ' _helping_ ', you're going to be _working."_

"Understood!" the angel excitedly said. It had been ages since she had been able to do H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. work, and now she was going to have a chance to be a part of her beloved organization again!

* * *


	92. Cell Intel

A day had passed, and first thing, the former Midford slowly began making her way through the halls of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters, clutching to the instructions given to her by her granddaughter tightly as she attempted to navigate the place. It was a bit overwhelming. Linoleum floors, concrete and stainless steel, with quite the monochrome colourscheme adorned the base. It was certainly not what she was accustomed to, and she found it overwhelming. Everything looked the same to her, as she carefully tried to avoid soldiers and staff members alike, as if she wasn't supposed to be there.

Tough-looking men and women passed by, wearing the same uniform as her, while others looked less frightening, and wore either labcoats, or white poloshirts with black dresspants, depending on the division that they were placed in. She was looking for a specific person, the head of the Intelligence Department, Lieutenant Suyin Chu. The face that everyone and everything looked exactly the same to the angels did not help, nor did the fact that quite a few people were staring at her. The way she was carrying herself certainly didn't fit in with that of your typical H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldier, and her white hair was really peculiar.

Once again, she looked at her instructions, wearing a concerned expression on her face. If only Integra had thought to give her a map of the interior. That would have been exceptionally helpful. Perhaps the younger Hellsing thought that Elizabeth was already somewhat familiar with the basic layout, which was hardly the case. After meandering about, it was only a matter of time until someone stopped her and asked what she was up to. She only hoped that she was able to safely reach her destination before that could happen.

"Oi!" Elizabeth jumped at the sound of a gruff voice behind her. Out of curiosity, she turned her head, only to see a soldier making a beeline straight toward her. His head was shaved, his eyes were beady, and he had a scar on his cheek. His sleeves were rolled up, showing off his antifreak sigil tattoos. This was bad. He was the exact kind of person that Elizabeth did not want to converse with.

"Y-yes?" the woman asked, trying to be polite. The soldier stopped right in front of her and asked.

"Are you new or something?" the man asked suddenly, taking Elizabeth completely off-guard. "You look lost…"

"Oh, yes." The angel replied. "I am. I'm looking for the Intelligence department. I'm supposed to talk to a Lieutenant Suyin Chu?"

"Ah. It's that way, down this hall, turn left, you'll get to a four-way with a big open area, but keep going, then turn right." The man informed, gesturing as he spoke. "After that, just follow the signs. When you get there, you can just ask somebody where she's at."

"Oh! Thank you." Elizabeth answered. Perhaps these people weren't as frightening as she thought. That was comforting to know. She offered a smile. "I'll be sure to do that, then!"

"Yeah, the first couple of weeks can be tough. This place is a maze. But, since you're with Intelligence, it shouldn't be too hard to get memorized, right?" the man said in a friendly tone.

"Oh, no. I'm not in that department."

"Really? Then what division are you? Combat?"

"Uhm…" Oh dear. Elizabeth hadn't the faintest idea as to what that meant. Exactly how many divisions were there, and which one did she belong to? "Actually, I don't really know…"

"You… don't know what division you're in?" asked the man, arching an eyebrow. Soon hey furrowed, and a mean expression crossed over his face. " _You gotta I.D. on ya?"_

"Uhm… No?"

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to come with me." The man said.

"You'll do no such thing!" interrupted a familiar voice. Both parties looked behind Elizabeth to see a young man in a black suit and matching coat walking up to them. An audible sigh of relief escaped the woman as she recognised the blonde.

"The lion?!" spoke the soldier, flabbergasted by the appearance of the menace.

"The very same." The demon answered, placing a hand on the woman's shoulder as he continued to speak. "She wasn't lying, you know. She _is_ new. So new, that she hasn't gotten an I.D. yet. She's in the Special Operations Supernatural Division. Her code is #A-001, and her name is Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Hellsing. You can radio up Sir Integra, yourself, if you don't believe me. Go on. I'll wait and be late for my meeting."

"U-uhm…" fumbled the poor soldier. "That… That won't be necessary. My apologies, Sir…"

"As long as you're aware." Alois answered. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we'll be off, then."

Quickly, the menace ushered the angel away, walking with purpose as if he owned the place. To the left, down the hallway, and to the right, he travelled with Elizabeth in tow. Eventually, he let go of her and let her walk on her own accord, slowing down his pace some as they got a decent enough amount of space from the scene.

"Thank you for that…" the woman finally said, with a sigh. "Thank goodness you were still here. I don't know what I would have done back there!"

"Don't worry about it." Stated the blonde, wearing a grin. "At most, you would've been detained until they phoned Integra and got things sorted out. So, what were you up to?"

"I was looking for someone." Elizabeth answered. "I was trying to find the Intelligence Department, but I got lost. What about you?"

"I've got to talk to the head of the Intel Department." Answered the Macken. "It's almost Christmas, so Ciel's got his hands full with FUNTOM since he took the day off yesterday. So, I'm here by myself, today. I'm here to talk to Lieutenant Chu about the Cerberus case."

"Sorry about that… Anyway, I need to talk to Lieutenant Chu, as well…"

"It's no big deal. We were happy to have you over. Just stick with me, though. I'll take you there. Something tells me that you're in on this meeting, too, judging by the timing." Alois speculated as they continued their route. "Oh, and just so you know, when you talk to Miss Chu, don't stare at her leg."

"Why?"

"She's sorta self-conscious about it…" the menace informed. "She was in an accident in the field. She _used_ to be part of the Combat Division."

"Oh…" uttered the Hellsing. She could only guess what happened. Vampires in particular, can be very tricky creatures, and have been known to lay traps. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence, really, even back while Elizabeth was in her prime.

Her suspicions were only confirmed when both fair-haired supernaturals reached their destination. Alois swiped his I.D. card and unlocked the large door that led to the massive room with two layers, one upper and one lower. Screens and desks lined up in nice, neat rows on the lower level- which could be reached by traveling down the stairs directly in front of the entrance- while more screens with maps being played with by staff members on the upper level. The pair turned to the right, opting to not go down the stairs and to stay on the upper level. There, Alois walked slowly so that the gawking angel behind him could keep up with him as he made his beeline for one woman in particular.

She wore a slightly different uniform than Elizabeth; it had no hood and simply had a suit collar. She also wore a skirt and plain black shoes, one fitting on her prosthetic leg that attached at the knee. Her long, black hair was pulled back into a pony tail, failing to obstruct the red beret that sat on top of her head. Verdigris eyes stared at a map marked with red dots through a pair of spectacles with silver frames.

"Lieutenant." Called the menace, snapping the woman back to her senses. She looked over her shoulder in order to see who it was, and turned to face the blonde completely upon recognizing him, raising her hand to her forehead to offer him a salute.

"Sir Macken." She addressed, standing at full attention.

"Adese." The blonde said, waving in a friendly manner. "And it's not ' _Sir_ '. That's my boyfriend. I'm not knighted, so it's just ' _detective_ '."

"My apologies…" the woman said, relaxing her posture and lowering her arm. "I trust you're here about the Cerberus case, yes?"

"Yep! So, what all do you need, or I need, or what are we going to do?" questioned the menace, rubbing his hands together. Both women arched an eyebrow at his phrasing and actions before Elizabeth finally answered him.

"I was instructed by Integra to tell you that we need data on all recent supernatural activity in the London area." The angel said to the lieutenant. "We need to figure out what is related to the Cerberus incident and what isn't, seeing as though they capture supernaturals and make them work."

To that, Alois thought for a moment, rubbing his chin and furrowing his brow as the gears turned in his head. "In that case, shouldn't we also figure out if there's been any disappearances of residents in the special zone?" He asked. "They set up shop in that area already. Wouldn't it make sense if they snatched a few people up, while they were at it?"

"That is possible…" Suyin replied. Digging around in her jacket, the agent located a memo pad and began writing a few notes. "I'll get the data to you and Sir Phantomhive right away. Is there anything else?"

"Uhm…" began the angel. "I was informed that I was somehow supposed to be on the case as well. Integra didn't specify _how_ , though…"

"Just tell us what you know about it, and help us out with figuring out their movements." Alois suggested, snapping his fingers for effect in a silly manner. The man then proceeded to pull out his cell phone. "If we come up with something, we'll call you and get your input. If you come up with something, call us, and we'll talk. What's your number?"

"Huh?" Elizabeth asked. "Number?"

"Oh… Sorry… I forgot… You don't have a mobile yet, do you?" questioned the menace. He held the device up so that the woman could see it. "It's a telephone, but it doesn't have any wires, so you can call somebody almost anywhere, and it fits right in your pocket!"

A grin formed on the menace's face as the woman's lit up at the information. Elizabeth was practically sparkling while marveling at this device. _"Amazing!"_ she said. "Communication with troops must be so easy! You can give instructions in an instant, and spread information so fast! With this, you don't have to send people to pass on a message, which would be great during combat."

"I know, right?" Alois stated, placing the device back in his pocket. A haughty expression was plastered on his visage as he recalled the first time that he, himself heard of the concept. His response was actually quite similar. "Technology is incredible!"

"Unfortunately, keeping in touch is going to be problematic if she doesn't have access to a telephone." Input Lieutenant Chu. "You can call the Intel Department, and we can pass along a message, or inform her that she has a call, I suppose."

Suddenly, the Macken's smile faded, his brow furrowing once more. Suyin was right. If Elizabeth was running about on the base, it would be difficult to locate her in order for her to take her calls. The intercom was an option, but how many times a day might they need to use it? Eventually, the menace came to a solution.

"We need to get you a cell phone." He said, turning back toward the angel. "That's our next order of business. There's not a lot we can do if we don't have contact with you, so we need to fix that. Do you have anything else planned for today?"

"Not really." Answered Elizabeth. "Is that really alright?"

"Sure it is! As long as we tell Integra, we can. So, is it settled? We'll go set you up with some essentials, while Suyin gathers the data we need." Alois recapped, turning toward the lieutenant. "Right?"

"It isn't my place to question you, Sir." Suyin replied. "It seems like a good plan, to me. I'll get right on it."

"Thank you, miss! So, it's a date!"


	93. We Have It All

"Uhm… Alois?" called Elizabeth as she walked beside the blonde menace.

"Yes?"

"Don't I kind of… _stand out?"_

Elizabeth had found herself in yet another strange world, as she and the Macken strolled along the interior of a shopping mall. It was here that the blonde had taken the woman to acquire a mobile phone, and it was almost as overwhelming as the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters, only this time, she felt even tenser at the fact that she stood out like a sore thumb in the outfit that she was wearing. She was still wearing a combat uniform, and it wasn't exactly inconspicuous. Alois simply shrugged.

"A bit." He casually answered, not sounding at all concerned. "You don't have any other clothes, either, do you?"

"I'm… I'm afraid not…" the woman stated, a blush on her cheeks as she forced herself to walk. It was embarrassing to be out like this, and frustrating to not have even basic necessities.

"Then we should probably get you some, while we're at it." Alois pondered aloud.

"H-huh?! Are you sure that's alright? I mean… Just by looking at the prices on the stores that we've passed..."

"Inflation has caused the price of things to go up as the value of the pound goes down. Don't worry about it. It's no trouble."

Grinning, the angel looked to the menace with a coy expression as an interesting thought came to mind. "You're not just doing all of this to impress Ciel, later, are you?" she teased, causing a blush to appear on the demon's cheeks.

"No way!" the blonde indignantly replied, prompting a giggle from Elizabeth. He frowned, but now that the idea was planted in his head, it wouldn't leave. "I was only trying to help. I had the same problem when I entered this time period, you know…"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Elizabeth insisted. "I was only picking on you."

"You hurt my feelings. Here I was, trying to be a gentleman, and there you go using my weakness against me!"

"Ciel is your weakness?" questioned the snowy-haired woman. "That's so cute…"

"You can go without clothes, then."

"I said I was sorry!"

Alois laughed at the woman's outburst, feeling better having gotten back at her. He continued walking, looking out for the _Verizon_ store as he listened to Elizabeth. "I was only picking on you." He echoed, repeating the words that the angel had used. "Look around at some of the clothing stores, and if you see something that catches your eye, we'll go in. That's what they did for me."

"What kind of stores did you go to?" asked the woman without a hint of malicious intent. Her question caused a bit of embarrassment to wash over the blonde, however. "Do you remember?"

"Uhh…" began the menace. "That was back when I was in my rebellious phase… I don't think you would much care for that place…"

"Oh, where you a trouble-maker?"

"Very much so, I'm afraid…"

"It's hard to tell." Elizabeth stated. "You seem so gentlemanly!"

"I calmed down a lot when I grew up, some. It happens."

"Are you sure Ciel didn't have anything to do with it?"

"What is with you and teasing me about Ciel?"

"You get all cute when he's mentioned. He does the same about you, but it's very fun to watch."

"You better not be falling for me, now~!" teased the menace, wagging his finger. "I'm taken."

"I know that, and I wouldn't!" the angel said. "It's sinful."

"Well, I'm a _demon_ and I wouldn't either, so…?"

"Yes, but you aren't normal for a demon." The woman pointed out. She looked up and noticed a store that had devices similar to the one that Alois had showed her back at headquarters.

"Is that the store?" she asked, pointing the blonde's attention in that direction. The blonde turned to face it and nodded.

"Yup. That's it. Let's get you a phone." He answered, leading the woman off in that direction.

Once there, he pointed out some of the basic differences between the different types of phones, eventually pointing the angel toward some of the simpler models. They both mutually agreed that a smart phone would be too much for her, so they started there. Alois let her look at them for a while as he walked over and got her a service plan. He and the worker walked over to her, helping her pick out a device as they discussed what all she would need. Much to her relief, the menace was doing most of the talking. She couldn't quite understand what they were talking about when it came to this and that, and was a little overwhelmed with the idea of eventually having to understand things like this in the future.

For now, she picked out a pink flip-phone and was very happy with it. After paying for it, the pair went off and sat on one of the benches as Alois helped explain to her how to do various things. Calling and texting were the basic functions, but also how to set alarms and change ringtones.

Alois put himself in as a contact before taking his own phone out and putting Elizabeth in as one of his. He then started adding the information of a few people who it might be helpful to have the numbers of on the Hellsing's phone, putting in Ciel, Integra, Seras, Amelie, Charlotte, and various other key H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. members, for example, the heads of several departments and the Human Resources center. After that was done, he gave the phone back to Elizabeth.

"Try calling Ciel." He said. "He needs your number, and practising can't hurt."

"Are you sure he's not busy?" asked Elizabeth, nervous at the prospect at having to use the seemingly complicated device. "I don't want to interrupt him, or anything."

"Good point…" uttered the menace, rubbing his chin. "I mean, when he's busy, he's very prescise about who he picks up the phone for, and he's definitely not going to for one he doesn't recognise. Hang on a second, I'll text him and tell him that you're going to call. That way, he'll be watching for it."

The menace quickly typed the message on his own mobile. Elizabeth was baffled by the touch screen, and noticed that his keyboard was different. The fact that he was typing so quickly also was impressive. She chalked it up to him having more practice, but also noted how long the message was getting. Eventually he pushed send, and after a minute or so, his phone buzzed and he looked at the response.

"He says ' _go ahead'_." The menace said with a smile. The angel's attention then turned to her own device and she started walking herself back through the steps of making a call. Alois would occasionally help her, but she memorized most of it. After pressing the call button, she hesitantly placed the phone up to her ear, anxiously listening to the dial tone.

 _"Hello?"_ greeted the Phantomhive on the other end.

"Ciel!" Elizabeth called in surprise at hearing the sound of the watchdog's voice. "Hello…"

"So I take it Jim got you settled with a phone?" chuckled the bluenette.

"Mm-hm!" the angel excitedly replied. "I'm not sure how, though, since I couldn't understand anything he was saying to the person at the store."

"You'll get it after a while. Jim was the same way." The Ciel reassured. "He says you're going to get you some clothes, next?"

"I suppose? If that's alright… Everything looks so expensive…"

"Don't worry about it. I'll pay him back for it. It's probably a good thing he's there and not me. He's better at picking out outfits than me."

"You _still_ can't?" Elizabeth teased.

"It's a lot harder than it looks…"

"You're silly." The woman accused. "Always were, and always will be. In fact, I think you might have gotten more so."

"So did you just call me to make fun of me?"

"No, Alois said you needed my number, and I needed the practice."

"I see. Well in that cas—" Ciel was cut off as the sound of something falling over was heard in the background.

"Is everything alright?"

"Luka bumped into a lamp." The bluenette explained. "I should go take care of that."

"Alright then." The angel replied. "Uhm… how do I hang up?"

"It's the red button."

"Oh, I see… I'll talk to you sometime later then."

After that the cousins said their good-byes and hung up. Elizabeth then looked toward the Macken, who was waiting patiently until she was done. She put the phone in one of her uniform's many pockets before standing up and straightening it, followed by the menace shortly after.

"Shall we go, then?" asked the Macken, pointing off in a random direction.

"I guess. Let's do it."

The pair started walking. They strolled up and down the mall, trying to find some clothes that the Hellsing woman could live with. They were so different than what she was used to. The skirts were short, even though it was winter, and the only other option that seemed to be in fashion were trousers. That was another new concept to Elizabeth. The amount of women wearing pants was the majority, it seemed, but then again, they were practical. Elizabeth, herself, had worn pants during fencing practice since she was a child, and also during H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. operations when she was grown. Any other time, however, was incredibly inappropriate.

"How about this store?" Alois suggested after noting that the woman was having trouble. The clothes in the store were a bit "old-fashioned" by modern standards, but they were also somehow considered "fashionable". Without much else to go on, Elizabeth conceded.

"Sounds alright." The woman said, eying what was in the windows. It was still odd, but it was better than some of the things she had seen that day.

Immediately upon entering the store, however, she regretted her decision as her nose was assaulted by whatever perfume that was being filtered through the air. The people there were very fashionable, and looking at her in her uniform with extremely confused faces. It was as though she didn't belong there. She tailed Alois closely as he looked browsed, looking for something that would suit the woman.

"Do you have any idea what your size is?" the man asked, prompting the angel to shake her head. To that he tapped his chin.

"It would be easier if Kris were here… He could tell from a glance…" he mumbled to himself. "Oh, well, we'll figure it out."

The man then proceeded to grab a few things and hold them up to the woman as a point of reference. Whenever he felt he was close, he handed her the garments and shooed her off to the changing room to try them on. On several occasions, it took her a little longer than would be necessary for an ordinary person as she needed to figure out how to wear a few things. Some were embarrassing for her, while others weren't, but overall, she was starting to have fun as they went from store to store.

Elizabeth obtained quite the haul, as both she and the menace had their hands full with bags. Along the way, she had changed out of her uniform and kept it in a bag, opting to wear some of the clothes she bought. She now wore a blue coat over a white women's dress shirt with a pink bead necklace around her neck. She was wearing black slacks and flat shoes, opting to wear her new high-heels on another, less snowy day. She was dressed in a manner that might be suitable for her occupation, while no longer wearing that ghastly uniform. Her white hair was braided by the menace, as he wasn't quite sure how else to fix it.

"I braid Ciel's hair for fun all the time." The menace explained. "I like playing with his hair, and he doesn't mind as long as I undo it when I'm done."

"Oh, goodness, I have to see that now…" laughed Elizabeth, trying to conjure that image. She opened her mouth to speak again, but closed it as she looked over the menace's shoulder. There were a group of children staring at her with great enthusiasm. Arching an eyebrow, she had to ask:

"Do I still look strange, somehow?" She gestured over to the kids, prompting the blonde's attention.

"I dunno." He shrugged. "You look normal, too me. Then again, I'm dating a scary man with an eyepatch and know a lot of odd characters."

"Should I be concerned about that?"

"Nah. They're good people. Just… _different_." Alois explained. He would have waved his hands for effect, but they were full. In all honesty, however, he was completely surprised when two of the children walked up to them.

 _"Are you Elsa?"_ one of them asked, pointing to the woman; her white braid, in particular. Elizabeth simply blinked as the blonde tried to hold in a giggle.

"Who?" she asked with all confusion. At this point, the blonde leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"She's a character from a movie." He said. "She has white hair in a braid, and dresses in blue." To that, the woman's cheeks heated up, slightly. She was embarrassed, but flattered, although she didn't get the reference.

"I'm afraid not. I'm sorry." She apologized to the children, offering a friendly smile to their string of "aws". Alois opened his mouth to say something, but closed it as his attention was directed elsewhere. Suddenly, he felt a sense of urgency, but had no idea where it was coming from. He knew this feeling. It was _sixth sense._

He waited until the childrens' parents finished apologising to Elizabeth for bothering her before he said anything. "Do you feel that?" he asked; eyes quickly scanning the area.

"Feel what?" she asked.

"Something's wrong." He said. "I can feel it. I just can't tell what it is, yet."

Now both of them were looking around. Suddenly, Elizabeth felt it, too. Her eyes honed in on a man who was clutching his torso tightly and walking about in an odd manner. Alois spotted another one, elsewhere, but he sensed something else—and "other"—and Elizabeth felt it too.

"There's a supernatural nearby." she observed, her brow furrowing as she became serious. To her surprise, she then had car keys being shoved in her face.

"Go to the car and get your sword." Alois instructed. "There's more than one. From the feel of things, _they're up to no good, too_ …"


	94. The Nightmare Before Christmas

Elizabeth dashed with her bags, bursting through the entrance of the mall and out into the parking lot. There was a moment of panic when she couldn't find the car that she and the blonde menace arrived in. They all looked the same. Holding the key given to her by the menace, she examined the buttons on the remote attached to the keyring, pressing the red one, as it was the one that stood out. Jumping when the vehicle started screaming with the lights flashing, she located it, pressing the button again in order to make it be quiet again as she approached, and unlocking it when she got there.

Shoving the bags into the backseat, she retrieved her weapon and slammed the door shut, locking it before running back to the mall. It was a damn good thing that she hadn't worn heels, as she nearly slipped on ice on more than one occasion. Had she been human, she would have.

Her hand reached out and pushed on the handle, but the door wouldn't open. She tried pulling it as well to the same affect. The doors were locked. Peering through the glass, the lights shut off inside, and the sounds of screaming reached the angels ears.

Children and adults alike were frightened by the sudden occurrence, but most of the mallgoers chalked it up to an ordinary power outage. Alois, however, knew better. Sixth sense wouldn't pick up a mere power outage. There had to be a danger involved. With the sudden sensing of a supernatural being nearby, it was certain that something was afoot. Suddenly, a loud tone was heard over the intercom, summoning the attention of everyone before a voice started speaking.

"Is this thing on?" it asked. They sounded fairly young—perhaps like a boy, but Alois couldn't tell.

"Attention shoppers:" it continued, "We are so sorry to interrupt your last-minute holiday shopping, but we must bring the unfortunate news that you might not be making it home for Christmas this year. You see, our delightful band of n'er do wells have decided to play a game. We have hidden several bombs scattered about the mall, today, and should our demands not be met, they will undoubtedly explode at three o' clock. Just to make sure you aren't going anywhere, we have locked all of the doors; but whatever you do, don't try to force them open. If you do, we'll push the button that will demolish this place."

Looking around, the menace could see people panicking. It wasn't just the children crying. It was also the adults. They were trapped like animals in a shopping centre and were doomed to die at the whims of this strange voice. Alois, however knew better. He knew what was happening.

" _We are Cerberus."_ The voice declared. " _We want only one man. Have a nice day ~! Hopefully, it won't be your last."_

With that, the voice stopped, leaving the consumers frightened and confused. Alois immediately took out his phone and dialed Elizabeth's. Placing it up to his ear, the Macken listened to the dial tone until the woman picked up.

"Alois?" she answered on the other end, her tone dripping with concern.

"Are you back inside?" he asked, trying to speak over the screaming around him.

"No! The doors are locked! Should I pry them open?" Elizabeth asked.

"No! No, don't do that!" the menace shouted. "Listen, it's Cerberus. They've planted more bombs. They're supposed to go off at three, but if the doors are forced open, they'll all explode!"

"Should I call Ciel?"

"Yeah. Call him. Call Integra, too. In the meantime, I'll try and find out where these fuckers are hiding."

"Got it!" the angel answered, ignoring the Macken's language. With that, she hung up and immediately started dialing the bluenette.

"Hello again." Ciel greeted in a friendly voice. "Did you need more practice?"

"It's Cerberus!" the woman urgently declared, disregarding her cousin's playful teasing. "They're here! They have then entire mall as a hostage!"

"What?!" the Phantomhive demanded. "How?! Bombs?"

"Yes! They said we have until three o clock to stop them. Alois sensed them and told me to get my sword, so now I'm locked out. If I break in, the bombs will go off!"

"Did they leave any demands?"

"Not that I know of. Alois is inside, so he might know." Elizabeth answered. "He's currently trying to locate them."

"I'm on my way." Ciel stated. "I'll contact H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. as well. Just stay put until I get there."

Before the angel could protest, the Phantomhive hung up. With that, she shut the device and placed it back in her pocket. Her brow was furrowed and a frown was prominent on her face.

"I can't just stand by when I could be useful." She muttered, disgruntled about the instruction. She knew better. For optimum potential for success, one must use all of the pieces to their maximum potential. Thus, she decided to go against orders and think of another way in.

The roof! Elizabeth remembered the skylights on the roof that allowed the sun to illuminate the interior of the building. If the woman could get through there, she could aid Alois in finding their target. Thus, without a single care for who saw, she tensed her leg muscles and leapt into the air, scaling the building with ease. She didn't even need wings to climb what her jump didn't cover, instead running up the side before landing on her feet with a heavy thud on the roof.

Skylights. They were right there, and she knew she could break them. Running over, she stood on top of the glass and was about to break it, but upon looking down, she realised a major hole in her plan. There were people directly underneath her. The glass was thick, and broken glass in general could cut deeply. If she broke it, the shards would fall on top of the people she needed to save.

Serious recalculation was in order as she looked around for another way in. Briskly walking at a steady pace, she looked around. In search of an entrance, eventually finding a potential one. It was a vent. Warm air was flowing outward, creating steam against the coldness of winter. While she wasn't sure where exactly it lead to, she knew it was somewhere inside, and that was good enough. Unsheathing her blade, she shoved the tip between the gaps of the vent, prying it open.

"Please be a way in…" she mumbled, looking upward. She then turned her attention to the hole in the roof, and stepped forward, falling inside.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to her, she was being watched. Alois looked up, observing the woman as she debated breaking the glass and as she eventually reevaluated. He knew what she was up to and a grin spread across his face as he imagined that she was going against orders, knowing the bluenette.

" _Rock n roll."_ He chuckled to himself as the woman left his view. Then, he turned his attention back to the task at hand.

Security officials within the mall were quickly trying to get a grasp on the situation and calm the crowd. They seemed to be having difficulty, however. Several of them were practically screaming into their walkie-talkies, and from what the menace could make out from their jumbled speech, they were trying to get contact with the security office to no avail. Alois could only guess why.

The intercom. Cerberus had access to it. There was no doubt that they also had access to security cameras at this point. Thus, it was decided that this was the best place to look. That said, he didn't think he quite had the muscle to go at it by himself. Quickly, he got out his phone and started typing up a message to the bluenette, informing him of his plan.

Just as he pushed the "send" button, however, he heard something that one ordinarily wouldn't hear in a shopping centre. It was the sound of a motor mixed with the sounds of screaming. Alois quickly turned to see people frantically rushing out of the way in order to avoid being hit by the motorcycle as it dashed by. Even Alois jumped in order to evade it, but it soon circled around in order to face him again.

This time it was a black motorcycle with a rider clad in monochrome. The only splash of colour on them was the orange mask they wore with a face that you would ordinarily see on pumpkins around Halloween painted on it. Once again, they had that silver amulet around their necks, confirming the blonde's suspicions of their affiliation. Alois shook his head, making a clicking sound with his tongue.

"Let me guess; _'Jack-o-Lantern'?"_ he mused, placing a hand on his hip. "What's up with that? Do all of you _Jack-offs_ get a cute little nickname when you join your little club?"

Without saying a word, the biker charged at Alois once again, forcing him to leap out of the way while the rest of the bystanders scattered. They circled around to face Alois once more, brandishing a metal baseball bat. Regardless, the menace still wore a playful smirk on his visage.

"Not a talker, huh?" he playfully asked. He shrugged an added. "I can respect that. Actions speak louder than words, anyway." He took a fighting stance, standing firm directly in the path of the motorcycle.

"You're a little late for Halloween. Don't worry, though. I'll send you back where you came from soon enough!"


	95. Rough Luck

_"You're a little late for Halloween. Don't worry, though. I'll send you back where you came from soon enough!_ " declared the menace, standing in the path of the motorcycle with a firm stance. He seemed determined to play chicken with his opponent, as he didn't flinch even in the slightest when the biker revved the engine.

Tires screeched, leaving horrible scuffmarks on the floor as they spun. "Jack-o-Lantern" charged at the menace at full speed, and the man still didn't seem to give much care. In fact, he took a few steps forward, slamming his foot on the ground before swinging his other leg for a roundhouse kick, spinning before his foot made contact with the front of the bike. Alois wasn't done, however. Before the bike could be sent flying, the demon spun around again, both feet leaving the ground while his heel impacted the driver's head.

Both parties touched earth again—Alois's shoes tapping as they landed. His opponent wasn't so lucky, however, and landed roughly off to the side. The front of his bike was bent and crumpled from the force of the Macken's kick, and blood trickled from the driver's face, dripping from the bottom of their cheap, latex mask.

They had difficulty standing, haven been stunned by the attack. Immediately, the blonde took advantage of their stupor and came at them, attacking from behind. He latched onto his opponent, forcing their arms against their torso by wrapping an arm around them and holding on with brute strength. With his other hand, he groped at the Jack's neck, grasping for their amulet.

With a swift yank, the pendant came off and his foe went limp. Gently, the menace laid them on the ground before removing their mask. After revealing just a little bit, the skin turned a little red as the sun's rays hit against it through the skylight, forcing the blonde to put the mask back in place.

" _Vampire_." The menace mumbled to himself, taking out his cell phone and texting the Phantomhive. He had to make sure H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. knew that harmless residents of the Glen may have also been captured, and shouldn't be killed unless proven necessary.

With that, he began moving again, wandering the mall. It was then that he noticed that he was being watched, and not by Cerberus. Humans saw him. A few of them peeked out from their hiding places, one of them with their phone out recording him. Not good. There was no way of knowing where that video would end up. Thus, Alois made a bit of a rash decision.

BANG!

The human yipped and dropped his phone as a bullet ran through it. Alois casually put his gun away, shaking his head.

" _No pictures, please!"_ he shouted loud for everyone to hear. "I don't wanna hurt anybody, but I don't wanna be a _celebrity_ , either!"

Silence loomed over the entire space as none of them dared to speak up or question his words. Some of them that had their phones out, or were about to do so quickly put them away. Shaking his head again, he started walking again only to pick up his pace a bit.

Surely there would be more people with more cameras as he went along. Thus, it was decided that he needed to change up his look a bit. Pausing in front of a shop window, he stared at his reflection, concentrating as he did. Alois knew he needed to keep himself recognizable by Ciel and Lizzie, but he needed to be different enough to throw social media off of his tail. His platinum blonde locks were a slight give-away, after all. Watching as his appearance changed, he stuck his tongue out at what he had done.

"I look stupid…" he muttered, not particularly taken to his new jet-black hair. Still, it was only temporary. He'd change it back immediately after the mission was over and pretend that it never happened. With a nod, his mind was made, and he continued onward, eventually winding up at a directory sign.

His eyes quickly scanned it, realizing that his destination was on the ground floor. Alois then proceeded to jump over the railing onto the second floor, opting to bypass the stilled escalators in order to save time. Upon landing, he heard gasps from the humans around him, but paid them no mind. There was yet another problem to worry about. There were more supernatural beings within the immediate vicinity.

Taking off again, they got closer, closer, and closer still. He was getting close to the security office. Upon realizing this, he stopped in order to evaluate his situation. He sensed quite a few forces up ahead, and he wasn't certain that he could defeat them all by himself. There were demons among them, after all. Alois would have to pull back a bit and wait for reinforcements.

He stopped right where he was and pulled out his phone in order to check on the status of the bluenette and his cousin. He had no idea where either of them where, and since he changed his appearance, that was probably important information for them to know; especially Elizabeth, who couldn't sense his unique soul signature like Ciel could. The moment he did, however, he sensed something moving behind him.

The menace dropped his phone as it was kicked out of his hand. His eyes widened at the action, being almost completely blindsided by it. As soon as his attacker's foot was about to hit the ground, he kicked it out from underneath them, sending them falling to the floor. Quickly, his eyes scanned over them, honing in on their throat for the amulet. It wasn't there, though. This person wasn't being influenced.

He leapt backwards, creating some distance from himself and his assailant, who was, admittedly, quite strange-looking. They had the appearance of a fourteen-year-old and their black hair was all swept over to the left. They had no eyebrows; only a piercing where one of them was supposed to be attached to a chain leading to another one on their ear. Black poncho, boots, and thigh-high socks with grey shorts were worn by the odd demon as they looked up at the menace with an amused grin despite the fact that they were now seated on the floor because of him.

"You're good." They said in an amused tone. Alois recognised that voice. It was the one that spoke over the intercom.

"Would've been better if I hadn't had things on my mind." The man answered. "Let me guess; you're with Cerberus, huh? Did you lot get bored of sending out your little brainwashed zombies?"

"A little." The other answered, hopping to their feet and standing up. The pair then started pacing each other. "Where's your little girlfriend? She run off? We never saw her again on the security cameras…"

" _Not my girlfriend."_ Alois bluntly informed, yet at the same time he was curious as to why the woman didn't show up again.

Did she run for help? Did she make it inside somehow and was simply out of sight? It was then that the menace recalled where he had last seen her. Elizabeth was smart. Surely she could have figured out that the ventilation shafts were an option. That would explain how she wasn't seen on either the internal or external perimeter.

"No clue where she went." Alois lied. "Guess it's just us chickens. So, how does a little boy…" he paused, and squinted at the other demon for a moment before continuing. _"…girl?_ ...Get mixed up with a nasty supernatural terrorist group, might I ask."

"Technically, I'm _neither_ ; and that's my little secret." The other demon stated. "Can't have you knowing everything just yet. Spoilers and all that, you know?"

"Oh, you're no fun."

"Maybe not, but _she_ is."

"' _She'?"_ echoed the menace before feeling yet another presence behind him. He dodged, missing the woman's bladed weapon by a hair, his coat now having a small cut in the sleeve. There was a third demon, this one dressed in dark green with scars adorning their skin like stripes, covering their face, neck and forearms. She brandished a knife in each hand and stared intently at the menace with sharp eyes.

"Oh." The menace said aloud, causing his first opponent to laugh.

"She's still a bit miffed about your girlfriend doing a bit of a number over on her." The browless demon explained. "Still, her skin's healed up quite nicely…"

"That's Lizzie for ya." Alois said. "Supposedly she's always been a genius with a sword. You just hit a patch of rough luck, love."

"It doesn't matter now." Spoke the green demon. Her voice was low and her eyes were on fire. "You're about to hit a worse patch of luck than me!" she shouted. And with that, she lunged at the menace.


	96. Tribute

Elizabeth was not having a very good time. The ventilation shaft was cramped, and trying to crawl through it with her sword and scabbard was awkward and difficult. She had no idea just how long she had been crawling, but it must have been a while. Her knees and elbows were starting to hurt and the interior of the vent was doing a number on her outfit.

" _Brilliant_ idea, Lizzie…" she muttered to herself. "Now you have no idea where you are or how to get back out…"

Soon she sensed it. There were people beneath her. They were human, but they were there. It was a good thing, too. Now she knew that she was at least over the interior of the shopping center. Her hopes were answered as she spotted a light. She quickly crawled over to it and peered through the gaps in the vent, finding that she was on the third floor just above a walkway.

The moment that no one was directly underneath her, she punched through the mesh, causing it to fall to the floor with a loud _BANG_. Quickly, she followed after it, landing on her feet in the middle of a small crowd of startled humans. She looked around, watching mothers holding their children, shielding them from her. Upon realizing that she seemed to be a threat, she offered a friendly smile.

"Don't worry, I'm here to help!" the Hellsing woman declared, sheathing her sword. "My backup should be arriving any minute, and we'll get you all out safely, alright?"

"Hey, you're _Elsa!"_ shouted one of the children, pointing a finger at her. "What's a queen doing with a sword?"

"I'm sorry. My name's not ' _Elsa_ ', and I'm not a _queen_." Elizabeth answered, turning to the child. "My name is ' _Elizabeth_ ', and I'm a _knight_."

"You don't look like one…"

"Knights come in all forms. We exist to protect the people, and that's all that matters."

With that, the woman turned away, taking a few steps before putting her hand on the railing. Hoisting herself up with ease, people gasped as she balanced while standing on top of it. Clasping her sword, she looked down and prepared to jump.

"What are you doing?!" demanded one of the bystanders, taking a few steps after her. The woman simply grinned.

"Fear not. Knights are brave even in the face of danger." She stated, tensing the muscles in her legs before they left the railing. She leapt outward, seeming to float weightlessly on the air. Then, she made her descent, falling to the earth.

Down she fell, leaving the third floor and passing the second as she fell from the great open space in the middle of the mall. Her feet made harsh contact with the ground, yet she didn't bat an eyelash. Instead, her attention turned to the masked cretin that now stood before her, wearing the same silver amulet that she once had.

"We are on a mission from God." She murmured, reciting the Hellsing motto. It felt good to be back in the field, and she got a rush as soon as she gripped the handle of her blade and prepared to draw. Her foe pulled a gun on her but her stance did not waver in the slightest.

BANG! The gun went off, yet Elizabeth only moved forward, not making even the slightest attempt to dodge. Instead, two halves of the bullet fell on either side of her with a single stroke. Shifting her weight and flicking her wrist to realign the blade, she sent it crashing down on top of her foe, cutting them clean through, diagonally. As soon as the flesh made contact with the sun, it burned, catching fire and becoming ash while the woman watched. She wasted no time in being merciful toward the undead. It was her duty, after all.

Sheathing her blade, an odd noise caught her attention as she stood out against the sea of terrified onlookers. It was a peculiar ringing noise and it took her a moment to realise that she was its source. Uttering a small squeak at this realization, she reacted into her coat, pulling out her new mobile, opening it and placing it up to her ear.

"Hello?" she answered, acting as though nothing had happened. In all honesty, the call had surprised her, while it probably shouldn't have.

"Lizzie!" called the bluenette on the other end. His tone was urgent as he spoke, and the sounds of sirens rang through from around him. "I'm outside with backup. Where are you? I can't find you."

"I'm back inside." The woman answered bluntly, knowing full-well that she went against orders. "I crawled in through the vents. It was awful. I'm now on the ground floor, though." Hearing a sigh on the other end, she continued to listen attentively even as the Phantomhive paused.

"I should have suspected as much…" he stated. "Is Jim with you?"

"No. I have no idea where he is." Elizabeth answered. "Why?"

"He isn't answering his phone…" the watchdog said, his tone worried. "He said he was going to look for Cerberus near the security office, but I can't contact him, now…"

"I'll go after him." The Hellsing informed, still holding her phone up to her ear as she ran. "Don't worry, I'm sure he's fine. He's a very powerful demon. I can tell. Just try to find a way in while I go get him, alright?"

"Fine…" the bluenette answered. "I'll see you then."

With that, he hung up. His cousin felt a great sense of urgency upon hearing the tone of his voice. He was worried. She could assume that it wasn't like the menace to simply ignore him like this, but perhaps he was in the middle of fighting a battle?

After locating it on the map and finding a route, she swiftly set her course for the security office, dodging bystanders without much regard for whether or not she "fit in". She jumped over heads and displays alike, choosing the fastest way to get there always. The Phantomhive was worried about his beau—the person who was most important to him, and the person who brought about this great change in the watchdog's demeanor. Naturally, Elizabeth had to guarantee his safe return as quickly as possible. As she approached the office, however, she became more and more discouraged.

Nothing. She wasn't sensing any life up ahead, whether supernatural or not. Looking around, she saw gashes carved into concrete and bullets embedded in the walls; cracked linoleum, broken furniture, and nothing there to give a clue as to what all caused it. All of a sudden, she stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes widening at what she found.

It was a cell phone. It looked familiar; just like the one Alois had shown her. Elizabeth jumped in surprise as she saw it vibrate, rattling against the hard floor and its cracked screen lighting up. Hesitantly, she picked it up and read the name of the caller, entered in as "Poochie". As much as she didn't want to, she slowly pushed the "answer" button and put the device up to her ear.

"H-hello?" she asked, waiting for the person on other end. When she heard their voice, her heart dropped, ceasing to beat entirely.

 _"Jim?!"_ called Ciel, his voice more frantic than before. "Jim, is that you?!"

"No…" the angel answered, shaking her head. Her voice shook a bit as her eyes began to water. "It's Lizzie."

For a long time there was silence. It was as though the Phantomhive needed to process that, or check to see that he called the right number. After a while, he finally responded.

"Where is Jim?" he asked, his tone grave. It was cold, even. Elizabeth didn't have an answer for him.

"I don't know." She said. "I don't sense him anywhere."

"What do you mean you don't sense him? He should be nearby. You found his phone where you are, didn't you?"

The Hellsing woman opened her mouth to speak, only to be cut off as her attention went elsewhere. A tone was heard over the intercom, just like the one that sounded off at the beginning of this endeavor. Once again, the voice cheerfully spoke, capturing everyone's immediate focus.

" _Attention shoppers~!"_ it pleasantly said. _"We are happy to announce that we have generously received a volunteer who has met our demands. The doors are now unlocked, and you are all free to leave. Happy Holidays~!"_


	97. Falsehood and Angst

Sebastian woke up. His neck was bandaged up and his neck was sewed shut, but it was unnecessary. His wound was completely healed, but he had no awareness of she happened over the past three days. As he sat in the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. infirmary, he allowed doctors to remove his stitches while Miranda informed him of the status of his household.

The one who had decapitated him was now staying there temporarily, helping take care of Luka and Revy in Alois' stead. She was not only aware of her cousin's relationship, she had approved of it and was fully supportive of the Phantomhive after his lover's disappearance. Thank goodness she was there, or else Ciel might not have been able to keep things together on his own. While the butler was indeed a bit miffed at having his head lopped off, it was a relief to know that his master was being taken care of during a critical time.

He remembered how badly the Macken reacted to Ciel's capture during the Black Annis incident, and how the bluenette responded when Alois was unwell from the Revenant case. It would have almost been "cute" how much they depended on one another, had they not been so upset. The pair were inseparable. Ciel was surely worried sick about the well-being of the blonde. Thus, as the excellent butler he was, Sebastian immediately got out of bed and donned his uniform before being driven back to Phantomhive manor in a Hellsing car.

Immediately upon arrival, he could sense that something was wrong. There was no doubt that there was a seemingly endless amount of chores left for him to do, but the very air around the household was different. Bidding farewell to the driver, he walked up the steps to the house before knocking on the door, bracing himself for when a certain someone opened the door.

Elizabeth begrudgingly answered it, her expression dropping into a scowl for a moment before relaxing again. A sigh escaped her lips as she mustered up the strength for this conversation.

"Welcome back…" he said, not looking the man directly in the face. With that, she turned and walked inside, allowing for the butler to follow.

"Thank you for taking care of the master." Sebastian answered. "I've already been informed of the situation. How are the others?"

"Luka and Revy are playing games, and Ciel is sulking." The woman informed placing her hands on her hips. "He has only left his office when we go eat, and even then he doesn't say anything."

"So you've found out nothing about Alois' disappearance?"

"I don't know what he's found out, but I've been doing a little digging of my own." Elizabeth replied. "Unfortunately, I'm no detective by any means. We know that he was taken by Cerberus, whose modus operandi appears to involve bombs. This, time, however, it changed…"

"What do you mean?" asked the man clad in black, arching an eyebrow.

"The bombs weren't there." The woman stated. "It was a false threat. It was a public one, too. They only said it to draw out Ciel, but for some reason, they opted to take Alois, instead. The problem is, we have no idea why, where they took him, what they're going to do with him, or what their primary objective is in the slightest."

"I see…" Sebastian uttered, furrowing his brow in thought. That was quite the conundrum. He couldn't think of anything to add, nor could he think of a possible solution. All he was capable of doing was waiting awkwardly for the angel to say something.

"Look, I'm still mad at you, and I don't really trust you, although I do regret decapitating you." Elizabeth finally said. "It was _immature_ of me. Right now, however, I am willing to put that aside as long as you help me try and keep things together."

Garnet eyes widened as the demon listened to the angel speak. From both this and her previous actions, it was clearly evident that the little girl he knew over a century ago was no more. The Hellsing woman was on a mission, and there was obviously nothing that she would allow to get in her way. A smile appeared on the butlers face as he replied.

"Understood." He stated, offering a slight bow. "I will do everything I can, as butler of this household. If I fail to serve my master in such a time of crisis, then what kind of butler would I b—"

" _Do not_." Interrupted the monster-hunter. Furrowing her brow at the display. If it was a lie back when she and her cousin were both human, then what if it still meant the same thing now? The thought filled Elizabeth with endless irritation.

"My apologies."

The woman opened her mouth in order to respond, but she was cut off by her phone ringing. She had received a notification from Lieutenant Chu, indicating that there had been a development in the case. Elizabeth the turned to look over her shoulder, spotting the Phantomhive making his way down the stairs while putting on his coat.

"You got the message too, I see." She pointed out, her smile fading as her remark was ignored.

"So you're back, Sebastian." The bluenette noted, his eye landing on the butler. "I'm glad to see that you're alright. Unfortunately, I have a meeting to attend."

"I understand, sir." Answered the man clad in black. "It's good to see you, too." He didn't even turn to follow the watchdog with his eyes as Ciel made his way toward the door. "I assume I'll be watching the children until you and Lady Elizabeth return?"

Ciel looked up for a moment, almost as if he were confused. After the gears turned in his head for a moment he made the connection. He nodded before continuing.

"That works." He absent-mindedly said, not giving much thought to anything. At this moment, he had a one-track mind, and he wasn't going to pause for anyone. Thus, poor Elizabeth had to scurry in order to get her coat in order to not be left behind.

"Oh, dear…" The butler sighed. He quickly made his way over to the younger demon, catching him by the shoulder and forcing him to a stop. "Young Master, do be careful. I understand that you're upset, but you really must pay more attention to your surroundings. Alois had to do the same for you, and now it's your turn to do it for him."

"I know that…" Ciel answered, his eye looking off to the side.

As much as he didn't want to lose his composure, it was rapidly slipping away. His beau was in the clutches of a strange group of supernatural beings who have the capacity to bend others to their will. How could he not worry? He needed to make haste, or be met with a degree of horrible scenarios, ones that he would rather not think about. In all of them, he lost the menace, and that was an outcome that was not permissible under any circumstance. Alois' safe return home was the only option.

Still, the pressure was weighing heavily on the bluenette's shoulders. He didn't know the conditions of Alois' capture—whether he was hurt, or how scared he was at that moment. Ciel had to rescue the Macken as soon as possible. The Phantomhive household was incomplete without him.

They had just gotten Sebastian back. Luka was worried and Revy was trying to keep the boy calm. Elizabeth had returned and was now part of Ciel's family again. There was still one vital piece left, however. The watchdog's anxiety was not going to be quelled until the menace was safe again in his arms and it was apparent in his words and actions.

"I need to go." He said, brushing the butler's hand away. Once Elizabeth returned with her coat on, he turned on his heel to leave, not waiting for the woman to follow.

Quickly, the angel kept his pace, tailing him to the taxi that he had called. Once they were both inside, Ciel instructed the driver where to go, being the last words that lead a smog of silence. Elizabeth looked over with concerned eyes. The air around the man had changed, his expression was sour, and he wasn't acting at all like the same man who was so playful and friendly just the day before.

She was worried. There was part of her that was also a tad frightened. This is exactly how he behaved when he was human, and now that he was a demon, there was no telling what he could or would do.

"Ciel…" she called in a soft voice, prompting the man's attention. Ciel shifted, facing the woman and locking his singular eye on her visage. A shudder ran down her spine at the dangerousness and the intensity of his gaze. Even still, she couldn't back down.

"We'll find him." Elizabeth continued reassuringly. "It's only a matter of time. I could sense that he's a powerful demon, and if he's as clever as you say he is, there's no way that he would die on you." To that, the bluenette's gaze shifted directly in front of them.

"I know he won't." he stated. "I _will_ bring him back. Even if I have to finish off every last member of that blasted organization myself."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, long time no see. This is the Hate Weasel. How are you?  
> I've been trying to slow down on updates on this thing... Mostly so there's still chapters to upload! We're already close to chapter 100 on this thing, which is like, a little under a quarter of a way to where we are currently on FF. Once this is caught up, then the update speed will be REALLY slow. I'm talkin' like, a chapter a week.  
> Will that traumatise you?  
> Used to, I could post a chapter a day, but hey, life gets in the way sometimes. That, and the chapters got longer. Now there's a 1,400 word minimum on my chapters that I have imposed on myself. Usually, I go into 2,000+, now. Even with that, the plots have gotten more complicated as well, so I have to actually like, THINK about shit before I post it. What a pain, am I right?  
> It's common knowledge on FF that I only intended for Devils Like To Dance to be five chapters long. Five chapters! Can you believe that? Then it ended up being over 400! And now there's another one and it's a looooooooooonnnnggggg piece of work, too. Will I ever be stopped? Probably not...  
> Anyways, until the next chapter, my duckies~!


	98. Pistol Perfect

One angel and one demon walked into a top-secret military base that is armed to the teeth in order to vanquish things that go bump in the night. There was nothing funny about the demeanor with which they walked, turning heads as the Phantomhive was not accompanied by his usual assistant. Instead, it was the odd girl with the white hair following him as he made his way to the Intelligence Department of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters.

The pair walked briskly down the hallways; the demon stepping especially lightly in the endeavor. In hardly any time at all, they made it to the door of the department, and the bluenette swiped his I.D. card to undo the lock. It was the second time Elizabeth found herself in that area, yet is was still just as overwhelming. Immediately upon their arrival, a man walked up to them. It was the same man who had brought Elizabeth the documents on the supernatural staff when Elizabeth arrived.

" _Ciel!"_ he called, trotting up to the pair. He paused for a moment to nod at Elizabeth. " _Miss."_ He greeted before turning his sights back on Ciel.

"What did you find?" the bluenette questioned, not even bothering to introduce the reaper.

"Come with me." Audrey instructed, knowing full-well that the situation was too urgent to stall for something so small. Introductions could wait as he led the two cousins down the steps onto the lower levels of the room.

"Alois was right. There have been reports of missing persons within the special zone." He continued, leading them to a computer and sitting down. "This is where the abductions are said to have happened." He said, pulling up a map marked with yellow dots. "They're all pretty scattered, so it's hard to pinpoint any particular pattern. For all we know, they're random."

"I see…" the Phantomhive answered. "Can you print me off a copy of this?"

"Can do." Audrey said. He punched a few buttons before pausing, looking as though he wanted to say something. "And… well… there's also one more thing…"

"What is it?" Ciel questioned, leaning forward. He inadvertently invaded the other man's space, but was too invested in what he was saying to pay much notice.

" _We found a gun_." Spoke Suyin Chu, appearing behind the trio. Once Ciel turned around to face her, she handed him a stack of papers.

Immediately, the bluenette started flipping through them. He didn't hesitate in the slightest until he found that there were pictures. In a flash, his blood went cold and his grip tightened, crumpling the paper. A tingling, worrisome sensation clawed at his insides as he continued to look. He recognised this weapon. Elizabeth looked at the picture of a pistol hanging from a chain connected to the underside of a bridge, and then looked to the lieutenant in hopes of an explanation.

" _It's detective Macken's."_ Suyin finally answered. "Turn the page." She instructed, and hesitantly, the bluenette obeyed. Just glancing at the image, he had to lower the pages from his sight for a moment in order to rub his forehead.

"As you can see, it is covered in blood." The Intel officer said. "That photo was taken in the laboratory before DNA samples were taken. According to Doctor Lovejoy, the blood fortunately doesn't match the detective's."

To this news, the angel sighed with relief while the Phantomhive turned the page again, staring intently at the image. If they were simply disposing of it, they wouldn't have deliberately have chained it up in plain sight. Ciel's eye honed in on the patterns that the blood droplets made on the pistol's surface, paying close attention to it. Turning the page, he found an image of the gun turned over to find something interesting. There was more blood on one side than the other. It didn't get there in a battle. Someone put it there deliberately.

"It's a message." He finally said. "A warning—I don't know. Whatever it is, they _want_ our attention."

"So how do we proceed?" asked Elizabeth, turning toward the watchdog.

"We figure out what they're trying to say." He answered. "They've been pulling stunt after stunt, deliberately asking for me each time. Since they attached bombs to Simon Smith, he's out; and I have no idea who else it could possibly be, since I haven't left a supernatural foe alive in ages. The only ones I have are currently with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G."

"So it's someone who has obviously taken interest in you." The lieutenant suggested. "Then what of Macken?"

"Maybe he's bait." Spoke Elizabeth. "Perhaps they know you will come for him."

 _"I'm going to kill them…"_ growled the Phantomhive, crumpling the papers again. How dare they use his beau in such a manner?! It was inconceivable. Unforgivable! "When I find them, they're all dead."

"First, you need to relax and focus on your search." The Hellsing woman stated. "Is there anything else on the gun? Maybe that could point us somewhere?"

"There were deposits of dirt, but they weren't anything especially notable." Miss Chu informed. "It's the same kind you would find anywhere else in the city, the Glen, especially."

"So they _are_ in the Glen…" the bluenette uttered, furrowing his brow and frowning deeply as he became lost in thought.

This narrowed down their search quite a bit, however, there was still quite a bit of territory to cover. How exactly he was going to narrow the field even more, he hadn't the faintest idea. As Audrey had said, the abductions were scattered, leaving a seemingly random pattern. Whether the actually were or not, he didn't know how to decipher.

"Where there any other clues left over from the mall fiasco?" he questioned, looking up at the lieutenant.

"Tire tracks." Suyin answered. "They were the same ones left during the first bomb scare. Moreover, the final message given over the intercom as not a live feed. It was a recording. They left before we arrived, and removed the tapes from the cameras so that they wouldn't be filmed."

Ciel grimaced at the news, but it was still useful. "So their van is somewhere in the glen…" the bluenette said aloud. "Finding it, however, is going to be problematic unless we have spies of some sort…"

"Why not H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. troops?" asked Elizabeth.

"They're human. Our opponents would know in an instant, and even if they were in disguise, they would be sensed. They would stand out like sore thumbs in the Glen."

"What about our supernatural agents?" questioned Suyin.

"I don't want to send them on their own." Stated the bluenette. "If they get separated, they'll be captured as well, just like Jim, and how Lizzie was."

"Then what do we do?" asked the angel. "Who was it you sent to scour the place the first time?"

"An informant and his gang. I doubt he'll want to collaborate again, however." Ciel replied. "He's rather unreasonable."

"We can interrogate citizens of the Glen and ask them if they saw a van within the vicinity." Proposed the lieutenant.

"It's a start…" Ciel answered. "Get me information on that as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir. Anything else?"

"I still need to think…" the Phantomhive said, taking a deep breath. He really needed to calm his nerves. "If you reach a confrontation with Cerberus, however, _do not_ shoot to kill."

"Why?" questioned the Hellsing woman, baffled by the suggestion. It had always been procedure to eliminate the threats on sight, so it made no sense to spare them.

"Cerberus simply appears to be building their ranks, for now." Informed the Phantomhive. "It's more than likely that Jim has been indoctrinated as well, and I will _not_ take kindly, if he is hurt, even by friendly fire."

The watchdog tucked the documents underneath his arm and turned his attention to the lieutenant. His gaze was domineering, as if he could somehow give an order with only a glance. "Get that information to me as quickly as possible." He instructed. "In the meantime, I will be formulating a plan."

"Yes sir!" Suyin said with a salute.

It was at that moment that the bluenette had an idea. His fingers absent-mindedly brushed against his lips as he pondered on it before turning on his heel and walking away. "Come on, Lizzie." He said, snapping the angel to attention. "We've got work to do."


	99. Goodnight Moon

_"Sebastian!"_ called the youngest of the Macken brothers, wandering the mansion at night.

It was almost empty, only containing three people that evening. Alois wasn't there, Ciel wasn't there, and Elizabeth wasn't there; one was missing while the other two were still searching for him out in the cold for almost a full day. Ciel was determined to search the glen for the menace, even if it meant only using his sixth sense to do it.

Luka didn't care about any of that, however. He simply wanted everyone to be home where they belonged, and it made him worry to the point where he was robbed of sleep. His bare feet padded down the hallway, nearly freezing while he searched for the butler who was most certainly making his rounds somewhere. Squeezing the plush platypus in his arms helped calm his nerves, slightly, but even being left Steven couldn't alleviate all of his anxiety.

"Luka?" answered the butler, appearing behind the boy suddenly, causing him to jump while uttering a small squeak. "What are you doing up? It's way past your bed time."

"I couldn't sleep…" the Macken said, looking down at the floor. He shifted on his feet a tad before continuing. "I don't want to sleep until everyone comes back."

A soft smile appeared on the older demon's face at this. It was only natural that his master wasn't the only one who was worried. Luka loved Alois, too. His brother was missing, which was a definite cause for alarm, and judging by how the lad was practically strangling the plush in his arms, this was certainly the case. So, Sebastian crouched down, getting on one knee so that he was on the young boy's level.

"I know you're worried about Alois." He said in a gentle tone. "We all are, but he wouldn't want us to be. If he knew you weren't sleeping, do you know what he would do?"

"He would probably tell me I need to go to bed…" Luka answered. "Maybe try and help me fall asleep, too…"

"How would he do that?" the butler questioned, tilting his head. He was merely trying to make notes for future reference, but found himself surprised when the other demon's eyes started watering. The boy buried his face in the stuffed animal before trying to speak again.

" _He'd stay with me_ …" he said, his tone sounding as if he were trying not to cry. Sebastian's smile dropped as he heard a few weak hiccups coming from the boy. It actually pained him to hear it. It hurt even worse when the lad tried to keep talking through them, occasionally having to stop in the middle to hiccup some more. "Sometimes—Sometimes he sings—sings to me." He forced out. "But he never leaves—until- until I'm asleep."

The older demon watched curiously for a moment before nodding. He then gently reached out and pulled the boy close, picking him up as he stood. The Macken opted to hid his face in the man's shoulder while gripping onto his uniform tightly, digging his nails into the fabric. Sebastian rubbed his back with the hand that he wasn't using to hold the boy up in a soothing fashion as he began walking to the boy's bedroom.

"It's going to be alright, now." He said reassuringly. "My master wouldn't dare let him be taken away. Alois will come back, I promise."

"Really?" the child questioned, tilting his head slightly so he could peek at Sebastian's face.

"Really." Stated the butler as if it were the most indisputable fact in the world. "But until then, I'll stay with you until you fall asleep." He added, gripping the doorknob.

"Okay." Luka answered softly. He seemed to have calmed down a bit, but his eyes were still watery and he still wasn't entirely convinced. Sebastian seemed certain, however. That must have counted for something.

Walking into the room and closing the door behind him, Sebastian glided over to the younger demon's bed and tucked the boy in. His smile reappeared as he pulled the blankets over Luka's frame, recalling something that he hadn't in a while.

"You know, when the master was only a little older than you, he would ask me to stay with him until he was asleep as well." He pointed out, looking back on it with fondness, almost.

"Ciel did?" questioned Luka, looking up at the man while getting settled. He couldn't imagine that. The Phantomhive was always so proud and mature. There was surely no way that he could have done something so childish, even when he was actually a child!

"It's true." The butler said before adding: "He would get angry with me if I suggested singing to him, however."

The boy giggled a little bit at the image. That managed to cheer him up. He could imagine the scene almost perfectly, knowing the two oldest of the household's demons.

"You can sing to me if you want." He half said, half suggested; thinly veiling his own curiosity to the point where it was practically transparent with his tone and phrasing. The butler simply chuckled at this and played along.

"Oh? And what should I sing, then?" he inquired, arching an eyebrow. He watched as the younger furrowed his own as he thought, closing his eyes a bit as he did.

"Well, there's this one song that Jim always sings, but I dunno what it's called." The boy answered. "I dunno the words, either, since it ain't in English."

"Is that so? What does the tune sound like, then?" Sebastian asked, prompting the lad to pause for a moment before humming the tune. The older demon's brows raised as he immediately recognised it.

"That's ' _Suo Gân'_." He said. "It's in Welsh. I'm actually surprised that Alois knows it."

"Can you sing it?" the boy asked, peeking out from beneath his blanket as though he were afraid to. He sunk a bit further into the covers as the man smiled at him, taking a deep breath.

" _Huna blentyn ar fy mynwes_

_Clyd a chynnes ydyw hon;_

_Breichiau mam sy'n dynn amdanat,_

_Cariad mam sy dan fy mron;_

_Ni chaiff dim amharu'th gyntun,_

_Ni wna undyn â thi gam;_

_Huna'n dawel, annwyl blentyn,_

_Huna'n fwyn ar fron dy fam._

_Huna'n dawel, heno, huna,_

_Huna'n fwyn, y tlws ei lun;_

_Pam yr wyt yn awr yn gwenu,_

_Gwenu'n dirion yn dy hun?_

_Ai angylion fry sy'n gwenu,_

_Arnat ti yn gwenu'n llon,_

_Tithau'n gwenu'n ôl dan huno,_

_Huno'n dawel ar fy mron?_

_Paid ag ofni, dim ond deilen_

_Gura, gura ar y ddôr;_

_Paid ag ofni, ton fach unig_

_Sua, sua ar lan y môr;_

_Huna blentyn, nid oes yma_

_Ddim i roddi iti fraw;_

_Gwena'n dawel yn fy mynwes_

_Ar yr engyl gwynion draw."_

By the end of the song, Luka's eyes were shut and his breathing was slow. He was perfectly content where he was; starting to doze off at the song of the butler's voice. Gently, the man reached down and stroked the boy's hair with a gloved hand, making the lad smile.

"I love you, Sebastian." Luka sleepily said, genuinely surprising the man. Despite this, the word made the demon feel… _happy_ , and a grin uncontrollably spread across the butler's face.

"Good night, Luka."


	100. Blackjack

It was cold outside. The ground was covered in snow, as there was no one to clear it away from the streets within the special zone, leaving residents responsible for doing so themselves. It crunched beneath the feet of Ciel and Elizabeth as they wandered the glen, searching for a trace of the blonde menace. Their breath was visible and their hands and faces were almost frozen. They had been outside almost the entire day, and as night fell, it only got colder.

"Ciel…" called the angel at last, after having held her tongue for hours. "It's getting late. We should go back." The bluenette's body only tensed at the suggestion as he became increasingly frustrated.

 _"Fine."_ He said, taking a deep breath. It was less than calming, however, as the frosty air pierced lining of his lungs. He had honestly believed that if he wandered around the Glen long enough, he would be able to sense the menace even a little bit. With their contract, he could tell the man's precise location within a broad range of space, but despite this, they still turned up with nothing.

"I'm sorry I made you tag along…" he added somberly.

"It's alright." The woman replied, shaking her head. "We'll try again tomorrow." The bluenette simply nodded before he slowly turning around and following Elizabeth in the direction they came from. His amount of worry and anxiety only seemed to increase at the action.

No, that wasn't it. This nagging feeling was coming from somewhere else. Faintly, he heard the sound of a motor off in the distance. It was the roaring of what sounded like a diesel engine—a van. The Phantomhive stared off in the direction it came from for a moment before looking back to Elizabeth, and judging by the look on her face, she heard it as well.

" _Cerberus_." She whispered aloud. Her eyes turned fierce as she looked back at the bluenette and nodded.

"Let's go." Ciel replied before dashing off in that direction; angel following him closely. They quickly glided over the ice and snow, passing building after building in the silent neighbourhood, making their way toward the vehicle.

"I see it!" Elizabeth declared, putting her hand on the handle of her sword.

"Don't go all out." Instructed the Phantomhive. "Everyone must be taken alive."

Confusedly, the woman removed her grip. "Then what do we do?"

"Get closer, and then strike the wheels." Ciel said. "That way, we'll strand the—"

The man immediately froze in his tracks, forcing the woman to do the same. He simply stood there, wide-eyed for a moment as he sensed something off in the distance. He looked over his shoulder.

"Jim…" he trailed off, knowing it was his contract he was picking up. It was in the complete opposite direction, however, so he had a choice to make.

"They're probably trying to create a diversion." The woman suggested. "We should go after the truck." Ciel grit his teeth at this, seeing the logic behind it, but not wanting to adhere to it anyway. His beau was nearby, and he needed to save him.

"Ciel!" Elizabeth called, demanding his attention.

"You're right…" he said, clenching his fists. "Let's keep going."

With that, the bluenette begrudgingly prioritized the van with the potentially kidnapped citizens of the special zone. If he could interrogate some of them, he could potentially get clues to the inner workings of Cerberus. It hurt. Ciel really didn't want to do this. He wanted to go after Alois, but he was still obligated to fulfil his duties. Abandoning his post would get him in trouble that might hinder his recovery of the menace.

He and the Hellsing thus followed their original target, increasing their speed in order to catch up to it once again. The pair eventually got alongside it, each drawing a blade. With a slash from both of them, the back tires of the van were no more, causing the vehicle to protest. It began to falter, swaying one way and then the next.

"Draw back!" Ciel instructed his cousin and the woman stopped running, leaving her out of the path when he kicked the side of the van, forcing it to spin out of control. It crashed into the sidewalk, forcing it to sink in the snow now that it wasn't moving.

"Excellent work." The bluenette said to the angel, earning a smile. "Now we just have to disarm the driver and free the passenge—"

Ciel felt it again. It was that nagging anxiety indicating that the menace was near, but this time it was different. This time, it felt as though it were getting closer. The Phantomhive looked up, his legs tensing.

"Move!" he barked, causing Elizabeth to dodge as well when a hail of bullets came spiraling down on top of them.

In the moment that Ciel looked up, he didn't see Alois. That person looked nothing like him. In seconds, the gunman leaped down from his place against the sky, landing perfectly on his feet along with his associates. They were dressed in white with their faces covered with masks. One of them had a mask with a heart painted on it. Another had a diamond. The remaining two had a clover and a spade. The man in the middle, however, was dressed differently. He was clad in mostly black, with a long coat that hung open, a black vest, black pants, and dress shoes. The only thing on him that was white was his dress shirt, as even his gloves and guns were black. All black. The one in the middle wore a mask that covered his eyes, trimmed in gold as it wrapped around the side of his head like a plant.

He was not blonde. His hair was black. Everything was black. Even still, there was one thing that Ciel couldn't deny about the man that appeared before himself and Elizabeth.

" _Jim…"_ he uttered softly, the word escaping him too weighed down with sadness and shock to have volume. It was despair. Around his beloved's neck was a silver amulet, just like on all the others.

The menace raised his guns, aiming them directly at the bluenette as the others at his sides raised their own weapons. No words. Where the blonde menace would spout a clever quip before entering a battle, the black Jack was silent. Expressionless. Cold. Ciel had found Alois, but at the same time, the Macken was still lost.


	101. A Battle of Wits- or Fists

" _Jim_ …" the bluenette murmured, shock clearly evident on his face. The menace had appeared before him, yet he was clearly not the menace he knew through his actions, and even his appearance.

Alois held up his weapons; a pistol in each hand. He and his entourage readied their weapons while Ciel simply stood there in awe. He was frozen. What on earth had they done to his love? They were cruel. They sent Alois here deliberately, didn't they? Ciel would now have to fight the Macken.

So be it. The Phantomhive readied himself, getting into a fighting stance with his eye locked on the pendant around Alois' throat. If he removed that, then the menace would be free. As the group opened fire, Ciel and Elizabeth jumped out of the way, evading the bullets as they sprayed into the night air. With this, the Jacks scattered as well, circling around the pair on all sides. On instinct, Elizabeth grabbed the handle of her sword, prompting the attention of the bluenette.

"Remove the amulets. Don't kill them." He instructed, much to the woman's confusion, but regardless, she obeyed.

When the Jacks started spraying again, she moved forward, attacking them head-on. With a slash, she cut through the collar of the Jack of Clovers. She removed it completely without leaving a single scratch on the surface of their skin. They fell in an instant, leaving an imprint around their frame in the snow when they landed. Sensing danger to her side, she swung her blade, blocking a bullet, and continued to do so until her opponent realised that this wasn't working.

As soon as they let up, she charged, preparing to swing. Unfortunately, she underestimated this opponent. While the others were untrained, this was Alois Trancy. He ducked, evading her weapon while taking on a crouching position. Immediately, the woman flicked her wrist, adjusting the blade in her hand so that it was facing downward. Elizabeth swung her arm down in a stabbing motion, attempting to bring it crashing down on top of the menace.

 _"LIZZIE!"_ roared the Phantomhive, alerting her attention and stopping in her tracks. Her eyes widened, meeting his. His eye was aflame with panic as she froze, realizing what she was about to do. Obviously, holding back on an opponent was something that she was not used to.

_BANGBANGBANG!_

Pain wrought through her body as the bullets pierced her, dying her coat crimson. Black Jack had shot her in the side while she was open. All of this happened in a matter of seconds, and when the menace swung his leg, he kicked the woman in the other side, sending her flying. When she landed, she immediately tried to sit back up, ignoring the reddened snow around her as her wounds sealed themselves shut. Ciel had just gotten done disarming a Jack when he saw the display.

Elizabeth could have killed Alois just then. Thank goodness Alois was still in there somewhere. That was his resourcefulness shining through. While it saved him that time, he had now shot his boyfriend's cousin and she did not take kindly to that. Moreover, his cleverness would make him more difficult to defeat. Incidentally, Ciel was snapped from his daze when the Macken opened fire at him while he was distracted. Leaping out of the way, he allowed the bullets to hit one of the last two Jacks other than the menace, knocking off their amulet in the process. These were ordinary bullets. There was no way that they would arm someone as dangerous as Alois with real bullets when his loyalty could still possibly be wavered.

 _There_ was an idea. If Elizabeth was still partly conscious, then why wouldn't Alois be? Ciel sheathed his sword before straightening his back, putting his hands up as he addressed the other demon.

" _Jim!"_ he called out to him. "Jim, it's me! Ciel! Snap out of it and stop shooting!" His eyes widened and he ducked as the menace charged him and swung his leg around for a powerful kick, missing the bluenette by a hair.

"He's not going to listen!" Elizabeth declared, removing the amulet from the Jack of Diamonds. "He's a demon! The power in the amulet is not directly opposed to his type of energy! He's not fighting it!"

"How can you be sure?!" Ciel shouted in reply, continuing to evade Black Jack's strikes. Alois' kicks were powerful. Merely blocking them was almost like being hit by a truck, and his punches weren't any lighter. How could Ciel expect any less, though? The man did break two pairs of antifreak gauntlets designed to withstand the force of up to four tons.

Elizabeth nearly rolled her eyes as she disarmed the remaining Jack, being unable to assist the bluenette at that moment due to the proximity of his opponent. She didn't want to hurt them, after all. Then again, her cousin was having a rough time. Alois' resourcefulness expanded even into close-quarters combat.

He swung at the bluenette's head, gun still in hand. When the Phantomhive moved his head ot the side in order to evade, Alois pushed the button on the handle that released the empty magazine, striking his beau right in the face with discarded metal. He then swung his arm to the side, hitting the man's head. Ciel Phantomhive was being overwhelmed by a demon that was younger than him! The bluenette had fought a dragon before, but he couldn't fight off a lion.

Black Jack slid the butt of both of his guns down on top of his belt. It held more magazines stocked with ammunition. He reloaded and opened fire on the watchdog at point-blank range, firing off half of his rounds into the man's body before he could recover.

"Ciel!" shouted the Hellsing woman, averting he attention from the contents of the van. She drew her sword again, furrowing her brow with a fierce look in her eyes, forcing the Macken to turn around and face her.

Immediately, his hands brought themselves upward, attempting to use his guns to block the blade. With a single slash, however, they were both cut in two like tissue paper. He looked up at his opponent, mouth agape as she thrust her blade, aiming straight for his chest. She was right on top of him, but she missed. She did hit something, however.

When everything came to a standstill, she found her blade buried to the hilt into the Phantomhive's shoulder. The man grit his teeth, his eye wide and nostrils flaring as the wound sizzled at the contact with a sacred blade. He had pushed the menace to the side, forcing him out of the way, but couldn't dodge himself due to the bullets still in his body.

Gently, the angel removed her blade, sliding it out of Ciel's flesh while inadvertently causing him deeper discomfort. The man clutched at his wound as Elizabeth's visage contorted with alarm at what had occurred. She quickly tried to gauge as to whether or not he was alright, despite knowing that a hit to the shoulder wasn't going to kill the Phantomhive. It certainly would take a few days to heal, however.

"CIEL!" The woman called. "Ciel, are you alright?!" she demanded, cupping his cheek. Her eyes widened at the expression on the man's face as he looked up at her.

"That… was a finishing blow." He grunted, brow furrowed. "You could have killed him… You _tried_ to kill him!" his volume grew and his eye flashed crimson, causing the angel to jump.

"I didn't mean it…" Elizabeth insisted. "When he shot you… I-I panicked! How else was I _supposed_ to react?!"

 _"You don't try to kill the man I'm in love with!"_ Ciel roared, standing up. He took a towering stance over the woman, glaring down at her. Despite being injured, he was genuinely frightening. The poor woman didn't know how to respond to this.

Ciel was angry. Intensely angry. She didn't have to worry much longer as his attention shifted elsewhere. Looking up and to the side, he looked for the menace, but alas…

" _He got away…"_


	102. The Next Step

The contents of the van were recovered. There were a few vampires, an elf, and a witch, all of whom were heavily interrogated by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. before being returned home. Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot of information gained. Moreover, tension was high among the supernatural operative at the organization. One of them, a blood relative of the current head, had tried to kill one of their agents without the slightest hint of hesitation, injuring another in the process.

Once word spread around, the other supernatural agents became frightened of Elizabeth. Whenever they were sent to her in order to escort her somewhere, or to provide her with some sort of assistance, they were all very rigid; on their best behaviour. They cowered before her, knowing that it was she who almost killed Alois Trancy, and who injured Ciel Phantomhive. Before that, she had decapitated the butler, but now even family members weren't safe, so who was to say that H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agents were, either?

Elizabeth was not invited back to help Ciel search again the next day. Her contact with the man had been very limited, only watered down to sharing any important information they had via text message. She couldn't even hear his voice. Still, she couldn't exactly blame him for not wanting to see her. When he looked down at her after being stabbed, his face was a mess of emotions. Elizabeth wouldn't be able to forget it for a long time.

Anger, rage, sadness, fear, and outright betrayal were written across the Phantomhive's visage in that moment. Elizabeth had lost Ciel, right then and there, because in his already compromised emotional state, witnessing his cousin, whom he trusted without a hint of hesitation upon her return, had attempted to deliver a finishing strike to the love of his life. She didn't return to the Phantomhive estate after that. She went back to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters and took up residence there.

Her sword stood propped up against the wall in the corner of her room. She didn't want to touch it. _Caelum_ was holy blade, so it would take a few days at the least for Ciel's shoulder to heal. The last time she saw him, he was being bandaged up and given a sling for his arm to rest in. With that, he left, going back to his mansion without a word. How could she pick up that blade after it pierced the flesh of her kin? Although their species were now different, they were still family. She was an angel, who tied together her lineage with that of a family of monster-hunters and aided in their quest during her human life. He was a demon, whose legacy was covered in the blood of all kinds— _a monster._

Perhaps things were not as black and white as she had initially perceived. A supernatural being who wasn't "divine" _isn't_ inherently "evil". Those vampires that they rescued weren't like any that she had ever seen before. These demons that she encountered were like none other as well. They could feel. Upon realizing this, Elizabeth was faced with a horrible realization: Just what kind of creatures has she been killing all of this time? It scared her. How on earth was she able to become an angel like this? Everything she knew about her situation had changed.

One thing, however, had not. She had a job to do, and a family to protect. Even if Ciel was angry with her, she would still aid him however possible. How she was going to regain the bluenette's trust, however, was uncertain. Ciel was severely shaken by the entire endeavor.

When told he should at least _see_ Elizabeth, his answer was "no". When told that he should probably rest because of his arm, his answer as "no". Another day passed without him leaving his office, this way. He sat at his desk taking in and processing data that was sent to him about the case, hardly ever moving. Somehow, he didn't have the energy to move. The man was in pain, but the stab wound in his shoulder wasn't the source.

He had found Alois, but he couldn't bring him back. The menace had fought him without holding much back. Alois had unloaded a full round of bullets into his body, and had they not been mortal ones, the bluenette probably wouldn't still be alive. Ciel had lost his beau to Cerberus, and the former-blonde was being manipulated like a puppet and used as bait. It weighed heavily on the Phantomhive's mind as he thought about how scared the menace must have been if he was still conscious.

Eventually, the bluenette's eye glazed over and stared blankly at the computer screen as he fretted over what to do. Locating the Macken was proving difficult, and fighting him was also not an option; at least not in a group. He needed to be the one to bring Alois in, or else risk the other man getting severely hurt. The thought of what could be done to the menace by both his allies and his captors was almost too much.

The world snapped back into focus by the sound of his cell phone vibrating against the wooden surface of his desk. Slowly, with his left hand, he picked it up, reading the message that he received, unsure of who it could possibly be. He half-expected it to be Elizabeth, but was genuinely surprised to have received a text message from a certain vampire from the Glen.

" _Wolf's Glen. Noon. Be there. Wear a disguise._

_-B"_

"Baby Face" Baldassare. Ciel certainly didn't expect contact from him. By the sounds of things, however, if could be assumed that it was important. Perhaps the coven leader had some information to offer.

Thus, for the first time in hours, the bluenette opted to move, grunting at his shoulder before readjusting its sling. It was going to be bothersome, trying to get a coat on. With a heavy sigh, he placed his phone in his pocket and made his way toward the door. At this rate, he didn't want to get his hopes up, but what had he to lose?


	103. In Bad Hands

Ciel walked up to the Wolf's Glen casually. It wasn't as though he would be noticed. Everyone was staying indoors once again, and "The Watchdog" was visually nowhere in sight. Instead, "Cornelius Wainwright" walked the streets. There was no reason he would have to worry about being spotted. When he got inside the Café, he did receive a look from the witch behind the counter, but otherwise, he was given no mind.

It wasn't hard to find Baldassare, as the café was barren. The only one in there was the Girasol vampire himself, dozing off at one of the tables. That was to be expected. For him, it was really late, and he should be asleep. Regardless, Ciel had been called out, so the Phantomhive took a seat on the other side of the table, prompting the vampire to stir.

"I thought you'd never get here…" yawned Baldassare, rubbing his eyes. It was then that they adjusted to really look at the now maroon-haired gentleman in front of him. "The fuck happened to you?" he asked, gesturing to the demon's arm.

"Bad run-in with an angel." Answered the Phantomhive, rubbing his aching shoulder a tad. "It isn't bad. So, what did you need to discuss?"

"Don't you mean what you need to discuss?" the vampire said. "What the fuck is H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. doing around here? We had a deal!" he griped in a hushed tone.

"They're helping us capture Cerberus." Ciel stated. "Several residents have gone missing from the Glen, and we're trying to recover them while taking down those responsible." Baldassare's eyebrow twitched before he crossed his arms, leaned back in his seat.

"Explains a lot…" he said. "So, you're saying it _wasn't_ H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. who's roundin' everybody up?"

"No. It isn't. Why?"

"People are scared." Baldassare said. "Whoever this gang is, they're plucking up people left 'n right! Important people, too…"

To that, the watchdog arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"They're taking away people who we need!" the vampire said. "Volunteers, some of the people who go out into the city and get jobs and support the rest of us! Just yesterday, they took the old wizard who runs our little ' _library'_. I mean, he collects books, but he helps give the youngun's somethin' to do!"

The demon was actually a little surprised by how passionately the Girasol vampire spoke of the matter. It was obviously serious. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. had many rules and restrictions, and there was only so much that they could supply the Glen. The rest was done by the residents. It was practically a small, self-sufficient village under tyrannical rule. Now they had another threat to face, and they were falling apart.

"How bad is it?" Ciel questioned, leaning forward a bit.

"Bad." His informant answered without the slightest hesitation. He did, however, pause, looking around before he continued. "They… They got Sister Dorothy." He whispered.

That was bad. The Sister was a critical part of the community, providing both church services, and educational ones as well. She was the one who taught the children of the Glen how to read and write. Removing her could throw everything out of order. It was no wonder that the streets were so empty.

"You better get her back, mutt." Baldassare said. "If you don't, I dunno what I'm gonna do, but it's not gonna be good."

"I don't blame you…" the Phantomhive replied. "I can tell you something you can do, however." With that, he reached into his pocket with his good hand, pulling out a silver amulet. He placed it on the table in front of him.

"The fuck is that?"

"It's an amulet. I tore it off of a Ceberus flunkie." Ciel informed. He picked it back up and held it in front of the vampire's face. "It has an enchantment on it. Cerberus kidnaps people, and forces them to work for them using these. If you ever come across someone with one of these around their necks, tear it off quickly."

"So you're saying you want me to do some of your dirty work, huh?"

"Of course. You'd be replenishing their forces while saving their neighbours." He paused for a moment before continuing. "If one of them has a black mask with gold trim, however, do not fight them."

"Why's that?" questioned the Girasol vampire.

"He's especially dangerous." The man said, refraining from telling the whole truth. "He unloaded a full magazine on me in a second. He doesn't seem to use antifreak rounds, but I would still be careful."

"Alright…" Baldassare answered, leaning forward again while setting his elbows on the table. "I'll try and get some of the lower flunkies for ya. If they're any like the ones that we ran into last time, though, I'm backing off."

"Sounds reasonable." Ciel replied. "Be careful of plain-clothed _'Jacks'_ too. If they know who the important figures are in this part of the city, then they might have planted a mole or two."

"Got it." The vampire said, pausing before arching an eyebrow. " _'Jacks'?"_

"That's what they're called." Informed the Phantomhive. "It would appear that the head of Cerberus likes to name them after puns…"

"HA! That's fuckin' retarded!" barked the coven-leader. "Is one of them ' _Jack-off'?_ Please tell me there is one…" Ciel simply furrowed his brow, opting to scowl rather than answer. Alois had made the same joke more than once. Upon realizing he struck a nerve, Baldassare's laughter died down.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry." The vampire said with minimal sincerity. "Relax. It was just a joke. Jesus… But who cares about that. As long as the Glen's alright, I don't care. I'll make yer little 'neighbourhood watch' team, but just make sure I don't get shot by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. because of it, alright?"

"Deal." Ciel answered. "Just be careful. There's some frightening people in their hands…"


	104. Three Heads

Panic was in the air. The H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. Intelligence Department was in a tizzy at what they had found. It had been a few days, but it had not diminished in the slightest. No, how could it? One of their own was in enemy hands, as indicated in the oral report given by Sir Phantomhive upon his return while receiving treatment for his injuries.

He had tried to move on from the incident and to find a way to counter, but the organization was busy making sure that the even didn't result in an intelligence leak. The Macken's I.D. card had been deactivated and passwords had been changed. How annoying. It was all the more reason to fix things swiftly.

To the surprise of the staff, however, abductees were beginning to return home. The collaboration with the Girasol vampires was to blame for this. They attacked the Jacks in the streets, tearing off their amulets and helping them home. They toppled cars and uncovered moles, removing further threats while freeing the residents of the Glen. In a matter of days, the abductions stopped completely as Cerberus was forced to create a new game plan. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. was astonished. Vampires were helping them. In the end, the organization was also forced to reconsider how to handle this.

In a matter of days—just a few days—all of this happened. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. troops were instructed to temporarily collaborate with Girasol and vice-versa. While they still couldn't seem to pinpoint the offenders' home base, they were able to cut down their forces exponentially. Still, even with all of the recovered individuals, Sister Dorothy was not one of them, and neither was the blonde menace.

Cerberus was keeping Blackjack hidden. The demon hadn't been spotted since their first encounter with him. Obviously, Alois was somewhat of a "trump card" of sorts. They weren't going to risk losing him so quickly.

"Any news?" questioned Elizabeth, looking up at the main screen in the Intel room as she walked by. Once more, she was back in uniform, however this time, it wasn't a standard one. It was that of a high-ranking officer.

"Not yet…" nervously answered Audrey. While he was half of a divine being, he was still frightened of the angel. "The attacks have slowed down almost completely, but we still can't figure out where their base is."

"So we're still in the same place…" murmured the woman, patting the reaper on the shoulder. "Keep up the good work. Tell me if there's any developments."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Lady Elizabeth!" called a certain Draculina out of nowhere, prompting the woman's attention. When the angel turned around, she found that Seras was already more than halfway to her. "Something has happened."

"What is it?" the Hellsing woman asked, an astonished look on her face. Seras was usually by Sir Integra's side, always. She never wore an expression like this one, which was urgent. At least, Elizabeth hadn't.

"A Jack turned themselves in." Miss Victoria replied. "They walked up to a group of patrolling Girasol members, who gave this to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. forces." Elizabeth arched an eyebrow at the small, rectangular object in the younger woman's gloved hand.

"What is that?" questioned Elizabeth, inviting an explanation.

"A memory-stick." Seras answered bluntly. She tapped the shoulder of the eaves-dropping reaper seated near them and waved it in his face. "Plug this in and play the file on it."

"Okay?" answered Audrey, doing just that. He plugged in the gadget and clicked around on his screen, opening the device before opening the file. "Up on the big screen, or…?"

"Big screen will let everyone know at once." The Draculina stated. "Do it."

"Yes, ma'am." Replied the reaper, pressing play. Everyone in the room turned their attention to the main screen that took up a good portion of the front of the room as the video started playing, and within the first few milliseconds, they knew it wasn't going to be good.

Demons. There were four of them in total in an empty room with a few chairs. There was one man, one woman, and as for the final one, no one could seem to reach a consensus for their sex. The man had long pale hair swept back out of his face, a square jaw, and two fangs protruding from his mouth facing downward, with beady eyes and a gross expression on his face. The woman looked irritable; her long black hair loosly done-up out of her oval face, almost proudly revealing the scars that adorned her skin like tiger stripes. The androgynous demon wore a black sort of poncho-like garment, grey shorts and black thigh-high socks. Their hair was all swept to the left, out of their face. Oddly, they had no eyebrows, but they did have a piercing connected to a chain which lead to another one on their ear. Altogether they were an odd bunch, but the most concerning feature out of the entire scene was the fourth demon, who they flocked too.

Standing in the center of the frame with a seemingly neutral expression on what was revealed of their face by their half-mask; arms crossed and with a sturdy stance that seemingly couldn't be moved was none other than Alois. He was still wearing his black and gold mask, appearing to be unable to even see the other demons around him making peace signs at the camera.

"Ta-da~!" chimed the androgynous demon. "Wait, is that thing even on?"

"The red light's on, so that means that it's recording." Said the striped one.

"Oh. Well, in that case, everybody say 'hi'~!" spoke the first. "My name is ' _Voros'!"_

"I'm _Verdigris_." Said the other.

"And I'm _Araneus!"_ chimed in the man.

"I'm sure you all already know _this_ guy." Stated Voros with a wicked grin that put their white teeth on display. They gestured to the menace, who said nor did anything. "We call him _'Blackjack'_ , here, though. Isn't he _cute~?"_ They said, pinching Alois' cheek to no response.

"I bet he's quite the looker without the mask, though." Spoke Araneus.

"Now, now, we've talked about this. The mask stays on." The browless demon answered almost scoldingly before turning their attention back to the camera.

"Altogether, we're Cerberus! Hello!" they added, their grin warping into a smirk. "It's a pleasure to finally introduce ourselves to Her Royal England Legions of Legitimate Supernatural and Immortal Night Guard; _H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G."_

"You might be wondering why we've decided to reveal ourselves after all of this time." Pointed out Verdigris before continuing to explain. "It's simple. You've been putting a serious hamper on our operations, with your seeming alliance with the Girasol vampires."

"We're here to cut you a deal." Stated Araneus. "As much as I want to see this guy's face, we're going to give him up. As a peace offering."

 _"That's right_." Continued the demon without eyebrows. "We'll give you back your friend. In return, however, you must promise us a _clean escape_. You'll never hear from us ever again. Let's just all pretend this never happened. It was just a bad dream you woke up from." They looked over their shoulder at the Macken and stroked his cheek. "Right, BJ?"

"Have your watchdog come pick him up." Instructed Verdigris. "We'll leave him alone, so there won't be anything for you to fear. He's yours for the taking."

"We've even marked the location on the map!" enthusiastically declared Voros. "So be a good doggie and do as we said, alright? Laters~!"

And with that, the video ended. The entire room was silent for the moments following after. No one knew quite what to say. It was Cerberus. And they wanted to be let go? It was all too suspicious.

"Send that video to Sir Phantomhive immediately." Seras ordered the Baines gentleman seated in front of her.

"What did he mean they 'marked it on the map'?" questioned Elizabeth, looking to the Draculina. Seras thought for a few moments before turning to another operative stationed at a different computer.

"You. Pull up a current image of the Special Zone via satellite." Instructed Miss Victoria.

"Uh-uhm… I don't know how…" the agent said, only to find themselves rolled out of the way in their chair by Lieutenant Chu.

"Out of the way." Suyin said, taking over their station momentarily. The department head quickly clicked around, and with a few presses of the keys, she had the image up on the big screen. "Everyone keep your eyes peeled for anything unusual."

Whispering filled the air as the staff stopped what they were doing and combed the image. Dozens of eyes fell on the screen all at once as they searched for something out of the ordinary. Suyin zoomed in a bit, and dragged the image so everyone could get a better look. Before long, someone stood up.

" _There!"_ one of the operatives said while pointing. "On the roof! Right There!"

"Lieutenant! Zoom in!" instructed Seras.

"Yes, ma'am." The woman said, doing just that. Lieutenant Chu zoomed in on the general area that the agent pointed out, and once her eye caught it too, she zoomed in again, honing in on that particular spot. The whispering grew in volume at the sight.

A pentagram was drawn on top of one of the buildings. The star in the center had a rectangle running through it horizontally, with no other defining features. It was recognised by the angel, however.

"That's the same seal on the amulets!" she pointed out.

"Something's not right…" murmured the Draculina, squinting her eyes just a bit. "Lieutenant, once again, please."

"On it." With that, Miss Chu zoomed in one final time, suddenly revealing something new about the image. There was a figure standing in the center. They were clad in black with gold reflecting light off of their mask.

"Alois!" declared Elizabeth. It was just as they said. The menace was right where Cerberus said he would be.

"Send those coordinates to Sir Phantomhive!" ordered Seras.

"Send backup as well." The angel added. Something didn't add up. It was too all too easy. "It's most likely a trap."

"Understood." The Lieutenant answered, rolling the operative whom she commandeered the computer from back to their station.

_"You heard them! Let's move!"_


	105. Onyx Lion

An ominous glow enveloped the bluenette as he was driven into the special zone via H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. truck. The demon was freshly recovered and furious. The look that had subconsciously formed on his face was starting to frighten the driver as he contemplated what exactly he was going to do. This was obviously a trap. He wasn't entirely sure _how_ , but he was certain. Nothing in life is this easy.

He would be going alone to confront the menace, but would have back up hidden closely behind him. They were close to the border of London and the smaller village inside of it. That was where Alois was stationed, so various supernatural troops sat stationed nearby. Some were on the outside, while some were inside. They weren't going to let Cerberus get away.

When he arrived at the building in question, he exited the vehicle before it drove away, momentarily gazing upward at the structure while his transport escaped to a safe distance. Ciel then walked up to the fire escape and started climbing. He wasn't about to waltz in the front door and possibly get locked in.

The coldness of the metal railing seeped through his glove, indirectly chilling his hand. His breath was visible and the blistering winds that only increased as he made his ascent felt as though they were cutting into his flesh. This time, he would finish it. Alois would be back in his arms. The menace was undoubtedly frozen from being up there for so long. Ciel could sense his presence at the end of the steps, and when he finally made it, it was confirmed.

Alois stood stationary with his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. His mask was still on, as was the amulet around his neck. Slowly, his beau set foot on the ice and snow-covered roof. They said nothing as they simply stared at one another—the only sound being heard was the sound of wind howling as it clawed at the flesh of their faces and ears.

At last, Ciel couldn't bear it anymore. He hesitantly took the first step; snow crunching beneath his feet as he approached the immobile menace. One foot in front of the other, he stepped inside the pentagram and stood before Alois, face to face.

"Jim…" he uttered softly, extending his hand in order to grab the amulet around the other demon's neck. His fingers brushed the cold, smooth metal. Imagine the shock he must have felt when the menace suddenly moved, roughly swiping his hand away.

Ciel's eye widened at the action and was thrown off balance momentarily by the violent gesture. His beau then brought a leg around, spinning his whole body before digging his heel into the bluenette's back, forcing a guttural grunt to escape the Phantomhive as he was sent flying off the roof. Obviously, Alois hadn't held back.

"GUH!" let out the watchdog as he landed on yet another roof. As he tried to get up, he saw just how far he had traveled. There were now several buildings between the two. It wouldn't last long, however, as he saw the blonde charging toward him.

Alois quickly closed the distance between them, jumping into the air and cocking back his fist. Without time to think or dodge, Ciel's arms shot up in front of him, catching the impact of the man's blow. Despite his firm stance, the ice beneath his feet betrayed him, sending him soaring once more, this time out of bounds. He flew over the fence that divided the Glen with the rest of the city, his body smacking into the ground outside.

That was cruel. The menace hadn't even given him the chance to recover. It was wise in battle, but the bluenette surely didn't deserve it. It didn't matter. This wasn't "his" Alois anymore. Ciel stood up, trying to ignore the aching in both arms. His bones were most likely bruised. It would heal quickly, but if the menace attacked him again, he might not have the chance to do so.

Once again, Blackjack came after him. This time, he landed in front of the bluenette, taking out his weapons and taking aim. Quickly, Ciel's legs force him to move; running from the hail of bullets that the former-blonde released before reloading. Blackjack continued moving as he did, running almost parallel to the other. Soon, Ciel ran out of room as he approached another building blocking his path, to which the menace responded by kicking him again.

This was bad. Alois was just going to keep hitting and hitting the bluenette without letting up. As much as Ciel didn't want to fight back, it looked as though he was going to have to. Getting up once more, when the blonde charged him, he took a fighting stance. He prepared to strike when the menace did, preparing himself for impact that never came.

"Ciel…" the menace called, snapping the watchdog to attention. Alois froze, standing directly in front of him. His tone was sad. It was more than enough to coax Ciel to lower his fist.

"Ji-"

BAM! The moment Ciel showed hesitation he was met with a fist to the face. He should have none better, but he was hopeful. He wasn't anymore as he tumbled down the steps into a metro station. Blood dripped from his nose and lip as he laid there, taking in what just happened. The people around him were stunned. There were humans here. Oh no. He couldn't fight Alois here.

It didn't matter as the menace casually walked down the steps. He reached into his coat and pulled out one of his guns, raising it into the air. Screams were heard all around the bluenette as Alois fired three shots overhead.

" _LEAVE!"_ roared the onyx lion. He was met with immediate obedience at the action. People flooded out of the station as he put his gun back in its place. It was empty in a flash, leaving only the two demons.

"Jim…" the bluenette said in a pleading voice as he got himself back up on his feet. He didn't want to fight Alois. Suddenly, the lights flickered, shrouding them both in darkness for a few seconds. In that time, the menace had managed to be almost right on top of his beau.

"Now we're _all alone…"_ Blackjack said in a soft voice. It made the watchdog angry.

That was Alois' voice being used. That was Alois' body. Alois was being used as a tool in order to bring the watchdog to his knees. Clenching his fists, anger bubbled up inside the Phantomhive as his love's voice echoed in his ears. It taunted him. Ciel needed to save his beloved. He was right in front of him. Yet somehow, the bluenette was powerless.

Fear and frustration overwhelmed the Phantomhive as he wanted to fight back. He cocked back his fist and bared his teeth, preparing to unleash a flurry of attacks on the menace until he could yank that wretched collar off of the Macken. He didn't though. He couldn't.

Ciel's eyes widened as he suddenly found himself trapped. There was an arm around his waist and a hand on his cheek. The most concerning thing, however, were the lips currently pressed against his own.

* * *


	106. A Word of Warning

Ciel was shocked. After that pummeling, he was being kissed? It was more than confusing. Alois had beaten the bluenette bloody, as proven to Ciel by the stinging sensation in his lip against Alois' before the wound sealed shut.

As much as he wanted to fight it, he could not. The Phantomhive's eye fluttered shut and the hand that was pushed against the Macken's chest in order to push him away stood still. He shuddered as the menaced forced his way into Ciel's mouth, causing sparks to fly as their contracts touched. As wrong as he knew it was, Ciel didn't want it to stop. When the menace uttered a small groan at the contact, he certainly didn't, and almost found himself kissing back.

Just then, the Phantomhive was snapped back to reality when the hand that had wrapped around his waist brushed against his rear. Ciel's eye opened and he gave the menace a mighty shove, sending the other man reeling backwards. A blush appeared on the bluenette's face, flushing all the way down his neck at the sight of the onyx lion shuddering while licking his lips.

"A message." Blackjack finally said, baring his teeth with a grin. He pointed a finger to his lips, beckoning Ciel's undivided attention.

 _"Elizabeth mustn't find out about 'the monster'."_ He stated. _"Who knows how your innocent fiancée would react if she found out the truth, Doctor?"_

"Wha…?" Ciel's mind was already reeling. Yet even in a sober state it was unlikely that he would be able to wrap his head around that. Who was that talking? Was it Blackjack? Was it Alois? Was it both?

Jealousy? Did jealousy still linger in Alois' heart over the reappearance of the angel? Moreover, what was this about a ' _monster'?_ Was it Alois? Ciel had no idea what on earth the menace was trying to say. Whatever it was, he had struck a nerve.

"Jim…" called the bluenette. "Jim, what are you saying? I don't understand!"

The grin on Blackjack's face faded in an instant. He turned his head, looking over his shoulder at the sound of footsteps coming from behind him. The lion didn't at all seem fazed at being surrounded, with a hunter to his back and a hunting dog to his front.

Elizabeth stood before him, sword in hand. Her grip was unsteady and her amethyst eyes lacked the ferocity that they once had. Alois' smirk returned as he reached for his guns again. Upon doing so, the woman instantly drew her blade. She advanced toward the demon, and the demon charged her as well.

A single slash was made at the Macken's neck, aiming for the pendant on his collar. In her uncertainty, she missed as the menace tilted his head back to evade. The man dropped to his knees, sliding forward on the smoothed out concrete. Elizabeth's mouth hung open as the menace slid between her legs before reappearing on the other side of her, making his way back on his feet in an instant. She turned around to face his visage, but the menace did not meet her in this pursuit. Instead, he merely looked over his shoulder once more.

"Elizabeth…" he began, his tone soft. She stared back at him with upturned eyebrows, trying to decipher what he was going to say. Before long his grin resurfaced and he offered the woman a "thumbs up".

"… _Nice panties."_ Blackjack concluded with a laugh, causing the woman to flush scarlet. Her hand immediately shot downward to clasp at the front of her skirt. Curse these modern fashions. While she was distracted, the menace moved, walking backwards toward the steps.

 _"I'll be with you on your wedding night!"_ the onyx lion roared, and before anyone could do a thing to stop him, he leapt up the steps and disappeared without a trace, leaving the two cousins alone in silence.

Elizabeth turned to the Phantomhive, her face riddled with concern. She did not know what happened to make him look down and the ground like this, but she knew that her presence here did not help. Regardless, she had to do something.

"Ciel…" she began, only to be interrupted.

"Why are you here?" the man asked, refusing to look the woman in the eye.

"I'm part of your backup." She said. "We disarmed the Jacks that attacked us, so I went after you in case you needed me."

"You tried to hurt Jim again…"

"This sword is ordinary." Elizabeth protested. "It's practically harmless against demons. I borrowed it specifically so I could be here and not hurt anyone. Ciel, I'm sorry I panicked last time. I'm sorry I hurt you, and almost hurt Alois."

"Why…" the bluenette began, much to the upset of the Hellsing. When she opened her mouth to explain herself, he continued. "Why did he mention you?" he asked. "The first thing he says to me while he's like this… ' _Elizabeth mustn't find out about the monster'_ … What does that mean?"

In response, the angel only shook her head. "I don't know." She answered, her gaze never shifting from the bluenette. "Are you alright?"

 _"Physically..."_ the Phantomhive stated, dusting himself off. His injuries had healed, but his heartstrings were torn.

A blush spread across his face as he recalled what had just occurred. His hand swiped against his backside while dusting himself, only for his eyebrow to furrow in confusion. Reaching into his back pocket, he found a folded piece of paper. When he unfolded it, he discovered that it was actually two. One was a letter, while the other was a sequence of numbers. Just by glancing at them, he could tell that they were both written by the menace. Upon skimming over the contents of the letter, Ciel's eye widened.

" _Oh no_ …"


	107. The Modern Promethius

What was that? This was troubling. The bluenette didn't know what was happening anymore. Why on earth did Alois say the things he did? What did Elizabeth have to do with all of this, and who was "the monster"?

Ciel couldn't figure it out, even as he returned home with the angel accompanying him. The taste of the menace still lingered on his tongue as his contract tingled from the menace's gentle kiss. The action didn't fit the words, even if it was a mere distraction in order to send Ciel the message that now rested on the desk in front of him.

Yes, the Macken had planted a few choice words in the Phantomhive's back pocket during their contact. They were troubling. Ciel's head rested in his hands as he contemplated what to do with them. It wasn't going to work.

" _Dear Pup,"_ the letter began.

" _As you can_ _ **s**_ _ee, that little bargain of_ _ **o**_ _urs was a trap. With a_ _ **l**_ _l of those nasty H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers interfering, however, I'm afraid that we had no choice. It's_ _ **ve**_ _ry sad, but we're afraid that you've left us wi_ _ **th**_ _no choic_ _ **e**_ _. If you refuse to_ _ **c**_ _ooperate, we w_ _ **i**_ _ll have to turn the streets of the s_ _ **p**_ _ecial zone into a war-zone. Girasol nor_ _ **He**_ _llsing will be safe anymore. We'll capture them all and use them against you. We'll even use your little friend, whom we've_ _ **r**_ _equested to write this all down for us. To avoid this, all you have to do is come visit us in three days' time. Although we can't guarantee your safe return, the game will be over and we'll have no reason to play anymore. Meet us at the recently abandoned Coronet Cinema. It's your decision, Phantomhive. We are most eager to see what you do._

_Hugs and kisses,_

_Cerberus"_

Ciel didn't know what to make of that. They wanted him. That's all this has been about for some reason. They kept calling for him consistently throughout the endeavor, and the Phantomhive had no idea why. Now, they had him. They were going to launch a wide-scale attack on H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and Girasol forces if he didn't go to them. Moreover, they had Alois. This could be his big chance to save him.

He hadn't told H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. about the message yet. He didn't want them to interfere too soon. The only ones who knew of this was himself, his butler, and his cousin, Elizabeth, who the blonde had mentioned before. She sat in the man's office with him, trying to think of a plan.

Somehow, it felt as though the weight was on her shoulders to do so, given the bluenette's current state. He was obviously shaken. She could see it on his face and in his posture. His brain was broken and he couldn't think anymore.

"Let me see the letter again." Elizabeth finally said, standing up from her seat on the sofa to walk over to the desk. Sluggishly, the man handed her the papers; the letter itself along with the numbers written down on the other page.

"Have you any ideas for what the numbers are yet?" she asked. Ciel shook his head without getting up.

"It's probably a cipher." He mumbled into the desk. "I don't know how to solve it, however. There's three numbers in parenthesis divided by a semicolon. They most likely correspond to page numbers of a book."

"What book?" the woman asked.

"It doesn't matter." The man stated. "It's probably a distraction so I'll have no way to think of a plan before the deadline."

"How can you be sure?"

"It makes just about as much sense as anything."

Paff! The Phantomhive was surprised when the angel gently smacked him upside the head. Bluenette locks stood up out of place, only being made worse as the lad rubbed the spot while he sat up to face his attacker. Elizabeth looked at him with a serious expression; angry, scolding, yet somehow sad all at once.

"So that's it?" she asked, much to the man's confusion. "You're just going to ignore some information that could possibly bring Alois back safe and sound? You're just going to give up? Since when have you ever been the sort for that? You should be ashamed."

The weightlessness in Ciel's chest was disturbed like ripples flowing through previously still water. It hurt. Of course Ciel didn't want to give up. He wanted Alois back. He knew the woman was right, but he didn't know where to start. Alois was gone, for now, and so he had also lost his crutch.

Perhaps he wasn't alone in this pursuit. How on earth did Alois carry himself while he was charged with the rescue of the Phantomhive mere months ago? He muscled through it with shear willpower, refusing to break for either his enemy or doubt. That was one of the blonde's greatest strengths, after all. He is the boy that cannot be broken, so what is Ciel? Surely the noble watchdog of her majesty could match him.

That fire that burned so intensely, carrying the bluenette forward even in the face of uncertainty- Where was it now? Surely it hadn't been extinguished after a hundred years. It had only been softened. Months ago, it burned so brightly as he drove head-first into the jaws of a colossal monster for the sake of his love. Where was it now? Has his love for the menace waned over the course of a few months?

No. It hadn't. It was that same adoration which froze him in his tracks, now. One false step, and Alois could be done for. That was the game, and it was Ciel's turn to play it. He couldn't give up on searching for ways to cheat. The rules were stacked against him, but he couldn't run away.

"No." the Phantomhive finally said. "I'm not done yet." With that, he stood up, placing one hand on the table while holding the other one out. "Let me see them."

With a smile, the Hellsing woman obliged, handing the two sheets of paper to the bluenette as he seemed to have summoned a spark of motivation. Setting them both down flat on the table's surface, both cousins stared down at them, trying to decode the fine print.

"We're looking for anything that seems out of place." He said. "There has to be a clue as to what the numbers are."

"The only thing I can think of is this." Elizabeth replied, placing her finger on the page next to a bolded letter. "It looks like he just made a mistake though. Sorry." Ciel's eyes scanned the letter, before his eyes wandered to the one's like it.

"No…" he mumbled aloud. "It isn't. It's not bolded to block out something underneath. You would see traces of the mistake peeking out behind it. Moreover, the quantity doesn't add up. After making a mistake while writing on an important document, aren't you more careful not to repeat it?"

"Yes… And, seeing as though Jim is supposed to be under the absolute control of Cerberus, wouldn't he automatically write what is said the first time?" questioned the angel, looking up at the bluenette. To her surprise, the man had his fingers to his lips while staring down at the page with a furrowed brow. When he finally looked up again, he took a few steps back to dig through the drawers of his desk.

"Ciel?"

"I need a piece of paper…" the man murmured, finally locating what he was looking for and placing the black sheet on top of his workspace. Quickly, he shuffled around for a pen and touched its tip to the page. "What's the first letter?"

"S." And so the Phantomhive wrote it down, as the woman spoke to him. "O; L; V; E; T; H; E; C; I; P; H; E; R."

"' _Solve the cipher'."_ He read aloud once he was finished, his face expressing just how baffled he was by the message.

"Maybe it means that we're supposed to decode the other page before paying attention to this one?" suggested Elizabeth, watching as her relative grumbled.

"We don't know what the key is, though…" he grimaced, staring down at the long list of numbers while scratching his head. How on earth was he supposed to crack a code he knew nothing of?

"There's three numbers in each of the parenthesis." The angel pointed out. "Perhaps they point to a word in a book? Page number; line; and finally word… Is there a particular book that Alois likes?"

"No…" Ciel answered. "He hates reading."

"He must have left a clue somehow…" trailed off Elizabeth, rubbing her chin as she thought. "Did he say anything to you?"

"Yes… I'm not sure what it has to do with it, however…"

"What was it?"

"' _Elizabeth mustn't find out about "the monster".'"_ Ciel echoed. "' _Who knows how your innocent fiancée would react if she found out the truth, Doctor?_ '"

"' _Doctor'?"_ questioned the Hellsing.

"I have a doctorate in criminal justice." Clarified the watchdog.

"Oh. I didn't know. You've always been called 'Sir' since I've been here."

"I'm not called by it often."

"Then why did Jim call you that?"

Ciel's eye widened at the questioned. His face froze as it was as he began to think. The gears began turning in his head, trying to think of a possible reason. Alois _never_ called him by any sort of title. When he did, it was either "Sir" or "Detective", but never "Doctor". Moreover, Cerberus was mostly unaware of his formal list of titles. That was Alois telling him something, but what? Ciel's eyes darted around the room, as if he were blatantly looking for some sort of sign. It was then, that his gaze landed on the bookshelf.

"A book…" he trailed off. "If it's not ' _Doctor Phantomhive'_ , then in that case… Doctor _who?"_

Immediately, he walked over to the shelf, his eye scanning the contents at a rapid pace. "It must be a book character… A doctor, who is marrying Elizabeth? One who can't let his fiancée know about a monster…" He was talking more to himself than he was to his cousin at this point. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he couldn't see the smile on her face at his actions. This was Ciel while working? She had never seen it properly before. The man was buzzing with excitement as he recalled one final piece.

"'I'll be with you on your wedding night!'" he said aloud, much to the woman's confusion. She had heard the menace say that as he scurried off, but it was odd to hear the watchdog repeat it.

"It's a quote." Ciel clarified, looking over his shoulder at the Angel as he explained. "It's from a book. In it, a monster declares revenge on his creator, and threatens to kill his fiancée on their wedding night. Her name was Elizabeth, and the doctor's name was…" he trailed off, plucking a book from its place and holding it to view.

"' _Frankenstein'."_ The demon concluded with a haughty smirk on his face. Elizabeth tried not to giggle at just how pleased he was with himself at the discovery.

"Well, then, get to work!" she said, gesturing to the desk. "We don't have that much time left!"

She was almost astonished by how he actually obeyed without putting on airs, taking a seat with his book before quickly flipping through the pages to find the first word. He wrote it down and then went back again, over and over down the long list of numbers. Elizabeth waited patiently for him for finish, occupying herself with looking around the room. She never got a proper look of its modern state, yet it was still familiar to her. It was obviously the same room but with different décor. Her eyes wandered back to the shelves where the bluenette had been rummaging, curious as to what books sat on it before her sights set on an object sitting on it. It was a stuffed lion. She assumed that it was FUNTOM related, but wasn't sure why it sat where it did.

This activity was starting to get boring, however. Meanwhile, her cousin was working away at the cipher, knocking off word after word. As time went by, the message became more and more readable and a massive grin formed on the bluenette's face; growing wider and wider as he continued to read.

Finally, the message was clear. Quickly, Ciel read over it; then he read it again—and again, and again… His grin never wavered, and a chuckle began to bubble up from his throat, eventually turning into full-on laugher. His cousin jumped at the sound, turning her head to face him as her clutched at his sides. It lasted for quite some time, and the woman simply let him laugh, as it was rare for her to see him laugh so genuinely. When it finally began to die down, the bluenette spoke again.

"That's so brilliant…" he said, chuckling to himself while setting the paper down. He leaned back in his chair with a happy smile, running a hand through his hair. "I love this man…"

* * *


	108. I Thought You'd Say That

The Coronet Theatre—it was hard to understand why on earth it was still standing. There were bullets embedded in the blood-splattered walls, and residue of left in the shape of humanoid figures lying on the ground where ashes seeped into the carpets. The hallways smelled like death and rot; the only thing particularly out of place were the wires that trailed along them. They were followed by the bluenette as he trekked through the familiar place, ignoring the wretchedness of it all and the memories of the events that happened only a month ago.

It was barren. It hardly seemed as though anyone was there. Occasionally Ciel would run into a Jack and prepare for combat, but the flunkies would only stand at attention and stare at him until he left. That was odd, but Ciel had faith in what he was doing. Soon, he made it to the room where the torture-spectacle was held by the Gentlman vampires before, finding four demons and a flock of fresh vampires inside.

Voros and Araneus grinned at the bluenette's appearance, while Verdigris seemed neutral about it and the same went for Blackjack. The moment that the bluenette set foot inside the room, the doors closed behind him. It was to be expected, however. The most logical way to prevent someone from escaping was to remove all potential paths.

"So you came after all." Grinned Voros. "I didn't think you wouldn't. I was just getting a little impatient."

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting." The bluenette answered. "You didn't give me a specific time for my appointment."

"Yeah, but we like to keep you guessin'." The eyebrowless demons said with a shrug.

"Isn't it at least the proper thing to tell me exactly what it is you want with me?" questioned Ciel, raising an eyebrow. "You've done all of this to get my attention, so now that you have it, what do you want?"

"To play." Said Voros. "Y'see, a while back, while playing with a bunch of vampire chumps, the party was crashed by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. Now, that's not weird, but when getting away, I spotted a demon working amoung their ranks. So, I captured her and asked her who she was and how she got there 'cause I was curious." The demon stood up from their seat in order to circle the Phantomhive, baring their teeth in a wide grin as they did.

"She said her name was _'August'_ , and she said that she was freed by a demon and given a name before being allowed to work alongside humans." Continued the Cerberus head, brushing a hand against the man's back. "That demon was pretty powerful. She said that he defeated a dragon on his own, and bested a wielder of the hand of Akeldama. So of course, me and my friends thought it would be good fun to play with him a bit."

"That's a nice story, but it didn't tell me anything about your intentions." Ciel stated, staring straight ahead, completely unfazed by all of this. His enemy huffed before putting their hands on their hips.

"Wow, y'know? You're not as fun as I thought you'd be." Voros stated, walking back over to their seat. "Well, if you must know, we were planning on capturing you, maybe torturing you a bit, at least until you begged us to stop. We wouldn't, though. Then, maybe force you to join us like your friend, here."

"Is that right?" the bluenette asked, placing his hands behind his back.

"Yeah, but since today's Christmas, we might reconsider. After all, today's the day where everyone is supposed to be with the ones they care about, right? Since that's the case, we might just skip to that last part so you can be with BJ, over there. Howzzat?"

"Not bad, but I think I have a better idea." Ciel proposed, tilting his head as an arrogant smirk crossed his visage. "How about I just take my friend back, and we both go home—not before taking care of you, of course."

"HA!" barked Araneus, placing a hand on Alois' shoulder. "Did you really think we'd let that happen? We have an army."

"Perhaps, but not for long." The bluenette said. "You said you wanted me to entertain you, yes? How about a magic trick? With a few magic words, I can make your 'army' _disappear_."

A small twitch appeared at the corner of the Macken's mouth at this, going unnoticed by the other demons. Was that supposed to be a joke? It was easy to scoff at such an arrogant claim, but Voros and Verdgris weren't laughing. It was Araneus who egged the man on.

"Really?" he snorted. "Let's see it then! Show us a trick, watchdog!"

To this, the watchdog's grin did not waver. " _Potentia Regere_." He murmured, snapping the Jacks to attention. With a snap of his fingers, their backs straightened and their posture resembled the sort of stance a soldier would take in front of a commanding officer. The eyes of the other demons widened at the sight.

"What are you doing?!" demanded Voros. "I didn't tell you to move yet!"

"That's because they don't take orders from you." Informed the Phantomhive. "For the time being, they are _mine_."

"How did you-?!"

"I hear you had a bit of an accident." The bluenette mused. "The mold you used to make the amulets broke, didn't it? That's a shame…"

The eyes of the Cerberus demons quickly fell on their favourite underling, their faces adorned with shock. Ciel was right. The mold _did_ break. Rather than doing it themselves, they had left their minions with the instructions on how to make a new one. They hadn't left just _any_ minion up to the task. Ciel held out his hand toward the others.

 _"'Blackjack'_." He called. "You really are a stubborn one, aren't you?"

" _You-!"_ began Araneus, reaching toward the lion to grab him. Before he could, however, he found a fist harshly introduced to his face. With that, the menace leapt into the air, pulling out his guns and showering the trio with a hail of bullets before they could make another move; landing on the other side of the room next to his beau.

"Guilty as charged, mister policeman." He said. "I don't much care for playing the damsel in distress, you know."

"I know too well." The Phantomhive replied with a grin. "It really doesn't suit you."

"How did you escape my hold?!" demanded Voros, flaring their nostrils with a dangerous look in their crimson eyes.

"Well, it was a little tricky at first." Admitted the menace. "Fortunately, I already have a contract, so placing another symbol just superficially on me isn't going to have much of an affect. My head was a little foggy for a bit, but after meeting Ciel again I was able to snap out of it the rest of the way. That's when I broke the mold. How could you seriously not notice that your symbol was only _painted_ on the front?"

"That was when you broke the mold and put _my_ seal on the back, wasn't it?" asked the Phantomhive.

"Yup~!"

Voros growled at the information. The demon hadn't noticed. They hadn't noticed a thing. Even after how careful they were to capture the bluenette, they hadn't calculated for Alois! Clenching their fists and baring their teeth, they scowled.

"Bastard!" accused Araneus, pulling a gun out of his pocket.

"Araneus." The eyebrowless demon said. "Just give it up… It's pointless."

"But—"

"I suppose it's time to make our escape, then." They went on, leaning back in their chair. "Good thing I made a plan, just in case." With that, Voros reached into their cloak, pulling out a remote control. Ciel's smirk fell as his eyes locked on it.

"What? You didn't really think we wouldn't have a backup, right?" the other demon said.

"Right." Alois replied with a grin. That's why I rigged it so that the bomb would go off in _this very room_." He declared, shocking both parties. He couldn't be serious. There was no way on earth Alois Trancy was so crazy as to blow himself, his lover, and a bunch of civilians sky high. He smirked as his beau looked at him with concern. Perhaps his head wasn't as clear as he had thought.

"You…" began his opponent. "You fucker! Piece of shit!" Voros declared, raising their arm and slamming the remote down on the ground, busting open the plastic covering. With that, the browless demon turned, facing the wall against their back. Cocking their arm back once more, the demon sent it smashing through the wall, creating an opening for them to leap through. Their associates did the same, fleeing the scene. In response, the menace turned to the Jacks.

"Everybody out!" he ordered. "Go to the trucks outside!" With that, the Jacks started filing out of the room, opening the door and heading toward the exit. He then turned to look at the bluenette, grabbing his hand.

"Let's go." He said. "They really are going to get away if we let them."

"What about the bombs?" the bluenette asked.

"I may or may not have fibbed." Alois replied. "I really did suspect that they'd try something, and I did move the bombs."

"Where are they now?"

_"Well…"_

BOOM!

An explosion went off somewhere else in the building, shaking the earth beneath their feet. Quickly, without a word, the duo followed the sound, following the trio of demons through the make-shift exit that they had created. Together, they scurried toward the back of the building. As they got closer and closer to their destination, the temperature began to rise and the smell of fire invaded their nostrils.

Not just that. Flesh. Burning flesh. Upon seeing what had been done, Ciel was genuinely shocked. The building was on fire and in the midst of the flames, what did he see? An arm. A severed arm, one who could only belong to a demon who appeared to be around the age of fourteen.


	109. Platinum Lion

Embers crackled as the flames finally died. The remains that were found within them, amounting to one arm and one leg, belonged to only one of the demons, while nothing of the others was found. Both limbs were brought back to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. laboratories as specimen samples, while the former minions of the demon lined up in front of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. trucks in order to have their collars removed by soldiers.

The menace stood watching over things as his beau went to talk to the other agents. He had endured a very tiresome week and a half, and it was almost Christmas. He still had things to do. Moreover, he would most likely have to assist the bluenette in the work he missed while searching for him. Knowing Ciel, the Phantomhive would have surely dropped everything. How bothersome. Alois had caused a lot of trouble, and even allowed for the villains to get away with his explosion. Perhaps that wasn't such a good idea. Everything else had been on the mark, however.

After meeting Ciel again that first time, he had snapped out of the spell that had been woven around him, regaining his will. After that, he began plotting Cerberus' downfall from the inside, breaking the molds and enlisting the help of the other Jacks. The problem was, he needed to contact Ciel in order to tell him everything.

It was around the same time that he and a few of the others had been instructed to raid the small library owned by the old wizard. During the ordeal, several of the books had been knocked about and destroyed. One of them that survived was one of them that Alois recognised. Mary Shelley's Frankenstien. While he hadn't read it, he had seen the film with the watchdog, and recalled seeing the exact same copy on the Phantomhive's book shelf. That was when he came up with the idea for the cipher, pocketing the book while carrying on with the next step in his plan.

When he finally had a message, he just needed an opportunity to deliver it. Knowing of Girasol's seeming cooperation with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; he sent one of the Jacks to deliver not only the memory stick for Girasol to hand over to the organization for Cerberus, he sent a message for Girasol itself! It was to be kept a secret from H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; so they had to be careful. Using shade gel and heavy clothing, the vampires were to head out on the day that Ciel was to "pick up" his beau and disable the security cameras of the metro station. When the lights flickered off and on again, that's when Alois knew that it had worked, and Cerberus could no longer see him. It hurt his heart, but he had to lure Ciel to that location, and forcing him that way was his best bet to do so quickly. He couldn't let up on the bluenette, fearing that he would go off course. Unfortunately, he couldn't tell the Phantomhive then and there, either. He couldn't risk the other man trying to ruin his operation.

All that time, Alois had been plotting to bring Cerberus down. He failed, but at least all of the Jacks were safe. The collar around his neck still hurt, however. He had even forgot that he was still wearing his mask, he had grown so accustomed to it. After all, he hadn't been permitted to take it off since day one.

"Alois!" called a sweet voice, prompting his attention. The menace turned around, and then looked down, only to smile at the sight of the nun before him.

"Sister Dorothy." He greeted. "It's good to see you again. Are you alright?"

"Somehow, yes." The elderly vampire answered. "Thank you so much for helping us."

"No, thank _you_. My plan wouldn't have worked as far as it did without everyone's help." The menace stated, rubbing the back of his neck. He did feel a bit bad about using the same brainwashing techniques as his foe, but it was a necessary evil, he justified.

"Well, if there's anything I can ever do to repay you, do tell me, alright?"

"Yes, ma'am~!" the Macken stated, glancing toward the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agents momentarily before turning his attention back to the woman. "Well… There might be _one_ thing… I'll run it by you later, though. You should probably go run by Baldassare's. I'm sure he's worried sick about you!"

"You're probably right." Answered the nun, shaking her head. "That man is so silly…"

"You take care." Alois said, waving at the woman as she walked away. His attention rapidly shifted as he was assailed by yet another woman.

"Alois!" called Elizabeth, wrapping her arms around the demon's neck as she nearly tackled the man to the ground. "I'm so glad you're okay!" she said, pulling back for a moment. "And… Uhm… I'm… I'm really sorry for… almost… stabbing you…"

"Eh, I ain't mad." Stated the man. "I'm also… sorta sorry I shot you… That was pretty rude, huh?"

"Not really. I don't blame you." The angel answered, offering a smile. "Let's just try not to repeat that, okay?"

"That sounds like a plan to me." Grinned the menace as the Hellsing woman let go of him.

"You should go talk to Ciel. He's probably dying to talk to you."

"Oh, he's talking to the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. troops."

"No he isn't?"

Suddenly, Alois felt a familiar prescence come up behind him. He shook his head from side to side as he was tapped on the shoulder. Reluctantly, the man turned his head to face his beau.

"Ciel, we have a contract. You can't sneak up on me you kno—" he arched an eyebrow as the Phantomhive wasn't there before facing the other direction to see the Phantomhive smiling at him.

"Sure I can." Ciel teased, causing his boyfriend to giggle. The older demon then addressed his cousin. "Mind if I cut in?"

"Be my guest!" Elizabeth answered, gesturing toward the menace in a playfully dramatic manner before turning to walk away. "I'll leave you two to it, then." She added, waving them goodbye before doing just that. The pair stood for a second, awkwardly silent before either of them said anything.

"Ciel," began the menace, "I'm really sorry that I didn't tell you sooner—"

"Take that mask off right now." Instructed the watchdog immediately. He shifted his position so that he was standing face to face with the Macken, placing his hands on his shoulders. "I need to see you."

Blushing, a shudder ran down the Macken's spine at the Phantomhive's words. The sound of his voice and the expression on his face looked as though he desperately craved the sight, and in a way, he did. Ciel hadn't seen his beau's face in too long, and here he was, right in front of the bluenette, but his visage was blocked to Ciel's gaze. Naturally, the menace obeyed his lover's request, reaching up and removing the mask before letting his arms drop to his sides.

It was freezing outside, but Alois' cheeks felt as though they were on fire at the sound of the bluenette's sighing. The Phantomhive reached up, gently cupping his beau's cheeks before stroking them with his thumbs. A warm smile graced Ciel's face as he simply took in Alois'.

Red eyes. Alois' icy blue eyes had been replaced with pupilless, crimson ones and his hair remained black. It wasn't quite what the bluenette wanted at the moment, but it would suffice. Almost instinctively, he touched their foreheads together, their noses nuzzling and their breath mingling together, creating mist against the cold air.

"Hello." Chuckled the watchdog at last. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too." Giggled the menace, his free hand reaching up to touch the bluenette's.

"As cute as you are now, I'm afraid I miss your eyes…" Ciel mused playfully. His grin widened as the Macken blushed once more, changing his scarlet eyes back into pale blue.

The Phantomhive loved those eyes. They were piercing and defiant. Yet, at moments like this, despite their icy hue, they could be warm and tender. They stood out dramatically against his slate-coloured hair, sparking the bluenette's interest. Alois was just as stunning as ever, no matter what the menace himself thought. His eyes weren't "dirty", as he had been told before, but to Ciel, they were simply—

" _Beautiful_." He said aloud, pecking the menace on the lips once. For once, the watchdog ignored the fact that they were still in public and behaved as though they were the only two people in the world.

"Sorry…" said the menace. "When they first put the collar on me, they changed colours and I had to keep them like that or else they might suspect something if my mask came off…"

"I see…" Ciel replied. "It's over now, though. As cute as you are like this, I think I like the real you better." The bluenette took away one of his hands from Alois' cheek before reaching behind the man's head and tangling his fingers in the Macken's hair, forcing his head forward so that his beau could kiss his forehead. "I miss your hair, too."

Just like that, the onyx lion returned to platinum blonde, resting his hand on his lover's chest as he resumed his usual appearance. When he was finished, he looked up at the Phantomhive again. "Is this better?"

"It's perfect." His beau informed, wrapping his arm around the blonde's waist. "You know what I missed the most, though?"

"What?"

"You." The watchdog stated with a chuckle, causing Alois to do the same.

Their eyes became hooded, however, as their proximity decreased. Truly, both men seemingly forgot where they were as they pressed their lips to one another's, arms wrapping around each other tightly as they kissed. It would take a lot of force to separate the duo in that moment. Most likely, they would hardly notice if a car crash were to occur mere inches away from them. They were far too busy taking in each other's warmth and the softness of each other's skin to even recall how they got there until they finally parted. Both demons grinned as they continued to embrace, gently rocking from side to side in each other's arms.

"I was so worried…" said the Phantomhive at last.

"I'm sorry." Answered the menace, gently pecking the bluentte's cheek. "I wanted to tell you sooner, but I couldn't let them get wind of what I was doing. Who knows what could've happened, then?"

"Don't talk about that…" Ciel stated. "I don't want to hear it."

"Okay, okay, I won't… Seriously, though, I like, ruined Christmas. I dunno how I'm gonna be able to make that up…"

"You don't have to. As long as you're safe, everything is fine. That's all I wanted for the past week or so…"

"Merry Christmas, then~!" spoke the menace, resting his chin on his lover's shoulder. "We might have to apologise for all of the PDA later, though."

"I'm not going to apologise. This is perfectly justified."

"Yeah, I agree, but your cousin is watching."

"I'm sorry, but did you miss the part where I said I didn't care?"

" _Ciel!"_

"I'm not letting go." The Phantomhive insisted. "I haven't even told you how brilliant you were. When I read your message… I think I might've fallen in love all over again."

"You're being so sappy…" Alois replied. "It would be almost disgusting if I didn't find you cute." With a gentle push, he finally escaped the crushing force of his boyfriend's hug in order to pull back and face him. Raising a hand to cup the bluentte's cheek, he simply stood there, taking it all in.

"I missed you, too." He said, leaning in to peck Ciel on the lips again. The pair grinned into the kiss, only pulling back enough to nuzzle noses once more. With that, the bluenette began to plant small kisses around the blonde's face, speaking between each one.

"Night into day, blood red into icy blue, loathing into adoration, and onyx into platinum…" he said before pulling away in order to look the blonde in the eyes again. "That's what makes my most precious lover."

As they leaned in for another kiss, everyone else was by at this point ignoring them in favour of practically anything else. There was one person, however, who watched with boundless curiosity at the duo's action, simply feeling happy that they were happy as if the feeling were an infectious disease.

"I didn't know it was a quote." Elizabeth mumbled to herself. "I thought it was pretty obvious that he would be with you on your wedding night…"


	110. Spotted Lillies

The mask of Blackjack made its way into the memorabilia room, along with the amulet he wore. It was the last of Voros' still-functioning ones, as it wasn't a fake. While it had their seal live on the front, however, on the back was that of the Phantomhive carved into the metal clumsily with a piece of scrap. It was the original. Upon feeling relief with the action, Alois got the idea to make more of them. The rest of the pieces made their way into H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. hands to study along with Voro's severed and slightly burnt and torn arm and leg.

That was weeks ago, however. Christmas had come and gone, leaving the Phantomhive family a few toys richer. FUNTOM still managed to do well this season, even while their CEO was out and about. Now that it was January, a new development arose.

"Nervous?" asked the bluenette, looking over to his beau. The pair weren't in their usual cheap suits, and were uncomfortably placed in pricier ones. The menace laughed at the accusation.

"Well, I've never been to a wedding before." Alois admitted, taking the watchdog's hand. "It's kind of exciting."

"It most likely won't be the last one you'll go to." Stated Ciel. "Honestly, they get kind of boring after a while…"

"But have you ever been to a supernatural wedding before?"

"No I haven't, so this is definitely a first." Taking the blonde's hand, the watchdog began walking. "Come on. _Let's go find our seats_."

The pair of demons walked into the church that day with the rest of their little family. Sebastian wore a different suit than usual, Luka wore a little one of his own, and Revy simply wore his Warwick uniform. When they all walked into the building, there were fortunately enough seats for them to all sit together. It was a small ceremony, but it was still one, nonetheless.

Ciel sat on the farthest end of the group in the middle of the row, next to Elizabeth, Integra, and Seras, who also at attendance this late in the evening. There were other H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. operatives there as well, all in their best uniforms, especially Bravo team, who failed to be quiet and behaved. Dafydd, Miranda, Audrey, Kristopherson and Daniel were there, talking as they waited for the ceremony to start, just like everyone else. That said, the faux-blonde was a bit miffed that he didn't get to design a dress for the ceremony.

Both brides opted to not wear a dress. Instead, they wore ceremonial H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. uniforms, which were black with red trim, a white belt around their middles and a white sash draped across their chests. Each woman had a chord around their left arms. The vampire's was red while the lycanthropes was blue. Neither woman stood at the altar at the start, leaving the nun who would be performing the ceremony on her own until the event began.

Baldassare leaned against the organ, dosing off from being up so early. He was finally awakened when he was struck in the head by a flying rosary that was thrown at him by an annoyed nun. Immediately, he snapped to attention, grumbling as he opened the case that covered the keys. With once last glance at Sister Dorothy and a nod from the woman, he began to play.

With that, the brides walked down the aisle together. Charlotte was sure to take small steps so that Amelie could keep up even with her smaller frame. The lycanthrope's face was a lot more animated than usual, deviating from her usual bored looking expression in order to try and contain just how nervous she was. Her face was completely red, and just thinking about that fact alone made her anxiety grow. All eyes were on her and the woman next to her. It was almost unbearable for the poor wolf girl. Charlotte squeezed her hand a little tighter for reassurance, and it was helpful. Still, he wanted to simply run up there and get things over with.

Finally, they were up to the altar, and they paused. The room went completely silent as everyone waited patiently for the pair to exchange their vows. Charlotte was practically beaming while Amelie was the only one nervous. Somehow, the duo had always expected it to be the other way around. Either way, it didn't matter now.

"Welcome." The nun standing up at the front with them greeted. "We are gathered here today to for the joining in bond of matrimony Amelie and Charlotte. The contract of marriage is one not to be entered into lightly, but thoughtfully and with a deep realization of the obligations and responsibilities it entails. Please remember that love, loyalty, and understanding are the foundation of a happy home. No tie is more important or tender."

At this point, it was plain to see that Charlotte was trying her hardest to keep a straight face, but fortunately for her, she wasn't the only one in the room. Brasher was off in the corner crying while being coolly consoled by Captain Harland, after all. After a pause, Sister Dorothy continued, facing the other vampire.

"Do you, Charlotte, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?" questioned the nun.

"I do." Answered the freckled soldier.

"And do you promise to keep her, love and comfort, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse and to be faithful until death do you part?"

"I do." Charlotte answered again, prompting the other vampire to turn to her spouse.

"And do you, Amelie, take Charlotte to be your lawfully wedded wife?" inquired the nun. Poor Amelie tried as she might to form the words, but they simply wouldn't come out.

"Ouais!" she barked, blushing all the way down to her neck as she realised what she had done. The werewolf almost wanted to cry as the audience giggled at her outburst, only to look up at her lover to receive an adoring smile. With that, her back straightened, and the nun continued on.

"Do you have rings?" the older vampire asked.

"Yes." Charlotte stated, producing them from her pocket. Amelie took one of them, while Charlotte took the wolf-girl's hand and gently slid the wedding band on her spouse's ring finger.

"Amelie," she began. "I give you this ring, in token of my commitment and love." It was then Amelie's turn. Taking in a deep breath, she took the vampire's slender hand.

"Charlotte, I do the same for you." She said, not wanting to echo the other woman completely. "There's so much I want to say right now, but I can't find the words." It was then Charlotte's turn to blush, having witnessed the expression on the lycanthrope's face and heard the sincerity in her voice. To this, the nun at the altar continued.

"It is now with great pleasure that I pronounce you spouses for life." She concluded, closing her book. "You may now seal your vows with a kiss."

The pair didn't need to be told more than once. Amelie tilted her head up, standing on the tips of her toes, but she still couldn't reach her much taller spouse on her own. She had to be met half way, as usual. The vampire happily obliged, bending at the waist in order to reach Amelie's lips. The moment that they made contact, the church lit up. Roaring erupted from the audience as they cheered, and when the pair parted, they were finally " _Missus and Missus Garou_ ".

After that, there was no real protocol dictated over what should happen, so when the two women stepped down from the altar, everyone started getting up and walking over to them in order to give their congratulations. Team Bravo were the first ones to reach the pair, with Brasher still crying, only worse than before. Following them were the supernatural agents of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; and then the Phantomhives. Luka was particularly excited to talk to them, and could hardly sit still throughout the entire ceremony. That said, the duo stayed behind them a tad, waiting for a path to clear before they gave their words of praise.

"So how was that? The first wedding you've ever been to?" inquired the bluenette, arching an eyebrow. "Was it too boring?"

"Not at all!" answered Alois with a giggle. "It was really nice. I'm really happy for them!"

"You say that now, but after a while, they might become tedious..." mumbled the Phantomhive.

"Don't be such a sourpuss, Poochini." Instructed the menace, looking at the lad with a faux-stern expression. "Weddings should be happy. If they're boring or awful, then why have them or go to them in the first pla—"

Alois' thoughts were cut short when he sensed something peculiar heading his way. He completely dropped what he was doing in order to address the threat, putting his arms out in front of him. Instinctively, they caught the object, causing him to become even more baffled.

"A bouquet?" the menace said aloud, looking up in the direction it came from. He saw the wolf-girl looking at him with a proud air about her while the other guests simply giggled, chuckled, and released a series of "oohs" at him while Daniel Westley was in the back whistling.

"Wha-?" the menace trailed off, looking to the bluenette in hopes of an explanation for the behaviour, only to witness the man staring at him; his face, ears, and neck stained scarlet. Alois was confused. How on earth could a bunch of flowers be capable of flustering his beau this much?

"Ah, I see you caught the bouquet." Sebastian chimed in, walking up to the duo. He smiled playfully as his master tried his best to get himself back under control. The menace simply stared up at the butler with an almost concerned look on his face.

"I guess?" Alois replied. "What's the big deal about it?"

"Well, you see…" began the man clad in black, placing a hand in front of his face in order to conceal his grin. "It is traditional for all of the unmarried women attending a wedding to get in a group while the bride throws the bouquet at them. Since this isn't exactly a 'ordinary' wedding, I suppose it could apply to men as well…"

"Is there a point to this, or…?" questioned the Macken, starting to get frustrated with the lack of a straight answer. He didn't move, even as the man leaned in to explain, whispering in his ear.

"The meaning behind it is; that whomever catches the bouquet is said to be the next one to be married." The butler said, taking delight in how quickly Alois' skin changed hue. The man chuckled, straightening his back and observing the exquisite sight of his master and his master's lover trying not to completely lose it.


	111. Liar Education

King's College, located in London, is not necessarily an "elite" school, but it was close to where a certain blonde menace has to work. Much to Alois' detest, a new semester had begun, and thus he was forced to return to his schooling. It was still freezing outside as he walked to class, making sure to stay on the cleared sidewalk. Unfortunately, that cut out a lot of shortcuts that would get him out of the cold faster.

His nose and ears were both red and his fingers were frozen by the time he made it into the building he needed. Despite the conditions, the Macken was in fact excited. This was his first Criminal Justice Class and he was eager to learn everything he could. He even sat in the front row, where no one sat at the start. The classroom was already half-full, even though he got there early. It looked like it would be a large class.

Eventually, everyone seemed to file in, filling up almost the entire room. Alois knew that almost half of them would drop the class within the first week or so, therefore he wasn't too worried about this. He would have all the space he could ever want, but for now, it was cramped, and the sound of collectively jumbled whispering was almost unbearable. It all came crashing into silence with the opening of the door.

The cold got in, seeping into the room. It chilled most of the students to the bone, seeing as though they took off their coats. It stopped just as soon as it came, however, when the door shut again, closing behind a man clad in black.

He wore a long coat, which he took off to reveal a suit of a similar shade. The instructor looked fairly young, and almost startled the students when he turned his head and revealed that he was wearing an eyepatch. After setting his briefcase on the desk at the front of the room, he turned to face the board, picking up the dry-erase marker at the bottom before beginning to write. Alois couldn't believe it. There was no name listed for the instructor of this class, and he certainly didn't expect it to be this man. The other detective certainly didn't bring it up to him before. Part of him still wasn't convinced that he was seeing what he was due to the shear shock of it all, but then, the instructor opened his mouth to speak.

"Good morning." The bluenette said. "I'm Doctor Phantomhive, and this is Introduction to Criminology. If this isn't your class, get out."

With that, a few of the students bashfully shuffled out, as they had somehow managed to enter the wrong classroom on accident. It wasn't at all uncommon, which is why the watchdog said anything about it. While that occurred, Ciel opened his briefcase, pulling out a stack of papers and a folder. He left the folder on his desk at the front while handing the stack of papers to the menace in the front row.

"Take one and pass it on." He instructed, causing a slight blush to appear on his beau's face. Alois did as instructed, taking one packet before passing the stack on to the person next to him.

"While the syllabus is getting passed around, I'm going to call roll. After that, we'll discuss the course, and I'll answer questions." The instructor declared, picking up the folder on his desk.

Instinctively, the menace leaned forward in order to watch him. He looked the watchdog up and down, and as strange as it was, he liked what he saw. This could be fun. Alois' boyfriend was the teacher! The blonde's mind started wandering a million different places, almost all of them pointing toward teasing the bluenette during class and playing pranks on him, in addition to other, less appropriate places.

" _Macy."_ Called the Phantomhive, snapping the blonde back to his senses.

"Here." Answered a student.

"Maddison."

"Here."

"Marlowe."

"Present."

No "Macken". Alois rested his chin in his palm with a small pout as he realised that he was enrolled as "Alois Trancy". His beau wouldn't be able to call him by his real name while they were in class, and the thought was somehow disappointing to the menace. It was just as well. He didn't want anyone else calling him "Jim"; only Ciel could.

Thus, his mind began to wander again, venturing off to what the class would be like with Ciel in charge. He would probably be pretty strict on the surface, but knowing the bluenette, he would try his best to teach. Unfortunately, Alois wouldn't be able to flirt with him during class; at least not directly. This could either be really entertaining, or really difficult—perhaps a combination of the two. Either way, he knew for a fact that he couldn't count on the watchdog to show him leniency.

"…- _ncy."_

After all, the Phantomhive was stubborn. He would be tempted, but when it came to Alois' own good, Ciel was immobile.

"Trancy."

At least he had good intentions.

"Alois Trancy." The bluenette called again, faking an impatient tone as he feigned ignorance to the blonde's identity. The name was forgein on his tongue, as he hadn't called it in a long time. "No Trancy?"

"Wait! _I'm here!"_ blurted out the menace while raising his hand upon realizing that his name had been called. As soon as he did, however, he found that the blunt end of a dry-erase marker had been suddenly introduced to his forehead. He uttered a small "ow" and rubbed the spot while the other students laughed, looking toward Ciel with a small pout.

"Pay attention." The Phantomhive warned, frowning deeply in order to hide the grin that threatened to form on his face. He continued calling roll, eventually reaching the end. Once that was settled, placed a hand on the desk and leaned on it while placing the other on his hip.

"Now, this is a Criminology class, so we'll be studying the nature, extent, management, causes, control, consequences, and prevention of criminal behaviour." Ciel stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "In your syllabus, you'll have the basic gist major assignments and when they're due written out for you, so try not to lose it. If you do, it's also been placed online. You'll have other, smaller assignments due to be turned in either online or in class, and I will remind you when they are due a few days in advance. In addition to all of this, you also have a midterm, a final, and in-class participation points. My contact information is also written out, so feel free to ask me questions if there is something that you don't understand. Are we clear on this?" The instructor earned a collective mix of "yes's" and "yeahs" in response, so he moved on.

"Good. Now, Criminology is a social science that involves some serious critical-thinking skills." Ciel began. "Whether you opt to be a police officer, a detective, or a lawyer, you will have to think about what you're doing, and what you're looking at. For example: If a homicide victim was killed in their kitchen via stabbing, and they wrote their attacker's name on the wall in blood, is that a clear indication as to who did it?"

Almost immediately, Alois raised his hand. Having no one else volunteering, Ciel conceded. " _Trancy_."

"That _depends."_ The menace answered. "How far away is the wall from the body? Also, can you tell if they dipped their finger in the blood multiple times to write a clearer message? Depending on that, it may be impossible for the victim to have done it themselves, so it would have been a false lead."

" _Excellent."_ Stated the Phantomhive, trying to hold back a proud grin. "These are the things you will have to think about during a case." The room briefly filled with chattering before it quickly died down after a glance from the bluenette.

"This may be a good time to point out that I only work here part-time." He said. "My primary job is that of a homicide detective for Scotland Yard." He perked up slightly as he saw someone raising their hand. "Yes?"

"How long have you been doing detective work?" asked one of the students.

"A long time." The man answered. "I started solving murders when I was eleven. I'm a bit of a special case, though."

"How old are you." Questioned another.

" _Twenty_." Bluntly stated the bluenette, prompting another series of whispering. This was a lie, of course, but no one would believe him if he revealed that he was actually one-hundred and thirty nine.

"How did you get your eyepatch?" the boy who asked that questioned was stared at by almost everyone in the room, including the menace. He had just asked the seemingly taboo question that everyone wanted answered. After a pause, the Phantomhive opened his mouth.

" _Bad run-in with a satanic cult when I was ten_." He bluntly stated, shocking the classroom. This was going to be interesting. He had only been there for a little over fifteen minutes and he was already the most terrifying person that these people had ever met. "There's a pentagram carved into my eye. I doubt you lot want to see that, though. It's very unattractive." Yes, he had just instilled it in their minds.

"Most of you have nothing to worry about." Ciel said with poor reassurance. "Ordinary police and detective work isn't that action-packed. I'm merely a _special case_."

It was true. If Alois were to stand up and describe the watchdog to a bunch of civilians, he would most likely call him something along the lines of _"Like James Bond meets Sherlock Holmes, but more badass, skillful, and less of a twat."_ The menace chortled to himself at the thought.

"Ordinary detectives don't have things as dangerously as I do. Lots of desk-work." The Phantomhive explained. "Regardless, it's my job to teach you how to do your future one. We'll start during our next class. You're free to leave or stay behind and ask questions if you wish."

Most of the students fled, and some of them reconsidered switching their major, but one remained. He waited until the other students filed out of the room before standing up, slowly putting his things in his backpack before putting it on. Ciel gathered his own belongings in a similar manner, knowing that the menace would want an explanation.

"So, _'Doctor'_ …" called the menace, lazily waltzing up to the watchdog. "Whatcha doin' here?"

"Killing time." The bluenette said, a small smile gracing his face now that they were alone. "I get bored at home when there's nothing to do. Sebastian suggested going back to school, but I didn't want to be a student again. So, here I am. In all fairness, however, I didn't expect to become _your_ teacher."

"Oh, are you sure you didn't just miss me?" teasingly questioned the blonde, placing his hands on the desk between them and leaning forward.

"Maybe a _little."_ Mumbled the Phantomhive, putting his coat back on. "Don't think that means that I'm going to go easy on you. If you act out, you'll face my wrath."

"Can't wait." Alois replied, leaning forward and pecking the bluenette on the lips. "So, what are your plans for after class? You cut it really short."

"Nothing in particular." Ciel said. "I thought it would take a lot longer to do everything, so my lesson plan didn't have anything set for today. I'm free, now."

"Well, so am I." the Macken stated. "Wanna go get some doughnuts?"

"Now you're playing into this _'cop'_ thing too much…"

" _Do_ you?"

" _Yes, please."_

* * *


	112. Lesson One

The day came around for Alois to have his second class with "Doctor Phantomhive", and he was incredibly curious as to what the day had to offer. The bluenette wouldn't let his beau look at his lesson plans, so the blonde was stumped. All he could possibly do was get to class and wait.

So that's what he did. He walked into the lecture hall, taking a seat in the front row once again. For some reason, he was the only one who wasn't seated toward the very back. It would appear that Ciel had scared the students pretty badly last time. No one else sat anywhere near the front until all of the back seats were filled.

It was at this point that a few brave souls sat at the front with the menace. There were mostly women toward the front, which made him a bit wary. It was most likely nothing. Perhaps they didn't want to be stuck in the back with a bunch of boys. Perhaps they wanted to make sure that they were more likely to be called on. Whatever the reason, Alois only hoped that it wasn't because of their rather attractive teacher. Honestly, Alois couldn't think of a single reason why they would be afraid of Ciel other than his appearance, and perhaps his manner of speaking.

"Has the teacher come in yet?" asked a woman as she casually came in and sat down next to the menace, promptly tearing him from his thoughts. When he looked up, he shook his head.

"Nope. You're still early." He said, going back to playing with the end of his mechanical pencil.

"Oh, thank god." The woman sighed in relief. "I was afraid I would have something thrown at me."

"Probably not. If you're in here by the time class starts, he can't really do anything, can he?"

"I dunno. He's a pretty scary-looking guy. He also acts like the sort of teacher that wouldn't be too friendly."

"Maybe people are always acting afraid of him, so he doesn't know how." Alois said. While he knew she was probably right, the Macken couldn't help but be biased. He knew the watchdog better than almost anyone, after all. "This class is about thinking about all of the little details, after all."

"Maybe you're right…" the stranger said, pausing for a bit before continuing. "You know an awful lot about this stuff, huh? You got that question right about the blood the other day, too."

"Well, I've been learning about this stuff for a while." He answered. "I'm trying to become a detective."

"Really? You'd probably be well good at that. I'm going to go to law school after this to be a lawyer. Oh, my name's Laverne, by the way. Laverne Shelby."

"Alois Trancy." Replied the menace with a small nod and a smile.

"Yeah, I think most of us remembered that because of yesterday." Shelby stated.

"Was it that bad?"

"He seemed pretty pissed off at you. Be sure to pay close attention today, alright?"

"I will. Don't worry about it. The last thing anybody wants is to make him angr- _GUH!"_

Alois' brain was rattled from the impact of the textbook that hit it in order to finish his sentence. He fell backwards out of his chair onto the floor with the book landing next to him. Thank goodness it was paperback, but it was still heavy. The entire classroom gasped, but went dead silent following the incident, everyone too frightened to say anything.

"I'm starting class now." The Phantomhive declared, his voice tinged with annoyance. That was something he didn't want to see.

Ciel had noticed how that woman was leaning in as the blonde spoke, and trying to form a conversation with him. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't a bit miffed about it. Still, this was not the time or place for that. It would be extremely inappropriate for a teacher to express jealousy over a student—not that throwing a book at them was much better.

While the watchdog started calling roll, Alois sat up, and shook his head, picking up the book as well. In the floor, he spotted a discarded pen and immediately he hatched a plan to get back at the bluenette. He opened the book; knowing it was the Phantomhive's from what was written in the front cover—and he turned to the first chapter before scribbling down his message. Once he was done, he climbed back in his seat before putting the book on the desk in front of him.

"Thank you." Ciel said sternly, retrieving it before plopping it on his own desk and continuing his roll call. When he finally reached the menace's name, he was pleased to find that his beau was listening. He soon reached the end of the list and set his folder down on the table before opening the textbook on his desk, turning to chapter one.

It was then that the bluenette's mood swiftly changed from confident in what he was doing, to an odd mixture of frustration and embarrassment. The watchdog's face turned red and he looked up, glaring at the menace. While some of the students in the front row flinched at the action, Alois simply grinned mischievously while spreading his legs a bit underneath the desk. There was nothing Ciel could do, however. He couldn't call attention to the message that the menace had written him and reveal their relationship, so he was forced to continue the class.

"Welcome back." The bluenette greeted the rest of the room. "I see that there's fewer of you today. Shame. We're going to talk about criminals. First of all: What does a criminal look like?" He asked, looking around the room. Unfortunately, it was almost completely silent.

"Not a rhetorical question." The man continued. "When you think of someone who is most likely to commit a crime, what do imagine they _look_ like?" One brave soul raised their hand. "Yes?"

"Tattoos?" they suggested sheepishly. The instructor then walked around his desk to the whiteboard and began writing it down.

"Alright. What else?" he asked.

"Lots of jewelry." Suggested another student.

"Okay."

"Low pants."

"Got it."

The suggestions kept coming in, the majority of which causing the menace in the front row to shake his head. He knew better. Hopefully, the watchdog could convince them otherwise. When the responses slowed down, Ciel stopped writing and turned around to face the class.

"Now, I want to tell you all this: you _can't_ tell a criminal from a single glance." He stated. "They look like ordinary people, because they _are_ ordinary people. You could be sitting next to a criminal right now and not even know."

That made the room uncomfortable. Yet the menace smiled. Leave it to Ciel to lay it on thick on the first day.

"Statistically speaking, most crimes are committed by white, middle-class males, and that's just what's _reported_." The watchdog continued. "They don't all have tattoos, most of them have jobs, and they would blend in perfectly well in any room. In my experience, this all holds true." With that, a smile washed over his face.

"Do you all keep up with celebrities?" he asked, reaching into his suitcase and pulling out a memopad. "Nicholas Cage: Domestic Violence; Tim Allen: Cocaine Possession; Mark Wahlberg: Attempted Murder; Stephen Fry: Credit Card Fraud; Woody Allen: Child Molestation—the list goes on. Now, I assume most of you are able to conjure up a mental image of at least some of these people. Do they look like criminals?"

Absolute silence. The classroom was completely silent as the bluenette finished. Some students fidgeted uncomfortably in their seats at the thought. The Phantomhive certainly knew how to make people uncomfortable, even if it wasn't on purpose.

"That's step one." The bluenette continued. "Eliminate all bias you might have and look solely at the facts."

"Doctor Phantomhive." Called a voice in the middle row. The young man waved his hand in the air, trying to get the bluenette's attention. How could Ciel not notice him? He was wearing a leather jacket and a trilby, and seemed a bit too excited.

"Yes, uhm…" the Phantomhive trailed off, snapping his fingers as he tried to recall the man's name.

"Kyle. Kyle Brian Brykle." The other man answered.

"Right. What is it?" questioned the bluenette from his place at the front. The student smiled and enthusiastically answered with an inquiry of his own.

"If anyone could be a criminal, how are we safe to say that you aren't one?" he asked, obviously quite pleased with himself. Alois simply rolled his eyes at the man trying to be clever, while the Phantomhive merely paused for a moment.

"Well, mister Brykle, _I'm not going to lie to you_ …" he began. With that, Ciel suddenly turned around to face the board and started writing. " _So, anyway_ , now that we know what they look like, we can begin discussing how to analyze the data."

"You didn't answer my question!" protested the stufent, demanding Ciels' attention once again. He was stunned, however, when the bluenette slowly turned around. Poor mister Brykle swallowed hard at the horrifying expression on his face. The majority of the class could have sworn that only a mobster finding out their brethren snitched on them to the authorities would make.

"Did you just interrupt me?" the Phantomhive asked coldly, chilling the students to the bone with only five words. With that, the student rapidly shook his head, mumbling some form of an apology.

The Phantomhive then turned his head back around, concealing his face from the view of his class. Alois knew better, however. Ciel was most definitely smiling, being quite pleased with his actions. Alois was practically swooning in his seat from his beau's hijinks, somehow finding it attractive how he could act so serious. It was a side of the watchdog that he only got to see while the man was working, and even then, he hadn't had the chance to thoroughly take it in.

It never ceased to tickle him, just how into this the watchdog was. Ciel spoke enthusiastically about using technology to track criminals' movements, like security cameras, cell phones, computers, and even store checkouts. He talked about how the way blood splattered, the placement of an injury, and the appearance of an injury could tell one a lot about how a murder occurred—about gun residue, about blunt objects, about wire and tape. Soon it seemed to be less of a class on stopping crime, and more about how to commit one successfully. Naturally, Ciel's excitement on the subject only seemed to increase the suspicions and anxiety of the students seated before him. He did not notice, however. The watchdog was in his own little world at the moment, and the one person he looked toward for feedback was smiling at him throughout the endeavor.

They were the only two who weren't uncomfortable in the slightest. Then again, they have both lived it for so long. The demonic duo were by no means "bad" people, but sometimes, they were less than "good". In moments like this where their normalcy clashed with that of others, it spawned confusion, had they been paying attention to it. The watchdog was actually delighted. In turn, this caused Alois to be as well. Soon, however, their fun came to an end as the bluenette looked at his watch in the middle of his lecture.

"Oh… we've gone over time a little…" he mumbled to himself before looking up at the students. "That's it for today. Next time, we'll pick up where we left off. Everyone be safe, now."

That last comment, albeit well-intended, did not come across as "friendly" as he had hoped. In fact, it only seemed to make some of the students quicken their pace as they gathered their things. Alois watched with great curiosity as the students fled, trying his best to conceal his amusement at the feat. As slowly as possible, he gathered his own belongings, making sure that he was the only one who remained behind in order to speak with the Phantomhive inconspicuously in private, like an ordinary student who has a question about the lecture. Ciel did the same, not leaving until that point as well. What neither them expected, however, was the appearance of another student with similar, yet very different thoughts.

"That was incredible, Sir!" stated Kyle as he walked up to the watchdog. Genuinely, the Phantomhive was surprised, his eyebrows raising. The man's gaze turned to the menace, before silently telling him to go on ahead without him. With a prominent pout, he did, swinging his bag over his shoulder before continuing.

"It wasn't, really. I was merely explaining ways to examine a crime scene. You'll have to know this in the field." The bluenette stated, putting on his coat. Pulling out his cellphone, he quickly typed up a message to the bluenette, telling him where to meet him. Oblivious, the student continued.

"But still! You explained things so well! How many cases have you worked on?" eagerly questioned Kyle.

"Too many for me to count." The Phantomhive said, beginning to walk away. He figured that this would end the conversation, but to his continued astonishment, the other man continued to follow.

"What kind of cases do you work on?" Kyle asked further. "Murder?"

"Homicide, mostly, among other things."

"What kind of killings are most common? Stabbing? Gunshots?"

"Unplanned murders are most common, so it's usually blunt objects."

"How many have you solved recently."

Ciel started to become increasingly agitated as he trekked down the hallway. This kid asked too many questions, some of which, Ciel couldn't answer. The Phantomhive made several detours throughout the building, walking aimlessly in order to try and lose the student, but to his irritation, the other man simply refused to take a hint.

"While I appreciate your interest, I have a meeting to attend." He said finally. It was a half-lie. His "meeting" was simply with the blonde menace. "I'm afraid this is where we part."

"Oh. Alright, then. See you in class, then, doctor!" the man said, hesitantly leaving. Rolling his eye and shaking his head, the bluenette quickly made his way to his office.

Outside the door, Alois leaned against the wall, fiddling with his cell phone. He got his beau's message, and was starting to wonder why it was taking him so long to get there. When Ciel finally did arrive, the menace looked up and smiled.

"There you are." Alois mused with a grin. "So, you wanted to talk to me, _'Doctor Phantomhive'?"_

Ciel shuddered a bit when he heard the blonde call him that, a small blush appearing on his face. The note from earlier that the other man had scrawled in his textbook certainly came to mind. Quickly, the Phantomhive dismissed the thought.

"Yes." He answered, digging in his pocket for his key. He swiftly unlocked the door and stepped inside. "Come in."

"Wow, you get your own office and everything?" asked the menace, looking around the small, somewhat cramped room as he walked in, setting his things down on the floor before shutting the door behind him. "Not bad for a part-timer."

"I don't really plan on using it much." The Phantomhive stated, setting his things down as well. "I didn't mean to take so long; that student was persistent."

"The guy in the fedora?" asked the menace. "Looks like a total stereotype. Think his bag is full of Doritos and Mountain Dew?"

"I have no idea, nor do I want to…"

"Maybe a copy of The Catcher in the Rye?"

"Let's hope not." Ciel said, taking off his coat and Jacket. He then walked around the desk to the Macken, before wrapping his arms around his waist.

"So, how was I?" he questioned.

"Not bad." Giggled the menace, pecking the demon on the cheek. "You were really into it, weren't you? You looked like you were having fun. It was cute."

"' _Cute_ ' isn't exactly what I was aiming for…"

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, most of the other kids were terrified. That whole ' _well, I'm not gonna lie'_ thing when fedora the explorer asked you if you were a criminal? That was _beautiful_."

"I'm glad you liked it. I didn't know how much fun teaching could be." Ciel said. After a moment or so, his grip tightened. "I don't want to be a 'teacher' right now, though."

"So, how did you like my message?" asked the menace with a smirk, cupping the other man's face in his palms.

"You're horrible. I almost completely lost it in front of the class…"

"That would have been unfortunate. I don't want anybody else to see _that_ side of you…"

"That's not what I meant!" protested the bluenette, blushing. His face grew redder as the menace's face grew closer, and the man's hands placed themselves against his chest. Their lips soon met, and the proximity between their bodies decreased as well. It was when Alois started loosening the other man's tie that Ciel pulled away.

"Wait, you were serious?!" he asked, his face flushing as he recalled the contents of the note.

"Of course." The Macken playfully answered. "You shouldn't lie to your instructors, after all. Don't worry, it's a while until my next class."

"That's not the issue, here!"

* * *


	113. Innappropriate Misconduct

Days had gone by, and the numbers in the classroom had dwindled. Half of the large lecture hall was now empty thanks to the frightening professor, but Ciel's confidence was not shirked in the least. He merely deemed them "unfit for the job" and let things be. His methods were a bit unconventional. He would show photos of old crime scenes to the classroom and lecture while pointing out important things to look for with a laser pointer. Some of them were murders. Before he would show the slide, he would warn the class, thank goodness, however, his tone was rather unforgiving.

 _"If you can't stomach the sight of blood, then why are you interested in pursuing this line of work?"_ he would ask. He would also hand out puzzles to the room in which students would have to narrow down who did what based on up to five "clues" they were given. The rest was process of elimination and problem-solving. The first few times he did this, there were students in there for up to the full hour trying to solve them. They quickly eliminated themselves from the classroom.

Overall, however, the students' times have improved. Even Alois, who always completed the task first, improved and he was now able to solve them in under ten minutes. In second place was always Kyle Brykle. Even still, instead of leaving, mister Brykle would always wait afterward and flood the bluenette with questions again. He did this every single day.

Poor Alois had to make detours and wait at the bluenette's office door in order to avoid suspicion. It wasn't fair. He was finally going to school with Ciel again, but he never got to talk to him easily. It always had to be a covert mission because of Kyle, and the Macken wasn't at all pleased.

His behaviour worsened as time went on. Subtle comments with double-meanings, interruptions of all kinds, rude gestures and posturing; Alois had been very busy getting the bluenette's attention—or rather, stealing it from Kyle. The other student took notice of how the Phantomhive reacted toward the menace- always scolding him, and even throwing things at the man. The other students reacted the same conclusion as he did before long. _They hated each other_.

It was obvious, or so it seemed. The reality was a little be different. All it would take to confirm this was to catch them in the Phantomhive's office together to find them either chatting leisurely, eating lunch, or participating in more _amorous_ activities together. They had their ways of working out the frustration. One day after class, however, they were cut short by a phonecall.

"Phantomhive." He answered, holding his cell phone up to his ear while speaking flatly. His eyes were apologetic to the blonde seated in his lap, pouting at the interruption. Idlly, the menace twirled a lock of bluenette hair around his finger while remaining as quiet as possible.

"Sir! It's me, Bailey." Stated Michael on the other end of the line, almost prompting the demon to roll his eyes.

"A murder?" Ciel asked, skipping to the reason why the younger detective called.

" _Three_ …" Bailey stated. "Three students from King's College have gone missing, and their remains were found tossed into the Thames wrapped in tarps."

"Cause of death?"

"Strangulation with a wire, it looks like. It cut into the skin pretty deep on the first one, though."

"Did you try the cameras on the bridge?" asked the bluenette.

"Yes. There was nothing."

"Try the ones nearby." The bluenette stated. "Also the docks. While you're at it, send me information on the victims, will you?"

"Yes, sir." Answered Bailey. "I'll send everything I have over right away."

With that, the bluenette hung up, setting his phone back on the table before returning his attention to the menace. The other man had been waiting patiently, refraining from playing any pranks during his beau's call, but was still very obviously miffed at the loss of attention.

"What's wrong?" Ciel asked, pecking the other demon on the cheek, wrapping his arms around the man's waist. "You've gone awfully quiet…"

"Nothing's wrong." His boyfriend answered, shaking his head. "I was just waiting for you to be done, is all."

"Is that so? I expected you to mess with me, somehow, especially given your recent behaviour." Pointed out the Phantomhive. "You've been acting up a lot until we're alone. Then you get especially clingy. You always do that when something's bothering you." He pulled away from the Macken as the man turned away with a small pout on his face. "Jim, you shouldn't lie to a detective…"

"I know…" grumbled the blonde, removing his arms from around the other demon's neck before crossing them over his own chest. "I just want your attention a lot, is all…"

"Really? Why's that?" asked Ciel. His hand reached upward in order to stroke Alois' chin. "Have I not been attentive enough? You know that there's not a lot I can do, during class…"

"I know that! I just hate that annoying fedora- _dork_ getting in the way of me trying to talk to you! I finally have you at school with me, but you're busy trying to run away from _Kyle_."

"There's not a lot I can do about that, either, I'm afraid…" the bluenette trailed off. His eyes were apologetic as he pulled the other man closer. "There's no reason you should worry about him, though. You know I'm yours."

"I know…" whined the menace. "I still want to tell him to piss off…" Ciel thought for a moment, furrowing his brow as he thought.

"When does your next class start?"

"It doesn't. It was cancelled for the day, remember?"

"In that case…" began the blunette, pecking the other man on the lips. "How about a date?"

"You seem to be under the impression that I would ever willingly say 'no' to a date with you…" Alois replied.

"Then let's do it."

It was then that the phone went off again, causing both demons to audibly groan. With a roll of his eye, Ciel begrudgingly answered it, only to discover that he had received an e-mail. Opening it, he discovered that it was information on the victims of the case he had just discussed.

"These names look familiar…" the Phantomhive trailed off, holding up the phone to his partner's view. "What do you think?" Taking it, the blonde examined the message thoroughly before answering.

"Aren't these people in our class?" he questioned, looking up at the bluenette with a puzzled expression. Raising his eyebrows, his beau leaned over with a grunt to reach one of the folders on his desk. Both men examined the roll sheet, only to discover this to be true.

"So that's why they stopped coming to class… I thought it was odd…" spoke the bluenette.

"Why's that? A lot of people switched over."

"These people where all at the top of the class. They were also some of the only ones who spoke up during class discussions."

"That can't be a coincidence…" the menace said. "What do they look like? Small build? Large build? Medium? I overheard that they were strangled with wire… that says a lot. We could narrow it down that way…"

"Are you suggesting that the killer might in fact be another student?"

"It's entirely possible, don't you think?"

"Does a date and a murder case sound good to you?"

"It sounds _perfect."_


	114. Blood Running Cold

"So, you think the killer is one of the students, then?" Questioned the Phantomhive. He arched an eyebrow as his beau continued eating his ice cream.

"Sure. All of the victims were top students in our class. There's gotta be something going on, there." Replied the Macken before grimacing and rubbing his forehead. "Brain freeze…"

The duo scurried off to an ice cream shop, which was obviously the best place to discuss a murder case. There was whispering being done around them, but it was not on their inaudible conversation. From what the duo could hear, it was from Ciel's appearance. The black suit and eye patch was really off-putting, it seemed, but the children around them seemed absolutely fascinated. Fortunately, parents and other customers opted to stay far enough away that the pair could discuss their work without fear of interruption.

"It's a good idea, but we need further evidence." The bluenette said with a sigh. He put another spoonful of icecream in his mouth while watching the menace attempt to soothe his headache. "Who knew demons got brainfreeze?"

"What? You've never gotten it? You've been around for over a hundred years…"

"I like to savor my ice cream." Ciel said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Snob." Accused the menace before continuing their conversation. "If we want to find more evidence, though, what about the bodies themselves?"

"There were rug burns on their arms, legs, and one cheek on each of them, according to the report." Answered the bluenette. "In addition, they have marks around their throats where the wire cut into the skin. One of them cut in deep enough to draw blood."

"So somebody has blood on their carpet." Alois noted. "Where were they last spotted?"

"The dorms at the college, it seems. They live there."

"Should we check their dorm rooms, then?"

"Micheal already did. He said there was nothing out of the ordinary." The watchdog informed. "Maybe they were killed somewhere else."

"Yeah, but that's the last place they were seen, so another dorm?" questioned Alois, picking up a file and looking inside while balancing his ice cream. His attention quickly shifted, however, as it started to dribble down his hand. "Ack!"

"Eat first, then murder." Chuckled his beau, as the menace tried to lick his hand clean.

"Justice never eats, Ciel."

"Justice is also never covered in ice cream."

"I am a _serious detective_ , Ciel."

"You're a serious _boob_." The Phantomhive accused, handing the other man a napkin. While his boyfriend was cleaning up, his eye wandered around the restaurant, thinking about the information they had and what to do with it.

It seemed obvious. The killer was in their class, and also lived in the dorms. If that was the case, then who all fit that category? There were twenty students in the room on a good day. How could they narrow it down without raising any suspicions about themselves?

"Doctor Phantomhive!"

Both demons' eyes widened at the voice that called for the bluenette. Their heads turned, and lo and behold, there was a young man in a leather jacket and a trilby tipped forward at an odd angle walking toward them with a bag in his hand. The duo cringed, but still somehow managed to smile. It was forced, but Kyle didn't seem to notice.

"Hello, Brykle." The watchdog said, putting emphasis on the man's last name to insinuate some distance. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting ice cream, of course." The student said. "I bought these books and was going to read them, too. What're you doing with Trancy?"

"We just ran into each other." The menace lied. "What kind of books did you get?" To his absolute horror, the man seemed to take his polite inquiry as an invitation to sit down.

"Well, I got a book on spies during the second world war, one on serial killers, and a manga about a secret organization that hunts vampires!" the trilby-wearing gentleman answered. "That's a Japanese comic book. You probably wouldn't get it."

 _"I bet."_ Alois replied with an insincere smiled and a tired look to the bluenette seated next to him. He continued to eat his ice cream as the other student kept talking.

"Hey, did you hear? There might've been a murder on campus, recently." Kyle said. "Do you know anything about it, sir?" he asked the Phantomhive.

"'Friad not." The instructor lied, causing the blonde to grin. "It's probably nothing serious." Alois grin faded quickly as the bluenette gathered his things and stood up. "I'm afraid I have another meeting to attend to. I'll see you both in class."

"Oh, see you, sir!" the human bidded farewell as the Phantomhive ignored him. Alois sat in silent horror as he was left alone with his classmate, trying to figure out an escape route.

"Isn't he cool?" asked Kyle with a grin. "Oh, yeah, sorry, I forgot you don't like him..."

"Who said I don't like him?" asked the menace. His brow twitched in annoyance as a nerve was struck. "He's my favourite teacher."

"Huh? But you're always at each other's throats in class!" Brykle stated.

"Looks like your detective skills are off." Jabbed the blonde, biting into his cone.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" gripped the other. "And just how good are _you,_ Trancy?"

"You dream of becoming a detective someday like the ones on TV." The menace replied, looking at the other student's face. "From the fuzz on your face, you have a low testosterone level. The pattern's uneven though… and your skin… You're trying really hard to grow a beard. Let's see… What else… Ah, let me guess… _You're single, aren't you?"_

"How did you know that?!"

"Oh, I was right, huh?"

"Shut up!"

"Hey, I'm just making deductions, here. Lighten up." Alois said with a shrug. "That stuff was easy. If you're really that touchy about it, though, wash your face and stop putting that shit on it, ditch the fedora and focus on studying instead of looking cool."

"Then how am I supposed to get the girls to notice me?" Kyle asked. "I get a lot of looks in the hallways. Not a lot of them ask me out, but they're probably waiting for _me_ to do that."

 _"That right?"_ shuddered the menace, trying his best to think of a way to escape while keeping a straight face.

"I can't find the right one, though." Continued the Brykle. "How's that girl who sits next to you? Sometimes she talks to me after class. What's she like?"

"I dunno. Her name's Laverne, she likes music, but switched to criminal justice to become a lawyer. She used to be in a band or something."

"Eugh… It's a shame… She's fit. I don't want to compete with that, though."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, it should be the man who brings home the bacon, yeah?"

"You're fucking stupid…"Alois said, standing up as he finished off the rest of his cone. He put on his coat before turning to walk away. "Too stupid. You'll never become a detective, if you're that stupid."

"What the fuck?!" demanded the other student, standing up.

"It's a harsh reality, but reality is harsh." The menace said as he walked away, waving at Kyle. "Laters~!"

"Get back here, Trancy!"

"I'm not listening~!" replied the Macken in a sing-song voice as he navigated through the other customers in the restaurant and out into the parking lot. There, the bluenette was waiting for him in the car. The menace shook his head at the watchdog as the man sat in the cold vehicle, rubbing his arms through his coat. Alois quickly trotted over and got inside, turning the ignition key and turning on the heater.

"Sorry, I couldn't get away from him!" the blonde said, turning the vent the Phantomhive's way. "He's like a leech…"

"I understand." The Phantomhive answered. "More importantly, how do we deal with these murders? We've got three women dead, all top students in the class, and not a lot to go on…"

"Wait… All of them were girls?" asked the menace. He paused for a moment, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel as he thought. " _That gives me an idea_ …"


	115. Flirting With DEATH

Once again, another class had ended. This time, however, the bluenette was oddly free of Kyle. He was able to go to his office quite easily without having to answer any annoying questions. He wondered why, but given the Macken's predictions, he didn't have to for long.

He sat in his office alone that day, staring intently at the phone on his desk. Ciel was waiting for Alois' phonecall, as the menace was on a mission. The Phantomhive wasn't at all pleased with it, but that didn't matter. Alois was determined to make the killer switch targets for the well-being of the next potential victim.

Just as he was told, Kyle was talking to Laverne in the hallway outside of the lecture room. He seemed really excited, while Laverne smiled in a friendly sort of manner. This could actually be quite difficult. Alois had never done what he was about to do before. Still, he had no choice. Casually, he walked up to the pair as if nothing were going on.

"Yo, yo~! What goes on~?" he asked as greeting. The look on Laverne's face was almost unreadable, while the man with her looked irritated.

"None of your business, _Trancy._ " Kyle spat out as if the name were poison. Sometimes, Alois would have agreed. "We're just talking."

"Really? What about?"

"About class." The woman answered. "Doctor Phantomhive is vicious. His tests keep getting harder and… how's your head?"

"Rattled, but alright." Alois stated. "I'm pretty hard-headed. A textbook or two won't hurt me."

"He must really hate you…"

"He does not." Kyle butted in, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Apparently, he's Alois' 'favourite'."

"It's just an easy class for me." The Macken stated.

"Well, you don't seem to have a hard time with the questions, do you?" asked Laverne.

"Nah. They're easy. All you gotta do is know what to look for, and how to piece it together."

"That right?" asked the woman. "Your girlfriend must have it easy."

"I don't have one." The menace stated. "Sorry to disappoint."

"You made fun of me the other day for being single!" accused Kyle, prompting the two other students to share a knowing gaze.

"Yeah, but unlike me, there's a reason for that." Alois said. "You're kind of a pig, Kyle."

"What?!"

"Sexist. Misogynistic. Have an abundance of very fragile masculinity." The menace pointed out. "I'm sorry, but, what's your deal with not being able to handle a girl who makes more money than you, again?"

"Shut the fuck up!"

"Okay, okay, I'll leave. Sorry Laverne." With that, Alois simply walked away, waving at the woman as he did. "See ya later~!"

"See ya, Alois. You wanna go for drinks, later?" asked the woman as he was making his exit.

"Why, that sounds positively delightful!" answered the menace. "Time and place?"

"My dorm, in an hour or so?"

"Sounds like a plan." Alois stated with a wink, causing the other man to fume. With that, he disappeared from their sight, rounding the corner before stopping to catch his breath. That was hard.

During the whole ordeal, he was lacing his words with demonic charm, leaving them almost hypnotic to the target, no matter what they were. He hadn't used them before, let alone on a woman. He could see how Ciel was worried about how this would go, but everything was going according to plan.

In one hour's time, he would be at the front of the dorms, waiting for Laverne to let him in. He had a few questions about the case to ask. The dorms were separated by sex, except for the one unisex dormitory, and one needed a keycard to get in to either one. Only residents of that dorm could open the door; it was the same setup at Warwick Academy. Alois, however, did not live in a dormitory, let alone the women's one. It would seem that males were only allowed in for a certain number of hours, then at night, they would have to leave. It made sense to the menace, but irritated some other folks. Soon, he saw his classmate's silhouette appear behind the foggy glass door, opening it with a smile.

"Hey! Did I keep you waiting?" the woman asked, holding the door open. She shivered at the cold air that rushed inside.

"Nope. I just got here." Alois lied. He had been there, spending the time examining the perimeter of the building. He looked at all of the entrances and exits, chilling himself to the bone until he found what he was looking for. Laverne, however, was ignorant to this.

"Well, don't just stand there. It's freezing!" she said, beckoning the man inside.

"Alright, alright. Thanks for having me over~!" the man answered.

After climbing several flights of stairs, the blonde made it into the woman's dorm room. It was a single. No roommates. After taking off his coat, he sat down in the chair next to the woman's desk.

"Is beer okay?" she asked from the small kitchen area. From the sounds of things, she was rummaging through the refridgerator.

"Yeah, that's good." Alois replied. It was another lie. The menace hated alcohol. He didn't like the way it tasted or smelled, and he certainly couldn't become intoxicated. The poison would be taken care of by his demonic immune system.

When the woman came back into the room, she handed him the drink, already with the lid popped off. She then sat down on the bed with her own drink, eyes locked on the menace as he feigned his lack of disgust over the beverage. The two sat in silence for a few moments before the woman finally spoke up.

"You don't have to sit so far away, you know." She stated.

"Well, I wouldn't want to come across as the type of guy who would come in and sit down on a lady's bed first thing." The blonde retorted. "That would be kind of gross, wouldn't it?"

"I guess you're right." Answered Laverne. "Such a gentleman, you are."

"Innit though?" Alois said, downing his drink. Really, he wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible. "I'm not really sure on the etiquette of this sort of thing. I've never been in a girl's room before, not even to hang out."

"Never? That's weird. I would have expected there to have been _someone_."

"There is." The blonde said, his head feeling a bit… _off_. "They're not a girl, though."

"A guy?!"

"Yeah. I'm bisexual, you know."

Laverne continued to speak, but Alois couldn't quite catch it. His mind was running as it began to fog, his body started going a bit numb. He began to slouch in his chair as the woman stopped talking in order to watch him. Her eyes never strayed from his image, even as he teetered on falling into the floor, eventually doing so in the end.

Alois' eyes were shut, he wasn't moving. It was at this point that Laverne stood up from her seat and tapped the man on the shoulder with her foot. When she didn't get any response, she grinned. Her feet shuffled across the carpet, and over to the guitar case in the corner of the room. Opening it, she pulled out a spare bag of wire.

"Lucky you…" she murmured. "You get to be my first guy…"


	116. Shut and OPEN

 

Wearing gloves, Laverne got her wire in position after having dragged the menace out into the middle of the room. She put down a few towels underneath his head, neck and shoulders in case the wires cut too deep, and positioning herself seated on the menace's back, she readied herself to commit her fourth murder. She didn't count on one thing, however. She didn't anticipate the blonde waking up.

"Rohypnol, huh?" he asked in an amused tone, nearly scaring the girl half to death. "That's gross, mate. Real gross."

"How are you still-?!"

"I figured you'd try to pull something like this, so I was prepared. Then I just played possum until you got me the evidence I needed." The menace said, tightly grabbing the woman's wrist.

With one swift movement, the back of his head came crashing against her forehead as he got up, forcing his attacker to release him. He hit her pretty hard, so while she was rubbing her forehead, he had materialized over to his coat and put it on. Once he did, he reached inside and grabbed his badge.

"Laverne Shelby, you're under arrest for assaulting a police officer with a weapon." The menace stated with a devilish smirk. "So, are you going to come quietly, or are the neighbours going to have to file a noise complaint?"

"You… _You piece of shit_ …" the woman accused, glaring up at the man. "How can you be both a student and a cop?"

"Didn't you know? You don't have to have a degree to be a policeman. But then again, I'm sort of a ' _special case'_." Alois said. "Grades aren't everything, you know. Status isn't either. Is that why you quit playing the guitar?"

"That's none of your damn business…" Laverne stated. "You already have a job that would make any parent proud."

"Too bad I don't have any." The Macken replied, reaching into his coat and pulling out a pair of handcuffs. "You know your rights, yeah?"

"How could I not… I was going to be a lawyer, after all…"

"You _could_ have, if you didn't become a serial killer instead. Were you really that unhappy?" questioned the menace as he shackled the woman. Laverne didn't put up a fight. She knew it was over.

"All I wanted was to play music… That's all…" the woman replied. "But that wasn't good enough for…"

"Your parents?" Alois asked. He cuffed Laverne to the leg of the bed before straightening his back and pulling out his cellphone. Calmly, he dialed his beau and placed the device up to his ear. After listening to the dial tone for a few moments, Ciel finally picked up.

"Are you done?" the watchdog asked without even bothering with a greeting. The gesture caused Alois to chuckle.

"Yep. All done. She's cuffed and ready to be transported." He said.

"Good. I'll tell Bailey to get over there."

"Roger that. I'll be waiting in room 223." The Macken answered. After bidding his farewells to the bluenette, he hung up and placed the phone back in his pocket before turning to face the woman again.

"And now, we wait." He said, crossing his arms and sitting back down in his chair. He hated this part. It was awkward. Having to sit with a serial killer in silence was bad, but hopefully, the woman wouldn't try to engage in anymore small talk. That's worse. Hopefully, it wouldn't take too long for the police to get here. Maybe they'll use the siren and arrive faster. Alois had always wanted to ride in a police car with the sirens going, but that was most likely never going to happen.

The stream of thought that entered the menace's head came to a stop as he noticed something peculiar. It was a feeling, really—a familiar one. Unfortunately, it was as though it were one that he had experienced while his mind was clouded with sleep. It was a presence that as it grew closer and closer, it became more familiar, and more distinguishable.

Sixth sense was picking up a supernatural signature. From the feeling of it, this was most likely a demon. Alois abruptly stood up, startling his captive with the loud _thud_ of the chair hitting the floor. With one last glance to the girl, he started making his way toward the door.

"You stay put. I need to check something." He instructed, gripping the doorknob as the feeling got closer, closer, and closer, still. Soon, it was almost right on top of him and—

"What do you mean ' _stay put'?!_ What's going on?" Laverne demanded, forcing the blonde's attention away for a moment.

He didn't bother trying to think of a reply. Instead he forced himself to mind the door, but by then, the feeling had passed. Quickly, he swung the door open and looked out into the hallway. Empty. The blonde furrowed his brow at the discovery before pulling out his cell phone.

"Ciel? There's a demonic force in the building I'm in." he reported to the bluenette. "I think it's unrelated, but I should still probably check it out."

"What about the current suspect? Is she still secure?" questioned the Phantomhive. "If she is, then go ahead. I'll be over there, too, in a moment."

"She's good. I'm gonna be off, then. Hurry, though. I dunno what I'm up against." The blonde answered.

"On my way." The bluenette answered as his beau was already halfwat down the hall, following the trail left by the apparition.

In his pursuit, a girl or so in the hallway would scream as he ran by, being a man in a women's dorm and all. It wasn't uncommon, but the fact that he was actively chasing someone didn't help his endeavor. In his head, he was recalling all of the exits he found around the building before he entered it. If he were running away from someone, where would the best place to exit be? Somewhere inconspicuous.

The back door was Alois' best bet. From his target's current path, this seemed to be plausible. Thus, the menace altered his own course in order to try and cut them off. He rounded the corner, then swung his legs over the guard rail on the staircase, opting to take the "faster" way down.

Once he finally got there, he drew his gun, feeling the presence of the demon on the other side of the door. It was upon opening it that he felt a piercing pain in his chest. His attacker had struck him from below, managing to strike him in the heart. Alois hacked up some blood before stumbling, trying to create some distance between himself and his foe. The gun went off, striking the woman in the arm, forcing her to drop the other knife.

" _Verdigris_." He said, panting with the grip of the blade protruding from his chest. "How nice it is to see you again."

"Likewise, ' _Blackjack'_." The demoness replied, straightening her back. "I assume you would like to know why I'm here?"

" _If you'd be so kind."_ Alois stated, never lowering his weapon.

"Just getting some more personnel. We now have to restock, thanks to you."

"That all?" the menace asked. "Or are you not being truthful to me?"

To that, Verdigris smiled a big, toothy grin. " _Who knows?"_ she questioned to no one in particular before crouching down and picking up her knife with her good hand, charging at the menace at full speed. The Macken instantly fired the gun, missing his target. From there, the demoness slashed his leg, forcing him to the ground.

His gun aimed upward at the demon still standing, but she slashed his arm, too. It went off again, this time grazing her eye. Verdigris let out a pained cry before her face warped into a snarl, baring her teeth as she brought the knife down again—and again, and again, and again. Alois knew it wouldn't kill him, but it certainly did hurt. Weakly, he clenched his fist before swinging it at the other demon's head with full strength, knocking the other off of him.

She shuffled to her feet across the red-stained snow as Alois dared to get up. His clothes were ruined. He would have to get the bluenette to bring him a change. As he stumbled to his knees, he aimed the gun again, watching the woman's movements carefully. Soon, she fled as the menace heard the faint sound of footsteps thundering toward him. She disappeared from his sight as a new blurry sight entered his field of vision.

"Jim!" called the bluenette, his voice sounding muffled and far away. Alois could see him, and he could see his mouth moving, but he couldn't quite place him. "Jim, are you alright?"

"Ciel?" he confusedly called. He then looked down at his torso. "I can't feel anything, but I should be alright."

"There's a knife in your chest…" the Phantomhive pointed out. "I'm going to take it out so you can regenerate… bite down for a second." Alois winced as his beau's finger's wrapped around the weapon, but did as instructed. He grunted through his teeth as the knife was swiftly removed, before relaxing in the watchdog's grip.

"Did you get our murderer?" he finally asked, his vision becoming clearer and his hearing improving.

"Micheal has her in custody as we speak." Ciel replied. "What about the other one? The demon?"

"It was Verdigris…" the blonde pointed out. "From Cerberus… They're here… she… she said they were recruiting."

"So they might be related to this case after all." The bluenette pondered. "We'll search the other one for evidence, later. Right now, can you stand?"

"Probably, if you give me your arm for a sec." Grunting again, Alois was able to prop himself back up, but as soon as he was on his legs, the buckled slightly, and he was leaning against the watchdog. "Sorry… I wasn't prepared…"

"That's alright." Ciel replied. "You made the attempt. I'll phone Integra, too. Just relax for a bit, alright?"

"Fine…" pouted the menace. "My regeneration speed has increased quite a bit…"

"I know, but that's still a pretty big knife that was lodged in your chest a few times."

"Wait, where's Kaspar?" questioned Alois, looking around them. "I can't find my gun…"

"Do you think they took it?"

"Possibly…"

"Damn…" cursed the bluenette, gripping his beau tighter. A sigh escaped his lips before continuing. "That's not good. Was it loaded?"

"I fired off two anti-freak shots…"

"There's no going back, then." Ciel stated with a shrug. "C'mon… Let's get you to the station. We can't have you running around all bloody…"

"Do I get to ride in a police car?" questioned the menace.

"Yes?"

"Will the sirens be on?"

"Probably not."

" _Damn…"_

* * *


	117. What's the Plan, Mister Policeman?

New Scotland Yard, 8-10 Broadway, London SW1H 0BG, United Kingdom; the demonic duo made their way here, and then the blonde menace took a shower and got changed. As it was the only thing that was on hand, he was forced to wear a police uniform, with a white shirt and black tie, a hat with a checkered band around it and a vest. He seemed quite proud of it, from the way he trotted around the station in it. His clothes were currently in the trash, as they were tattered and bloodied beyond repair.

"So," he began. "How're things goin'?"

"Apparently, Miss Shelby did know someone named ' _Verdigris_ ' on her floor, but can't remember the room number." Answered the bluenette, pausing to do a double-take as Alois entered the room. His eye flickered to look the blonde up and down for a second before clearing his throat and continuing. "She said that they spoke regularly. They talked about her future and what she wanted to do. Before long, Shelby got incredibly stressed, and began thinking ' _bad thoughts'_."

"The demons' whisper…" murmered the menace, rubbing his chin. "Think it was used on Laverne?"

"It's possible. She seems to have calmed down a lot on arrival." Ciel stated. "It could be shock from the situation, though."

"Is it possible to tell if someone was under the influence of supernatural powers?"

"If there is, I don't know it." Spoke the watchdog. "Maybe Sebastian or Dafydd knows."

"Ew, I don't want to talk to Daffy."

"That's our options."

"Fine…" groaned the menace, taking a seat with folded arms. "So, what do you think Cerberus is really up to? They've gotta be stocking up on manpower for something."

"Agreed, but your guess is as good as mine."

With that, the door opened and Detective Bailey walked through with a stack of papers. He closed the door with his heel, kicking it shut as he made a beeline for the watchdog. When he looked up to see the menace in police garb, he frowned.

"You're wearing the hat and everything?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Well, I _am_ a policeman, Mike. Besides, it completes the get-up." The menace stated, grabbing the visor of his hat between his index finger and thumb with a small nod. "Don't I look cute?"

"I'm not into that, Trancy." The human answered, wrinkling his nose. Ciel, on the other hand, nodded, mostly to himself, before taking the papers in the man's hands.

"This is a report of all of the evidence we found." Michael informed. "There's enough there to prove her guilty, but, we didn't find any traces of the other one."

"That's just as expected." The bluenette answered. "Good work, Bailey."

"Maybe one day, you'll be able to do your job by yourself." The blonde teased.

"Oh, shove it…" Detective Bailey replied, furrowing his brow at the menace. "If you need anything else, I'll give you a call."

"Likewise." Ciel stated. He then turned to the menace as their coworker left. "Ready to go?"

"Yup~!" answered the menace. "Where are we headed? Home? H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G?"

"I've already informed Sir Integra of the situation." Replied the watchdog. "She currently has H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agents searching the campus, and we'll know if they find anything soon. For now, we head home and try to figure out what exactly Cerberus is after."

"Sure you just don't want to get at me wearing a police uniform?" questioned the blonde with a wink, forcing the Phantomhive's face and neck to turn scarlet.

"Those are completely separate matters." He insisted, crossing his arms over his chest, but the menace wasn't convinced.

"Oh, so you do, then?" After a long pause, Alois' beau finally answered.

_"Perhaps…"_

_"Perv."_

"Terrorism first." Huffed the watchdog, putting his hands in his pockets. "We know that Cerberus was initially after me to _'entertain'_ them, but now you're a major player on the field since you foiled their attempts almost single-handedly."

"Revenge?" asked the menace. "Think they want me to ' _play_ ' too, then?"

"More than likely." The bluenette stated. "We just have to figure out how they're going to strike at us, now."

"Well, with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. at the school, they might've fled by now." Alois replied. "In fact, I'm almost sure that they did. They're witty. Unless, of course, they're trying to plan around the plan that we are planning around their plan. Then they would stay put."

"Given how ' _clever_ ' they think they are, that's actually possible..."

"In that case, they're probably hiding in some nook or cranny somewhere. It would be hard for a human to find them, since they don't have sixth sense."

"True. We should probably conduct our own search as well." Ciel suggested. "In between classes, we'll comb the campus."

"Ugh, that's gonna suck in the worst way…" complained the menace. "It's cold as balls outside…"

"Well, you have a police-grade coat now, so it shouldn't be that bad."

"How do you know? Have you ever worn one?"

"Once or twice."

"I would have killed to see that…"

"Now who's the ' _perv'?"_ jabbed the bluenette. "We'll start tomorrow. Dress warm."

"Can I steal one of your coats?" asked the menace, to which his beau rolled an eye.

"You would, even if I said _'no',_ now wouldn't you?" he asked.

"Pretty much."

"As long as you leave me one, then." Ciel answered as he turned to walk out of the room, only to be followed by the menace as he put on his new coat. He was supposed to return it when he was done with it, but knowing Alois, that was unlikely.

The duo waltzed out of the building and went on their merry way, heading toward Phantomhive Manor. The trip was mostly silent, as it was difficult talking about murder with the cab driver listening in. Instead they talked about "ordinary" things, like TV dramas and what their friends were up to. Their challenge was not over, it would seem. Cerberus was a tricky animal to catch.


	118. Eyes Like Frozen Tundra

The very next day, the duo began scouring the campus for members of Cerberus, being mindful of the plain-clothes H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. operatives in the area doing the same. Neither party wanted to hinder the other, as they both shared a common goal. Cerberus was at King's College.

Both men scoured the campus for any hint of supernatural energy, shivering as the cold air whipped their cheeks, and pulling up the collars of their coats in order to hopefully shield themselves from it. As much as Alois didn't want to, he strayed from the path and into the snow-covered patches in between, where grass once stood against concrete. He stepped carefully as to not slip and fall into the snow. It was melted underneath and frozen again into ice. The menace only strayed so that he could cover more ground and get into more obscure places.

His teeth grit together tightly and his hands clenched into fists in his pockets; his arms brought in close to his body as he tried to stay warm. It wasn't as bad as it was for the nearby humans, but he was still cold. Steam escaped his nose and mouth as he breathed in and out. It felt as though he were inhaling glass before long. He wasn't finding anything. His focus was too clouded by the fact that he was freezing in order to pick up anything.

Alois wanted to go inside. Instead, he continued his search, despite the fact that it felt as though he had been outside for hours. His nose and ears were frozen, but he didn't really need them at the moment. Even without their help, he pick up a small blip nearby. At last, he grinned, digging into his coat for his phone.

"Ciel! I'm sensing something over by the library. I'm gonna go check it out." The blonde informed as he spoke into the device. His legs began moving in that direction, but his beau instructed him otherwise.

"Wait until I get there." Ciel replied on the other end. "We don't want a repeat of last time. Just tail them so they won't get away. We'll take them down together."

"Roger that, sweetie." Answered the menace, hanging up. Then, he did as he was told, and began following his target at a safe distance.

Even with _Kaspar_ gone, Alois was still armed. Ciel had simply given him his own gun _, Zamiel,_ to borrow, as Ciel had his sword sewn into his demonic garb to be retrieved at any time. This time, Alois had to be ready for combat, just in case. It wasn't good that he was cold. It made it difficult to move with his muscles already so tense.

Pastel eyes flashes crimson a few times as the menace attempted to warm himself up. His breath came out in thick fog as his temperature rose, and his body began to relax. Yes, this would do nicely. Alois was ready for battle as his target still moved.

It felt as though they were speeding up, so the menace did the same. There was no doubt in the man's mind that he had been sensed by his foe. The Macken's pace quickened, matching the other's, and it was not long before he was running.

"Fucker…" he growled under his breath, trying to keep up. The menace pulled out his phone again, hastily dialing before calling the bluenette.

"They're making a run for it! I'm going in, at least to stall them." Alois said, much to the bluenette's skepticism.

"No! Wait just a little longer! I'm almost there!" barked the watchdog, causing the other man to shake his head.

"I'll be fine. It's just to stall, alright? Then you get here and we finish it." The Macken stated.

"Fine… Just be careful, you hear me?"

"You got it, babe. Kisses!" Alois said, hanging up again. Now, he wasn't holding anything back. He dashed at full speed in order to catch up to his target, doing so with ease.

Before long, a man in a long black coat and a hat came into view, and there was no doubt in the blonde's mine that it was them. Their presence felt familiar. Judging by the long pale hair from the back, it was most likely Araneus. The demon was running away, but Alois had other things in mind.

"Oh, no you don't!" he declared, spotting an icy patch on the sidewalk. Upon reaching it, he forced himself to stop moving his legs, thus sliding forward. He ended up on the other side of the man, slamming his foot down on solid ground in order to stop his momentum.

"A-ha!" he declared, cocking his arm back and lunging at the other demon. Araneus ducked, however, so when the blonde punched, he only knocked off his hat. The blonde's assailant quickly swung his arm, hurling his briefcase at the menace, but the man didn't back down. Instead, Alois punched it, too, knocking it clean out of his attacker's hand. Now, his foe was unarmed. It was going to be easy to take him down.

Quickly, Alois reached into his coat, gripping the handle of Zamiel. Setting his sights on his attacker, however, he froze—his icy blue eyes widening at the sight. Araneus' face. He hadn't completely registered it before, and now that the demon was taking on a more "human-like" appearance, his appearance was all the more shocking.

He appeared to be in his thirties, like Alois remembered him as Blackjack, but his face took on a new meaning, now—or rather, an old one. The man had a square jaw, beady blue eyes, and two square-ish teeth protruding noticeably from his mouth. He looked up at Alois with almost equal amounts of shock, but then his face contorted into a grin. Alois knew that grin; that sick, twisted, depraved grin. It forced the menace to take a few steps back, all while his eyes never left that face for a moment.

" _You…"_ murmured Araneus, tilting his head as the gears inside of it began to turn. "You look… _familiar…"_

" _No…"_ breathed the menace, his muscles tensing, his heart racing, and sweat collecting at his brow and trickling down his neck. He wanted to run away. He needed to run away. Despite knowing this, he was paralyzed by fear. "No, no, no, no…"

"I know your face…" the other demon said aloud, straightening his back. "I know you… You… were alive when I was… You're… Oh, no… Wait… _Your eyes have changed_ …"

Every nerve in the blonde's body was on edge as the man spoke, the gravely sound of his voice scratching against his ears. His grip on the gun tightened as his hand began to shake. Alois shook his head, his feet still shuffling backwards.

" _You've grown up quite nicely, Jim Macken…"_


	119. Dignified Restraint

" _You've grown up quite nicely, Jim Macken."_

Alois didn't want to hear it. The roughness of the man's voice harshly scratched his ears and dug into his mind, forcing the menace to recall things that he would much rather keep hidden from himself. In seconds, entire scenes would flash before his eyes, only to subside and show what was right in front of him in the "real world" before repeating the process again. His body jerked abruptly, his legs feeling weak and as though they wouldn't be able to support him any longer. They buckled, eventually causing him to collapse. Snow seeped through the fabric of his pants, but he didn't notice. He was already too frozen to do so.

His vision blurred, his eyes becoming unable to focus and blocked by the tears that silently collected before finally spilling over. He hiccupped. He shook. The Macken's breath started coming out more rapidly—more strained. He was hyperventilating. All the while, however, his eyes never strayed from his enemy; that man, that man who warped him almost beyond repair.

_It was the Earl before him._

Despite knowing it was possible, Alois couldn't believe it. He didn't want to. He didn't want any of it. It had to be all a lie. It wasn't, though. This fact became apparent when the man reached out to touch the Macken, causing the blonde to flinch and utter a small squeak as he tried to pull away. Araneus held him still, however, gripping his chin between his index finger and thumb. Alois wanted to utter a scream at the coarse contact, but all that came out was a whimper.

In that moment, he forgot that he was a demon. He forgot that he was a man. Alois' power was stripped away by the mere sight of the spider, reverting himself back to a small, frightened boy.

"Look at you…" grinned the older demon. "Such dashing features… You always were beautiful when you cried."

Alois' eyes widened, his mind shutting down completely as his body tensed. The lion was helpless as he was restrained by his own fear. He did not want to turn back into a doll, but his will was gone—or rather, trapped for the time being.

Suddenly, Araneus leapt backward, dodging out of the way as a blade slashed between them both. The sword then slashed in his direction, creating a gash in the man's forehead. The older demon clutched his wound as if he were trying to hold the blood in while it dribbled down his face. The injury failed to heal quickly, as the blade that had cut him was blessed.

A dog clad in black stood between the boy and the monster, guarding the menace while staring down his opponent with cold eyes. While he wasn't entirely sure what was happening, he knew that the menace was in trouble. He was frightened, which was no ordinary feat as the man possessed seemingly boundless courage. It was obvious from the moment that the Phantomhive set his gaze on the pair that he needed to separate them. Sword drawn, the tip of his blade staring straight at his enemy's throat, Ciel was ready to render him limbless as soon as he deemed it suitable.

"Araneus." The bluenette greeted.

"Oh, so Jim's with the guard-dog, him?" asked the other man. "A stray with a pure-bred? How sweet…"

" _What. Did. You. Do."_ Demanded the Phantomhive, having none of Cerberus' games at the moment. His beau had been hurt. That was a crime punishable only by death.

"Nothing." Answered Araneus. "I merely said ' _hello'!_ It's been a long time..."

Ciel furrowed his brow for a moment and looked to the silently weeping menace, taking in his visage for a moment. He analyzed how the menace was shaking, how his eyes were glazed, and how he braced himself for some unknown force to strike him. Then, the bluenette's gaze shifted back to the other demon, taking in his features. He looked familiar; like he was in a dream of Ciel's a long time ago; or rather, a nightmare. It was then that the Phantomhive's eye widened, his blood running cold. Upon seeing that smirk, taunting him, reveling in the dismay of the Macken, it began to boil.

" _You…"_ growled the watchdog, his single, sapphire eye changing into crimson as it viewed his target with hatred from the bottom of his heart. Ciel understood. He knew Alois, after all. Knowing that the man who nearly broke his beau was right in front of him-that the man who defiled the one he loved most was delighted in the fact, and would jump at the chance to do it again—Ciel had to make him suffer.

"Now, now, don't get mad at _me_." Araneus said, shaking his head. "Just look at him. Could you blame me?"

The older demon's eyes widened and he tried to dodge again as the Phantomhive unleashed a mighty slash. It cut cleanly into the brick wall behind him, in a neat line. With that, the Cerberus demon began to run away. On instinct, the watchdog took a few steps forward in order to give chase, but stopped dead in his tracks as the sounds of the blonde's sobbing reached his ears.

Turning his head, he eyed the menace in his weakened state. Alois was a complete mess. It seemed as though it was taking every single fragment of his energy to try and get a grip on himself, but judging from the blonde's actions, his efforts were in vain. Alois openly sobbed as though he were the only one there, shaking, hyperventilating, and whimpering when he ran out of the air necessary to sob properly.

Ciel's body jerked to go after Araneus, as it was the most practical solution, but Ciel's heart said otherwise, forcing him still again. With that, his legs began, to move, but not in the direction of the older demon. No, instead the watchdog hurried to the blonde's side, crouching down on the ground next to him as his beau continued to panic.

" _Jim_ …" he called. "Jim, it's alright. He's gone. He can't hurt you." He reached out to caress the blonde's cheek, only to have his hand swatted away.

" _Don't touch me!"_ snarled the menace, eyes wide and aflame as he glared at the startled bluenette. Once they focused a tad, they softened before his face contorted into another pained expression as he bent his head forward, facing the ground as he pulled at his own hair. "Ciel… Ciel…"

"I'm here." The Phantomhive replied, with a worried look. "I'm here, Jim. Jim… You have to listen to me. What do you need?"

Without a word, the menace let go of his blonde locks before reaching out and gripping the watchdog's hand. He seemed to calm down slightly at the gesture, his breathing slowing, while still ragged. Ciel covered the blonde's hand with his own, encasing it in heat.

"You're safe." Ciel insisted, gently rubbing the Macken's hand with his fingers. "I'm here for you. I won't let anything hurt you…"

Soon, Alois took his hand away and crawled over to the Phantomhive, forcing his way into the man's arms. He pressed his face against Ciel's chest, trying to hide his hysterics and muffle his sobs, but the watchdog could feel tears seeping through his shirt. Ciel wrapped his arms around the man, bringing him close, and shielding him from anything and everything. Right now, Ciel was the only security for Alois at the moment, and the bluenette was more than happy to oblige. Still, he had to call in the encounter.

"This is Phantomhive." The bluenette spoke into his phone. "The male demon known as _'Araneus'_ was spotted by the library. We engaged him, but he got away. Try to keep tabs on him."

"No…" the blonde finally said, his voice weak and airy. It genuinely surprised the watchdog, forcing him to attention.

"Jim?" he called, and the Macken pulled away slightly, revealing eyes that were puffy and red around the edges, but that was not the most peculiar thing about them. Their hue was icey, but their gaze was ablaze with coldest of fire.

" _I'm_ going to kill him…" declared the menace. "I _have_ to kill him… It's the only way. If I don't, I'll stay the same frightened little kid that I've always been. Now that I'm strong, this is my fight. Whatever little bit of dignity I have left… It's mine, and I have to let him know! _I have to let him know that he hasn't crushed me!"_


	120. Skin Stealer

H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. arrived on the scene and took off in pursuit. They found nothing, however. Araneus got away. All that was left was an irate watchdog and a frightened lion.

Alois didn't go back to school the days immediately after that. Who could blame him? He didn't want to face the man again, at least not yet. He still hadn't come up with a plan for his attack. That's what he spent time pondering on the days he stayed home, even after the Phantomhive returned. The only difference was that when Ciel came home, Alois curled up beside him, maintaining as much contact as possible.

It was easy to understand. Ciel made the menace feel safe. There was nothing that could harm him, so long as he was in the arms of Ciel Phantomhive. It was the only time when he felt as though he could truly relax again. Since they didn't know the whereabouts of the former Earl of Trancy, the Macken feared as though he would turn a corner and see him there, even inside the walls of his own home. The demon jumped at sudden noises, and his senses were clouded. He couldn't tell who was sneaking up on him, so it was wise for the other residents to remain conspicuous.

As the menace laid sprawled out on top of the bluenette, his face resting in the crook of the other man's neck as they held contact on one of the sofa's in the Phantomhive's office. He did not speak; only cling. His mind wandered as he breathed in Ciel's scent while the man's body heat seeped through their clothes and pressed up against the menace's cheek, causing the tension in Alois' body to melt away. He tried to think of a way to track down his "father", but he kept finding himself pondering all do the possible ways he could make the man suffer.

Revenge. That's what Alois wanted. He wanted Araneus to suffer as he had suffered tenfold, and he knew that he had it within his capacity to fulfil this desire. The only thing that stood in his way was fear. The sight of the man, the sound of his voice and his sickening choice of words were enough to cause the menace to break down. How was he to know if the same thing would happen again? He didn't want to risk it, but at the same time, it was necessary. It was he, who had to kill the Trancy. No one else could. He wouldn't let them. For once, the menace felt a sliver of what the bluenette would refer to as "honour" or "a sense of duty". Trancy was _his_ monster, and he was the man who needed to kill it.

For now, however, he needed both a plan and the will to do it. He certainly had the drive, yes, but did he have the courage? He didn't know. As he basked in the warmth of the bluenette, closing his eyes at the gently feeling of having the other demon's hands running through his hair, his thoughts were in utter darkness, his reputation for being a fun-loving goof being dragged through mud without anyone suspecting a thing. Could he break the Trancy's fingers and toes? Could he tear them off and let them grow back before lopping them off again? Could he peel off his skin? Could he impale him on spikes? Could he rip out his teeth before shoving them underneath his fingernails? There were so many possibilities. The list of methods Alois could employ to punish his foe was practically endless

Slowly, his eyes opened again to see that he was still in Ciel's office. He hadn't moved an inch and neither had the watchdog, who faithfully stayed with the menace the entire time. Although he had the menace laying on top of him, if he really wanted to, Ciel could have moved. He didn't, however. He wanted to calm his beau and make him feel at ease, so even if he had things to do, he would stay.

The watchdog was thinking similar thoughts, only he wondered what the blonde would eventually decide on. Although he would never tell the menace, he would never reveal to him anytime soon that he hadn't informed Integra of the situation. How could he? If he did, Alois would be taken off the mission. That was the last thing he wanted.

Revenge. That is what Alois wanted. He deserved it, too, and the bluenette would do anything within his power to ensure that the menace succeeds in this pursuit. Revenge was something that Ciel knew entirely too well. While he knew that the menace needed some time to regain his calm, he did wonder when the fair-haired demon would strike.

"How are you feeling?" he finally asked, his voice soft as not to startle the blonde, to which Alois' immediate response was to adjust himself and get comfortable again.

"A little better." He replied, his eyes flickering up to the bluenette who simply stared at the ceiling. "It's easier when you're here. You're like a security blanket or something."

"Glad I can help." Ciel answered with a small smile. There was a slight hesitation before he continued. "So…. Uh… Do… do you have any ideas, yet, or…?"

"Too many." Alois said, his eyes closing again with a sigh. "There's too many options, and… They're all so horrible…" he stated, hiding his face in the watchdog's neck again. He was ashamed to admit it, but the idea of enacting such heinous acts of violence on that man brought him a sick, twisted delight. Yes, he was a bit afraid of what his partner would think of him, especially since he was supposed to be in the "right".

"Isn't that the point, though?" questioned the Phantomhive. "After everything he's done, isn't the point to make him suffer? For one to truly ' _get even'_ , one has to inflict an even amount of pain. That is revenge."

"So you think I should be as harsh as possible?" the blonde asked, tilting his head to look up at the bluenette.

"I would be." Ciel stated. "If you didn't already call ' _dibs_ ', I definitely would. This is your fight, though. It wouldn't be right for me to interfere."

"I'm not sure what to do…"

"What do you feel is a suitable punishment?"

"Something painful…" Alois answered softly, clenching his fists while gripping the fabric of his beau's shirt. "Something that… would cause him such agony… that even if he lived, he would never be able to function again because of it."

"Letting him live to suffer the consequences… That's pretty good…" Ciel pondered, still running his hands through the menace's hair. "How would you do that?"

"I don't know…"

"Surely you have a few ideas…"

"I don't know which one…" clarified the Macken. "There's so many ways I could do it. I just can't decide on just one…"

"Well… as long as you don't hit his head or his heard with an antifreak weapon, you don't have to…" The blonde sat up a bit at that, propping himself up on his elbows as the bluenette looked up at him. "No good?"

"No… I feel like one good one would be enough…" the menace said. "One that will make his skin burn and crawl forever afterwards…"

"You could tear his skin off." Suggested the Phantomhive.

"Perhaps… But I also want something with a little… _finesse?"_

"True… You're a man, not an animal…" noted the bluenette. "Your goal is to show him that. It takes a man to kill a monster, after all. But still… How to make his skin crawl and force him to writhe in agony…?"

The duo thought in silence for a few moments, trying to concoct a solution. How were they to put a monster in its place—make its skin burn, and make it fear even a brief mental image of the blonde's face? How were they to restrain it, bounding it and make it feel stinging hopelessness and aching despair? Tear it apart? Put it back together? Tear it apart again? A monster should feel the helplessness of being bound by the true nature of what it sought to break.

"I have an idea…" the blonde finally said. "It's going to take some practice, though..."

"Go for it. I'll have your back the entire way." Ciel answered.

"Even if it's grotesque and cruel?" questioned Alois.

 _"Especially_ if it is so." Stated the Phantomhive. "I love it when you flaunt your power. I look forward to it." With that, the blonde smiled, leaning down to peck the bluenette on the lips.

"I'll show him just how weak he is in comparison to me. In both physical strength, and power of will." The Macken replied. "Once I'm done, he'll understand what it's like to truly be broken by someone."

"God, I love you…"

"I love you, too, muffin~"


	121. Step Into My Parlor

King's College; an ordinary college located in London, where students strive to learn the tools nessecary for their desired future careers. Most of them were ignorant to the recent goings-on over the past two weeks, not knowing about the murders performed by Laverne Shelby, and the fact that demons lurked the campus. One demon in particular, was a target of interest to the lion and watchdog, and had unknowingly put himself in a rather unsavory position.

The duo had discovered that he was currently incognito, taking the place of a history professor on the campus. A man of his history should never be permitted to be around young people of any sort, nor should he be allowed to go unpunished for past crimes. It is therefore within everyone's best interest for him to be disposed of. If asked, this would be the rationale for the pair seeking him out first, but the reality was much darker than this.

Revenge. It was a concept that both Alois and Ciel understood well. Alois hadn't felt the desire in years, nor had he ever felt it so intensely. The need to punish his abuser for what he had done burned throughout the blonde's body, piercing his heart and running through his veins at even the thought of retribution. He needed this. For closure. For "justice". For himself.

The root reason didn't matter. All that did was the fact that the lion's claws itched to tear into his opponent. He would crush her Majesty's Spider and until then, nothing else mattered. Day after day, he spent on the Phantomhive property, out in the cold, perfecting the technique he would use on the Trancy. The forest lost several trees, as they were not nearly as durable as a supernatural being. Yes, this would do nicely.

Alois was nearly worn out by the end of the each day, trying to get his method perfected. Once he thought it was good enough, the menace informed his beau that he was ready to launch his attack. The entire time, he had been building himself up in order to not react in the same manner he did before.

This was why Araneus wasn't allowed to see him without his mask as "Blackjack." This was why Alois had felt so compelled to watch over the others while the man was around. He couldn't decipher why, while the man was in his other form and while the Macken, himself, was using his mental power in order to concoct his plan of escape. When he saw the Earl again, humanized while he was sober, everything hit Alois all at once. Not again. This time, he was going to show his tormentor precisely what he is made of. Alois' strength, which had been built up over years of wear, tear, and repair, was more than enough to crush a spider, yet its venom, which had coursed through his veins for years, remained.

It stung. It burned. It crippled the Macken at times, filling his mind with rot, but he couldn't allow it to hinder his mission. Even now, Alois felt fear at the thought of facing the man again, despite the fact that he knew for a fact that he could win.

His eyes were dangerous, like cold fire as he and the bluenette made their way to the campus. The ride was silent as both of them had nothing to say. They already knew what was going to happen and that was all they were both focused on in that moment. The school was supposed to be closed, but they had contacted "Professor Trancy" ahead of time for a meeting.

In his inbox, he had received a message from the duo, claiming that Alois wished to see him privately in order to settle the score once and for all. That was true. What wasn't said, however, was the fact that the blonde had backup and was armed.

"I heard you lost your gun." Said a certain researcher after the initial incident on campus. Days prior, Dafydd had requested that the menace see him about his weapon situation.

"Shame. But, on the bright side, I've been working on a design for a new gun. Well, it's more of a pair." He informed. "After your exploits as ' _Blackjack_ ', I figured that this would be better suited to your abilities."

Twin pistols made of black metal were presented to the menace, their designs based on the newer Kaspar model, only revamped. There was a guard on the handle, like there would be on a saber. Each of them also had an insignia on the grip within the confines of a gold circle. One gun had the mark of a skull, and the other, a scale. "Sceleri" and "Poena". "Crime" and "Punishment". Both weapons were held in holsters hidden away in the blonde's coat, allowing the bluenette's to be returned back into his possession.

The pair parked the car and Alois got out, ignoring the night air lashing at his cheeks in favor of bigger things. Ciel waited in the car. He was instructed to follow his beau in five minutes; perhaps less if he sensed any disturbances. While he didn't like letting Alois go alone, he couldn't let their target know that he was observing.

With an odd sense of calm, the Macken began making his way toward the clock tower in the center of campus, where it was agreed that they would meet. The lock was busted open, so he simply walked inside, past the grinding gears that made it function while keeping his eyes and ears open. He sensed the Trancy nearby. His calmness didn't waver, however. Perhaps it was a sign that he was about to panic, but he was doing his best to keep that from happening. The sounds of his own footsteps and the creaking of gears were the only things that could be heard until one of them stopped when the blonde ceased his movements.

"Are you going to come out, or are you going to hide in the shadows the whole time?" Alois asked aloud. He didn't even flinch when the other man fell from the ceiling, landing on his feet right in front of the Macken with a thud.

" _Boo!"_ the Trancy said, chuckling to himself as he straightened his back. He grinned at the menace, looking him up and down.

"Those are some scary eyes, you have, there." He said, noting the expression on the younger's face. "They were always filthy, but they seem to have changed, somehow."

"That's because I'm not the same boy that I was." Answered the menace, taking his hands out of his pockets.

"You're right. You've grown up rather nicely." Araneus said, moving to circle the Macken as though he were his prey. "Very dashing."

"I'm not interested in any vile ' _compliment_ ' that you can serve." Stated Alois, keeping his eyes straight ahead and his senses sharp. Soon, his foe made his way back around, appearing in his view once more. "What is that you freaks want, anyway? Voros said she wanted to 'play', but why? What possible reason would she have for that?"

" _They_ have a reason similar to mine." The Trancy informed. "When you live forever, you have planet of time to kill, and it is important that one has plenty of stimulating toys to play with…"

Cringing slightly at the other man's choice of words, Alois quickly righted himself in order to continue. " _'They'?"_ he echoed. "Who is ' _they'?"_

"Voros, of course." Answered the other. "Voros has neither sex nor gender. They deemed it unnecessary, so they didn't bother." Trancy paused for a moment before adding: "It's a shame, really."

" _You're disgusting_." The lion growled, balling his hands up into tightly clenched fists. "You always were and always will be… You and people like you don't deserve to walk the earth. All you do is pollute it with your _filth_."

"Just like I did with _you?"_ questioned Araneus, laughter bubbling from his throat. "You didn't seem too opposed to my ' _disgusting_ ' self back then. If I'm so ' _filthy_ ', then what does that make you?"

Fear welled up inside of Alois, but not nearly as much as the anger that caused his blood to boil. This man. This man who had violated him, tortured him, reduced him to mere property knew exactly what he had done. And he _relished_ in it. He _loved_ the fact that he caused Alois to break and stripped him of his humanity. This was no man that stood before the menace. It wasn't even a person. They lost that long ago. Without a single doubt, the Earl of Trancy was a bona fide monster, needed to be destroyed entirely. Alois, however, didn't think that was good enough for him. Araneus would pay dearly for what he had done, and what he was trying to do, now.

"Do you really think you _could?"_ the Macken asked, his brow furrowing, nails leaving crescent-shaped indents in his palms as his fists shook. "Do you really think… you ever had the power to paint me black? If only your arrogance was the only revolting thing about you… You _can't_ dirty me. You never will. I'm too strong for that and I always was. A cretin like you couldn't even leave a small smudge of dirt on me."

"Is that right?" Araneus asked, his grin dropping slightly as he snarled a bit. "That defiant attitude of yours didn't last before, and I can break you again. I'll mark every bit of you, this time, so you'll never forget who you belong to…"

"I belong to no one. I exist for myself, only. I have found happiness and love, all on my own, and you can't change that or take it away from me. I can live without trying to devour others—unlike you, I can sustain myself without seeking that sort of depraved gratification. Unlike you, I'm no monster."

To this, the Trancy deeply frowned. He hadn't expected such words from the menace. It certainly didn't seem like the sort of thing that the submissive and eager to please boy he knew before could possible even imagine.

"You're annoying." He said, taking a strong fighting stance. "You should put that mouth of yours to better use. Then again, if you struggle, it might be more fun to tame you."

"Not even in your wildest of gross-ass fantasies, fucking paedo." Spoke the Macken in retaliation, tensing his muscles as he prepared for combat. "You shouldn't have come here. That was one of many mistakes you made. Another was ever believing that a mere spider could ever paint a lion black."

* * *


	122. Thrown To The Lions

"You shouldn't have come here." Alois informed, taking on a fighting stance. "That was one of many mistakes you made. Another was ever believing that a mere spider could ever paint a lion black."

"A lion? Is that supposed to be you?" scoffed Araneus. "A whore like you could never be one. You're just a doll for other people to play with! And you think you're some kind of ' _lion'?"_

Wordlessly, the blonde solidified his stance, his eyes never leaving his opponent's. "Come see for yourself" they said in silence, inviting the other demon to advance. Alois couldn't be moved; his posture and gaze was already proof enough, but his foe was not convinced. Rather, he didn't _want_ to be convinced. In his mind, the Macken should be just as powerless as he was before, and even the mere thought of him acting so defiantly angered him.

"Piece of filth!" he shouted, charging at the menace with his arm cocked back. His anger grew more and more with every step closer he took, as Alois didn't move even an inch. This man—this boy was supposed to obey him! Such an act of rebellion must be crushed.

It wasn't. Instead, it was the arm of the Trancy that was broken as their fists collided. Alois struck the Trancy's hand with his own with such force, that it broke the older man's bones. A sound of surprise escaped his opponent as it fully registered what exactly happened. Then it became a scream as he felt the pain of his hand being shattered. His skin wrapped loosely, no longer being able to conform to the shape of the appendage. In mere minutes, it would heal, but he didn't have that long as the Macken struck him again, and again, and again. Hand, knee, ribs, eye-socket; all broke as they were impacted with the full force of the menace's blows.

When his hand and knee healed, Araneus attempted to strike a counter attack, swinging his arm again, only to have it blocked by the menace, their eyes meeting for a moment, blue on blue. Even with current situation he was in, even with the damage done, it wasn't until that moment that the Trancy was afraid. It was then, after having looked into the eyes of his foe- at how his own visage reflected back at him through glassy orbs that tore through him—that he understood the gravity of his situation. The way Alois looked at him was with nothing but hatred and malice. He wanted to destroy his opponent entirely. To crush him. To break him, just as the Trancy had try to do unto him. He stared through the man, gazing upon him as if he didn't even register his foe as a person.

And he didn't. He saw his opponent as a monster that needed smiting. The tables had turned to where the Trancy Earl was the prey and the stray animal that was Jim Macken, was the predator that would tear him to shreds; with fangs. With claws. With everything he had. Alois wanted his enemy to know that his plight was hopeless. There was no chance of escape. Araneus was trapped, and he would soon feel the despair and agony of being that way.

Cocking back his arm, the menace took advantage of how the other man left himself completely open. His eyes glowed crimson and he grit his teeth, focusing his power. In a flash, he released the tension in his muscles and sent his arm forward, stabbing the tips of his fingers into his foe, breaking the skin. While the Earl's mind was trying to keep up, Alois quickly stabbed him two more times in the same manner before the menace tore himself away, creating some distance between them. Straightening his back, he watched as the other demon stared down at his chest and abdomen with a confused expression.

It soon contorted painfully as the man dropped to his knees, his hands trying to clutch at his injuries. A scream escaped his lips while he bent over, trying to dull the pain as it continued to bore further into his body. Soon, he lifted his head and tore open his shirt in order to inspect the damage, only for his eyes to widen in horror at the sight.

"Wh-wha-?!" he forced out, his eyes glancing up at the demon in front of him. Alois simply stood and stared, making sure to look down on him with his chin held high.

"They're seeds." The Macken stated flatly. "Y'know, I spent a long time trying to decide on the perfect punishment for you. I wanted you to feel agony. I wanted you to feel violated. I wanted your skin to crawl." He paused, beginning to walk toward his foe with a bizarre calmness about him that caused the other man's blood to run cold.

"While thinking about it, I remembered the predicament of someone I fought only a couple years ago. We still have fragments of silver from them in the memorabilia room." He informed, a smirk appearing on his face. " _And that is why you now have thorn-covered vines spreading throughout your body_. They won't stop until either you're completely full of them, or I decide to let you go. Don't count on the latter, though. That's probably not going to happen."

He was right. The vines pierced the flesh of Araneus, snaking around his internal organs and crawling beneath his skin, tearing it from muscle and giving off a grotesque vein-like appearance. They began to branch off, spreading further and further, reddening his skin and slicing it open. When that occurred, it merely healed back in order to accommodate the parasite. Spreading, wrapping, tearing, piercing—the older demon screamed, but his cries of pain couldn't be heard over the sound of the clocktower bells signaling a new hour.

Alois merely looked down at him with a wide grin devilishly forming across his face. His greatest foe was doubled over in pain before him, screaming, crying, and begging for him to make the torment stop. But he didn't. He let it persist, occasionally letting out a small sound of amusement at a particularly loud scream.

" _Jim!"_ Araneus spouted in a woeful voice. "Jim, _please!_ Let me go…"

"Nah." Said the menace with a shrug. "I don't think you've had enough yet. Squirm more, and I might think about it."

"I'm sorry…" sobbed the older demon, having lost the ability to move. The vines had reached his arms and legs, stabbing through muscles and tearing tendons while separating skin from meat and meat from bone. His eyes hastily darted about for any means of escape, but there were none. The only thing that was out of the ordinary was the appearance of another figure in the background.

"Phantomhive!" the Trancy called out, struggling to move his neck so that he could look up at the watchdog. "Please! Call him off!"

As Ciel walked forward, the menace's resolve shook a tad from the expression on his face. It was cold as it was angry, forcing a chill to run down Alois' spine. Had he gone too far? Was this wrong? No, he was the one in the right, here, wasn't he?

He soon found out the bluenette's thoughts as his beau finally stopped at his side, staring down at the Trancy man at their feet. He glanced at Alois, then back to Araneus. It was then that a smirk of Ciel's own appeared on his face while his arm wrapped around the menace's waist, his hand resting on the blonde's hip.

"I am merely an observer, here." He said finally, his voice smooth, with a little bit of a playful tinge to it, causing a smile to grace Alois' face once more.

"No! Please! Make it stop! I'll do anything!" cried the Trancy, but his captors only laughed in response.

"Long live the king." Spoke Ciel, planting a small peck on the menace's cheek.

Eyes widening, Araneus realised once and for all that there was no saving him. He sobbed pitifully, screaming until the vines finally bound and pierced his lungs, preventing any air to flow either in or out. He was completely paralyzed, but perfectly aware of what was happening to him. Blood-soaked vines began seeping through cuts in his skin, peeking out and twisting about as if they weren't sure where to go from there. His body began to swell, slightly, from all of the plant matter inside of it. Crimson-coloured spit seeped from his mouth, and tears of a similar hue dripped from his eyes. The vein-like protrusions in his skin had reached his face, giving it a grotesque appearance. The plants then started peeking out of his mouth, nose, and eyelids as strained gurgling noises escaped his torn throat.

Before his eyes stopped functioning, he looked up at the duo, registering their smiling faces. This was retribution. They were wicked people punishing and even wickeder being. The lion and dog had brought a formerly gargantuan spider to the ground. When he started bleeding, they grabbed his wrists and ankles and dragged him over to a tarp they had tapped to the floor so that it wouldn't stain. There was no need to be inconsiderate to the school, after all. The point was to remove trash from their campus, so leaving stains was a tad counterproductive.

Hours went by. The gurgling sound stopped. All sounds did, except for the grinding of gears in the background. Two people stood up in the room, staring down at a human-like figure that was completely engulfed in plant life from the inside out. Even its eyes and the inside of its mouth couldn't be seen as it hung open in a silent scream. The Earl of Trancy wasn't dead. Not yet. He was still trying to heal himself, as neither his brain nor his heart had been pierced with an antifreak weapon. Alois' rapist was still alive.

Now the menace was stuck with a troublesome dilemma. Did he kill the Earl, or let him live? If Alois killed the man, the world would be rid of him until his next life came around, but by then he would be a new person. If he didn't, then the Trancy would have to endure the mental scarring that the menace's torture inflicted. He would live in fear for the rest of his long, miserable life.

"Now what do I do?" he asked aloud to his beau, leaning against the other man's shoulder. "Should I kill him?"

"Isn't that what you came here for?" the bluenette asked.

"Yeah, but… Part of me feels like that's the easy way out…" Alois answered. "I mean, whether he lives or dies, what he did to me… It's still going to affect me for the rest of my life no matter what…" He paused, furrowing his brow a bit. "Wouldn't ' _getting even'_ be ensuring that the same goes for him as well?"

Ciel frowned deeply at the first part, a pang of sadness running through him. It was true. Even the Phantomhive had to be mindful of his beau's trauma in order to make sure that he's always comfortable. Goodness knows what it must be like for Alois. His expression changed, however, at the addition of the second part. A wicked grin crossed his visage as he thought about the genius of his beau. This was also true. Indeed, for things to truly be equal, the Earl of Trancy would have to live with his newfound scars.

"If you think that's the right course of action to take, then do it." The bluenette replied, his grip tightening on his boyfriend while planting a kiss on his forehead. "I won't stop you. This is your mission, after all. I have no right to interfere."

"Something tells me that you're enjoying this just a tad…"

"Sorry… I want him to pay, as well… Anyone who would ever harm a single hair on your head should face some severe retribution…"

"So in other words, because you love me?"

"Yes."

"You're so romantic." The menace jested, turning his head to look at the immobile body on the floor. His facial features stiffened and he quieted himself, his mood immediately dropping. What was he going to do? Slowly, he tore himself from his beau and walked over to the Trancy, his feet crumpling the tarp in places as he did. The man simply stared over the other demon, looking down at his miserable form.

"Part of me wants to let him suffer…" he softly stated. "But then… part of me is afraid. Would that make me the same monster that he is?" For a long time, the pair remained silent. That was a tough question.

"I don't know." Ciel answered finally. "I don't think so. You were merely repaying him for the damages done unto you. That is justice. You are punishing him for a crime that has been committed. I don't think that's monsterous at all."

"They say you shouldn't fight hate with hate…"

"That's something monsters tell their prey so that they won't fight back."

"I see…" Alois replied, averting his gaze from the bluenette again and back down to his "father". He remained quiet a while longer before asking: "What do we do with him, then?"

Ciel stopped to think for a moment, furrowing his brow and rubbing his chin. He then walked over to the blonde in order to join him. "Well," he began. "The right thing to do would surely be to return him to his rightful owners."

"And how do we do that?"

"Oh, I'm sure if we wrap him up, they'll come looking for him, eventually." The bluenette stated. "If they're wandering around campus, still, they're bound to sense his presence near the clock tower."

"Let's get to work, then." Smiled the menace. "I've got that end, you get that one."

"Yes, your highness."


	123. Toyland

Two shady figures loitered on campus at King's college, circling the clock tower. The lamps outside were lit, bouncing off of the snow on the ground, so one could clearly see. The grounds were desolate, however. It was late enough at night that the campus should be closed, and most people were either asleep in their dorms or partying. No one would notice as the two characters casually opened the door to the building and waltzed inside. There was no lock. It had been busted days prior.

"I'm sure I sensed him around here." Said Verdegris as she ventured deeper into the structure, her associate in tow. "He hasn't moved in a few days. He's still alive, but Phantomhive and Blackjack probably got to him."

The other figure advanced as well, hobbling slightly. Their arms and legs didn't match one another, as one of each on the same side were miscoloured—blackened as they regenerated themselves after being lost in an explosion. Reattaching a limb or two wasn't much of a task, but creating new ones? That took some time. Voros had already finished, but was still a bit sore.

"How cruel." They said. "I didn't think they had it in them to do something like that, with all of their talk about _'saving people'_." The younger demon looked around with their partner, scouring the area for their other comrade.

"Voros." Called Verdigris. "I found him. He's wrapped up in a tarp. He's not moving…"

"You said he was alive, didn't you?" the other questioned. "Unwrap it. Let's see what they did."

With a nod, the other woman did as instructed, and began to carefully unravel the tarp. Blood leaked from the new openings, pooling on the floor at their feet as each layer came undone. Voros looked on, grin widening as their associate came into view. Whistling a flat note, they took in the handiwork of the Lion of London in awe.

A body, almost completely engulfed in damp, red vines. They had started to decay in some places, revealing bits of flesh that attempted to heal. Araneus' form was stiff, locked in place by his restraints and otherwise unwilling to move. Verdigris roughly dropped him to the floor, forcing him to lay down on top of the soaked tarp before wiping her hands off on her shirt. She took a few steps back as the two demons stared at the man's frame, taking in the grotesque sight.

 _"Fantastic!"_ declared Voros with a grin. Their accomplice simply blinked.

"He's… Still alive?" the woman half-stated, half-questioned.

"Yeah. Looks like they only wanted to torture him. Man, they did a well good job of that!" the other replied, walking toward the body on the floor and poking it, wincing as the thorns cut the still tender flesh of their brand new hand. Voros sucked on their finger for a moment, cleaning the blood away as they healed the wound. " _I like it._ A-plus for _creativity!"_

"It would appear that the watchdog and his partner are much stronger than we thought once again…" Verdigris speculated. "Just how many tricks do they know?"

"Who's to say…" answered Voros, trailing off as they spoke. Their eyes wandered, staring straight ahead as they were dreamily lost in thought.

"I hope they never run out…" they added, leaning back and sitting down, closing their eyes and grinning with a very pleased expression on their face. "We've finally found some fun toys to play with. I don't want it to ever end…"

"What happens when they get boring, though?"

"I'll do away with them and find more, then." Voros stated, looking up at the woman. "Easy."

"Works for me." Stated Verdigris. Scanning their associate's body, a new question came to mind. "What do we do with him? Should we off him?"

"Nah. He still could be useful." The other demon stated. Returning to a couching position, Voros opened their eyes before reaching out and gripping the vines. Their face contorted as they felt the sting of their palms and fingers being torn open from the thorns, but they didn't care. It was apparent from the smile still adorning their face.

" _Help me tear them off."_ The demon instructed, beckoning their accomplice. As Verdigris complied, Voros' grip tightened before tearing off a handful of vines, causing the body to jerk and blood to splatter out from new wounds. Araneus wasn't capable of making a single sound as his compatriots tore, ripped, and shredded, removing chunks of skin and flesh along with the parasitic growths. All the while, Voros grinned, and grinned, and grinned, thinking about the ones who did this.

What fun toys were they! Someone so ingenious, strong, and cruel would undoubtedly make for great fun! They had outwitted Voros once already, but now, they had tortured one of theirs? Diabolical! The thought almost made the demon tremble with excitement. How clever. How beautiful! Toys of this quality were hard to come by, and they would definitely be hard to break. This only made Voros want to do so even more. How would they one-up each other next time? What about the next? Would there be another time after that? The demon without eyebrows certainly hoped so! Their hands quickly tore at the vines embedded in the flesh of their associate, completely rendering the assistance of Verdigris unnecessary.

Soon, there was a mound of flesh resembling a humanoid figure laying in a pool of blood on top of the tarp with a wide-eyed, ecstatic demon peering down at them with a grin. Their hands and clothes were stained with crimson, but they didn't mind in the slightest. Their thoughts were far too preoccupied to worry about this, the twitching body before them, or their somewhat startled compatriot off to the side.

"…Voros?" the woman called, snapping the other demon to attention.

"Toys…" Voros said. "I want to play… Oi! Araneus! Get up, you cur! We've got work to do!"

Ligaments reattached, and patches of skin started to heal along with internal organs, festering, pulsing, and bleeding. Eventually, the man's lungs and vocal chords were functional again. His eyes were dead as he laid there, what parts of his face that were completely renewed contorting.

"Lions…" he said. "Lions… keep them away… their fangs… claws… tearing into me…"

"' _Lions'?"_ echoed the younger-looking demon. "What the hell are you talkin—" Voros cut themselves off as a thought occurred to them. If Phantomhive was a " _watchdog_ ", then the other one must be…

" _Oh_." The browless demon said aloud. "He's the one who did this to you…" A wicked grin crossed Voros' face and the demon at their feet flinched, beginning to violently shake what there was of his body at the mention of the name.

"' _Jim Macken'_ , was it?" Voros mused. "Seems like he's going to be _lots_ of fun…"


	124. Criminal Theory

In the days following, Alois had returned to school, attending classes regularly again with a slight bounce in his step. It was new, and the other residents of Phantomhive house noticed, predominantly Ciel, who continued to work within close proximity to the other man most of the time. He had contracted Alois' seemingly contagious grin at times, getting swept up in how peaceful the menace seemed to feel.

Yes, the menace would never completely "heal". There were still things that he simply could not do, and things that he was still afraid of. His fear of the old man persisted as well, but despite the fact that the Earl of Trancy was alive, Alois was now armed with power that he could never have even dreamed of possessing for himself while he was human. Alois had full control over his own life. He had the power to shape his destiny all on his own. With the assertion of this power over the Earl, he had solidified this fact. Somehow, it made the menace feel _lighter_.

His giddiness was apparent as he walked into the bluenette's home office, making his way toward the man behind his desk. " _Hello~!"_ he chimed, pecking the Phantomhive on the cheek before plopping onto one of the god-awful couches in the room. Like always, his grin spread to the other at the contact, forcing him to smile as well.

"So I take it that you had a good day?" he mused, looking up at the blonde, watching him nod.

"Uh-huh." The menace answered. "Classes went smoothly, and oh, did I mention that they moved the old man's body?"

"So they found him, hm?" questioned Ciel. "Do you think it was Cerberus?"

"Well, judging by the fact that security is about the same and that nobody's saying anything, I'd say that's a safe bet."

"Wonderful." Stated the watchdog. "Do you think they liked our gift?"

"Most likely." Alois said, sitting up slightly in order to look at the bluenette. "Remember what he said? Voros is bored, and is in search of someone to play with. They deliberately chose us as formidable opponents, so with this, we simply gave them what they wanted."

"A ' _formidable opponent'_ …" echoed the bluenette, resting his chin in his palm. His eyes closed as he remembered something that happened approximately four years ago. "I can understand that…" he said.

"Being a demon without anyone to really hang out with must've been so boring…" the menace replied. "Even you went as far to try and resurrect an old enemy in order to fight them. That's pretty hardcore…"

"It was maddening." Ciel answered. "Living without purpose is worse than not living at all. I only went a hundred years or so like that. Who knows how old Voros is? Maybe all of this time, they've been searching for conflict in order to settle their unrest."

"Maybe they just need a boyfriend or a girlfriend." Jokingly suggested the blonde. "A date-mate. It seems to have worked for you."

"You're right, it did." His beau chuckled, opening his eyes again. "I like this turn of events much better. If I followed through and turned you into the ' _ultimate foe'_ like I had originally planned, then what happens afterwards? Either I'd be dead, or back where I started. Voros has the same problem, now."

Everything was fine during the first few years of Ciel's newfound "condition". He lived life somewhat normally, aside from the fact that he had to flee the country and hide his true nature. There was a bit of a thrill in that. As time went on, however, the bluenette was supposed to have grown up, and yet he wandered aimlessly, trying to find something to take his mind off of eternity. When war broke out, he thrived, living on the excitement of a renewed sense of danger. When he was lucky, he got to play pranks on enemy soldiers and foil their plots for no other reason than because he could.

It ended, however. A few decades later, it happened again. This time, however, the country that he was staying in fell and became occupied with enemy forces, causing him to return to England once again. Upon arrival, he was caught and had the opportunity to work out in the open with human beings. Naturally, the Phantomhive agreed. He was tired of hiding from everyone, but not done shutting people out.

While working with the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization and Scotland Yard, Ciel was able to absolve most of his boredom. Yet, after decades more had passed, it had become routine. Slowly, he was going mad from being unable to keep interesting people around him, as humans die. Solve murders, watch people age, watch people die; solve murders, watch people age, watch people die- it was the same thing over and over again. Yes, Ciel could understand Voros' motives very well. Despite this, however, it was his duty to put a stop to them.

"You're not going to get bored of me, are you?" asked the menace, arching an eyebrow. He watched as his beau shook his head.

"No." Ciel stated, a small smile forming on his face. "In fact, as time goes on, you only keep getting more interesting."

"Good. I don't know what I'd do if that happened…"

"Smack some sense into me for doubting you, probably."

"Nice."

"It's true. Your power is quite something." The bluenette said. "I'm proud of you. You've come so far."

A blush appeared on the blonde's face at this. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach as that particular choice of words made him extremely happy. It was somewhat of a relief. Alois did worry at times that the bluenette would grow tired, especially when he acted out the way he did at the clock tower. Smiling uncontrollably, he giggled.

"Glad you think so!" Hs answered, leaning his arm on the rest of the couch and resting his chin in his palm. "Think Voros will think the same way?"

"Not quite." Ciel replied. "They will most definitely be pleased at your power, but they won't be as nearly sentimental."

"Oh, well. As long as you're impressed, it's good." The menace mused. "So, what do we do about Voros?" He watched as his beau crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes in thought.

"Find out how they're going to strike next." He stated. "So far, they've been launching wide-scale attacks in populated areas and building up their forces. The question is: why? It has to be something _big_."

"A landmark?" suggested the blonde. "Given how flashy and brazen they are, that could be a good guess."

"That's true… Somewhere specific…" Ciel began. "They do seem to like gimmicks, judging by all of their 'Jack' nonsense."

"Hm… London Bridge?" asked Alois. "I can see them using the song. They'd probably try to bomb it."

"Good guess." The watchdog said, beginning to jot things down. "What about the college, though? What reason do they have to be there?"

"To spy on us?"

"Doubt it. They don't like making unnecessary efforts."

"Naming their flunkies after Jack-related puns was ' _necessary'?"_

"It is if you're Voros."

Sitting up, the blonde continued to think for a moment. "I have no idea, then." He stated. "There was probably something that they needed there. We know that Verdigris had access to the dorms, and that Araneus had access to the students as a professor."

"Perhaps they were building their forces…" the bluenette speculated. "But why college students?"

"Most of them are in a vulnerable position." Alois replied. "Most aren't completely sure what they want to do with their lives, but know that they only have a small amount of time to decide. There's pressure from parents, there's pressure from teachers, there's pressure from peers. Some students are time bombs of stress—it wouldn't be hard to recruit them for your nefarious purposes if you somehow provide them with an answer to their problems."

"You could be onto something, there… So… How do we beat someone who has an army of stressed college students, is extremely bored, and likes to blow things up?"

"Find out where they are and give them what they want." The menace answered. "Kick their ass."

"And how do you locate them?"

"Well, where would they store a big group of people? When I was ' _Blackjack_ ', they were in the same building as us."

"So we're thinking warehouses, abandoned buildings… Probably not the Glen. That area is still crawling with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. forces…"

"Considering recent events, they might want to keep a closer eye on the Jacks so that none of them are able to sabotage them from the inside again."

"Warehouses then?" asked the bluenette.

"Most likely." Answered the Macken. "Ones that are currently not in use."

"I'll pass this on to Integra." Ciel said, finishing writing down his beau's speculations so that he would remember them all later. "If you think of anything else, be sure to do the same."

"Roger that~!" spoke the blonde with a playful salute. "Let's give 'em hell~!"


	125. Infection

" _Just a little more…"_ said the therapist, encouraging their patient to pull the resistance bands tighter. Preston was already sweating bullets by this time, his breath becoming heavy. Just a little more. A little more, and he would be closer to recovering.

Alas, it wouldn't be so today. Grunting, the Omid gentleman's muscles gave out and he couldn't pull any more. He was tired. While it was necessary for him to build up his strength, he was beginning to wonder if it was alright for him to keep doing this.

His condition had stabilized. He could now walk again with the assistance of a cane. Preston's body was considerably weakened by Black Annis, and he worried about his symptoms returning. The growths that appeared along the large scar across his torso had been removed, but he was still permanently damaged. Almost head to toe, he was covered in sigils and markings to help prevent the spread of the almost parasitic contagion, and it was getting more and more difficult to move. Even after light physical therapy, he felt as though he were about to collapse.

"Alright, I think that's enough for today." The therapist said with a smile. "You've really improved a lot. Same time next week?"

"Yeah… right…" Preston replied, taking a moment to catch his breath. "I'll… I'll see you then."

He hobbled out of the room and into the changing area in order to switch from his exercise clothes. The man knew he shouldn't have done that last pull. It was difficult to put his arms through his shirt, and his hands were too shaky to button it. It took him ages to come out again, having finally succeeded.

With his cane, he walked out and over to the front desk where he scheduled his next appointment. Then he called a cab and went home. There was no way he could drive himself. He was too winded to be able to concentrate on the road, if he tried.

He made it back to his apartment building and paid the driver. Slowly, he made his way up the steps to the front entrance and he opted to take the elevator once inside. We didn't dare to brave the several flights of stairs it took to get to his flat. There was no way it could be done. He would definitely keel over soon after he tried, perhaps only making it one flight, at most.

Once he got home, he locked the door and took a seat, leaning his head back and staring up at the ceiling for a while. Preston couldn't be bothered to change, yet. He needed to rest, first. The man was only twenty and he was feeling winded just getting back home. Black Annis was certainly something. According to his therapist, however, he was getting better. Miranda said that he was as well, and he trusted her opinion. The growths were no longer spreading. While this was true, Preston couldn't help but wonder why he was having so much trouble functioning.

Currently, he was living on an allowance from his parents, as he wasn't suitable for work at the moment. Due to his illness, he hadn't been able to continue attending college, so he couldn't get his degree. Everything was seeming to fall apart around him as his aspirations became harder and harder to reach. Now, they seemed impossible, and it was all thanks to Black Annis. Perhaps he really shouldn't have saved Kris, back then. If he didn't, he wouldn't be the one suffering now.

Preston quickly shook his head. No, that wasn't right. His course of action was correct. He wanted to save his friend, and he did. If he didn't, it would be Kristopherson suffering now, not himself. That said, he would really rather not be.

Preston was sick and afraid. Sometimes, he was afraid of falling asleep due to the fact that he wasn't at all certain if he would wake up. It was difficult to move and he was starting to wonder if one day if he would quit moving altogether. The growths on his chest would return on occasion and he would have to quickly get them removed. What if for whatever reason, he couldn't, or they grew back quicker than before? How long would it be before he was covered in black armour and attacking people? There was no certainty that he could fight this infection forever, if at all.

Soon, his eyes became heavy and he nodded off right where he was. It was seldom that he slept soundly or peacefully, so this was an outstanding opportunity. No dreams; only darkness. He hadn't even known he had nodded off until he awoke again and discovered that it was nightfall. He sat in the dark for a moment, furrowing his brows and grumbling to himself that he would now have to somehow find a lightswitch before making an effort to stand up.

The man shuffled around the room, holding out a hand in order to find the wall. Once he did, he felt along it in search of the switch before finding it and turning on the lights. His eyes squinted as they were meet by the harsh illumination, causing Preston to turn the knob on the wall and dim them. A heavy sigh escaped him as he looked at his watch. He had woken up just in time for bed.

He started to remove his jacket and unbutton the first few buttons on his shirt in order to go to sleep. It wasn't as though there was anything else for him to really do. He didn't feel like doing much. All he wanted to do was sleep, despite his fears, and wait until tomorrow in hopes of something new.

Being useless was terrible. Poor Preston felt like nothing but a burden to everyone else—to his family, to his friends, and to society as a whole. Was it really worth helping someone who was more than likely destined to become a monster?

Once he got one arm out of the sleeve, his body jerked as he felt a stabbing pain in his chest. Both of his hands slammed against the wall as he doubled over and tried to keep himself standing. It was getting harder to breathe and he was soon in a coughing fit.

Quickly, he leaned against the wall and tore open his shirt before limping his way to the bathroom, covering his mouth and nose as he hacked and coughed. The pain in his chest was unbearable, but he desperately needed to inspect the damage.

When he got to the bathroom, he hastily flicked on the light before slamming both hands down on the edges of the sink and coughed into it. Preston's eyes were shut tight as his head pounded. He could feel liquid escaping his throat and he could hear it dripping into the sink. He was throwing up, wasn't he?

Eventually, the fit subsided and the pain lessened. The man wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, waiting a few moments for his headache to calm down before daring to open his eyes and subject them to the bright light. Sniffling, he couldn't help but register the taste of iron in his mouth which forced him to open them.

His eyes cast downward into the sink as it was now stained red. Blood trickled down the drain as it continued to drip from his lips. He wasn't vomiting. He was coughing up blood.

The Omid couldn't even scream. He couldn't find his voice. All he could to was stare down in horror, wide-eyed, until his legs became too weak to support him and he fell into the bathroom floor. His hand was still on the counter as he sat there, staring straight ahead. In that moment, he didn't know what he was feeling. He was so shocked, that he didn't know whether to feel sad or afraid. Before he knew it, however, he made a small whimper. The noise seemed to snap him to his senses, as his face contorted with pain, fear, and sadness. After that, the only sounds that filled the apartment were the sounds of silent sobbing.

* * *


	126. A Chance Encounter

Preston walked onto campus. His skin felt as though he was full of needles and his body felt heavy. His feet shuffled like they were full of lead as he hobbled inside. He simply wanted to see the place. He hadn't been going out at all in the past few months, so despite his doctor's wishes, he pressed onward.

The man's chest was full of fresh stitches as he was supposed to be recovering from surgery. He had to get more shards removed. They had started growing inward, piercing his organs. Regardless, he masked his pain and discomfort and walked forward as if it were his only chance to see sunlight again.

He couldn't walk for much longer. Soon, he had to take a seat on a bench and rest for a moment. Poor Preston was panting, swallowing in cold air that made his lungs hurt, but the ache was fortunately distinguishable from the pain of being stabbed. The man really needed to get inside, but he was far too tired. Perhaps when he regains his strength, he should just go home.

"Preston?" called a familiar voice—one that immediately captured the Omid's attention. Upon looking up, Preston locked eyes with a young man with brown hair parted to the left, and green eyes dressed in a hoodie. Upon setting his sights on the sickly gentleman, Daniel grinned, immediately making his way toward his friend.

"Preston! Man, I haven't seen you in forever!" the Westley declared, excitedly walking over and taking a seat on the bench. "How have you been?"

While Preston was almost ecstatic to finally see one of his friends again, his smile wavered and almost dropped completely at the question. There was no good answer. Thus, the Omid lied.

"I've been doing fine. My therapist has been saying that I've been getting better." He said, maintaining a smile. Daniel believed its legitimacy with ease, grinning back.

"That's great!" the other man declared, a rush of relief washing over him. "We've all been really worried about you. Are you back in school?"

"No, not yet." He lied again. In reality, he had no intention of returning. "I just wanted to see the place."

"I get you." The brunet replied. "Sometimes you just wanna do things. I'm glad you did."

"Why's that?"

"Because you've never really been the type." Daniel answered. "You've always been too scared to do things, or think that they were pointless. Perspectives change, though, right?"

"Yeah…" the Omid said back. There was just a twinge of sadness in his voice, but it shockingly didn't go unnoticed by Daniel. The brunet's face donned a concerned expression at the sound, his brow furrowing a bit as he looked the other man over.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, placing a hand on Preston's shoulder. "If there's anything bothering you, you can talk to me about it, if you want. I won't blab to the others, I promise."

"Thanks, but I don't think that will do much good, I'm afraid." Preston admitted. His own face visage scrunched together as it started to get hard to breathe. This cold air was not doing him any favours.

"I need to get inside." He said, gripping his cane and attempting to stand. "It's too cold for me to stand, much longer." It was then that the Westley stood up, extending an arm out to him.

"Lemme help." Daniel insisted, waiting patiently for the other to either deny or accept his offer. Without hesitation, Preston took his hand, assisting the man by pulling himself up, aided with the combined force of Daniel's pull. He stood up, almost immediately doubling over again. Oh no…

"Urgh…" grunted the Omid, ripping his hand away from the other man in order to grip his chest. His breath came out rapidly in thick steam; his skin was hot to the touch, and he had begun to sweat, despite the temperature of his surroundings.

"Shit, are you okay?!" worriedly questioned his friend, immediately moving to help the poor man. After a few moments, the pain weakened, and Preston was able to regain his composure.

"I'm fine." He said, attempting to straighten himself. "It's just the cold, is all. I need to get inside."

"Lemme help you. I've still got a few minutes before class."

"It's alright. I can handle it."

"Are you sure?" Daniel asked, worry still prominent on his face. "It's no trouble at all…"

 _"It's fine!"_ Preston snapped, shaking the brunet's hand away. His brow furrowed, his teeth were bared, and he glared at the other man from where he stood, his face immediately softening upon seeing the startled expression on Daniel's face.

"I'm sorry…" the Omid said, not entirely sure as to why he was so angry. "I just… I want to be by myself for a bit, if that's alright… It was nice seeing you again…"

With that, Preston hastily made his way toward the nearest building, hobbling as fast as he could without falling. For a moment, Daniel debated on going after him, but in his experience, this has often backfired for him. His friend quickly made it inside, shuddering as the warm air hit him. He quickly sought out the first bathroom he could possibly find, and once there, he clumsily shuffled into one of the stalls and slammed the door behind him. Then, he dropped to his knees and started coughing.

Blood his the inside of the bowl. It was a lot more than last time. Preston stayed frozen for a moment, simply staring as the red fanned out into lighter hues as it mixed with dirty water. To say that he was in a state of shock would be accurate. His mind couldn't seem to wrap his head around what was happening, despite the fact that the answer was right in front of him.

He remained in that spot for ages, trying to snap himself from his stupor. An hour passed, and then two. People came into the bathroom and went, none the wiser to the sickly man. Preston sat up, leaning the back of his head against the door. He wasn't in any pain. His body was numb, as was his mind. Preston's eyes closed and his brow furrowed as he tried to focus enough to think of what to do next.

Then, the door opened. The man fell backwards, now laying on his back on the restroom floor. Slowly, his eyes opened again and he looked up do see a very peculiar person standing over him with an amused grin.

They seemed much too young to be attending college, and their presence made the Omid uneasy. It could have just been their appearance, with their lack of eyebrows and wearing of dark colours, but something seemed very dangerous about them. Those crimson eyes of theirs conveyed that to him.

"Isn't blood in the toilet more of a girl thing?" they laughed, poking fun at the Omid's predicament. Despite this, he was too tired and too scared to move. He didn't speak either, much to the apparent disappointment of the other. With a pout, they continued.

"You're no fun…" spoke the browless individual. "I'm just playing with you. You seem like an interesting guy."

"Who are you?" Preston finally forced out in a weak voice. To that, the stranger's grin returned.

"I'll tell you, if you tell me." They said. "Who are you? Or rather, what?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because I've never seen someone like you, before, and I want to know." They informed. "Now, are you going to tell me willingly, or am I going to have to resort to doing something nasty?"


	127. Britain's Most Wanted

A patient was missing. Preston Omid, age twenty, was last seen at King's College after supposedly venturing there on a whim. His friend, Daniel Westley, was one of the last people to see him, and judging by the information that he dispensed to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; Omid left him in some kind of pain before venturing off into one of the nearby buildings. Security cameras depict him leaving with what appeared to be a young teen, but from H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s intel, it was confirmed that the teen was actually Voros, who is now known to be the leader of the demonic terror group known as "Cerberus". Omid is to be brought in immediately, if not terminated on sight.

That was a lot for his friends to take in. The demonic duo were having a particularly rough time, as it would be them who would be pulling the trigger in the worst case scenario. Preston wasn't dangerous, was he? There was absolutely no way that he would accompany Voros of his own volition.

"So what's the plan?" questioned the menace to his equally baffled beau. "There's got to be a way to find him, somehow."

"If there is, I'm not sure what." Ciel replied. He rubbed his forehead for a moment before leaning back in his chair. "Ordinarily, I would say that the first thing we should do is try to track his mobile, but knowing Voros, they probably got rid of it."

"Can't hurt to try." His boyfriend answered, sitting up. "Just in case, y'know? Now, what are other ways to track down people in a city populated by several million?"

"Security cameras, eyewitnesses—but the scale that we have to search on is the problem." Grumbled the bluenette. "We discussed possible targets… Do you think that they're nearby?"

"Possibly, but then again, they have to hide someplace pretty big, but not too populated. After all, they do have to hide their little ' _army_ '." Alois paused for a moment, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees and his chin in his palms. "Did the search to narrow that down turn up with anything?"

"H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. has scanned several of the warehouses along the Thames, but haven't found anything, as of yet."

The blonde hummed in response, pondering to see if he could come up with some method. How on earth was one supposed to track someone down, when both numbers, and technology weren't on their side? Maybe they weren't even looking in the right places. Perhaps due to the size of the city being hidden in, the duo was thinking too "big".

"About how many people from King's have gone missing?" the blonde asked.

"About seventeen."

"About how many people in the general area have gone missing in the same time frame?"

"I don't know. I would have to ask."

"Well, if you pick anything up, maybe they're leaving a trail of some sort behind…" speculated the menace. "If there's a trail of missing people snaking around the city, where it stops might be your kidnappers."

"Good idea…" the bluenette replied, jotting down the idea to get back to detective Bailey about later. "Then there's the problem of where they're going to strike…"

"I think you were right before, though. It will have to be pretty close to wherever they're hiding. It's not like they can march their little army around the city like a bloody parade."

"Do you think the number of missing people would have something to do with that, too?" questioned the watchdog. "Wherever they end up has to be large enough to conceal that many people, and close to their target… What if it's actually someplace smaller than a warehouse?"

"Like just a random empty building?" asked the menace. He reached out and opened the laptop on the coffee table in front of him. "Are there any of those near any landmarks?"

"Maybe a foreclosed place of business that didn't survive the tourist season." Ciel suggested, turning to his own computer. "Most likely a restaurant."

"Gordon Ramsay would lose his shit." The blonde jested. " _'There's fuckin' demons everywhere!'"_

 _"Gordon Ramsay: Demon Slayer."_ Joked his beau, causing the menace to laugh.

"That's one hell of a kitchen nightmare…" Alois shot back while typing on his keyboard. "Found something. It's called ' _Gino's Itallian'_." He informed. He paused for a moment, furrowing his brow. "This is bad…"

"What is it."

"It's near Big Ben… The Parliament Building…" the blonde said, looking up. "The Round Table will get involved…"

"They already are." Ciel said, picking up the phone. He immediately began dialing the Hellsing woman in order to update the status of the case.

* * *


	128. GoldenEye

"This is just a stakeout." Said the commanding officer. "Don't engage unless absolutely necessary."

A team was en route to the suspected location in an armoured car disguised as a food truck. There were a few humans, including a mister Heinrich Strumer along with a handful of other, lower-ranked agents. Along with them were three non-human agents, a demon known as "Jonnathan Beattie", as well as married couple Amelie and Charlotte Garou. Charlotte was currently rubbing shade-gel on her face in order to protect herself from the sun, despite the fact that it was cloudy, while her wife sat next to her, holding both of their guns while she finished. Meanwhile, Jonnathan and Heinrich, his guardian of sorts, went over the objective and procedure for the mission.

They were simply supposed to stake the place out. It was essential that they know what exactly they're getting themselves into before they advanced. After all, they still weren't completely certain that Cerberus was in the abandoned building in the first place!

The plan was for a few operatives to watch from the car, while the rest kept a close eye on the building from the two neighbouring ones. Naturally, they asked for permission from the owners, first. The civilians believed them to be from the police, as the group wore police uniforms as opposed to their usual ones so that no one would be too suspicious of their operations. The only difference was the red arm band with the Hellsing family crest on it, marking who they were loyal to.

Immediately upon stepping out of the vehicle, however, Amelie froze. Taking a few steps forward, she sniffed the air. Something had caught the lycanthrope's attention.

"Omid." She said, recognizing the scent. She then turned to Charlotte. "He was here. Pretty recent."

"That sure is suspicious…" the vampire replied. "Anything else?"

"Not sure. Need to get closer."

"I'll tell the captain." Charlotte stated, turning to do so. She paused for a moment as she saw the other woman stepping closer to the building. "Don't get to close to it! Wait for instructions!"

Amelie paused for a moment, waiting patiently while her spouse presented the information to the captain. Something wasn't right. There was something else in there. She could smell it. The scent was familiar, but she couldn't decipher it where she was. She would have to open the front door if she wanted to know.

After a few moments, her patience paid off. The captain had given the order to search the surroundings of the building, but not yet to go inside. That was enough for Amelie. She and the other troops moved in, trying to arouse as little suspicion as possible. As she got closer, however, her senses began to pick up information.

"Explosives." She pointed out. "Outside. Some are inside, too."

"Are they live?" asked the captain.

"Hard to say…"

"Shit… We need a bomb unit…" he said, rubbing his forehead. "Anybody inside?"

"I'm not sensing any heartbeats." Charlotte informed. "The Jacks aren't in there, but I can't tell you if the demons are. It's hard to pick them up."

"Let's wait until the bomb specialists get here and call in the Phantomhives." The captain said. "Everybody fall back for now, but keep your eyes on that restaurant!"

"Yes, sir!"

With that order, the faux-police officers waited. They loitered around the building, just waiting for something to happen. Anything. The supernatural beings in particular were on edge. They could all tell that there was obviously something amiss about this place.

"There's something in there…" said Jonnathan, keeping his eyes trained on the front of the restaurant. "I can sense it. It's not human."

"How many?" asked the vampire, knowing that there were things that a demon's sixth sense could pick up that neither a vampire's or a werewolf's senses could detect.

"One." The boy replied. "I can't tell what it is, though."

"Then where did the others go?"

"Who knows… Maybe they moved them?"

"But where would they move them to?" pondered Charlotte, trying to piece things together. All three supernaturals thought for a moment, furrowing their brows while the lycanthrope's eyes wandered around the scene.

The perps would have to move dozens of people inconspicuously around the city. How could they do that, though? Cerberus was clever, but they couldn't just hide in plain sight, could they?

They could. They have before. Amelie immediately looked to the other two, who didn't seem to catch on. Instead of taking time to explain it to them, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her personal mobile phone, dialing a particular number before holding it up to her face.

"Hello?" greeted the blonde menace on the other end. He didn't get a proper greeting in return, however, as the wolf-girl began yelling.

"Blondie! We've got trouble!" she exclaimed, sparking the attention of her coworkers. She paid them no mind, however, as she had much more important things to attend to.

"Don't come here!" she instructed. "Go to Big Ben! That's where they're going, isn't it?! They're hiding out in the open again! Tourists! Tourists! They're posing as tourists!"

A long pause followed suit as everyone began to process that information, including the demonic detective on the other end of the line. The Frenchwoman snorted, pleased with her realization. With that, a voice came out of her phone.

"On it." The menace answered. "Good work, Poodles."

"It's my job." Amelie stated.

"Can you handle things there?"

"Oui. There's only one."

"Alright. Call back if you need anything."

"Yes, my lord!" Amelie spouted, prompting the blonde to hang up. She placed the device back in her pocket with a proud look on her face, rather pleased with the fact that she figured it out. Just as she turned around, however, her ears were assaulted with a loud booming sound and a rush of hot air stuck her cheeks.

The bombs in the restaurant had gone off, setting the building ablaze. The agents on the ground immediately began to scramble, getting in touch with the fire department and evacuating those currently in the neighbouring buildings before the fire could spread. Whatever was inside was caught in the explosion as well, but in due time, the agents would find out what it was as its way out of the inferno.

A large, roundish-shaped object covered in a hard, black substance burst through what remained of the doors, sending shattered glass out toward the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. crew on the scene. It remained still for a few moments before it began to unfold like a flower. Its petals wilted, returning into the humanoid body that they had apparently sprouted from initially.

It was a man, seemingly in his early twenties, with short, black hair and brown skin. He was dressed in a black coat with short sleeves, torn from the armour that had expelled forth from his now healing skin. It patched itself up quickly, far faster than that of an ordinary human. One could see scars of symbols being engraved into his skin, and tattoos of others peeking out from holes in his clothes. He certainly wasn't dressed for the weather, but he didn't seem to mind in the slightest. In fact, he seemed excited. Dark bags outlined the bottom of laughing, golden eyes that peered at the agents as their owner flashed them a smug grin.

"Omid!" Charlotte exclaimed, honestly shocked to see the man there and in such a state. Preston's face relaxed a bit, shifting into a calmer smile.

"Yes?" he answered, adopting a more natural expression. "So you figured out the plan, huh? That sucks…"

 _"'Plan'?"_ echoed the vampire. "You're seriously with Cerberus?!" she demanded, causing a smirk to crawl across Preston's face.

 _"Of course."_ The man stated. "Why wouldn't I be? They gave me back my ability to walk again. It's not like I can just say ' _no_ ' to them. Besides, I'm done pretending to be something I'm not. It's painful. As much as I don't really like it, I'm not…" Preston stalled for a moment, clenching his fist as the corner of his mouth twitched.

"…I'm not even human anymore." He concluded, taking on a more melancholic grin.

"Don't do this, Omid…" Charlotte began, taking a step forward. "It's not too late… Just turn yourself in. We can still help you."

"Help me?" asked the man. He laughed and shook his head. "You can't help me… You people… You _monsters_ … You're the ones who _did_ this to me!"

Armour protruded through his skin, tearing it apart again, causing him to visibly wince at the feeling. He moved his covered arms in front of him, shielding him from anything that the group could dish out at him. Quickly, his legs began to move to one side as he tried to make a break for it.

"I've got places to be! _Stay out of my way!"_


	129. Many Things At Once

Bullets bounced off of the surface of black armour. Its owner leapt high into the air, making his way down the street at a remarkably quick pace. It was obvious that these were things that no human could do. Preston was right. His humanity was gone, and what remained was a frightened and angry beast.

"Hold your fire!" Charlotte instructed, overshadowing the commanding officer. "Bullets aren't working! The Supernatural unit will have to fight at close range!"

"Just like last time, huh?" asked Heinrich, throwing his cigarette on the ground and grinding it into the dirty concrete with his shoe. "You including me in on this?"

"No." Answered Amelie. "If this were an ordinary annie, we would, but this one has a higher thinking capacity, making it much more deadly."

"Wow, you're serious…" the German replied. "Alright. I'll hang back here. Johnny, you go with them."

"Got it!" the small demon said, giving a small salute. With that, he began running, trying to keep up with the two women as they went in pursuit of Preston.

"Charlotte!" called the wolf-girl, extending her arm out to her wife. Nodding, the taller woman took her hand, before spinning, slamming her foot on the ground in order to stop herself before letting go of Amelie. She sent the silver-haired woman flying toward their target before beginning to pick up the pace again.

Upon getting closer to Preston, Amelie's fingers grabbed hold of him before aiming her gun. To her horror, the armour did not take kindly to this, growing spikey protrusions in its surface and forcing the werewolf to let go with a bloody hand that healed almost instantly. She had to be careful. If she shot off one of her bullets, it could ricochet off of the Omid's defenses and strike her instead.

"No good." She said, her feet hitting the ground and her comrades catching up to her.

"I saw that… You were right. He's not stupid." The vampire replied. "Any ideas?"

"We could let Sir Phantomhive and Agent Macken try to talk some sense into him." Suggested Jonnathan. "They're good at that sort of thing. Besides, they were friends, weren't they?"

"Are you suggesting we let a rampaging pseudo-annie regroup with Cerberus and attack the parliament building?"

"It could work." Said Amelie. "They're less breakable."

"But we still can't let him regroup!" Charlotte informed.

"Then we only let him reach blondie and eyepatch!" replied the wolf-girl.

"I can _hear_ you, you know!" shouted Preston, turning his head as he traversed. He knew what they were up to, but he wasn't entirely sure if he could stop them. Regardless, he would have to try.

"Shut the fuck up, fuckboy, I'm talking to my woman!" barked Amelie as her wife fumbled for her own cell phone in order to pass on the information to the demonic duo. He clumsily held the device up to her ear as she ran, dodging patches of ice on the sidewalk and leaping into the air.

"Hello?"

"Phantomhive!" the vampire began. "Sir! We've got trouble! We've run into Omid! He's heading your way!"

"Can't you apprehend him yourselves?" the bluenette asked, prompting his beau to look over at him while driving.

"We can't! He's not… He's not human anymore! He's able to sprout armour… like the annies! He can control it at will. Close range attacks by us are a no-go."

Ciel paused for a few moments, allowing that information to sink in. Preston? Giving trained, supernatural agents of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. trouble? Preston was ill, and he was always sort of the "nervous" type. He wouldn't dare try to harm someone he knew was bigger than him, would he?

No, of course not. It had to be the work of Voros. They probably put a collar on him, brainwashed him, and used some kind of magic to morph him into this demi-annie. Preston, while stressed from his condition, would most likely never resort to violence. His weakened state of mind, however, might have only made it easier for Cerberus to plant their will into his head.

"Understood." The Phantomhive finally stated. "We'll take care of him. In the meantime, start tracking down possible Jacks. We're not entirely sure what their goal is, but knowing Cerberus, there may be suicide-bombers involved."

"Roger that." Charlotte answered, prompting the man to hang up. The speed of the car increased as the blonde overheard the conversation on the phone.

"How are we going to do this?" the menace questioned, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Talk to him first. Then, if force is necessary, will make him submit. Same as always." Answered Ciel, speaking with a certain degree of detachment from the subject that anyone other than Jim Macken would find unsettling.

"These fuckers…" grumbled the fair-haired demon, shaking his head. "What the fuck are they up to?"

"Well, if Voros sensed Preston on the campus, knowing them, they're bound to be curious. That's just the way they are." The bluenette stated, understanding their foes motives a bit. "In their mind, they probably found a new, interesting toy to play with."

"And it just happened to be affiliated with Phantomhive, yeah?"

"Yeah…"

"Listen…" began the menace. "I know that you identify with this barmy, browless, bag of dicks a bit, but the situation has changed. You're not some bored demon without a purpose like Voros. You've got things to keep you going, including your friends."

"I know…" the Phantomhive said with a sigh. "I'm not the same idiot I was… Now we have to save Preston from this monstrosity. Voros has to go down."

"Are you saying that resurrecting me was an act of idiocy?" the blonde teased in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"A little bit, yes. It was a good one, though. Maybe not for the reasons I intended, but the outcome is better than I could have imagined."

"Aw, you're so sweet." Alois cooed. "Are you going to show Preston that same sweetness?"

"He's my friend, so I have to show him some kindness." Ciel replied. "Is this really the time to be taunting me?"

"Every time is a good time to taunt you." His beau answered as the car began to slow down. The duo approached the parliament building and the clock tower attached to it. Once the vehicle lulled to a stop, the demons stepped out of it, examining the scene.

" _Tourists_ …" the watchdog said. "Charlotte was right… This is the perfect way to hide a bomb."

"Charlotte could be a really scary person if she wasn't so nice." The blonde answered. "Maybe it's a good thing she's on our side, huh? Leave the creepy, fucked up shit to us…"

"So what's the plan?" questioned Ciel. "Wait for Preston, search the crowd, or find Voros?"

"Maybe Preston could _lead_ us to Voros?"

"Excellent observation. In that case…" the Phantomhive trailed off as he felt a familiar presence. He turned to find a familiar face approaching the building.

"Speak of the devil…" said Alois.

"Follow him."

* * *


	130. Cursed? Or Something Else?

"Follow him." The bluenette instructed upon seeing the Omid gentleman, watching as his friend approached the building. It seemed as though he was expecting them, however. The way he looked around was key, yet somehow, he still seemed surprised at seeing the duo. There was a moment of hesitation as he stalled in his steps. Preston's eyes eventually narrowed and he kept moving forward, his path not changing despite the fact that it intersected with the demons' location.

"Don't do it, Preston." The blonde said as the pair moved toward him. There was a casual fluidity in their movements, suggesting that this sort of thing was routine for them. In reality, it wasn't. The event that they would have to potentially engage in combat against a friend was not ordinary. Despite this, it was in their best interest to give the impression that they knew exactly what they were doing.

"We don't want to have to hurt you. You're our friend. We can work this out." Alois continued, much to the visible annoyance of the Omid.

"I already tried that." Preston answered, furrowing his brow in a menacing scowl. "' _With enough physical therapy, you'll be right as rain!' 'You're getting better! Just look at you!'_ was it?" he quoted from his doctors.

"That was a lie to make me feel better, wasn't it? There wasn't anything you could do. Nothing you _would_ do, anyway." He accused, continuing on. "If Cerberus could fix me, then why didn't _you?"_

"Did you really expect us to try something that we've never done and possibly kill you with it?" questioned Ciel. "We're not willing to experiment when it comes to people's lives, especially not when it comes to the lives of our friends."

"You could have done _something!"_ the man with the golden eyes barked, stopping his movements for a moment. "You didn't do anything! You wouldn't even see if I was alright! You were too busy playing to care!"

"We were in the middle of tracking down a terrorist, and we still are!" Alois said back. "We've been solving murder after murder, and on top of that, we have to deal with this mess! Don't get involved in it!"

"Don't get involved? I already am! I was from the moment I got infected with this… this… _thing!_ I'm not even _human_ anymore! Did you expect me to just shrivel up and die with it? I couldn't walk, I couldn't move, hardly, and you expected me to just be okay with that?!"

"And the alternative you're choosing is to become a terrorist?" asked Ciel.

"It's better than not being _alive!"_ Preston shouted, his voice cracking, slightly. His face spelled anger but his eyes conveyed fear. He knew very well what kind of situation he was placed in.

Driven to the edge by despair, he was about to teeter over it by being pushed into a corner. Preston was fully aware of the fact that what he was doing was wrong, but he couldn't back out now—not after he had already been paid. Cerberus had fixed him to the best of their ability. He could walk again and move freely. It had cost him both his humanity and his loyalty, but what was the alternative? The shards that grew from the gash in his chest had begun to grow inward, piercing his organs. He would have died slowly, painfully, and without anyone noticing, as he wasn't able to go out with his bizarre "illness".

Fear crept in and it had taken him over. He was afraid of dying, afraid of pain, and now, he was afraid that he had made the wrong choice, given the reaction of his friends. He knew that they were capable of cruelty. Would they give him the same treatment? He didn't know. They weren't human, so what _did_ he know? They are demons—monsters, by nature. Surely, once he had crossed over into the abyss, he was fair game to them, having stripped himself of his humanity and leaving himself bare to them. HE knew that they weren't allowed to kill humans willy-nilly. What of annies?

"Preston…" the blonde began. "Do you really think we don't know what it's like… to turn our backs on the light for the sake of living?" he asked. "Who do you think we are? That's what _made_ us, Preston."

The man took a step back, his expression faltering. Once it did, the duo began moving forward again. Now they knew what they were doing. Preston was a child in comparison to them. He was angry, hurt, and afraid. That feeling was all too familiar to his company.

"We too, were human once." The bluenette said. "Once upon a time, back when our stories began."

"Did you think we became demons for shits and giggles?" the menace asked. "Do you think we made the choices we did because we thought it would be fun?"

"We didn't. We made them because we had no other options left." His beau chimed in. "Our lives were forged from suffering and despair. How do you think we became what we are now?" The duo were almost right on top of Preston when they both stopped.

"We may be demons, but we are not mindless beasts. Don't dare undermine this fact." The Phantomhive declared. "As both agents of her majesty _and your friends_ , we will not simply allow you to run wild. You can still choose your fate, Preston."

"There really isn't any need for us to fight you. What we're interested in is Cerberus." Stated Alois. "There is still hope, Preston. As long as there is a thread of it still intact, there is no reason to give up. Allowing despair to crush you is for the weak of heart."

"What will you do, Preston?" asked Ciel. "Can you pull yourself back up, or will you continue to take orders from people who live life for the sake of cheap thrills?"

The man before them fell to his knees, flabbergasted by what exactly was being asked of him. They were still willing to give him another chance? After what he did? He wasn't human anymore, so wasn't the policy just to do away with him? Were they lying? That was possible. They were demons after all, and they worked for the government. Knowing them, it was entirely possible that this was a trap.

" _How gullible do you think I am?"_ he asked, his voice breaking. Fear was brought to the forefront of his expression as it contorted. He tried his best to conceal his feelings and put on a defiant façade, but he was failing miserably. Nervous laughter bubbled up from his throat while he began to lose his grip on things.

"You're demons." He said. "Lying is what you do. I know that. Cut the crap."

It was the most rational though he could come up with in his irrational state of mind. Paranoia ruled him in a nearly tyrannical way. Reason could not reach him.

"In what way would lying benefit us, here?" asked the Phantomhive.

"It'll be easier to kill me if I just roll over and die!" barked the Omid. "That's what you do, isn't it?! Kill monsters?!"

"Preston, you're not a monster…"

"I am! Don't fucking lie to m—"

" _We have seen monsters."_ Ciel interrupted, his voice booming as he glared down at the man with the golden eyes. "I assure you, you are _nothing_ compared to them. Monsters _devour_ people. They stir them up and tear them apart, gaining a _sick, twisted sense of amusement_ from it. Is that you? Are you like them? Knowing you, Preston, you don't have the _brutish, sadistic nature_ for that. You don't know anything about this world that you claim to be a part of. You're the kind of person who will be eaten alive if they try to involve themselves in the matters of monsters. _Turn back while you still can, Preston. You_ want to live, don't you? Live, become prey, or become a beast. What will you do?"

The Omid stared up at the demon, seeming to shrink down in front of this goliath as he roared. The world of Ciel and Alois wasn't quite what he imagined. There wasn't any black or white, only shades of grey. Demons could be bad, but demons could also be good. Here, Preston was, believing himself to be a part of something he wasn't by nature of achieved genetic make-up. He was like a naïve child, being set in his place by a much bigger person, but Preston, in his fragile state, couldn't quite grasp this in that moment. No, he was too afraid to think. He just wanted to escape. He didn't want to talk anymore. He didn't want to do anything anymore.

"Wh-wha?" he sputtered out, unsure of how he should react. "Why?"

"We're your friends, Preston. We don't want to see you end up like us." Alois replied. "Just tell us where Cerberus is, and go with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. They can't hurt you without orders."

Preston's eyes flickered to the clock tower before landing back on the duo. The demons' own eyes lit up at the action. Alois turned to face the structure while Ciel stayed honed in on Preston.

"What will it be?" the Phantomhive questioned, crossing his arms. "Calm down. You're going to be fine."

"But… But they?" the Omid began. "They won't…"

"We're gonna kick their asses." The blonde said. "You don't have to worry anymore. Just leave it to us."

"You're just going to back out?" called a voice, prompting the attention of the group. Heads spun around to give their attention to a woman dressed in dark green whose skin was covered in scars, and a man in a black half-mask trimmed in gold, with long blonde hair and two square teeth that stuck out of his mouth.

"Araneus…" the menace spat, recognizing the man in the mask instantly.

"And Verdegris…" the bluenette chimed in. "Looks like they've come to greet us."

"You really did a number on Araneus, here…" said Verdegris. "We had to put a collar on him so he would stop rambling on about lions. It's not that bad, though. He's actually a lot less annoying this way."

"Glad you think so." Alois replied with a smirk. "When scum mistakes itself to have importance, I can do nasty things. It's best to keep it put in its place. Would you like to join him?"

"Thanks, but I think I'll pass. I sort of have things to do." The woman stated, pulling out a hunting knife. She crouched down, preparing to advance and prompting the menace before her to whistle a flat note.

"You really don't fuck around, do ya?" he asked.

"No, I don't. I'm not like _your father_ in that sense!"

Alois' brow furrowed and his face contorted into a snarl at the remark, clenching his fists as the demoness before him leapt toward him. Anger bubbled up from within him as he prepared his own strike. With a gasp from the tourists around him, the clang of metal crashing against metal rang out, causing both parties' eyes to go wide. A smirk, however, appeared on the face of the Phantomhive as he registered what just happened.

"I thought you had a score to settle with _me?_ " called a voice. It was sweet, but strong. A woman with hair as white as the snow that fell around them held up her sword, blocking the blade of Verdegris with minimal effort. "Or did you forget just who gave you those scars?"

" _Hellsing!"_ the demoness snarled, taking in the sight of the angel's face.

"This time, it's just you and me." Elizabeth declared. "I'm sure my cousin and his beau can take care of your friend. This time, I don't intend to lose!"


	131. Judgement and Retribution

An angel. An angel came down from the heavens and shielded the menace from getting involved in a fight that wasn't necessarily a high priority. With a swing of her arm, Elizabeth knocked the demoness to the side, forcing the other woman to lose her balance momentarily as she tried to regain her footing.

"Ciel, go after Voros." The angel commanded. "H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. will handle things down here. Amelie, Charlotte, and Jonnathan are already searching for bombs."

"As you wish." Chuckled the bluenette at his cousin's order. "We'll end this in no time."

"What about Araneus?" asked the menace, reminding the pair of their remaining opponent. "I can render him helpless, if you give me a minute."

"You need one more chance to reign terror on that thing?" questioned Ciel. "Alright, make it quick. I want you back at my side as soon as possible."

"Aye-aye, Captain Poochie!" Alois answered cheerfully. Kissing the other man on the chhek, he shooed him away, sending the watchdog in the general direction of the clock tower. His smile then morphed into a smirk as he cast his eyes in the direction of the former Earl of Trancy.

"You're not faking it, are you?" he questioned, knowing full-well that his nemesis could not hear him. "Good thing… If you weren't brainless, you would probably be crying right now."

In an instant, Araneus reached into his coat to brandish a weapon, and the Macken did the same. Sceleri and Poena against Kaspar. As his foe pulled the trigger, the menace did as well, their bullets crashing together and knocking each other off-course. Alois crouched down, preparing to advance with a disturbing grin on his face. So that's where his last gun ended up? While the menace knew full-well that he could potentially die according to how good the other demon's aim was, he was still excited. He would be fighting his arch-nemesis on almost equal terms, and this time, he would destroy his foe completely.

" _Come at me!"_ roared the lion, prompting the spider to bare his own garish fangs. The menace fired, following parallel to the other man as he tried to either dodge or flee.

The crowd of tourists around them scattered, leaving them to battle without distraction. Araneus slammed his foot against one of the outside pillars of the building, leaping off of it to appear on the other side of the menace. Before his feet even touched the ground, he emptied his gun, having to immediately reload it as the menace quickly evaded. The Macken's eyes glowed crimson as his sharper senses allowed for him to escape unscathed. Whipping around, he fired off his own shots, prompting him to have to reload as well, keeping his still live pistol trained on the older former Earl.

Gritting his teeth, the lion grew angrier and angrier with each missed shot. His brow furrowed. His face contorted into a nasty snarl. At last, he managed a shot into the man's shoulder, forcing him to retreat behind another pillar.

" _Know fear!"_ he bellowed, knocking chunks out of the structure with the force of his bullets. "Know helplessness! Know despair! I will make you know them all, just as you have done for me, _'Father'!"_

Elizabeth watched in almost a state of horror at the display. Yes, she knew that Alois said frightening things while working, but this was an entirely different scale. There was a genuine and sincere rage that boiled within that body of the menace's—one passed on from a previous vessel. He looked like a wild animal that was rampaging out of control, but the more Elizabeth watched him, the more he looked like a frightened child. Oh, so it was personal…

"Alois!" she called out. "Calm down! Don't become something you're not!"

While she only knew the Macken for a short while, she knew better than this. Alois wasn't a monster. He was intelligent, sensitive, and kind. He lacked self-confidence at times, which could lead him to feeling helpless or alone. Sometimes, he would get jealous if he felt that his position in another person's heart was threatened, yet he wouldn't do a thing to stop it. He simply didn't think he had the right. That man was only present now behind glazed over eyes that burned with icy fire. As Elizabeth watched him, she saw his face warp into a twisted grin.

" _Alois!"_ she shouted one last time before taking a step toward him. Her amethyst eyes narrowed however as her arm reflexively blocked a downward slash from her own opponent.

"Oh, no! You get back here!" growled Verdigris. "You're the one who wanted this to be one on one, and I've still got business with you!"

The angel swung her arm hard, knocking her foe back. The other woman retaliated by striking at her again, and again, and again in rapid succession. Much to the frustration of the demoness, each and every one was blocked effortlessly by the angel. Sparks flew as metal clashed against metal.

Once Verdigris decided that she had had enough, she unsheathed a second blade, brandishing it at the angel. Her moves became more fluid as she was now able to continue swinging without having to pull back and prepare for another strike. Again, and again, and again, the demoness attacked, leaving her opponent only capable of blocking.

"What's wrong?!" Verdigris demanded. "Not so good with that sword, now, are you?! I've been practising! C'mon! Fight back! Coward!"

"You don't take defeat well, do you?" questioned the Hellsing, leaping back. "Underneath your usual calm lies a sore loser. How unladylike. Show some grace. You'll never be able to defeat me on your own like that. You were lucky that you had help last time. You wouldn't have escaped with those scars, otherwise." The other woman snarled in response, furrowing her brow and baring her teeth.

"Bitch!" howled the demoness, dashing forward. She was forced to stop dead in her tracks, however, as she was assaulted by a blinding light. Her eyes narrowed, hoping to shield herself from the onslaught, only having to readjust her focus once it dimmed.

A maiden donned in armour stood before the demon with a glimmering halo behind her head. At her sides were six sheaths—five of which containing swords, as the final one was currently in her grip. Reaching down with her free hand, Elizabeth grasped the handle of another blade, calling it out into battle.

" _Nuntius_ …" she said, stating the weapon's name. " _Opes, Franciscus, Defensor, Exiguus…_ Not many people see them, but you've gone and _really pissed me off_. Caelum and Nuntius, however, should be more than sufficient for delivering your punishment."

"Wh-wha..?" Verdigris gapped, being trapped in a bit of a trance at the sight. "You… you-!"

With that, she charged again, bringing one blade down on top of the other woman's head, only to be blocked. When she tried to deliver the second strike, however, she was forced back by the angel's. She leapt backwards, still earning another gash on her stomach. She continued stepping backwards, quickly attempting to block the other woman's strikes, and missing quite a few of them.

Fresh cuts appeared in her flesh as Elizabeth brought her divine retribution down on top of her. Verdigris backed up until she couldn't anymore. Her shoulders hit the wall of the building, followed by the rest of her back. Sparks flew as she managed to block a few more strikes, only for the demoness' eyes to widen in terror as the both blades were cut into pieces. In that moment, the attacks stopped, allowing for a pause. Slowly, Verdigris looked up, watching as the angel stood up straight.

"Verdigris…" Elizabeth said calmly, placing the tip of one of her blades against the other woman's throat. "For contributing toward the unwarranted loss of life, inflicting terror upon mortal citizens, as well as other heinous crimes against humanity, your diabolical life must be put to an end." She took the blade away, cementing her feet to the ground and solidifying her stance.

" _You also messed with my family…"_ she added, winding her arm back and building muscle tension. "In the name of God…"

Her eyes flickered toward the blonde menace for a brief second, forcing her opponent to follow her gaze. Elizabeth needed to assess Alois' status briefly before she felt as though she could continue. In a split second, she let everything go, swinging her arm and staining the brick of the building behind her foe crimson, slicing into the wall and leaving a large gash as she cut through flesh and bone. Once she heard the demon's head hit the concrete, she stood up straight again, watching as Verdigris' body hit the ground.

"… _Repent, motherfucker_." She murmered, sheathing one of her swords with a displeased expression. Her attention shifted again, however, as she moved on to her next objective.

"Alois!" she called, trying to snap the man out of his daze. Alois was having none of that, however. He was far too engrossed in his dance.

The Macken fired almost without purpose, as if he were merely trying to frighten the expressionless shell that his "father" now was. He grew frustrated with the lack of results, wanting to know just what would break the other man. He wanted to strike fear into his heart and make him tremble, but his foe's current state did not allow for that.

" _Hurry…"_ the Macken growled lowly. " _Hurry up!"_

As his foe stepped out from behind his pillar once more, Alois charged toward him, moving his head so that a bullet only grazed his cheek rather than blowing the contents of his skull all over the asphalt. His skin stung and it didn't heal right away because of the bullets, but he didn't care. Soon, he was right in the older demon's face and raising his hand to strike, but his wrist was caught by his opponent.

Ignoring Araneus' hand which held Kaspar, he aimed his own directly for the center of his foe's forehead, and the other demon did the same to Alois. Both pulled the trigger. A loud clang rang out as Alois' bullet struck the mask of his nemesis.

As for Alois himself, he held his breath as his head was tilted backwards, staring up at the grey sky overhead. Truly, sixth sense was a wonderful thing. He heard the clicking of an empty gun, causing him to look forward with a smile. Before Araneus could reload, he shot the gun right out of his grip. Putting the gun in his left hand back in its holster, Alois reached out, clutching the amulet around the other demon's neck. With a swift yank, the older demon's world came back into focus, and it crash down in an instant.

Araneus screamed a bloodcurdling scream as he was freed from his stupor. His legs collapsed from underneath him as he set sights on the menace. Eventually, his screaming died down as his throat became raw.

"Lions…" he managed to whimper. "The lion…"

"That's right." Alois said, taking a step forward, forcing the demon back. "And what is this lion's name?"

"Lion…"

"No, my name."

"The lion…"

"My. _Name!"_ the menace roared, aiming his gun at the man.

"J-J-J- _Jim!"_ Araneus sobbed. "Jim Macken!"

"That's right. Who has all of the power?"

"You do!"

"Who's weak and pathetic?!"

"I am!"

"That's right!" the menace laughed. "I'm not afraid of you anymore. You're nothing… As if a spider could ever defeat a lion…" He watched for a moment as the man sobbed at his feet, his amusement falling into disgust.

This is what he was hyped up for? This is what he had been so afraid of? This?! Alois grew angrier and angrier by the second. He was almost disappointed by this turn of events. Jim Macken had stripped his nemesis of all of his power, rendering him as a useless mass of flesh and bone that did nothing but cower, sob, and shake uncontrollably while whimpering and mumbling about the beast who did this to him. It was sickening. It disgusted Alois to have been so terrified of such a pathetic being, and almost ashamed for continuing to torture it.

"Not worth the time." He mumbled, turning around to walk the other way. He placed his weapon back in his holster.

"Have H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. collect this thing." The menace said. "They might appreciate a live specimen that they can experiment freely on."

"Alois…" breathlessly spoke the angel. "That's cruel…"

"His mind is completely gone. He won't know the difference anymore." Alois stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "Besides, if it weren't, he would have done the same thing to someone else. He's just being useful, this way."

"Doesn't that just make you as deranged as him, though?" Elizabeth questioned, her tone somewhat grave. "Don't fall to that place, Alois… You're a good man…"

"You don't know that…" the menace stated. "I don't care how cruelly he's treated. He certainly didn't care when things were reversed."

"So you're going to be like him?"

"I am _not_ like _him!"_ Alois shouted, his face warping into a snarl. His fists clenched at the accusation and his eyes flashed crimson. The woman before him was startled. She raised her eyebrows, but she did not flinch or step back. Instead, she thought for a moment, trying to come up with why the typically friendly man was behaving in such a ghastly manner.

"I'm sorry." She said in a softer tone. "That was a horrible implication I made. You have every right to be angry and hurt, but don't let it blind you."

"Then how am I _supposed_ to handle this?" the blonde asked. "What's an acceptable way to deal with this? That man… He _tortured_ me… He literally, fucking tortured me like a goddamn prisoner of war almost every day for two fucking years! You can't just come back to that all fucking hunky-dory, Elizabeth! You don't _get_ that!"

This is what Ciel interacted with on a daily basis. It's what he related to. He knew how to handle the blonde's rage, simply because he knew it himself. Now, Elizabeth knew, just what about Alois captivated the bluenette so. They were the only two that they knew of who could truly understand each other. Elizabeth, on the other hand, had no hope of comforting the Macken or quieting his unrest.

"I don't know what to say to that." The woman replied. "You're right. _I don't_ get it. I'm sorry. I spoke out of place, there."

Now a look of confusion slowly donned the Macken's visage. She was agreeing with him? That was odd to him. Now _he_ didn't understand what was happening. The man examined the angel's face carefully, trying to decipher any strange alternative motive behind this. He certainly couldn't think of an answer that was straightforward.

"Preston, was it?" the angel called, causing the frightened Omid gentleman to jolt.

"Y-y-ye-yes?!" he stammered, sitting up straight as he was summoned to attention.

"You keep an eye on Araneus." Elizabeth instructed. "Alois and I are going to provide backup for Ciel."


	132. Most Dangerous Game

Ciel heard gunshots coming from the outside. They were faint against the thick walls of the interior of the building, but the bluenette knew a gun when he heard one. As time went on and he ventured deeper, ascending upward toward the top of the tower, the sound started to vanish and he couldn't tell if it was because the battle was over, or because of the winding of the gears ahead of him.

He turned corners and climbed stairwells, keeping his senses sharp and alert to any traps. There was danger all around him. He could feel it. He could tell that the sources were incapable of moving, however. Ciel knew that Voros was planning on blowing up the building, but wasn't sure why Voros themself was still here.

Yes he did. _Theatrics_. Voros was both bored an eccentric. It was only natural for them to go to unnecessary lengths in order to spark their own interest. How bothersome. Regardless, Ciel only knew that it would have been a matter of time before he began to resort to the same sort of senseless hijinks and shenanigans. He had already begun when he resurrected his beau from Limbo. Boredom was a killer to supernaturals who were self-aware and not hollow. It killed them inside. It made them as empty as any mindless beast. Escaping this feeling was a great feat at times, and it made Ciel wonder, just how long had Voros gone before they snapped and decided to cause such a scene? Demons typically favoured solitude and subtlety, however, when they are driven to seek greater meaning in life, failing to find it can lead to catastrophic results.

Making his way up the final steps, Ciel looked around, tilting his chin up to look at the ceiling and the large bells that hung from it. He wouldn't want to be here when they went off. The sound must be deafening. He waited patiently for the other demon to reveal themselves, already knowing where Voros was hiding.

"You've got me here, now what?" he asked, his eyes never straying from that spot. Lo and behold, the browless boogeyman stepped out of the shadows, taking a seat on top of one of the many bells. Their right arm and leg, which had been blackened as Voros attempted to regenerate new limbs entirely, had healed for the most part, leaving only black blotches on the demon's appendages that were visible to the eye. With a small huff, Voros crossed one leg over the other and looked down.

"I didn't expect you to come, to be honest." They stated, peering down at their foe. "I thought I would get to chase you around for a bit longer."

"Are you certain that it isn't the other way around?" the bluenette questioned.

" _Very_." Voros answered in a matter-of-fact tone. "I've been going through so much trouble just to get your attention! Still, you've given me a few laughs. What you and your friend did to Araneus was especially great! How did you think of the vines?"

"What fun would it be if I just told you?" Ciel asked, a small smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. "I thought this whole game of yours was just to kill time? What's a game without a _challenge?"_

To this, a massive grin appeared on Voros' face as they peered down at the Phantomhive. Their eyes were wide for a moment before they slowly closed. A giggle bubbled up from the browless demon's throat and it soon transformed into full-on cackling.

" _Exactly!"_ they enthusiastically declared. "Y'know, you're actually pretty fun. I dunno what I'm gonna do after you're gone."

"What makes you think I'm going anywhere?"

"The fact that you just walked into a building packed full of bombs, seemingly without a plan." Voros stated, standing up and gesturing around them. "How are you going to get out of this?"

"How are _you?"_ inquired the bluenette, arching an eyebrow. "In case you haven't noticed, _you're_ in here with me. Do you have some master escape plan in case things go awry?"

Now Voros paused, wrinkling the area between where their eyebrows were supposed to be as they pondered that for a moment. It would appear that the demon had been so caught up in the theatrics of everything, that they forgot critical, unavoidable steps. These sort of holes are the downfall of villains like Voros. It only takes one mistake—one single, solitary mistake to spell "Game Over" for them. The demon now had a dilemma on their hands. Do they continue with the plan at the risk of being blown to bits, or do they back out for now and call it a day?

No. Voros had built up to this moment. This was supposed to be the day where they thwarted their enemy. Backing out was not an option.

"That is a _very_ good question." The younger-looking demon said with a grin. "Let's find out, shall we?"

Voros leapt down from the bell, their bare feet harshly impacting the floor as they landed. They twirled around on their toes once before holding their arms open, gesturing to the bells behind them. A large, maniacal smile spread across their face as they tilted their head to look at the watchdog.

"Once those bells ring, the bombs will go off." They informed. "That's in just a couple of minutes. Think you can both beat me and escape in that amount of time?"

"Hmph!" scoffed the bluenette, holding his chin up high. "Don't flatter yourself. I've fought much more dangerous foes than you. It won't be the first time this building was bombed, and it certainly won't be the last. I hate to break it to you, but you're really not that impressive."

"Oh, you're breaking my heart." Voros said teasingly, dropping their arms back down to their sides and slouching their shoulders. They stuck their lip out in a faux-pout before resuming their entertained expression.

"You do realise that one of my associates and I took down you're little friend without much trouble, don't you?" They added.

"And you do realise that he and I are equal in power, don't you?" inquired Ciel, arching an eyebrow. "You don't have your help this time. You're on your own."

"Oh, I was holding back to see what would happen." Voros said. "You haven't seen anything yet!"

Taking a fighting stance, Voros paused briefly before charging. They leapt into the air and slashed downward, only to have the watchdog draw his sword. Eyes widening, the browless demon twisted their body midair in order to evade. Landing on the other side of the Phantomhive, they grit their teeth and snarled as the bluenette turned around in order to face them.

"Don't bring fingernails to a knife-fight." Ciel said.

Just then, his eye flashed, followed by a loud boom coming from outside. One of the "walking bombs" had gone off. God knows how or who all was taken with it. The Phantomhive's head turned in the general direction it came from, looking to see if he could gaze out of a window and gain some perspective on what was happening. As soon as he did, however, his eyes flashed again, alerting him to a danger that came from his side.

Upwards, he swung his blade, crashing it against the fangs of what appeared to be a beast. Voro's eyes had gone wide, their mouth gaping as horrible teeth gnashed at the bluenette, their face elongating. Large spots started peppering themselves all over the demon's skin and their small frame grew both larger and wider while keeping an almost skeletal appearance similar to that of a starved animal. Ciel looked on in horror, and with a harsh shove, he forced the creature back before creating some more distance between them.

Muscle and bone were well-defined against skin that grew patches of gold fure with black spots. Voro's face took on a more feline appearance as they grew, and grew, and grew, soon becoming much larger than the bluenette. A tail swished behind the monster as it stood on all fours—human-like "hands" in the front, and paws in the back. Steam poured out of their mouth as hot breath hit cold air. Slowly, their mouth contorted into a big, toothy grin, revealing human teeth with only oversized fangs in the front. So this was Voros…

With a loud roar, the big cat charged, forcing the watchdog to try and flee. He ran away from the bells and down the hall, hoping that the doorway was too narrow for Voros to squeeze through. With brute force, the other demon followed, splitting wood and bending metal. Eventually, there was nowhere left to run to, yet Voros was closing in.

 _Dammit_. It would appear than her majesty's Guard Dog had the worst of luck with having to vanquish absurd beasts. First a dragon, and now some sort of leopard? What a joke. Still, technically, since the Phantomhive had "Sir" in his title, he was a British knight. As such, it was his duty to vanquish monsters.

Once more, his eye flashed crimson before darting around in order to find a way to escape. So far, it landed on the only thing nearby. The face of the clock tower. Quickly, he looked to the imposing threat once more before making a break for it.

His sixth sense was going wild, picking up all sorts of danger. He could hear the growling of the beast behind him and the heavy thudding of Voro's paws hitting the ground. As Ciel approached the glass, he prepared to jump, hoping to break it with a kick. This idea was thwarted, however, as the man heard the bells go off, their tone deafening, accompanied by an equally deafening sound.

BOOM!

Hot air struck the bluenette's back as he was hurled forward, the glass in front of him shattering. Before he knew it, he felt weightless against the grey sky above London. Reaching out, he grabbed one of the hands of the clock, swinging himself around so that his feet touched its surface as he clung. Voros, however, kept moving forward before traveling down. The massive cat's enormous claws reached out and dug into the side of the building, shattering windows and cutting into stone. Righting themself, Voros looked up at the bluenette and snarled.

The bluenette was faced with a daunting task. Downward was not only a monsterous beast, but also several bombs blended in with the innocent bystanders that his H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. allies were currently searching. Upwards was nothing at all, giving him no other option but to travel down into gnashing teeth and potential flames. Grumbling, Ciel furrowed his brow.

" _I hate cats…"_


	133. King Of The Jungle

The smell of smoke burned the Phantomhive's nostrils as fire raged beneath him. He stood on the side of the clock tower, staring toward the earth. Large, crimson stains adorned patches of concrete as H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. operatives did their best to sort the innocent bystanders from the victims that Cerberus abducted. Charlotte and Amelie worked tirelessly, occasionally looking up to check on the Phantomhive. When they did, they stood still for a long time until they were snapped from their daze by their own work. Preston aided them. Alois and Elizabeth were nowhere to be found, but the monster that stood before him took priority.

Voros roared, baring their large, ugly teeth. The fingers on their forepaws gripped the side of the building tighter before one let go. It reached up and slammed its hand back down, digging its claws into stone and pulling itself up. Another arm came forward and did the same thing. Before the watchdog knew it, Voros was scaling the side of the building after him.

 _"Shit!"_ he cursed to himself, trying to find an edge. Ciel looked around, knowing that he could only climb for so long. Quickly, his eyes darted around as he tried to ignore the screams from back on earth and the roaring of both beast and flame. The pounding of Voros' paws hitting the wall grew closer, almost resonating with his heartbeat as the Phantomhive decided on his move.

Making sure that his feet were steady on the area next to the clock's face, he reached over, grabbing one of its hands. His fingers dented the metal as they ensured that he wouldn't drop it as he pulled. Gritting his teeth and snarling, his muscles flexed as he tore it free, grunting from the exertion of force required for the feat. Holding the massive metal hand over his head against the pull of gravity, he hurled it forward—or rather, downward, at the beast.

It fell at an absurd velocity, burying itself in Voro's shoulder, forcing them to let out a howl of pain while blood rained down and stained the concrete below with crimson droplets. For a moment, they lost their footing, slipping and almost plunging toward the ground as well, but they held a firm grip on the side of the building with their good arm. Voros' feet scrambled before finally becoming steady again. Their tail wrapped around the hand of the clock before tugging on it. The demon hissed as it was dislodged from their flesh. Once it was free, it was dropped, only to become stuck again in the ground below.

Ciel furrowed his brow, cursing as that didn't work. His eye widened, however, as the monster came climbing up after him once again. His legs moved quickly as the gap was quickly closing. The bluenette ran up the side of the building, as it was perfectly within his capabilities. Ciel made it to the shingled, heavily slopped roof of the building, with still a ways to climb, still, but had to cut it short and duck as the other clock hand was hurled at him. It collided with roofing ahead of him, causing shingles and stone to fall toward him, soon followed by the hand itself.

Ducking, dodging, and being pelted with roofing, the bluenette stood his "ground". The hand fell over his head, missing him by a hair as it continued flying toward the earth with a loud crash. There was more booming below, but he heard no roaring of monsters. Flames began to force parts of the roof to cave in, especially he parts that were already damaged. Quickly, the Phantomhive tried to dart out of the way and avoid falling in, trying to make his way to another side of the roof.

BOOM! The patch of roof directly in front of him practically exploded, sending him flying—or rather, _falling_. A cat-like monster fell with him with smoke and soot covering them as they burst forth from the building. Voros reached out at him, jaw open, teeth bared, and eyes aflame. Fire, stone, metal, glass, and roofing fell toward the earth with them as Ciel tried to think of another way out.

There was nothing. Ciel turned over so that he was facing downward as he prepared to attempt a landing. He wasn't sure what to do once he did, however, with the parade of dangerous things behind him. His body jerked, however, when he was suddenly grabbed.

Ciel was suddenly forced to change direction. Rather than falling downwards, he was now soaring sideways. It took him a moment to register that he was being carried under his arms.

"Elizabeth?!" he yelped, looking up at his saviour, earning a playful grin.

"Do you always need saving?" she asked, flapping her wings. Rather than feathers, they were made from the threads of her angelic garb, taking shape as she willed it. "Alois must really have his hands full."

"Of course not! Not that I don't appreciate it." he retorted, simply letting himself be held by his cousin. He tried to ignore the almost nauseating, weightless feeling he was experiencing. "Where _is_ Jim?"

"Taking care of your friend, there." She said, circling around toward the building. Ciel looked down to see Voros desperately clinging to it and digging their worn claws into the stone once more. He blinked when he also spotted the window just above the leopard open, with the blonde peeking out.

"Hello~!" the blonde greeted, staring down at the cat-like monstrousity with a smile. He reached into his coat, pulling on one of his guns. Sceleri.

"This little piggy went to the market…" he chimed, pulling the trigger and sending a bullet into one of the monster's oversized fingers. Voros roared in pain, snarling before looking up at the man with anger.

"This little piggy stayed home…" he continued, firing again. "…this little piggy had roast beef…" Bang! There went the thumb. "…this little piggy had none—whoa!" The blonde leaned back as Voros swiped at him with their free hand, almost losing balance as they only had two fingers supporting their weight now. Alois shot one of them, leaving them helpless. He shook his head lightly before resuming.

"…And this little piggy cried: ' _Long live the king!'_ " he concluded, firing off the final shot that sent Voros into a free fall.

The leopard fell and fell until they came to a halt, their body impaling itself on the discarded hand of the clock tower protruding from the ground. Voros' eyes widened as a sound of choked pain escaped them. Blood spouted from their throat briefly as they lifted their head to look at the large, metal object protruding from their stomach.

They let out another pained sound as their body was pressed into the ground completely, the hand moving further as the heels of the blonde menace struck Voros' chest when he landed. Voros gasped and wheezed, growing angrier as they peered up at the blonde's smiling face. They reached an arm up, only for it to be shot down by the menace.

"Looks like you got what you bargained for. Did you have fun?" Alois questioned, absent-mindedly twirling his weapon. When he stopped, he pointed it down at the other demons heart. "You've been around for a while. You should have known better than to intrude on another big cat's territory."

With the last bullet in the magazine, the Lion fired the bullet into the leopard's chest, piercing their heart. Voros' head fell back, harshly hitting the concrete as light began to fade from their eyes. So this was how the game ended? Indeed, Voros had chose poorly, but there was one bright side. The sound of chuckling bubbled up in their throat as they pondered.

" _The most dangerous game_." They mused with a weak, but genuine grin, having been bested by their supposed "prey". After becoming the hunted, they had confirmed that hunting some of the world's more dangerous predators would have been more entertaining than any ordinary game. Voros' smile became stuck in an award position as their eyes became lifeless and glassy. To their last breath, they had a wonderful time.

"Jim!" Ciel called, summoning the menace's attention. His beau grinned and jumped down from the beast as Elizabeth landed and let go of the bluenette.

"Hey, Pooch!" the blonde called. "What's up?"

 _"Fire and a horrendously damaged national monument."_ The Phantomhive sighed. This was bad. Lord knows what all needed to be done to cover this up. At times, the bluenette genuinely felt bad for the Public Relations department at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. Integra was bound to be displeased without a shred of a doubt.

"Yeah, that's going to be a problem." Alois said, looking up. "The evacuated bystanders aren't too well off, either…"

"What happened?"

"People blew up around them." The blonde said. "In the panic, people bumped against the bomb-carriers… Not everyone made it…"

"Dammit…" cursed the bluenette, furrowing his brow. They had defeated Voros, but at what cost?

"This isn't the first time Big Ben has been blown up." Spoke Lizzie, putting a hand on the man's shoulder. "It certainly won't be the last. Voros was eliminated. They can't do any more harm. Who knows what more they would have done if they were left to live?"

"God knows…" Alois replied. "They will, however, make a rather nice rug, don't you think?"

"Alois, no…" the angel said.

"Alois, _yes_." The menace replied. Sirens rang in the distance, indicating that someone had come to put out the fire.

"Let's get out of here." Said Ciel. "There's going to be a _hell_ of a lot of cleaning up…"


	134. Guilty Until Proven Innocent

The bombing had made international news. The target was Big Ben, after all. There was no hiding the fact that there was an explosion. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. operatives quickly scrambled to erase any evidence of any supernatural occurrences that took place there. There was no Voros. There was no monster. There was no watchdog, lion, or angel, either. It was just a run-of-the-mill terrorist attack. Police released that there were no suspects at the moment, but they were searching extraneously. That was a lie, however. The culprits had already been dealt with- all of them, but one, single, accomplice.

Preston sat in a dull room, chained down and trapped behind a magical barrier put in place by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s own resident sorcerer. In front of it was a table and a chair, and on the other side of the room was a door locked up tight. There was no doubt that there was a decent amount of guards stationed outside of it.

Once again, the Omid's mind was reeling. He had given himself up, but his fate was still uncertain. He still attacked H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. operatives in his moment of weakness and despair, and he was still worried about his physical condition. He wasn't human anymore. He no longer got the human treatment. Right now, he was a criminal. It would have been easy for H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. to present him as the culprit for the whole fiasco and off him once the finger had been pointed. They probably would have. It was a miracle they didn't. No, it wasn't, really. It was the fact that Preston was friends with a pair of high-ranking officers that saved him and was still holding him afloat even now. The easiest solution would be to kill him and use him as research material. They would have their scapegoat and remove all kinds of problems for the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. PR department.

Preston had no idea what his fate would entail, but he had been told to have faith in a pair of demons. That was all he had at the moment. How laughable. Faith in a couple of devils is what is going to save him? It wasn't funny even as a joke.

Roughly, the Omid flinched when the door finally swung open. A pair of soldiers ushered in, accompanied by a short man dressed in dark dress pants and a white polo shirt trimmed in maroon on the sleeves with the Hellsing family crest on it. Around his neck was his I.D. badge, but Preston couldn't read the name from where he was sitting. He held a clip board in his hand before he set it down on the table in the room and took a seat. He looked fairly young—very feminine in his features, with short, dark brown hair spiked upwards in the front with gel. The man chewed on the end of his pen as he stared down at the paper in front of him, furrowing his brow. Finally he looked up again and adjusted his thick-framed glasses to sit on his nose better before speaking.

"Hello, Mister Omid." He greeted with a peculiar tone of voice. He did sound young, but not quite. It wasn't the air of maturity with which he spoke, but rather, the tone of the voice itself rather than the manner with which he was speaking. "My name is Roger Whinery. I'm with Human Resources, and it is my job to tell you how exactly things are going to go down."

"Okay?" Preston answered with obvious uncertainty. He hadn't considered that an organization like H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. would need such a thing, but the more he dwelled on it, the more it made sense. It was an organization, after all. It had to have some rules and systems put in place for it to function smoothly and keep their workers happy. That didn't quite quell Preston's unrest, however. Regardless, Roger smiled at him, although it came across as insincere.

"As you know, you are in quite a bit of trouble." Began the other man. "You don't have to worry about being executed or anything, however. You've got some pretty good friends, here." That didn't come as a surprise, although Preston was visibly relieved by the news. As Roger continued, however, he became progressively worried.

"Still, we cannot let you roam free." He bluntly said. "You aren't human anymore, after all, and you're still considered a ' _criminal'_. Instead, you will be held in the custody of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; and work under the command of an officer. Who or what kind depends entirely on wherever you end up being stationed. Most likely, you will be in special ops for a while."

"What?!" the Omid asked, his eyes widening. No, he couldn't do that. He couldn't fight monsters. Were these people insane? He will die! He saw what the agents were up against. "I can't do that! I'll die!"

"You don't have a choice." Roger stated. "Let's get one thing adamantly clear right now: You _belong_ to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. now. You are not a worker. You have to earn that. For now, you are a prisoner, and you will be expected to make yourself useful."

In that moment, the Omid's stomach dropped. His blood ran cold, and he couldn't feel his arms and legs. That was it? He knew that what he did was wrong, but is this really it? His life was over just like that? He would have to fight monsters, and wouldn't even be treated like a human being, all because he did what he could to survive. Was the choice to become this… thing wrong over dying slowly and all alone? He was suffering as he was. He was in physical and emotional agony, slowly losing his ability to move, and becoming isolated as he was forced to refrain from leaving his home on the basis of illness. Was it wrong for him to want to escape that and still live?

In the eyes of bureaucracy, yes. In the eyes of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. as a whole, there are only "us" and "them". Occasionally, a supernatural will cross over onto H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s side, but not without a trial period. Loyalty must be proven. There were special cases like in the case of agents Amelie and Charlotte Garou, where the supernaturals pledged allegiance without any sort of confrontation of crime committed. They were accepted with more ease, but alas, that is not how Preston would be treated.

"You will be taken to the basement and housed with the rest of the supernaturals under strict watch for the time being." Roger informed, flipping through pages. "Afterwards, you will start undergoing training, and then be put to work. Wherever you end up is debatable, but again, you'll most likely be put in combat."

"But I-!" Preston jerked forward, causing the man on the other side of the barrier to jump, his eyes widening. The two soldiers with him reached for their guns. Seeing this, Preston relaxed again and adjusted his tone.

"Alright…" he said, despite wanting to protest. He couldn't accept that. He had already been through so much. He wasn't made for violence. It didn't matter. The conversation was over as the other man stood up, adjusting his glasses again.

"Right…" Rodger said, gathering his things. One of the soldiers opened the door. "You'll know all the details soon." He added. With that, he and his guards walked out before two more walked in.

Their uniforms were different, and Preston could tell that they weren't human. One was a busty woman with blonde hair in a red uniform and torn stockings. Her eyes were red and one of her arms seemed to be constructed out of some bizarre black matter. The other woman was much shorter, in fact, she looked almost like a teenager, with silver hair and blue eyes. Preston recognised her from when he attacked the agents. She was one of them.

"Mister Omid." Began the first. "My name is Seras Victoria. This is Amelie Garou. We're here to escort you to your quarters once the wizard who put that barrier up comes to take it down."

"A-alright…" Preston answered, his voice shaking slightly. He sunk down in his seat and tried to blink away the water that was starting to collect in his eyes.

It was over. He was no longer human. He was no longer free.

* * *


	135. Vicious Gaurd Dog (Or Not)

Rain heavily poured down from the sky as if the clouds had been sliced open and the contents were forced to come spilling out. It pelted against poor students trying to dash to their class, as school was still open. Some held umbrellas, while some used their bags. Some simply ran like mad, and occasionally, one would make the mistake of wandering from the concrete as a shortcut, only to slip in mud. Ciel's pupils were not spared either, and showed up to class soaked.

Even Doctor Phantomhive himself was wet after making the mistake of forgetting his umbrella. With a huff, he took off his damp coat and hung it over an empty chair. His feet were wet, as was his face and neck, but the area that the coat had protected was relatively dry. That aside, his face was in a particularly rotten scowl. Running a hand through his sopping wet hair, he swiped his bangs back and out of his face, giving him dastardly look when combined with the eyepatch and scowl on his face. The only thing that cut away from that was the man's bookish sweater, which was quickly removed. The fabric had soaked up too much water and had become unbearably uncomfortable, so it was disgarded in order to reveal a white dress shirt underneath. Ciel rolled up his sleeves and dug around in his suitcase for the attendance sheet.

"Right…" he began, trying not to sound annoyed. "I'm glad you all made it. Bonus points for you. You'd have to be really into thing in order to brave this bloody weather." He grumbled. "I'm going to make a note of that when I call roll today, so be sure to answer. _Abbey_."

"Here." Called the student called upon, prompting the bluenette to write it down. He continued to do so as he went down the line, but the sound did not reach the ears of a certain gentleman in the front row.

The blonde was far too occupied in his thoughts in order to pay much attention, instead opting to focus on the Phantomhive at the front of the room. Icy blue eyes scanned the instructor up and down, accidentally wearing the smallest of smiles on his face as he took in the mans' form. His shirt was just damp enough to stick to his skin, but not enough to be see-though. Good thing. Alois didn't want to share that with anyone, nor would he want Ciel to accidentally show off his brand against his will. He knew it was embarrassing to him, after all. Despite this, the menace was deeply fascinated by the Phantomhive's appearance.

"…cy." Alois could pick up a faint noise, but failed to register.

"Trancy." There it was again, much clearer, bringing the blonde to the edge of conscious thinking.

" _Good God, you're hot_ …" he murmured, his mind finally catching up with him as he saw the Phantomhive being taken aback by something, his face slightly flushed. Suddenly, the room was completely silent, and Alois finally snapped back to his senses.

"Uh… I mean- _here?"_ He didn't dare look around the room at his classmates. He could hear some of them gasping, shocked at what just happened, while others tried their best not to laugh. Ciel, meanwhile, stood at the front of the room, eyebrows raised, with a surprised expression on his pinkened face.

"Well, uhm…" the Phantomhive began, floundering a bit for a response. This was the first time during the entire semester that Ciel lost his composure in front of the students. On one hand, he felt genuinely happy that the menace found him attractive, while on the other, he was embarrassed, and still had to keep the air of unfamiliarity with the blonde while in plain sight on campus.

"Thank you?" he finally said, ultimately unsure of how to act. With that, he quickly tried to advance the roll call, doing his best to ignore the blonde currently sinking in his seat.

He messed up. He messed up badly. Now everyone suspected him of having a crush on a teacher, specifically, one that he had been previously been suspected of hating. This could complicate things, especially if it was suspected that Ciel returned his feelings. The bluenette's response did send a few mixed messages, after all.

Once class was over, he didn't wait for Ciel, or head straight to his office. Instead, he did something that he never did as a demon. He went to the bathroom. There, he made sure that it was empty before finding a stall. During class, he had thought extensively about how he was going to get into Ciel's office. The solution, of course, was to not be seen. The way he would do that is by doing something that most demons are quite good at. He shape-shifted.

Choosing the form of someone he already knew was easiest, so he opted to change into the guise of someone who didn't attend school. Alois' hair turned black and his face became slightly rounder. The menace's eyes changed from blue to green and became more narrow. With that, he buttoned up the front of the dress shirt he was wearing in order to conceal the T-shirt he wore underneath. As he was rolling down his sleeves, he exited the stall and peered into the mirror.

His likeness of Audrey was practically spot-on. He didn't bother changing the length of his hair, however, and opted to brush his bangs in front of his borrowed face with his fingers instead. There, now he looked a lot like Audrey did while they were at Warwick, and no one would recognise him.

Swinging his back over his shoulder, he waltzed to the Phantomhive's office without a care in the world, knowing that no one would ever be able to know it was him. Once he got there, he didn't even bother with knocking, instead just stepping inside, taking the bluenette professor off-guard. Ciel narrowed his eyes and looked the grinning Macken over as his beau shut the door behind him and locked it.

"'Sup?" questioned the menace, using his own voice. Ciel's perplexed expression fell, after pondering his boyfriend's appearance, before leaning back in his chair.

"Not much." The Phantomhive replied. "What's with the getup? Are you experimenting with shapeshifting again?"

"No." Alois stated, his face morphing back to its usual state and his hair becoming blonde again. He rubbed the back of his neck, wearing a slight pick tint on his cheeks. "I figured it would be best if I wasn't seen around your office for a while."

"Probably." Ciel said. Knowing the menace, there was no way that he would actually stay away from the Phantomhive's office. He lightly smiled, remembering the blonde's blunder, rather pleased with himself that he possessed the capability to provoke such a response as said Macken set his bag down before laying on the small loveseat that was somehow crammed into the office.

"I can't believe I did thaaaaaat…" whined Alois, placing his hands over his face and causing his lover to chuckle.

"Don't be upset. I'm sure you're not the first student ever to have a crush on an instructor."

"I'm sure _you're_ not the first instructor to have an inappropriate relationship with a student, either." The menace quipped, sitting up a tad.

"We were dating before either of us came here. It's not _'inappropriate'_." The instructor answered, greatly amused by the blonde's pouting. "Now, your comments in class, however, were _quite_ inappropriate."

" _Ugh!"_

"Not that they weren't appreciated." Ciel added, prompting the other man to cease his groaning for a moment to register the slight pick hue that dusted his beau's cheeks. Alois tried his best not to return Ciel's grin, the corners of his mouth being forced downward and his cheeks puffing. Finally, he caved and held out his arms, inviting the other man to get in them. Happily, his boyfriend obliged, standing up and walking over to the loveseat before sitting down.

"Put your back against me." Alois instructed, and the Phantomhive did just that, leaning back so that he was laying against the blonde's chest and positioned between the blonde's legs. He set one hand on Alois' knee, while the other was laid across his own stomach. One of his legs was folded so that it still fit within the tight space, while the other hung off of the couch.

The man's eyes closed and he let out a content sigh as the menace kissed his head while wrapping his arms around him. His hair was still a bit damp, but Alois didn't seem to mind, pressing his cheek to the side of his beaus' head and running a hand through blueish-black locks. While Ciel would never admit it, he really did like the attention, and was perfectly content to simply stay still and enjoy it. It was nice to be doted on every once in a while. Happiness bubbled up within Ciel's chest as it always did when the blonde was treating him this way. In that current state of his, he looked like the kind of man who would beat someone bloody and then sue them for getting their suit dirty. Yet, here he was, completely docile in the hands of the Macken.

"You look so bad right now…" Alois said, grinning as he felt the bluenette relax against him.

"That's not what you said in the classroom…" the bluenette quipped back, furrowing his brow as he focused on Alois' fingers and the vibrations of his chest as he giggled.

"No, I mean ' _bad_ ' as in, _'you look like a mobster'_." The blonde clarified.

"As long as you think I'm cute, I don't really care."

"I never said I didn't think it's cute. I like it. A lot."

"You're weird." Ciel accused half-heartedly, knowing full-well that he wasn't alone in that aspect.

"You love it." Hummed the menace. His hands continued to run through dark, blueish-black locks as his focus honed in on the Phantomhive. His smile softened as he did. It always did. This bad, bad, evil man was good to him. Ciel's heart belonged to Alois, and it was almost disappointing to the blonde that he couldn't show off his beau to the other students.

"Hey, guess what?" he asked.

"Hm?"

"I love you." He said, causing the watchdog to grin.

"And I love you." Ciel replied, reaching up to touch the side of the blonde's head. Softly, fingers brushed against Alois' cheek and against his hair. For the time being, he completely forgot that they were on campus, as he might as well be on cloud nine given how at ease he was.

Class was over, terrorists had been thwarted, and things were relatively peaceful, for the time being. There was no need to worry or rush. Although things were not right elsewhere, and things had not turned out for the best, the duo's job had been done. The mission had been completed, despite the cost. Workers packed up and went home for the day, opting to not work on the repairs to Big Ben in the heavy rain. Preston was in H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. custody—a broken man, having lost his freedom and his humanity for doing what was justifiable. The environment in the Public Relations department was hectic, as they scrambled to get the events that took place at the monument under wraps and out of the sight of the general public. All was not well with the world, but Ciel was with his Jim, and at that moment, that was what was important to him. Part of him felt guilty, but the warmth that radiated from the menace onto his back quelled his anxiety, for now.

Despite the fact that the world was not calm, Ciel was, because he was safe in the arms of his highness.


	136. Damage Control Committee

Today, the Convention of Twelve was meeting at Sir Hellsing's estate since the parliament building was still under repairs. Pipes leaked, and scorchmarks dirtied up the hallways. The smell of ash and burnt god-knows-what polluted the air, and no one but the construction crew and contractors were allowed in or out. Now, instead, the smell of a different type of smoke filled the air as the meeting began. Sir Integra put out her cigar and spoke.

"I assume you all are knowledgeable as to why we are here, then, gentlemen?" she asked, sighing. "In H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s latest exploit, the mission of eliminating the demonic terrorist group known as 'Cerberus' was successful in the fact that the targets were successfully terminated. However, it was on a different scale, a failure, in regards to the damage done to the national monument involved, as well as the bystanders involved. The amount of damage is worth millions, both due to the amount of repairs needed, and due to the media cover-up required to keep the general public ignorant. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. is doing its best to undo the damage, but I understand that several of you have concerns."

"That's right. I hope you don't intend to allow your pet demons to walk away unpunished for their indiscretion." Answered Sir Kirkland, furrowing his thick eyebrows and folding his hands on the table in front of him. "Their job is to take care of things quickly, quietly, and without being noticed! Otherwise, what good are they? You might as well have sent humans!"

"Don't be ridiculous." Scolded Sir Rupert Midford. His mustache hugged the top of his lip as he frowned deeply at the other man. "Humans would have been killed in an instant if they went up against those monsters!"

"That's true." Agreed Sir Greendown. "We all saw the footage that was taken by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s PR department. No group of men could have gone up against even one member of Cerberus. We were lucky to have gotten away with the damage that we took."

"Perhaps, but are you forgetting the fact that they lost a _national monument?!"_ interrogated Kirkland. "Do you really think people who saw are just going to forget? According to the reports, they were after Phantomhive and his concubine. Why should people have to suffer for that they did?"

"And what _did_ they do, exactly?" asked Midford. " _Exist?_ You're going to antagonize someone for _existing?"_

 _"Monsters_ shouldn't exist. You only think they should because you share the _same blood!"_

"How dare y—!"

" _That is enough_." Integra interrupted, startling all parties involved. Her voice was fierce, and her expression was unamused. Her attention was geared toward Sir Kirkland, causing him to slouch in his seat.

"Mister Kirkland is right. Monsters shouldn't exist, which is why the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization was founded." She began, folding her hands on the desk before facing the others. "We exist to keep the general populace safe from creatures that want to devour them. Both Phantomhive and Macken fulfil this role well, but given that no living being lacks imperfection, they are perfectly capable of making mistakes. While that doesn't fix the loss, it explains how this could have happened. Phantomhive and Macken are on our side. They have proven it time and time again. Sir Midford's defense of them isn't unwarranted. If he is traitorous due to his bloodline, then so am I."

Sir Kirkland looked away after that. He looked down at his hands without a word, knowing that he had crossed a serious line. He had forgotten that Sir Hellsing, too, was related by blood to the Phantomhives, as well as to the Midfords. By the same virtue, she was directly related to an angel, rendering his argument completely invalid.

"So, what do you want to do?" asked Sir Walsh, with a cough. The elderly man put down his cigarette, the medals that adorned his military uniform clanking together as he leaned forward. "True, I think there should be some accountability, but at the same time, missions go awry. It is inevitable that some will be successful in some aspects, and failures in others. Some may fail altogether. The humans of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. as well as a few supernatural agents focused their efforts on getting the bystanders to safety and searching for bombs while those two kept the real monsters away. The division of labour wasn't the problem. It was the execution. That said, more lives could have been lost. You're priorities aren't in the right place if you've got your knickers over a clock, when the death toll could have been catastrophic had they been allowed to continue as they were."

"I agree with Sir Walsh whole-heartedly." Chimed in Sir Greendown, pushing his glasses back up on his nose. "I think we all can. The finances for the repairs, and the amount of damaged control required will be difficult, but I trust that H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. can work something out with the Council's support."

"Despite this, the fact remains that damage has been done." Spoke another member, a woman by the name of Dame Cooper. "Part of the mission was to protect Big Ben, and that part was floundered. I think it is reasonable for some sort of disciplinary action to be taken, like with ordinary agents."

"That's true. I can understand that." Said Integra. "I'm sure they will understand as well. The problem is, what is a suitable punishment for a pair of demons?"

There was the question of the hour. How exactly does one punish a pair of wealthy demons? Put them on temporary suspension? That wouldn't do. It would just be a break for them, and what if they were needed? They couldn't cut off their spending, because their wealth was privately owned. They couldn't place them under house arrest, either. It would conflict with their other respective duties and obligations, which are important to the "Humanization Project".

"You could increase testing." One of the councilmen finally suggested. "That would provide them with some annoyance."

"Didn't H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. also acquire a new subject during the ordeal?" asked another. "What was his name?"

"Several samples were acquired, but the one live subject has been coded 'Specimen AS-001' by the research department. His name is Preston Omid, son of Arman and Rashmi Omid, owner of SOMA Electronics." Integra made aware. "Previously, he was one of the bystanders from the Black Annis incident. He was the only one injured. Until now, he has been in the care of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. partly as an experiment, and partly for treatment for his infection of black annis."

"We could have them watch over him as punishment." Suggested Cooper.

"No. He is still far too fragile." The Hellsing replied. "His emotional state is currently in shambles. He is recovering from the shock of his loss of humanity. The phenomenon is common amoung unwilling vampires as well."

"So we can't use him as a ploy, then?"

"No. In fact, we need to contact his family, who is now aware of the supernatural, of his current status."

"So you're saying is, Big Ben is in shambles, you're harboring a criminal, the general public is close to being made aware of the prescence of monsters, and the one's who botched the operations will be getting off scot-free without any repricusions?!" demanded Sir Kirkland.

"What's the point?" piped up Sir Penwood. A nervous man, he didn't much care for speaking up when it came to this sort of discussion, but he felt as though he must. When the others turned their attention toward him, he faltered for a moment, fidgeting with his hands.

"W-well, what I mean is, why should we focus on punishing agent Macken and Sir Phantomhive, when there's so much to be done?" he sheepishly clarified. "We're focusing so much on those two, that we haven't been able to touch everything else, yet…"

"I agree with Penwood." Said Greendown.

"Seconded." Nodded Midford.

"Sounds about right." Grinned Walsh.

"Well then…" began the Hellsing woman, pushing her glasses up. It was going to be another meeting discussing the same things that they have discussed time and time again, only this time, the demonic duo had managed to sidetrack the conference without being anywhere near the building it was held in.

"… _Shall we continue?"_

* * *


	137. Two Of Us

As the case came to a close, so did the month of January. With February coming around, the duo found themselves paying attention to less-than interesting work as they were placed on a temporary suspension from government-paid duties, including both H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and Scotland Yard work. They could still be accessed in times of peril, but the council decided that a small amount of "punishment" for their previous failure was a reasonable idea, despite the fact that it seemed a bit minute.

Now, the pair were stuck on smaller, more "ordinary" feats. Business and academia came to the forefront of their focus, as not only was in necessary, it was all that they had to do now. Ciel sat in his office, grumbling to himself about some of the papers he was having to grade. Begrudgingly, he marked the final grade on an essay, immensely irritated by the content. Kyle, despite being his most enthusiastic student, was also the one who missed the point the every single time. With a deep breath, the watchdog set the paper aside on the "finished" stack and rubbed his forehead, taking a moment to lean back in his seat and muster up the state to continue.

Glancing over at the paper that was next in the "to grade" stack, his eye glanced over to the author, who was currently seated on one of the terribly uncomfortable sofas in the room. Ciel listened intently to the menace as the other man hummed along as he was focused on his own devices. His beau watched intently as he carefully cleaned each piece of one of the guns that was taken apart and neatly organised across the coffee table. They were relatively new, so they weren't too filthy. Mostly, the menace was seeing how to disassemble and reassemble them again for future reference.

Dexterously, thin fingers pieced together the weapon with purpose, appearing to know by heart how each part was put back together. It was incredible, how quickly the menace had picked up how to meddle with weaponry, and then how to apply what he knew to other devices as well. On the surface, he seemed like any ordinary college student—a fairly weak one, at that—yet here he was, nonchalantly assembling a gun that would go on to kill many more things in addition to a demonic leopard.

Ciel liked that about Alois, however. He was always full of surprises, and to be frank, he was fun to watch. Icy blue eyes shifted from the gun to the Phantomhive and then back again, all without having to shift blonde locks from their place by Alois moving his head. A smile appeared on his face at the knowledge that he was being watched and he stopped his humming for a moment.

"Taking a break, love?" he finally asked, continuing to meddle with his new toys and snapping the watchdog to attention. It had suddenly occurred to Ciel that he had been leaning forward, his chin resting in his palm as his elbow stabbed into the desk's surface. Blinking, the cyclops answered.

"Yes." He said, leaning back in his chair again. "I just got done reading one of the most unknowledgeable piece on criminal profiling I've ever read, and now I have to mentally prepare myself to continue on to the next one."

"Sorry to hear that." Giggled the menace, finally looking up. "Want some help?"

"No, I think it's best if I grade this next one." Informed the Phantomhive. "It's written by the most disruptive person in class." Alois rolled his eyes at the bluenette's jab, still wearing a grin on his face.

" _Oh no, what a nightmare_." He answered without a shred of sincerity, his words dripping with sarcasm. "I could still look over some of the others, couldn't I?"

"I'm not sure, given the punctuation mistakes on this paper." Ciel answered, skimming over his beaus' essay.

"Hey, I was illiterate for ages, and only got proficient not too long ago. Gimme a break."

"If I don't mark the mistakes though, how can you get better?" questioned the watchdog as he started to read. The red pen in his hand clicked only a few times for spelling and punctuation mistakes, but overall, it was a good prompt. For a moment, Ciel actually forgot about grading it and was simply reading it.

"Can I keep this?" he asked finally, stealing away the blonde's attention from the guns as Alois spun his head around in order to face him.

"Huh?" spouted the Macken questioningly, a light blush on his cheeks. "Why would you want it?"

"Because I like it." Ciel replied. "It's interesting to see you discussing work so seriously. Although, I'm not sure if ' _creepy fuckers'_ is an appropriate term to use for a school paper."

"It got my point across the best." Alois stated. "I don't really care if you keep it or not. It was probably just going to be shoved back into my bag never to be seen again after I got it back." While the last part was true, the menace was sincerely flattered that the bluenette would want to keep such a thing. He really did try his best on it, although his own pride when it came to literacy got in the way of him seeking help in some patches.

"Fine by me. You've gotten really good at this." The Phantomhive said with a smile. "I still don't think that you need a degree to be a detective. You've already proven yourself more than enough."

"I want to have the same credentials as you, though." Replied the menace, locking the last piece of his weapon in place. "You're _Senior Detective Constable Sir Doctor Ciel Phantomhive_ , while I'm just _'Jim Macken'_."

" _'Detective Constable Jim Macken'_ , also known as ' _Agent Macken'_ of Her Royal England Legions of Legitimate Supernatural and Immortal Night Guard, also unofficially known as ' _Her Majesty's Lion'_." Ciel chimed in. "You have some serious credentials as well. You're one of the highest ranked agents in the business. You should have more faith in yourself."

"Yes, but you still outrank me in everything. Is it wrong for me to pursue being your academic and professional equal?"

"No, it certainly isn't. If something is important to you, then I will support it. Just don't become too fixated on titles and rank."

"Is that really something a blueblood should be saying?" asked the menace.

"You have a point…" the Phantomhive replied. "No matter how much of that nasty habit I want to let go, it's still there. You're very good at bringing me back down to earth, though."

"I know, right? Us poor folks have got some knowledge, too, and can talk about it with the right learnin's."

"I still think it would be easier just to bribe your teachers…"

"No. No. Bad. _Bad dog."_ Alois said scoldingly, pointing at the bluenette from his seat. "Bribing people doesn't solve all of life's problems."

"Just a lot of them." Ciel added, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms with a small smile.

"The whole point is to become equal to you, and I can't do that if you're paying everybody to go easy on me!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I won't do it."

"You better not." The blonde warned. "Besides, it's a waste of money to do it that way, when I can do it myself. You could spend that money on other things. Do you know how many people you could help with that? Lots."

"You're so kind-hearted…" the Phantomhive mused. It always pleased the man to see the same menace who carried out assassinations and was capable of smashing in the heads of enormous, armoured beasts with his bare hands, talking about the greater good. At times, Ciel really didn't understand, but he did his best since it seemed important to the Macken. "I like that about you, though. What baffles me, however, is how you can be with a horrible person like me."

"You're not as horrible as you make yourself out to be." Alois replied. "You do all kinds of good. Your morals just allow you to take different routes to get there, sometimes; or just to get what you want or need."

"The same could be applied to murderers, you know. Do you think they're different?"

"Depends on the motive." The blonde answered, setting the gun on the table. "What were they trying to accomplish? Where they trying to gain wealth, the feeling of power, or something like that? Or where they trying to defend themselves? People get jailed for the latter often, but I think killing someone who is hurting you, or is about to hurt you is sensible."

"And what about us?" questioned the Phantomhive, raising an eyebrow. His beau paused for a moment, leaning back in his seat and resting his head on the back of the couch as he pondered the inquiry.

"We kill people who are going to hurt others, but that kind of feels like some weak justification, to me." He finally stated. "It's a job. If we don't do what we're told, then they come after us. Under H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. ideology, that makes us ' _dogs_ ', doesn't it? I guess I've just never really thought about it." The menace looked over to the bluenette with a confused expression on his face. "Is it weird that I don't feel too bad about it? Killing people? Or rather, ' _monsters_ ', as H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. would put it… We kill because if we don't, we'll _be_ killed. Isn't that justification enough?"

"Honestly, I couldn't tell you. My record isn't exactly ' _spotless_ ' either." Ciel replied. "I think it's a pretty good reason."

"I'm not so sure…" the menace began, looking away again. His gaze turned to the gun on the table, polished and ready for use. "Sometimes… It's fun—killing ' _baddies'_ , that is. Is that weird?" he asked, looking up again. "Is it wrong to like putting down threats?"

Silence hung in the air for a moment as the bluenette pondered a response. Occasionally, the blonde would blindside him with a deep question such as this, but it always got him thinking, so he couldn't complain. Ciel stared at the menace, his features conveying how perplexed he was.

"I don't know." He said, standing up and stretching his legs. Walking over to the sofa, he leaned down, resting his elbow on the back of the seat and putting his forearm around the blonde's shoulders. "If it's ' _bad'_ , then I'm just as ' _bad_ ' as you are. The world doesn't always treat kindness kindly, so doing things in a manner that isn't ' _good_ ' is sometimes a necessity in order to improve the quality of life for people, even if it's to defend what is important to you, which can also include yourself. The Phantomhives have always been the tools used by Her Majesty in order to do things swiftly, even if the methods are considered morally wrong or unjust. Now that you live within this household, I'm afraid that burden has befallen to you as well."

Placing his free hand on the armrest of the sofa to support himself, Ciel pecked the menace on top of his head before resting his forehead in blonde locks. A small chuckle escaped the menace, although it didn't sound like a happy one. Reaching over, the Macken grasped the hand of the watchdog that was placed beside him, drawing it close and playing with the other man's fingers.

"Y'know, sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to grow up normally." He began, brushing the pads of his fingertips against those of the bluenette's and rubbing them against smooth, blackened fingernails. "Sometimes, I wonder if I could have been happy like that; or maybe living a _'normal'_ life with you…" Reaching up, the blonde cupped Ciel's cheek, moving him so that he could look at his face.

"I can't imagine it, though." Alois continued, stroking the soft skin with his thumb. "This is all I know, but I'm fine with that. As long as I'm here with you and the others, I can be happy like this." Leaning down again, the Phantomhive brushed his lips against the blonde's gripping the back of the man's head in order to keep him drawn in. That wasn't necessary, however. Alois was already more than happy to oblige.

"You're much too good for me, you know." Ciel said to the grinning menace.

"Who cares? I still pick you." The blonde answered, pulling the other back in. "If I didn't like you, I could always just go stay at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G."

"You already have an escape plan? You hurt my feelings."

"Boo-hoo. For an evil businessman, you sure are whiny."

"Well, in that case, I guess I won't be asking you out on a date for Valentine's day."

"Oh? So you're in charge of it this time?" questioned the menace. "I thought it was my turn."

"Yeah, but I felt the need to impress."

"Such a gentleman."

"Wasn't I ' _whiny'_ a second ago?"

"Oh, you are. You're the whiniest gent I know." Alois informed, pinching the man's cheeks. "Look at that whiny wittle baby." He teased in a small voice. "So cute."

"Jerk."

"You love it."

"Yeah, yeah…" the bluenette replied, rolling his eye. "I suppose I can't really help that."


	138. Money Shaped Like Raindrops

It was a very peculiar day in London, not because of the cold rain pelting the city's citizens, but because of a certain meeting going on at the Hellsing family estate. The Phantomhive assumed that it would be about the matter of the parliament building still being in disrepair, but the subject of the meeting was not made clear to him over the phone. Even as he stepped out of the black Mercedes Benz and underneath the umbrella held up by his beau as they made their way to the front entrance, Ciel was not quite sure what was going to happen, or just how strange this meeting would be. After all, upon his arrival, he was more than surprised to discover that he was not simply at an ordinary meeting. He was invited to sit at the table with the council.

"What is all of this about?" he questioned with unwithheld skepticism. "Never in my seventy years of working for the Convention of Twelve have I ever been offered a seat. I certainly hope you aren't asking for an unlucky thirteenth member." He mused, sitting down regardless while his assistant stood behind him.

"This time, rather than your services as an assassin or the like, we have a request for your expertise in another area." Informed Sir Greendown as the bluenette intertwined his own fingers in front of himself and leaned forward.

"Go on."

Sir Integra chuckled at the confused demon before speaking. "Following the investigation of the Cerberus Incident, the Intelligence Department and the Dispatch Division at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. has alerted my attention to an odd phenomena in regards to the Special Zone." She elaborated. "While monitoring supernatural activity both in and around the area, a trend has been noticed in a drop of undesirable activity by the zone's residents."

"Predatory behaviour?" Ciel asked for clarification.

"Yes, among other things." The Hellsing woman answered. "Specifically, during the period of time when H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. was in collaboration with Girasol, we saw a significant drop in illegal activity across the board, and not just in relation to that specific coven."

"So you unified the community against a common threat." Spoke the Phantomhive. "That's bound to solve a few problems. Their focus is elsewhere, after all."

"That's true, however, they were also issued supplies by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. for their efforts, and it would appear that they had made their way around the special one." Sir Greendown chimed in. "We also theorize that this contributed to the decline of criminal activity as well."

"So you're telling me that if you take away the necessity to commit crime, less crimes will occur? _Shocking_." Ciel replied while his partner's eyes rolled. "What does this have to do with me?"

"The point is, that the special zone is a mess." Sir Hellsing stated, pushing things along. "If guns aren't the only thing that can decrease the amount of criminal activity in a poverty-stricken area, then what will? What it is that we require from you is your business expertise and your knowledge of criminals, Sir Phantomhive. That is why you're here."

"You're joking…" the cyclops answered, leaning forward while resting his chin in his palm. "Are you asking me to create an entire economy for a society of supernaturals to whom I am a sort of _'boogeyman'?"_

"Would you rather us tell you to?" Integra questioned. "What we need is for you to tell us how we can both control the citizens of the special one through less violent means. We will do the work, but you need to devise a plan."

"It's going to cost a lot of money, you know…"

"H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. is prepared for this, with the additional support of the Round table." To this, Ciel actually laughed. He leaned back in his chair as his chest fell and rose before finally containing himself. The man standing behind him cracked a smile as well, placing a hand on the back of Ciel's chair as the bluenette spoke.

"Very well." The man said, still wearing a grin. "It will take me some time to create a more in-depth plan, but here is what I have off the top of my head: For starters, make investments in the public service establishments that the special one has put in place for its citizens on their own. The Wolf's Glen, the 'Library', and the church owned by the vampire known as Sister Dorothy. Each of these places provide services to the public where H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. has already failed the people, but they run low on both funds and means to assist at times. Secondly: There needs to be a way to create jobs within the zone itself in order to strengthen the economy, as well as put in place a bartering system. It doesn't matter if it's pounds, euros, dollars, or something new entirely, but there's not enough money for them to spend in order for them to survive in an ' _acceptable_ ' manner by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. standards."

"Sounds reasonable." Integra replied.

" _'Reasonable'?"_ echoed a certain Sir Arthur Kirkland. "I don't even understand why we don't simply just kill them all off." He protested, prompting a bark of a laugh from Sir Walsh.

"Hitler thought genocide was a very good answer, too." The old man retorted, putting out his cigarette in one of the ashtrays on the table. "Always good to take cues from history, eh, Artie?"

"That's… Well… They're not human, so they don't count…" mumbled Kirkland, fidgeting in his seat.

"They said the same thing about the Jews, and the Romani, people with mental disorders and physical impairments as well as homosexuals." Ciel quipped. "Sir Kirkland, if this discussion is going to continue, I would highly appreciate it if you ceased your talk of a ' _master race'_ like a proper Englishman." As Integra nodded at the bluenette's terms, Sir Kirkland slouched in his seat, grumbling illegibly to himself while the others moved on.

"So," began Sir Midford. "How quickly can you get a detailed plan for reformation to us?" he asked. Sighing, the Phantomhive leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest.

"That depends…" he answered. "It depends on work, and I would like to do a little bit of investigating on the infrastructure of the Special Zone in order to make a thorough judgement as to what needs to be done. Sir Integra, may I speak with some of the officers who patrol that area?"

"Of course." The woman replied. "I don't expect results over night, as quickly as possible would be nice."

"I'll get on it as soon as I get home." The Phantomhive said.

"Is there anything else that you would like to add?"

"Nothing that I can think of."

"Then you are dismissed." Integra replied. "As for the rest of us, we will discuss what you have already told us."

"Yes ma'am." Ciel replied, standing again. His time seated at the Round Table was short lived, but it was significant. The Phantomhive was visibly pleased with himself as he walked out of the conference room, and his beau noticed.

"Think you can do it?" Alois asked. "Rebuild an entire system?"

"It's possible, but the question is, how, and will they follow through?" the bluenette replied. "This could be a total flop and waste millions, if we don't win over the support of the supernaturals."

"That would be hard to do, I would assume." Said the menace. "Apparently, the soldiers of the Glen are not taken kindly to."

"Of course, that's to be expected. It's a police state at the moment. It has been since its conception." Ciel informed, grabbing his coat from the coatrack at the front of the manor and putting it on. His beau did the same and grabbed their umbrella as they prepared to go out into the freezing rain once more.

"So it's going to be nearly impossible, then."

"Not without time, but orders are orders." Ciel said as they stepped outside, the umbrella opening and shielding them both.

"If this fails, you might face the blame…"

"If it fails, then it will obviously be their fault. If they didn't follow my instructions precisely, then that's on their heads."

"I'm just a little worried, I guess…" the blonde admitted as they approached their vehicle. Suddenly, he was forced to stop as the Phantomhive abruptly stopped walking. Water dripped onto his shoulder as he tried to keep the umbrella over the bluenette's head. He stepped toward his beau again, arching his eyebrow in confusion, but that soon faded at the expression on his lover's face.

"You don't need to worry." Ciel said, closing the distance between them by wrapping his arms around the other man's waist, making it difficult for Alois to hold their protection from the rain. "I'll be fine." Gently, he pressed a kiss against the menace's lips, laughing a bit when they pulled away. His hair was wet as the blonde lost the concentration geared toward holding the umbrella upright.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" apologized Alois, quickly fumbling to right himself, but the action was lost on the bluenette, who simply went back in for another kiss. With one arm, he held the menace around his waist, but with the other, he clasped the blonde's hand in his own, wrapping around both it and the handle of the umbrella before mischievously moving it so that the rain fell on both of them.

"Ack! Jerk! Nooo!" the blonde half-heartedly protested while laughing at the watchdog's silly antics. Despite this, he kissed the bluenette back, even as cold water tan down their faces and soaked their clothes. Between kisses, both men laughed while the Macken grabbing the sides of the watchdog's face as the CEO pushed his back against the car door. They were now wet, cold, and were possibly being stared at by gaurds, but they didn't really mind that.

"Coooold…" the menace complained as the bluenette wrapped his arms around him.

"Then get the keys and open the door." Ciel replied, releasing his beau and shivering at the lack of the man's body heat. The pair hurried inside, slamming the doors shut before the blonde's hand immediately shot out to turn on the car and mess with the heating system.

"Oooh, you fucking shit…" he whined, placing his hands against the vent to get warm. "Why would you dooo that?"

"Because you looked cute and I thought it would be funny." The Phantomhive answered bluntly over the pitter-patter of rain hitting the roof and windshield. A grin was prominent o his face as he spoke, amused by the menace's complaints. Taking off his gloves, he gently took the other's hands, clasping them together in hopes of warming them faster.

"There's no need to worry about this." He continued. "I can come up with something. All anybody would have to do is look at a history book or simply open their eyes. Everything will be fine."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"You wanna spy on people in the Glen?"

"Can I?"

"Yes."

"Then yes."


	139. Demonomics

Over the next few days, the demonic duo carried out interviews of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers who occupy the special zone in order to formulate a course of action to take in regards of reformation. Some were very helpful, describing details as to how they enforce the "law" of the area, and what the people are like, while others dodged questions and gave out minimal information. Thus, one of the first things Ciel wrote down after interviews concluded was to reform the "police department" of the Glen, as it was more than clear that there was a bit of corruption. Ciel had been alive more than long enough to be able to know that when you give guns to people who do not view the people they are supposed to be protecting as "people", there are bound to be ugly problems.

From what they gathered thus far, the Glen was also short on money. The Queen's currency was hard to come by in the Glen, and the community often had to work together in order to pool the resources that they managed to scrounge together by scraping the bottom of the barrel. They either needed money to be circulated throughout the area by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; or to create their own to be legal tender within the confines of the Glen.

The problem with that was the fact that, once again, supplies were hard to come by. Thus, many Glen-dwellers ventured out into the city to find jobs, if they were human-passing. Some blended in naturally, while others used potions bought from the shop, however, the latter option was often difficult, as they only lasted for a few days, and one needed to buy more.

Unless there was some sort of exchange rate, the special zone would not be able to keep afloat even with this. Just like entering a new country, one would have to exchange pounds for whatever currency is accepted upon entry to the special one. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. operatives would have to abide by this rule as well.

Similarly, H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. operatives need restrictions. In regards to the reform directed toward the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. unit occupying the special zone, operatives should have more structure and procedure. Obviously, the "shoot on sight" rule is not working. There needs to be a process that determines the punishment of an alleged "criminal". In fact, this should not operate like a game of "humans versus supernaturals". Supernaturals need to have a say in things.

The proposition for a new division of the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization is on the table as a result. The "Supernatural Relations" department. No longer, will policing be left to soldiers who are trained to shoot supernaturals on sight. It will be left to a division who will be geared toward maintaining this new system and aiding the citizens of the special zone, all while keeping in close contact with representatives from the community. In fact, there should be supernatural beings on the taskforce, and in the new "police" department in order to maintain a balance of power within the borders of the area.

This will in turn create a demand for jobs within the Glen, and money will circulate. There is a demand already, however, citizens lack the means necessary to create them themselves. There is a demand for grocers, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and the like, however, potential candidates lack the tools and training required for those positions. With this, the potential for achieving the desired effects of lowering crime rates will skyrocket as residents will not have to resort to theft and the murder of humans in order to get by.

"What it sounds like, Mister Phantomhive, is that you intend to make a sovereign nation out of the supernatural zone." Said Sir Greendown as the bluenette wrapped up his presentation. Ciel stood before the council with a power point presentation while the Round Table members each had documents dictating the specifics of the plan inside.

"Is that not what you wanted?" the bluenette questioned. "I was asked to draw up a plan to create a sustainable economy for the supernatural zone, and I did. Because they are incapable of assimilating into the general public, they must have their own means for survival. Thus, I worked around that detail the best I could."

"This is a massive project." Stated Sir Walsh, who was for once feeling skeptical. "Is the payoff really worth it?"

"That's for you to decide." Ciel answered. "As I said, I was only asked to make a plan and nothing more."

Taking a deep breath, Sir Hellsing rubbed her temples before looking up at the bluenette. "What benefits do you foresee if we do successfully pull off this plan?"

"Lower supernatural-on-supernatural crime, lower supernatural-on-human crime, easier to govern supernaturals, and in the long term, money saved." The watchdog informed, piquing the interest of the council. "The supernatural zone will be closer to becoming self-sustaining. That is money that doesn't get poured into keeping it barely above water."

"And what is the speculated cost of all of this in the short term?" asked Sir Midford. "Just an estimate."

"An estimate?" echoed the bluenette. "We're—roughly speaking-, looking at costs around ten million pounds."

_"Ten million?"_

"Could be more." Ciel said. "This isn't even factoring in how to win over the acceptance of the community. The supernaturals in that area have their own culture and system of beliefs. If we want to put this plan into action, we must first make a plan as to how you are going to gain their cooperation. As of now, that is perhaps the most difficult task on your hands."

"Why's that?" asked Kirkland.

"They're terrified of you. You want cooperation, not compliance." The Phantomhive stated.

"I assumed that you are prepared to come up with a plan for that as well?" questioned Sir Hellsing, raising a brow.

"If the council wishes it." The demon answered, shutting off the powerpoint. "Though, I'm not too good with people. I may need advice here and there. That shouldn't be a problem, however."

"Agent Macken?"

"Agent Macken." He answered. "I also assume that I can call upon both Elizabeth and your expertise in leadership, can I not?"

"You may." Integra replied. "If that's all you have to say, then this meeting is adjourned. Everyone please read over the files in front of you extensively until the next one."

The lights came on, causing suited men and women to stand up and gather their belongings before shuffling toward the door. Sir Integra was the only person that stayed seated as Ciel took the memory stick with his presentation on it out of the computer and gathered his notes. There was one other person, however, who remained behind. Chuckling, Sir Midford came up behind the watchdog and pat him on the back.

"That was a fine presentation, Ciel." He praised. "Are really just doing this because we asked you to?"

"Yes, but while talking to Jim about it, he got very interested and involved." The bluenette answered, straightening his back as he placed his items in his suitcase. "It seems to have hit a bit close to home for him."

"I can see that. He's a good lad." The golden-haired gentleman said, putting on his coat. His eyes then fell on the Phantomhive, examining him more carefully.

"That's an awfully nice suit you have on, there." He observed, noticing the difference, having worn enough suits himself. "Surely you didn't get all dressed up for us, now, did you?"

"O-oh, uh, it's Valentine's day." Ciel bashfully answered, a small blush dusting his cheeks. A hearty chuckle bubbled up from the other man's chest as Sir Midford pat his demonic relative on the shoulder.

"Got a date, huh?" he asked. "Ah, well, sorry to keep you. Good luck, Ciely." The man added with a wink, clicking his tongue and giving the bluenette a "thumbs up". It was then that Sir Midford finally decided to wander off as well, bidding his goodbyes to Sir Hellsing before he walked out the door. Meanwhile, the woman in question continued to read through the files, taping her fingers on the table as she reviewed the contents.

"Integra." Ciel nodded do her as he was about to leave as well. Integra only offered a small sound of acknowledgement without allowing her eye to stray from the paper even once. She seemed awfully troubled by this project, but then again, it was sort of on her head. While Ciel knew that he couldn't get any details from the woman herself, he could always ask her grandmother if she knew anything.

For now, however, he had other things to worry about. Quickly, he made his eay out of the building and stepped out into the cold February air. His eye scanned around for the Phantomhive family Mercedes Benz before making his way over to it, making sure to step lightly. The passenger side door was unlocked, so he simply swung open the door, tossed his suitcase in the backseat, and climbed inside the vehicle before closing the door behind him. Leaning over, he kissed the waiting driver before reaching to buckle his seatbelt.

"Sorry, I didn't think it would take that long." The bluenette said apologetically.

"It's alright." The blonde answered with a grin. "I had to turn on the car halfway through, though. It's so cold…"

"We'll be some place warm soon." Ciel stated.

"Oh yeah? Where's that?"

"You'll see. Just get on the road first."

* * *


	140. That Demon, Romantic

Following the directions that the bluenette presented the Macken with as he drove, Alois navigated his way through the city. A good portion of time was spent sitting at stoplights, however, as the entire population of London seemed to share the idea of going on an outing at the same time. It was to be expected, though. Saint Valentine's Day was the day that couples celebrated their affections for one another, prompting many dates at once and thus leaving the streets somewhat congested.

"It's a good thing I booked a table beforehand, isn't it?" the Phantomhive jested as the car stopped again.

"Ugh, why can't everybody just stay home?" complained his beau. "Look at these schlubs. In their cars, on their way to dates. Disgusting. How dare they?"

"Well, then what does that make us?" chuckled Ciel, looking over at the blonde driver. The Macken paused for a moment to think about that, furrowing his brow and staring at the car in front of them.

"Losers who go on dates on Valentine's day." He finally said. It was a joke, but the Phantomhive couldn't help but pick at it.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know that you weren't into this sort of thing. " he answered. "We can go home instead, if you would prefer."

"No~! I want to go!" whined the menace. "Maybe the day after Valentine's day is a better time, though."

"Then turn around."

"I'm not turning around. We're here. We have fought too long and hard. There's no turning back now."

"Alright, then it's just a few blocks more." Ciel indicated while pointing at the windshield. "Turn right, and it should be there on there on the left."

"'Kay. Tell me when to turn." The menace stated, stepping on the gas as they started moving again. The duo continued on the road they were on, and Alois turned when instructed. Parking the car in the space, he looks out the window at the sign of the place and shook his head with a grin.

 _"Clos Maggiore?"_ he asked, turning his gaze toward the watchdog again.

"I hear it's really romantic." Grinned the bluenette, taking off his seatbelt and leaning over to peck the Macken on the lips. "Let's go."

After getting out of the car, they automatically intertwined their fingers on reflex as they crossed the streets. Although it was hard for him to resist, Alois dodged whatever puddles blocked their path since both of them had actually put some effort into their appearance. The shoes he wore were not made for trotting through dirty water, and he was eager to get inside. He had tried to take the bluenette to this particular restaurant before, but something came up that cost them a 2013 Rolls Royce Phantom in the process and devastating their butler at the same time.

Shuddering as they stepped into the heated air of the restaurant after coming in from the cold, it was obvious that the place was busy. People sat in chairs near the entrance, waiting on their reservation. The duo walked up to the little desk manned by a sole, well-dressed man with a somewhat cross expression on his face, which was immediately dropped and replaced with a smile as they made eye-contact.

"Welcome, gentlemen!" the man at the desk greeted. "How can I help you?"

"Reservation for Phantomhive." The bluenette answered, prompting the man to turn his attention to the computer. His eyes scanned the screen, darting to the clock in the lower right corner every so often as he checked the time on the lists and searched for the watchdog's name. Finally, he straightened his back, shaking his head lightly.

"I'm sorry, sir, but there doesn't seem to be a reservation under ' _Phantomhive_ '." The man said, causing the watchdog's brow to furrow.

"Are you certain?" Ciel questioned, prompting the man to reluctantly look again.

"There's nothing on the computer about a reservation under the name ' _Phantomhive'_ , sir." He said, looking up at the bluenette again. "We're really busy today, so I don't think I'll be able to squeeze you in, either."

"I distinctly recall making that reservation." The watchdog insisted. "There must be some sort of mistake."

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing there." The man behind the counter was now getting impatient, which caught the watchdog's attention. As a detective, it was second-nature to pick up on these things, but as both a demon and a businessman, it was his nature to exploit them.

" _Sorry to be a bother_." The demon began, his tone casual. "Holidays must be horrible for restaurant workers. There's so many people, and you don't get paid extra for it."

"Yeah, it's not all sunshine and roses…" the man behind the counter agreed. "I have a girlfriend, too, but I can't take her to a restaurant like this."

"Really? Why not?"

"I need to pay my bills." The man whispered, leaning over the counter a bit. His eyes darted around for a moment before he continued. "This suit is the most expensive thing I own other than my business degree!"

Now the watchdog had something to work with. "What kind of business degree?"

"Bachelor's in business management. I wanted to get my master's, but I couldn't do that and work at the same time."

"Well…" the bluenette said, reaching into his wallet and pulling out a card. He laid it on the counter and slid it over to the other man. "I run a little business, in case your interested."

"FUNTOM?" the man asked, holding the card between his fingers and looking up in astonishment. "Are you serious?"

"I can probably find something for you." Ciel answered. "What's your name?"

"K-Kenneth." Stated the man. "Kenneth Bently."

"Well, Kenneth." Began the demon, pulling out a memo pad and jotting down the name. "I think I can help you out with that, somehow."

"U-uh, alright…" Kenneth said, rubbing the back of his neck and staring down at the card. "Uh… If you want, sir, I can probably fix your reservation problem…"

"Really? Are you sure that's not too much trouble?" asked the Phantomhive with feigned concern.

"Yeah. I just have to re-enter things…" the other man answered. "Just give me a second…"

With that, Kenneth turned and leaned down to retype in one of the reservations, swapping the Phantomhive's name with whoever it was who took his spot. Ciel looked over to the menace with a devious smirk, only prompting the blonde to shake his head while wearing a bemused grin. Leave it to a Phantomhive to solve the problem in a less than moral way.

"There you are, sir." Kenneth finally said, summoning a waiter. "If you follow him, he'll take you to your table."

"Thank you so much." Said the watchdog with a friendly grin. "And good luck." Leaving Kenneth behind and finding their table, they were handed their menus and left to decide on their meals.

"You evil man…" the menace accused, leaning forward to converse with the bluenette across from him. Despite his harsh words, his lips were turned upwards in a mischievous grin. "Are you even actually going to help him with his job?"

"Of course. Even I'm not _that_ cruel." Answered the Phantomhive, lifting his eye from the menu to address his beau. "Did you think I wouldn't?"

"I would be surprised if you didn't." the menace stated. "Maybe even a little mad."

"Exactly." Ciel replied. "I can't have that, now, can I? It would ruin the entire date."

"You're such an ass…" Alois said, looking back down at the menu in front of him. His brow furrowed in confusion as he tried to decide on something to eat. He wasn't used to this sort of selection, which made things difficult. He hadn't even heard of half of the items on the menu!

"You love me anyway…" his beau answered as he analyzed the blonde's face. "Find anything?"

"Not yet…" admitted the Macken. Icy blue eyes were still glued to the menu in front of him as he spoke. A sense of uneasiness started to sink in, as he had no idea what to pick. What if he accidentally picked something he didn't like? He would be stuck with it!

"What the fuck is this?" he finally asked. "There's like, ten different menus? What is that? And why isn't anything in English?"

"Because ' _complicated_ ' means ' _fancy_ ', to some people." The bluenette said, lookin over the menu, himself. "Here, let me help." He said, laying the menu flat on the table between them so the blonde could see. "It's in French." He explained. "I'll translate, and you tell me if something sounds good."

"Alright." The blonde nodded. He leaned his weight on his elbow as he focused on the menu in between them both.

Ciel began translating, explaining the dishes that Alois indicated interest toward in greater detail. Occasionally, Alois would find one that sounded good, but continued to listen in case there was something that sounded better. It took a while for them to decide on what to order. It certainly took longer than most people. They had to send the waiter away on more than one occasion, since they weren't quite ready yet.

Later rather than sooner, they both decided on something and placed their orders. They spent their time with idle chit-chat, admiring the scenery and making comments about the décor, as well as providing commentary on other guests. It was rude of them, but they didn't quite care.

"See that guy?" the bluenette asked. "He's a tourist."

"How can you tell?" questioned the blonde, following his beau's gaze.

"That polo shirt in a place like this? No. It's not the kind of setting." The Phantomhive explained. "From the baseball cap sitting on the table next to him, I'd say he's American." Alois laughed while trying to keep his volume low as to not attract too much attention. His eyes scanned the area again before setting on another person.

"What about him?" he asked, tilting his head in the direction of the target. "He seems off, too."

"Suit isn't cut right." The Phantomhive said. "That's someone who doesn't dress up often. The woman he's with doesn't have the right sort of organization in her wardrobe as well. I'd say that they aren't high-society, but wanted to spoil themselves for a bit. That's not shameful."

"And him?" the menace continued, pointing out another.

"Here on his parent's money." Ciel stated. "Probably doesn't have a job yet because he's waiting on his father to find him one. Not quite _Warwick_ -wealthy, but well-off."

"Oh my god." Chuckled the menace, leaning back in his seat.

"This place isn't as ' _high-soceity'_ as you thought, is it?" Ciel asked, smiling after the blonde.

"No, but it _is_ pretty." Alois answered, looking around. His eyes tilted upwards toward the glass ceiling. What sun could peak through grey, winter clouds shined through them and the vines adorned with white flowers overhead, contrasting with the warmer colours around them. "I like all the flowers. It's like we're eating in a weird garden that's also someone's house? It has a sort of surreal feeling to it, y'know?"

"Yes, I can see that. I think that's actually better."

"Mm-hm." Alois agreed, reaching across the table in order to grab the bluenette's hand "It _is_ really romantic. Who knew a villain could have such good taste in restaurants?"

"Who knows? That's just the way villains are. They'll surprise you in all sorts of ways…"

* * *


	141. Final Destination

"…And when the crew and I finally made it to the truck for our escape, one of them was injured, and the other two were manning the gun on the back." The Phantomhive explained, listing off the characters in the story he was telling on his fingers while the duo waited for their food to arrive. "Guess where that left me?"

"Oh no…" grinned the menace. He leaned forward, placing his elbow on the table and rested his chin in his palm as he listened intently as the bluenette spoke.

"That's right. One of the men manning the gun shouted at me to start driving. Unfortunately, my knowledge on how to operate a vehicle was just about as vast as it is now." Ciel stated as the blonde shook his head. "There were Nazis chasing us, no Sebastian in sight, and I'm the one in charge of getting us all out of there alive."

"So what did you do?"

"Well, we had to ditch the truck and head out on foot. I handed off the injured soldier to the other two, and had them carry him while I held off our attackers for a bit. How exactly I did that might make you proud. I busted the fuel tank on the truck and lit it with a lighter from Sir Walsh. Then, I rolled the whole thing down the hill that the Nazis chasing us were climbing up. I ran after that, but I heard an explosion, and no one came after us after that."

"That's fuckin' _great!"_ cackled Alois, clapping his hands together. The entire mental imagery that Ciel's story brought on just tickled him, from Ciel in full-uniform, being lost at how to operate a car under fire, to him hurling said car at enemy troops in order to escape. From the looks of them, the pair was having the most fun out of anyone in the restaurant.

"It wasn't then, but now it's pretty funny." The watchdog said. He looked up, spotting the waiter walking toward them with food. Following his eye, the Macken did the same, and watched the man as he set the dishes down on the table. That's when things started to head downhill.

For some reason, the overly-fancy arrangement of the dishes struck Alois' funnybone. Covering his mouth, the blonde did the polite thing and waited for the man to leave before saying anything. Once he was in the clear, Alois let go of his face, but now sound still came out as he giggled to himself.

"What's so funny?" Ciel asked, picking up his utensils. He arched an eyebrow as he looked the tickled menace over, not sure as to what Alois had found so entertaining.

"That is the most pretentious-looking plate I've ever seen." Managed the blonde, still struggling not to laugh out loud. "Why? Just why? That's so unnecessary. It's like… if there was a fashion week for food, this would be there."

The bluenette stared down at the plate for a moment, furrowing his brow. At a glance, he saw nothing wrong with it, but when he thought about the menace, he understood. From the perspective of someone who had not been around this sort of presentation for long, it certainly must seem a bit strange. Only, in the blonde's case, he jumped from "strange", to "silly". When the watchdog looked up again and saw the menace having such a good time over it, however, he couldn't help but crack a smile.

"I suppose you're right." He answered, picking at his own food with his fork. "It probably doesn't taste that different, though."

"It better be good for the price." Alois replied, picking up his own utensils. "If it's average, I'm going to be offended. That much money for this much food? When are they going to start breaking out the guillotines over this bourgeois-bullshit?"

A genuine, hearty laugh escaped the Phantomhive at this. "True, true. If it's disappointing, we could always go somewhere else later."

" _McDonalds'_ , then."

"If that is your wish, then I will grant it." Playfully answered the watchdog as he cut his meal into portions.

"Seriously?" Alois questioned. "I figured you were too posh for a place like that."

"I'm not _that_ out of touch, you know." Ciel stated. "It's just another restaurant, and I wouldn't mind if that's what you really wanted." To that, his beau smiled and looked down to play with his food, almost as if he were trying to understand the bizarre aesthetic of its arrangement. He was quiet for a moment as he continued to think, leaving only the clinking of silverware and the murmuring of other customers around them to fill the silence.

"Hey Ciel?" he finally piped up. "Do you really think… that it's possible to save the Glen?"

"Of course." Ciel answered. "I wouldn't have agreed, otherwise. It will take a while—perhaps years; but it can be done." He looked up and tilted his head as he looked at the menace. "Why do you ask?"

"I dunno… It just… It feels weird, somehow." Alois informed. "If they didn't care before, then, why now?"

"Many reasons… The fact that you and I were able to convince them that supernaturals are capable of resembling humans at heart, but more importantly, because of the appearance of a certain angel who ranks highly at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G."

"Elizabeth."

"Correct."

Alois shook his head with a smile. That was definitely the sort of thing that the woman would do. Still, another feeling persisted.

"I guess I just feel sort of guilty." The blonde stated. "Not everyone has a fairytale ending of being swept off your feet by a member of a higher social class."

"You fought for it fair and square." Ciel replied. Thinking about it, with the current atmosphere, the menace might not want to indulge in the reaping of the aristocracy at the moment, especially given his background.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up anything negative by bringing you here…" he apologized, but Alois simply shook his head.

"You're alright. It's still an interesting experience." The menace replied. "I wouldn't have gone here ordinarily, and it's very pretty. I originally only wanted to come here because I thought it would impress you."

Blushing, the bluenette was somewhat taken off-guard by his lover's statement, while in hindsight, it did make sense. Now that he thought about it, the menace would hardly pick a place such as this for himself. Ciel fidgeted in his seat for a moment, trying to debate on what to do. This fault in foresight on his part shook him once it was brought to his attention. Even after he meticulously thought about this date, he had still made a mistake, one that he considered to be highly inconsiderate of the very person he was trying to woo.

"I-if you don't like it, then we can go somewhere else." The watchdog suggested with a bit of uncertainty, causing the other man to arch an eyebrow. Icy blue eyes scanned the slightly flustered bluenette curiously, watching as the other man nervously cleared his throat. Cracking a smile, the blonde made his reply.

"But I haven't even tried the silly-looking food, yet!" Alois said, picking up his fork and knife. "I have to at least do that after everything you went through to get us here."

"It's not that big of a deal…" his beau stated.

"You bribed a man by offering him employment at your company. That's an unnessecary headache for you."

"Well…" Ciel began, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "I was hoping to impress _you_ , so…"

The Macken snorted at the Phantomhive's answer as he tried not to giggle. His response didn't do anything to improve Ciel's resolve, but Alois was genuinely flattered. "You bribed a guy to impress me?"

"Uh… Well…"

"You're so cute." Alois stated, cutting off a piece of his food. "Fortunately for you, I'm into the whole ' _adorkable evil mastermind'_ thing that you've got going on. I think it's sweet."

"The bribing part was unexpected…" The watchdog bashfully explained.

"It was just a bonus." Concluded the blonde as he ate. He paused for a while to chew, furrowing his brow as he tried to decipher the taste.

"What is it?"

"It's good, but…" the menace trailed off, speaking with his mouth full as he focused. His attention then turned back to the Phantomhive as he finished. "I didn't know that it was possible to make food _taste_ pretentious?" His grin widened as the bluenette chuckled again, seeming to calm down a bit.

"I don't know, I'm not a chef." Ciel replied. "Is it at least edible?"

"I'm not really sure?" Alois answered with uncertainty. He continued to eat a bit more in order to try and process what exactly it was that he was feeling toward this food. "It's a bit overwhelming, and not in a good way."

"Your palette must be different." The Phantomhive suggested, proposing an explanation. "It's perfectly alright if you don't like it. We can try something else, or we can find a different restaurant."

"Isn't that a bit of a waste of money, though?"

"That's one of the good things about this kind of place. If you don't like the food, you don't have to pay. We can get a refund for the table, too."

"Are you serious? That's so bizarre."

"It's a good system for the customer. I'm not quite sure why all restaurants don't do that."

"Whatever you think is the best plan, then." Alois answered, putting down his utensils and leaning back in his seat. "Lead the way, O datemaster."

"Alright, give me a few minutes." The Phantomhive replied. Waving over a staff member, he informed them of the situation and was issued several apologies. His date was almost baffled by how easy that was. Somehow, he expected it to be a much bigger ordeal, but he was certainly not complaining.

With only a few bites of some absurdly expensive, posh, French food, the duo headed back to their vehicle. Upon hopping inside, Ciel dug in his pockets for a moment while the menace took his seat as well. Once the blonde was settled, he quickly shoved whatever it was back in its place after glancing at it, hoping his beau didn't notice.

"So, where to, then?" Alois questioned, resting his hands on the steering wheel as the Phantomhive strapped himself in as well. Ciel took out his smartphone and began punching in an address.

"I'm not really sure." He said, as he continued to push buttons. "I know how to find out, though."

"GPS, huh?" the blonde mused. "I thought mister Guard Dog knew this city like the back of his hand?"

"Even I have limitations. London is huge, you know." Ciel answered, pressing the "enter" button. "Just follow the voice."

"Following strange voices is typically frowned upon, you know."

"Not if they actually know where to go."

_Calculating…_

* * *


	142. Eyes Of The World

Time passed and the duo made their way to their next stop. It was a slow process, but the demons made it worth their while. They continued to tell stories, and Alois would try to imitate whatever the GPS just said whenever they were interrupted. Traffic was extremely congested, so the device would act up on multiple occasions as they sat still surrounded by cars. They really did pick the wrong day for this. Holidays were terrible, and so were weekends, mornings, and afternoons. Both gentlemen were almost considering abandoning the car in favour of continuing on foot so they could get there before nightfall.

Despite this, they held fast with virtuous patience and were rewarded with making it to their destination. By then, however, both of them weren't sure if they wanted to continue. Just making it there was such a hassle and lord knows just what lies ahead.

"C'mon, then." Alois said, letting out a sigh as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "Let's go fuck shit up."

"We don't have to if you don't want to." The Phantomhive meekly stated. He had caught onto the Mackens tiredness and was worried that he wasn't having any fun at all. "We can just go home and save it for another day, if you want."

"But I want to spend time doing things with you!" the menace replied, offering a smile toward the bluenette. It would appear that even Ciel wasn't perfect when it came to planning, but Alois found it endearing, especially considering how worried the bluenette was over how entertained his beau was.

"That's all that really matters to me right now." He continued, leaning over to peck the man's cheek and nuzzle his shoulder the best he could while still in the vehicle. "I want to be all lovey-dovey with you and stuff. So mushy, that it's almost gross."

Ciel uttered a small laugh at this as he seemed to calm down just a tad. Reaching up, he ran a hand through blonde locks as his shoulder was leaned on, looking down at the menace's irresistible grinning face. "Well, how can I say ' _no_ ' to that?"

"Good! Let's go, then!" the blonde declared, pulling away and scooting out of his seat. Once he stood up, he leaned down in order to peek inside the vehicle one last time. "We must go. It's hard to act like gross lovebirds in the car. Well, in the front seat, at least."

The door slammed shut, leaving the bluenette with no other options but to exit the car as well. Immediately after closing the door, the menace pushed the "lock" button on the keyring remote and then latched onto the watchdog's arm as they walked toward the restaurant. It was in a sort of niche location, and looked very small. Once they opened the door, however, they discovered that it was in fact, much bigger on the inside.

It was a dimly lit establishment with a bar. Toward the back was a dancefloor and a stage with various unmanned instruments sitting on it. Cool music played over the speakers—some sort of Jazz music that Alois couldn't quite name the style of. It wasn't as packed as the other place. There were couples seated at tables and at the bar, but the bar was still predominantly occupied by singles. As Alois looked up at his beau's face, he decided that the place suited him, somehow. It was dreary with an interesting sort of energy bubbling up from underneath the surface.

"Shall we take a seat, then?" the Phantomhive asked, prompting the menace's attention.

"Sure. Hope you don't mind if I cling to you a bit longer, though. This is your coat and I want the smell to stick instead of cigarettes." Alois replied, noting the smoky scent that filled the air.

"I don't mind. We can get a booth and sit on the same side." The bluenette suggested and not soon after, he was tugged along by his lover, who was oblivious to the glances that they were getting by other patrons as they sat down. Ciel didn't like it, but he was confident that he and the menace would be able to handle anything a room with a handful of humans in it could dish out.

On that note, the waitress immediately walked up to their table to take their order, not seeming to pay much attention to any of the other patron's behaviour or that of the duo. After briefly looking over the menu, both demons quickly decided on what they wanted—a massive improvement from the other place—and once that was settled, the waitress took up the menus again and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Is this better?" questioned the watchdog, looking over at his beau and grinning when the other man leaned on his shoulder with a hum.

"Much. It's certainly not as festive, but this should be fun." Alois replied. Casually, he reached down in order to grasp at the blunette's hand, bringing it up and setting it down on the table before playing with his fingers. "Seems to suit you a little better, too."

"Really? How's that?"

"Not as… 'fairytale-ish'?" the blonde said in an almost questioning tone. "I never thought the whole ' _prince charming'_ role fit you."

"Then what role does suit me?" asked Ciel. He arched an eyebrow as he watched Alois fiddle with his hand some more while thinking. The blonde paused for a while as he pondered just what sort of part did suit the watchdog, but with that thought, he found his answer.

" _'Being Ciel'_ is what suits you best." He said with a small laugh. "You're smart, funny, cute, and a very bad man. At the same time, though, you're a very good man; awkward, sweet… Nothing else fits you, because, well, you're you, and nothing else would really be the same, would it?"

Looking up, he could see a blush form on the Phantomhive's face, even with the dim lighting of the room they sat in. He stared quietly with a grin on his face until Ciel leaned forward, planting a kiss on his forehead. Alois' lips parted slightly, his smile becoming smaller as he continued to look the watchdog over. A small shudder ran through him as Ciel's gaze seemingly pierced him, all while the Phantomhive's face remained perfectly serious. At last, the bluenette smiled softly, and his gaze lost the intensity it had moments before.

"You have _really_ got me beat." Stated the bluenette in a quiet tone. The blonde sat up slightly in order to get a better look at his face, now holding the noble's hand in his own. Even though Alois wasn't all over him, Ciel's expression remained consistent as he continued. "How am I supposed to win you over if you already beat me to it?" he asked.

"Like you have to try." Alois retorted. "I love you, no matter what you do. You could be at your goofiest, and I would still find you attractive."

"Perhaps, but I want to make you feel special." Answered Ciel. "You're important to me, and sometimes, I'm not the best at showing it. You should always know, however, just how special you are."

"Just who is beating who, now, Pooch?"

"Don't know, don't really care." Ciel looked up and saw their waitress exiting the kitchen with what appeared to be their orders. "We'll find out after we eat, though."

"Is that a _challenge?"_ asked the Macken with a small smirk.

"No, because that would imply that _I_ have the chance to not be the one making _you_ swoon." Whispered the Phantomhive before the waitress got to the table. She set down the plates and confirmed their orders before leaving again.

She didn't seem to bat an eyelash at their proximity, but looking around, a few others did. A man and a woman seated a few booths in front of them occasionally looked over, the woman's eyes darting toward them while the man looked over his shoulder at them. Quickly, they both averted their gaze upon having been caught. The woman whispered to her date, while grinning, but neither of them could see the man's reaction.

"Looks like we've got fans." Alois mused, putting his straw in his drink and taking a sip. He looked down at his plate and liked what he saw, so he wasted no time separating his hand from the bluenette's in order to dig in.

"We seem to be really good at attracting them." Answered his beau, picking up his own utensils. Glancing at the menace, Ciel chuckled. "So I take it that the food is more to your liking?"

"Mm-hm~!" hummed the Macken in agreement, opting to not open his mouth full in order to answer. He continued to eat as the other did the same, rather content with this turn of events. Occasionally, he would pause to suck the grease off of his fingers left from the fish and chips in front of him, only to get more on them as he continued.

"So what do you want to do after this?" asked the bluenette between chewing. In truth, he had a few ideas, but he still wondered if the blonde simply wanted to go home or not.

"I dunno." Alois stated, finally tearing his attention away from his food. "Is there nothing left on the agenda for today?"

"Oh, I have an idea or two. I was just wondering how you were holding up."

"Pretty well. You've got me curious, so now I _have_ to listen."

"Finish your food first." Instructed the watchdog, earning a nudge to his side from Alois' elbow.

" _Mean."_ The menace accused with a pout. "Why can't you tell me now?"

"Because if I told you, you might want to get up and go, but you seem to be really enjoying your food."

"I can listen and eat…" Alois insisted.

"Well, I was wondering how inviting you thought that dancefloor over there seemed." The watchdog stated, a small blush on his cheeks. His demeanor seemed cool—smooth, in a way that was uncommon with the bluenette. Ordinarily, he would have averted his eye upon asking such a question, but instead, he kept his gaze fixated on his lover's as he intently waited for a response. Something about the Phantomhive's demeanor caused Alois' stomach to do flips, despite the fact that this certainly wasn't the first time that Ciel had asked him to dance.

Unfortunately, the bluenette was right. He did want to immediately vacate the table with his beau in arm. Alois' eyes shifted from Ciel to his plate again, debating on how long it would take for him to finish it.

" _Maybe_." He said not-so-cryptically, taking a swig of his drink. His face turned a little pink as his beau leaned closer to him with a soft sort of half-smile.

"It's alright if you're not up to it…" the Phantomhive reassured in a hushed tone.

"I want to!" protested the menace, furrowing his brow with a small pout as he turned his attention back to Ciel. "I'm just debating on whether or not I want to finish my food, is all."

"See? I told you." The watchdog pointed out, his grin widening. "I knew you'd just want to skip right to it."

"Glad I can stroke your ego with that. Jerk."

"Well, while it does give me a bit of an ego boost, I also just think it's cute."

"Don't you have food to finish, too?" questioned Alois. He grumbled as he turned his attention back to his plate and filled his mouth with food, forcibly giving his boyfriend a reason to stop trying to provoke a reaction from him. Much to his dismay, however, the Phantomhive opted to laugh at him, enjoying the display immensely. Ciel soon shook his head and started eating again, himself, using utensils, rather than his hands, thus leaving most of the disposable napkins to the menace to use.

"Yes, sir." He jokingly replied, but he did notice how his beau was eating rather fast. "Don't choke." Ciel warned, but his words of caution fell on deaf ears as the menace nearly inhaled his meal. Eventually, the menace pushed his empty plate away and wiped his hands on a napkin.

"Scoot over." Alois instructed, turning his whole body in the seat in order to face the Phantomhive, to which the bluenette, being the devious man he was, did as instructed, but in the wrong direction. He slid himself further toward the Macken, eventually pressing him against the wall and earning a delightful string of complaints from his lover.

"Ack! Rrgh! No! Not that way! Gah!" the menace whined, trying to push against the watchdog. "I need to go wash my hands! Quit it!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. You should have specified then." Mischievously smirked the bluenette as he continued to not budge.

"I will wipe my greasy hands on your suit!" threatened his beau, only making him laugh. Still, he did as he was told, and stepped out of the booth so that the Macken could get by.

Once he was out, Ciel sat back down, chuckling to himself as he noticed the other demon pluck a mint from the bowl on top of the bar as he passed. When the Phantomhive decided that his boyfriend was out of sight, he reached into the pocket of his suit jacket and took out a slip of paper, furrowing his brow as he carefully examined the words written on it. The man blushed slightly as he read, and nervously chuckled when the waitress came by to collect empty plates, leaving complimentary mints on the table before she left. Popping on into his mouth, he sensed the menace rounding the corner and quickly folded the paper before hastily shoving it back in his pocket before standing up to greet him.

"So, how about that dance?" he questioned, pecking his lover on the cheek. When he pulled away, he was rewarded with a bright grin and a giggle from the menace, who took his hand gladly.

"Was there any doubt that I wouldn't?" Alois asked in reply as he was led to the dance floor.

"Maybe a little." Admitted Ciel. "I was afraid that you were getting bored and wanted to leave."

"Bored? On a date with you? Never."

Alois' feet hit the hardwood floor first, leading his beau after him. As the sound system started playing a new song, they got into position, ignoring the other people around them. They didn't matter, despite the fact that the duo stood out more than a little.

Ciel took the lead, catching the blonde off guard with moves that he hadn't seen before. He actually faltered on the first few steps, causing his beau to chuckle, but Alois soon got the gist of things. It took lots of staring at the Phantomhive's feet, but they were soon in perfect synch as if they were able to predict the other's movements. They stepped lightly along with the rhythm of the music, dodging people when they accidentally got too close, but expertly making it part of the dance.

Both men were laughing and having a good time as Ciel took the blonde's hand and caused him to twirl, and twirl and twirl, almost as though he were making it a game before pulling him close to his chest. He held Alois with one arm around his waist while holding the Macken's hand in the other. It was almost as though they were embracing more than dancing, but that certainly didn't stop them.

A blush formed on the fair-haired demon's face and his grin fell with his lips parting slightly, as their gazes met—artic blue on sapphire. The fair-haired demon's heart nearly skipped a beat and he almost stopped his movements altogether as the soft, gentle smile of the watchdog registered in his mind. He almost melted under Ciel's gaze, as it spoke volumes about how the bluenette truly felt about him. The way he looked at the Macken was as though the entire world was before him—like Alois was all he cared about. Alois' grip on the fabric of his beau's jacket tightened as the red hue on his face darkened under the intensity of the bluenette's stare. He almost wanted to look away, but couldn't. It was almost as though he was afraid that if he did, he wouldn't be looked at like this again.

"I love you." The bluenette said. His voice was tender, but it pierced through the blonde, causing the butterflies in his stomach to flutter faster and warm him from the inside out. "Although I might not express it blatantly as often as I should, you're precious to me. Someday I hope I won't need a holiday as an excuse to tell you that."

"Then don't…" the menace replied, his voice shook a bit, but he had to force back a wide grin. "You don't have to wait…"

"I just lack confidence." Ciel admitted. "I'll get there, though. When that happens, I'll be able to tell you just how much I love you every day. For now, though, I'm just not sure how to put it into words."

"It's okay." Alois stated, letting go of his partner's hand in order to cup his cheeks in both palms. "This is enough for me. Just as long as I know you love me at all, it's enough."

"Oh, but I don't think so." Answered the watchdog. "You know me. I want to be thorough. You mean the world to me, and you deserve to know that in detail!"

"Then I'll wait for you. As long as you keep looking at me, I'll wait as long as it takes you to find the words even if it takes years."

"Are you sure you want to put up with me for that long?"

"Of course I can. I love you, so putting up with you is more than a pleasure!"

A grin graced the bluenette's face as he wrapped both arms around his boyfriend. Their foreheads touched and their noses nuzzled together. All was missing was their lips touching, and everything would be perfect.

Before that could happen, however, Alois uttered a sound of surprise as he found himself being dipped by the watchdog to the sound of shattering glass. Reflexively, his eyes closed at the feeling of liquid being dripped on his face. Once he opened them again, he saw Ciel staring down at him, still maintaining his grip on him so that he doesn't fall with a foul-smelling substance soaking his hair and dripping down from the strands. Occasionally, a shard of glass would fall as well, but the man shifted so that it would miss his lover. When the watchdog's eye turned it's attention to his back, the menace looked over Ciel's shoulder as well to see an intoxicated man standing behind him, oblivious to the gasping crowd around them.

"Fucking fags!" the man said, snot dripping down his reddened face and tears pooled at puffy, reddened eyes. In his hand was the neck of a shattered beer bottle, still aimed at the two demons. "Fuck you."

"I'm sorry, sir, but do you mind?" the Phantomhive asked. "We're kind of having a moment, here."

"You think I give a fuck?!" barked the drunkard. "It's 'cause of you cocksuckers she didn't think I was good enough!"

Upon further inspection, the Macken's eyebrows raised as it occurred to him that he was the man sitting with the woman who was laughing at them before. It would seem that she dumped him, and now he was irritable and taking it out on the duo.

"So the gays really are threatening other people's relationships." The blonde mused. His eyes traveled toward the broken bottle, as pointed shards were still pointed at Ciel. His attention then turned to the watchdog, silently asking him how he was going to handle this. If the Phantomhive could wink, he would have, but instead he offered his lover a knowing smirk, to which the blonde nodded.

"Together?"

"Together." Said Ciel as Alois' arms wrapped around his shoulders. Tapping his foot, he counted. "One, two, three…"

His foot stopped tapping as he pressed it further into the ground, supporting the blonde's weight as he lifted the man and swung him. They moved from their previous position as Ciel used Alois like a weapon, gripping him and swinging him at their opponent. The Macken's shoes struck the drunkards face, and not softly. The man was out like a light just as the song over the sound system ended without skipping a beat. Alois' feet touched the ground again, safely being held in the watchdog's arms again, impressing the crowd, but he wasn't thrilled when he tried to run his hands through the bluenette's hair to find that the back of his man's head was bleeding.

"Ciel?!"

"It's okay, I'll heal with no problems. Headwounds just bleed a lot." Grinned the Phantomhive, letting go of the menace in order to take off his jacket. "My suit may be ruined, though." He added, drapping it over his forearm.

"Aw… I liked that one…" faux-pouted the blonde.

"Why do you think I wore it today?" his beau answered, grabbing his hand with his free one. "It's alright, though. There's always extra work clothes in the back of the car, so it's not a big deal."

"You're so weird…" giggled the menace as he was led off the dancefloor. "Cute, but weird."

"That's my thing, though, isn't it?" the bluenette mused, glancing over at the other as he recalled their prior conversation. Alois simply shook his head, but his grin remained as they were approached by the staff of the restaurant.

Two free meals in one day was remarkable, but the restaurant had to do something, since the Phantomhive had been injured in their establishment. After thanking the staff, the duo simply retreated back to their vehicle, and the menace opened the trunk for Ciel to reach in and grab the bag with extra clothes in it—pants, shirt, tie, jacket, and even underwear and shoes was inside. Since his shirt was still dry, the Phantomhive simply grabbed the jacket before closing the trunk again.

"Can you hold this?" he asked, extending his arm with his soiled jacket draped over it to Alois. Silently, his beau obliged, nodding as he took the garment and watching as Ciel swapped. Out of the corner of his eye, however, he saw something fall from the jacket in his arms, and quickly moved to catch it.

A slip of paper, carefully folded into a small rectangle. Ink had seeped through it, indicating that something had been written on extensively. Out of curiousity, the menace unfolded it and read the contents. The grin that formed on his face was the biggest one yet, but alas, he was caught by his beau.

" _Don't read that!"_ the Phantomhive said, quickly grabbing for the paper. It was too late, though, Alois was already reading it, and he wouldn't be stopped. He moved to keep it out of his beau's reach, keeping his body between his outstretched arm and the bluenette as he continued to read.

On it were notes for the date. There were instructions on how to get to the first restaurant, and the second one was jotted down as "backup". Dance steps were on it as well, and a few things that ended up not being used, like the original location that they would be dancing together at, and conversation topics that the bluenette seemingly forgot from the disarray of being thrown off by the first restaurant being a flop. Additional comments written by what appeared to be Sebastian's handwriting showed up occasionally as well along with general things for Ciel to keep in mind. "Be honest" was a big one. Oh, how the watchdog's face turned bright red at the find was too much for Alois to handle.

"You did all of this?" the Macken questioned, grinning enthusiastically with light pink dusting his cheeks. "You even asked Sebastian for help?" With a small groan, the bluenette looked away, crossing his arms while trying to hide his face.

"Yes…" he answered, unable to say anything else. There was no point in hiding it at this point. He had tried to aim for the most romantic date he could think of, although it didn't exactly go as planned. The poor man even went through the embarrassment of having his butler help him learn dance steps in order to please the Macken, but fortunately, Alois wasn't so cruel to bring that up. Uttering a sound of surprise, he found his face being pulled toward the blonde's, and his lips being assailed by a delighted Alois.

"You're so _cute!"_ declared the fair-haired demon upon pulling away. "The best! You're so brilliant, I don't know how to deal with it!"

Alois was touched. Truly, he was. He knew that Ciel wasn't the most naturally romantic of people, but he tried his hardest, and for the most part, succeeded. He wooed the menace and made it seem effortless, but now that Alois knew, the blonde was ecstatic. Everything that Ciel had said before was obviously true. He meant it. He really did want the menace to know how he felt and wanted to make the Macken feel special.

"You really are amazing…" Alois said softly, nuzzling the Phantomhive's cheek. Stunned, Ciel stood frozen for a few moments before finally wrapping his arms around his beau.

"Not really…" he answered. "I just wanted to make sure you had a good time…"

"It was better than ' _good'_." The blonde stated. "You're just… I love you so much…"

Awkwardly, the watchdog stood there as he was being hugged by his boyfriend, blushing like a madman while he tried to think of something to say. He couldn't, though, so he simply cracked the tiniest of smiles and returned the other man's affections. He was taken by surprised when Alois pulled back and looked at the paper again, though, causing another flash of nervousness to run through him as he wondered what was wrong.

"There's one thing missing, though…" the blonde stated.

"Wh-what's that?" his lover asked. Alois smirked mischievously and shot the Phantomhive a devious look as he touched the tips of their noses together.

"There's no hotel listed on here." Pointed out the Macken. "And I want to treat you extra special tonight!" he added with a sweet tone of voice that made Ciel shudder.

"I, uh… I may or may not have already made arrangements for a suite." The other man answered, earning a small peck on his chin.

"Perfect!" Alois said as he pulled away again. He threw his boyfriend's coat in the trunk and closed it before walking around to the driver's seat of the vehicle. "Let's be sure to get there quickly, then! You're taking a shower, first, though. You smell like alcohol."

"U-uh…"

"I'm keeping this, by the way~!" he declared in a sing-song voice as he waved the paper over his head. With a laugh, he plopped down in the driver's seat, snapping the other man to attention.

"Why would you want that?! You are _not!"_


	143. Storage Wars

It began small enough. A box or two would appear at the entrance of The Wolf's Glen Café in the Special Supernatural Zone that was sectioned off from the rest of the city. Inside were things like clothes, personal hygiene products, and the like. All of them were things desperately needed by the special zone, and the Wolf's Glen was the place to donate them. What really baffled the witches and elves who worked there, however, was the steady flow of items each week, and the increase in quantity of boxes. Soon, they started receiving things like toys, accessories, art supplies, and more along with the usual garments. There was no name on them, so they hadn't the faintest idea where all of these things were coming from. All that they knew was that they were there. Occasionally, residents of the Special Zone would hear a vehicle that didn't sound like the usual H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. trucks, but they weren't going to risk peeking their heads out in order to investigate.

They hadn't suspected that the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization might actually be responsible for the donated goods. They were too at odds at each other for the possibility to be considered. Yet, at headquarters, donation bins had been set up around the facility for things that weren't needed or that could be useful. Occasionally, a prankster would put garbage or something in the bins, but it was frowned upon, as not only did workers have to sort through the items, Sir Integra herself encouraged the exchange. No one could deny the woman in charge.

Elizabeth was in on it as well, reminding people to donate as she walked throughout the now fortunately navigable facility on her way to important meetings. Currently, she and a few members of the Human Resources department had been working to create and staff a whole new branch of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; which will be known as the "Supernatural Relations Department", or "SR" for short. The goal was to have in place a taskforce of people who would handle communicating with the special zone and focus on maintaining the balance between them and the supernatural residents.

Still, none of it would work unless they won over the locals. Given their past interactions, the relationship between H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and the supernaturals of the special zone was more than "rocky". It was essentially a police state, and had the residents been confident in their power, they would most likely revolt. The goal was to make them work as allies as they rebuilt that portion of the city for their use.

Obviously, this was the most difficult task at hand. The watchdog proposed that they start slowly. First, they would increase supplies to the special zone. Second, they would supply them with materials to build with. Third, they would supply them with the knowledge on how to use them.

Gradually, the organization was implementing part one and two of the first phase of their master plan, but have yet to touch the third. After interviewing both Sister Dorothy and "Baby Face" Baldassare, they gained intelligence on how the zone functioned behind closed doors unbeknownst to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. Residents loved media. They loved movies. They held "movie nights" weekly at the Wolf's Glen Café, and the projector that they were played on was the most valuable item in the entire area. In particular, they enjoyed the film _Shrek,_ and supposedly quoted it often due to a fraternal understanding they seemed to have with the movie's namesake and protagonist.

Electricity was only supplied to three buildings, however by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. The remaining few were supplied by stealing power, such as the Girasol coven base. The buildings that were legally supplied, however, were The Wolf's Glen, the church, and lastly, the makeshift library that had been assembled by a local sorcerer and shared with the public. The old man had gathered all of the books he could for the residents of the special zone to read, as it was perhaps one of the most popular pastimes available to them. That said, it would appear that books that hadn't already been read were low, and blank journals for supernaturals to write their own stories in were in high demand. This was a fact that could easily be exploited by the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization. Weeks passed, and after about half a month of this pattern, they decided to launch a full-blown campaign.

En route to the library was a certain menace, driven in a black SUV by a tall man donning a matching shade and wearing a wry smile on his face. Alois had been selected for the task for multiple reasons. One: He was a supernatural. Two: He wasn't recognised in the special zone, and if he was, it was by very few. Three: he had a way with people, and understood people of a lower social class who were constantly—well, _demonized_ —no pun intended. While the menace wasn't exactly thrilled about it, he still was put up to the task, so there was no other option. Besides, he had to return something.

The vehicle traveled down unkempt roads, turning heads and causing whispers to fill the air. Witches, wizards, elves, and other creatures watched, unsure as to whether or not they should flee at the sight of an unfamiliar vehicle traveling down their streets in broad daylight. It didn't have the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. crest on it, nor did it look like a H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. vehicle, but it was best to be cautious. Eventually, though, the SUV lulled to a stop in front of a building with an old, worn sign dangling by from a sign post connected to the front.

"This the place?" Alois questioned, leaning forward in his seat in order to peek over the other demon's shoulder. Sebastian held up the piece of paper that he was given with the address jotted down on it and looked toward the library.

"It would appear so." The older man said. "'Block C, building 5: Library'" he read off.

"Then let's get rockin'." Answered the menace, mostly trying to psych himself up with his silly choice of words. He took off his seatbelt and climbed out of the car, his shoes tapping against the pavement as the butler in the driver's seat did the same. Alois started heading up to the front entrance, and gripped the doorknob carefully when he got there. The door seemed as though it were threatening to fall off.

"Come in, don't be shy!" called a voice from inside. The Macken did as instructed, opening the door and waltzing straight on inside, only to be greeted by a familiar sight.

Books. Books everywhere, but mostly in stacks on the floor and on tables. There weren't many shelves, but the ones that were there were packed full. It was unreasonable to think that even one more could fit. The floorboards creaked beneath the blonde's feet as he ventured further inside, only to be greeted by a familiar face. A pang of guilt ran through him as he ran into the man in charge, a sorcerer by the name of Magnus whom he had captured previously in a raid as "Blackjack".

The old man didn't seem to recognise him, however. He was simply surprised to see the menace there. Magnus peered at the blonde through the glasses that sat too far down on his nose and greeted the Macken.

"That door needs fixed." Spoke the old man, arching a scruffy eyebrow. "I haven't seen you around these parts, before… You're not human, though. I can feel a powerful energy coming from you. Anywho, how can I help you, sonny?"

"Word on the street is that this is the place to go if I have books I don't need." Alois replied. "That true?"

"Why, of course!" Magnus said excitedly. He placed his hands on the desk in front of him and leaned forward in order to get a better look at the demon. "Whatcha got?"

"Oh, well, they're in the back of the car." Explained the blonde. "There's a few boxes of 'em. You want me to bring them in?"

"How many boxes?"

"Oh… Mhmm… about five."

"How big are they?"

"Eh, decent size."

Letting out a breath, the sorcerer looked down, shaking his head. Despite the gesture, a chuckle bubbled from his throat, indicating that he didn't exactly feel negatively about it.

"Son, that's a bit too good to be true." Magnus stated, looking up again. "Even if you're really got these five, 'decent-sized' boxes full of books, I'm afraid I've got nowhere to put 'em! I'll only be able to take one or two, if you've got 'em."

"What if you had shelves to put them on?" Alois asked, looking around. "Everything's on the floor. Of course you're going to have trouble storing them."

"I ain't got no shelves, though." The old man said. "That still don't help me none, I'm afraid."

Furrowing his brow, the blonde looked around, pondering what to do. It was his job to unload these books to the supernaturals who lived here—books that explained how to build things, make things, and create things, along with new stories that might be ove interest. There were also blank books to be written in. The future contents could prove relevant to the special zone as a whole as important literature later on, and the knowledge that the books contained would definitely prove useful. Alas, the Macken had run into trouble, it seemed.

"What if I could get you some shelves?" he asked, glancing over to the sorcerer behind the counter. At this point, Magnus was certain he was pulling his leg.

"Well then, I'd gladly take 'em." Answered the old man. "Dunno how you're goin' to do that, though."

"I have my ways…" the Macken stated. The gears in his head began turning, and he started to formulate a solution. He walked over, placing his hand on the counter and leaned forward, looking the scrawny old man straight in the face with a haughty grin.

"If you let me leave those boxes outside your shop for a couple of hours, I'll come back, and I promise you, you'll have shelves before the end of the day!" he declared, taking the other man completely off guard.

"Sonny, you've got to be bluffing…" Magnus said. "There's no way you can do that…"

 _"I can."_ The demon said. "I've done much more difficult tasks before. Trust me. I'll be back. I'm not gonna leave that shit on your doorstep. It would be such a waste!"

"Alright, then." Huffed the other man. He folded his arms across his chest and straightened his back with a frown. "Show me these 'books', then."

"You got it." The menace retorted, trotting toward the door. He waited for the man to catch up before opening it, leading out onto the street. Magnus' eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the vehicle.

"Alright, Sebastian, here's the plan…" Alois began, walking toward the butler. "There's no room inside so we're gonna leave the boxes on the sidewalk, _but_ , we're gonna run get some shelves for this guy's library. Think you're up to it?" There was a brief moment where they older demon's eyebrows raised at the instruction, but regardless, he smiled.

"If I couldn't do this much, what kind of… _assistant_ would I be?" Sebastian questioned, opting to leave the fact that he was a butler out of the equation for now for the sake of not arousing suspicion. Somehow, though, swapping the words made him feel somewhat repulsed by his own tongue. "Shall we start unloading, then?"

"Right-o!" Alois replied, giving his temporary assistant a thumbs up. With that, the team opened up the back of the vehicle, and started removing boxes. One by one, they were placed on the sidewalk, just as the blonde had said. In truth, the librarian was shocked.

"You… you really weren't kiddin'!" Magnus said. "How're you gonna do it, though?"

"We're just that good." The Macken declared, turning his attention to the sorcerer as he set down the last box. "If you can get us some extra hands to meet us here, that'd be helpful. There might be some assembly required, y'know?"

"Oh… Well… alright, then?" answered the old man in a questioning tone, finally adjusting his glasses back on the bridge of his nose.

Sebastian shut the back of the car before walking around to the driver's side door and climbing in. The younger demon did the same, buckling himself in as the butler turned the ignition key. Alois stuck his head out the window in order to address the sorcerer one last time.

"Don't worry, by the end of the day, those books will be on brand new shelves inside. You'll see!" he promised. All the old wizard could do was stare in awe as the car drove away, hoping that the mysterious blonde would return.


	144. Not Your Average Drifter

Hours passed, and the librarian waited impatiently for the blonde to return. He glanced down as this pocket watch before turning to stare out the window again. Although Magnus had done as instructed, leaving the boxes right where the demon had left them, and pulling together a small group to help him with the shelves. All of them were skeptical, though who could blame them? Some mystery man comes out of nowhere in a large black SUV and unloads a bunch of books for the library? That obviously had to be a scam.

Still, there was the benefit of the doubt. The contents of the boxes did check out, after all. They were filled with books. New books, old books, and books about an array of different topics. Most of them were books on how to make things, build things, and fix things. There were cookbooks, art books, craft books, books on how to make furniture, jewelry, and all kinds of things. There were also fiction and history books, but the supernaturals that showed up to help seemed to be more interested in the prior. They were also deeply interested in the final box, which held blank books, journals, and packs of loose paper. Whoever the mystery man was, they knew what they wanted.

"I don't think he's coming back, Mags." Said one girl as she sat on top of the counter. Her eyes were narrow and had no pupils. They were a strange shade of pale green, same as her hair. The girl's legs dangled idly as she watched the impatient man. "What's it been? Like, two hours?"

"If he's done this much so far, who's to say he's gonna back out now?" asked Magnus as he continued to stare. "You shouldn't give up on people so easily, Akira."

"Yeah, yeah…" the girl whined. "It's pretty easy too, though. He sounds pretty unbelievable..."

"Do you think he's the same person who's been droppin' stuff off at the Glen?" asked a young man. He was a faun. Furry, goat-like legs peeked out from under a skirt that covered himself, most likely being unable to make their way through the legs of a pair of pants. Hooves clopped against the floor as he walked, and his long face turned toward Akira. "The boxes look the same, and there's a lot there… Where does he even get that stuff, anyway?"

"Who knows? He's a mystery man, after all." Said the girl, looking over to another who sat on the end of the counter, reading one of the books she pulled from a box. "Whatcha got, Tegs?"

The other girl sat, gold eyes fixated as she was seemingly absorbed in the book. She was obviously an elf, with pointed ears and dark tan skin that stood out against short, white, hair pined into place with bobby-pins. Her friend couldn't see her face through the one long lock of hair on the left side of her head that was carefully braided, leaving Akira to believe that she was being ignored.

"Tegs?" the first girl called again. "Tegs? Hey, Tegwen!"

"Huh?" the elf asked, finally looking up with a confused expression. "Is he back?"

"Damn, you weren't even listening in? What's got you so interested, huh? Did the mysterious blond Santa Claus bring something good?"

"It's about a murder." The elf known as "Tegwen" replied. "It's really good. The detective in it is really cool, and less of a jerk than the usual ones."

"Yeah… Why _are_ most of them assholes, anyway?"

"I know, and why are they all _men?"_

"Everyone be quiet!" interrupted Magnus, listening intently. Everyone did as instructed and the library got deathly quiet. As they all collectively focused their hearing, however, they noticed something.

"An engine?" questioned the faun, his ears perking up.

"Are you serious?" asked Akira, hopping down from the counter. All of them made their way to join the librarian at the window, and couldn't believe what they saw.

A black SUV had pulled to a stop in front of the library, and out stepped two men clad in black. One of them was a tall gentleman with eyes of garnet and hair to match both the vehicle and his outfit. The second one was, just as described by Magnus, a younger man with pale blonde hair parted to the left, icy blue eyes and a cat-like face. His movements weren't as full of grace or purpose as his associate, but he still had an air of delicacy about him. Both men were otherworldly. They didn't fit in with the Glen, and were like no human they had seen in films. The pairs' prescence could be felt from within the library—a powerful supernatural force, making it difficult for the locals to want to walk outside to greet them.

It didn't matter, however. While the tall one walked around to open up the back of the SUV, the blonde walked up to the door and wrapped his fingers around the knob. Opening it, he peeked his head inside.

"I'm back~!" he chimed with a big grin, surprising the group. "Oh. Is this the help?"

"U-uh, yes." Magnus said with a nod. "This is Akira, Tegwen, and Clarence. What exactly did you have in mind?"

"Hmmm… I dunno if that's enough people, but I'm willing to try it! Nice to meet you!" Alois greeted. "I got some shelves from the store, but there weren't enough there that were big enough, so I also went out and bought some boards and some tools. All we have to do is put them together, and stock them. Think you're up to it?"

"I don't think most of us know how to build shelves, though…" began the faun, Clarence. His fears were negated.

"That's alright." Alois said. "The bought ones come with instructions, and Sebastian knows practically everything, so making the rest from scratch shouldn't be too difficult. It's best to get started, though, if we're gonna be done before the day's over."

Although the supernaturals were baffled by both the strange man in front of them and by what he was proposing, they couldn't seem to argue with him. Reluctantly, they followed him outside as the other demon unpacked things. The tall one, apparently known as "Sebastian", nodded at them with a smile once they stepped into his view.

"Hello." He greeted. "Assembly of the store-bought shelves should be easiest, so we should probably get them out of the way, first."

"Sounds like a plan, man." Answered the menace, turning to the others. "What say you?" he questioned, only to be greeted by a series of nods and mumblings in agreement.

First, the group started opening the large, rectangular boxes, peeling off tape and laying everything out on the street. They found each pack of instructions, screws, and pegs required to assemble the shelves, yet they still awaited for instruction. While they had everything they needed, they were still hesitant.

"You can get started whenever you want." Alois said, unfolding his pack of instructions. "When you need a tool, just ask. We've got plenty to share."

With that, everyone got to work, wordlessly splitting into teams of two to assemble each shelf. They took to it very well, and things went smoothly. The only part where things slowed down was the first time a tool was necessary, and the locals had to ask the demons, who were already halfway done.

"We need a hammer." Informed Tegwen, and much to her surprise, the blonde kept his word and handed her one. No one quite knew why they suspected that he wouldn't, but they did. The blonde was oddly straight-forward and honest for a stranger, especially given his apparent wealth and status.

Within under an hour, they were done with that set. Three shelves stood out on the street, waiting to be hauled inside and stacked with books. The locals were astounded by it. They, along with the blonde, were quite proud of themselves and had a good time accomplishing the task.

"What's next?" asked Tegwen, looking to the demon excitedly with a big grin. They were all eager for the next task, a little bit high off of the feeling of building something with their own hands. The plan was working. The goal was to get people excited about making and improving things, and Alois was doing his job well.

"Next comes the harder bit." The Macken began, pointing to the boards that sat in the back of the SUV. "Next, we have to assemble those into shelves, but I think we can definitely do it. Let's move the shelves we've got out of the way and make room so we can unload these, alright?"

Eagerly, the group did as instructed. They moved the lighter, store-bought shelves and placed them along the wall next to the stack of boxes filled with books. Then, they moved onto getting the boards out while the demons gathered the tools nessecary for the job.

"I think it will be wisest if we set things up into groups again." Proposed Sebastian. "Only this time, we'll be working as an assembly line. One group will measure and mark the boards, another will trim them, and another will start grouping the pieces together in order for us all to put them together. First, we have to go inside and see how big we need them to be." He turned to the librarian, snapping him to attention. "Mister…?"

"Jenkins. Magnus Jenkins." The old man answered, pushing his glasses up on his nose.

"Ah, yes. Would you mind coming inside with me? We need to decide how things are going to be organised." Informed the butler. Once more, the librarian found himself being unable to say no. These men were absurdly charismatic. It was almost overwhelming.

"O-oh… Well, alright." Magnus answered, leading the older demon inside. Alois stayed with the others, still amazed by the job they did.

"This is fun!" said Clarence. "I didn't know you could actually make this stuff."

"Well, it has to be put together somehow." Alois answered. "If you're the one who has to do it, then so be it! I think it's a lot more exciting that way, anyhow."

"I just hope it's okay for us to be doing this out here." Spoke Akira, her voice getting lower. "What if we get in trouble with the rooks?"

"'The rooks'?" echoed the menace, arching an eyebrow.

"You really aren't from around here, are you?" questioned Tegwen. "The rooks are H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers. They rule this place with an iron fist… They say they're ' _keeping the peace'_ , but they don't really do that at all…"

"The opposite, actually." The other girl added. "If you do something they don't like at that one moment, they'll shoot you, dead!"

Alois' smile faded at that, adopting a more serious expression. While the information wasn't news to him, it was still horrifying to hear from the mouths of the people who lived here. It was amazing how they were able to speak so casually on the matter. Was it that common of an occurrence?

"Don't you worry about a thing." The menace stated, wearing a haughty smile. "They can't do anything, here. Nobody's gonna get shot, I promise."

"How do you know?" asked Akira. "They'll probably ask to inspect the books you brought, and if there's any banned stuff…"

"Shut up! I don't want to think about it!" the faun interrupted, covering his ears.

"She's right, though. How do you know this is a good idea?" Tegwen asked, looking to the blonde for answers. Her face was somewhat fearful, as were the others. "Maybe we should hide this stuff…"

"You don't have to worry. I'm not afraid of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G." the Macken boasted, puffing out his chest slightly as he crossed his arms. "As long as I'm here, they can't lay a finger on you."

"You're fuckin' crazy, mate."

"I prefer the term ' _eccentric',_ thank you very much."

The others shook their heads as the two older men stepped out of the building, the librarian looking baffled. There was no doubt in Alois' mind that Sebastian had led the conversation and came up with everything himself. Still, it was best to make it seem as though they were cooperating, rather than leading.

"We have the measurements." Sebastian informed, walking up to the menace and showing him his memopad with numbers scrawled on it. "We should have plenty of wood to do this, as well as some left over."

"Perfect!" replied Alois with a grin. "Let's get to it!"

Though their morale had slightly fallen, the team was back to work. Clarence and the librarian were tasked with measuring the pieces of wood, while the two girls cut them. The pair were extremely intimidated by the saw, but soon, they were happily wearing down the boards. Finally, the demons put the pieces of wood into groups and started sanding them, removing any splinters that might be sticking out. When the faun and the old man were done with their task, they started sanding as well, and finally, they were just waiting on the girls, who were given the hardest task. Although Tegwen and Akira weren't done, the others started putting together what was complete.

Alois glued the pieces together while the others held them in place. Sebastian then nailed them sturdy, switching places with Alois for each piece. They had one shelf done and stood back to admire their work. The group wasted no time moving onto the next one- that is, until the locals were rendered frozen as one of them caught a glimpse of a green coat and red berret.

"Drop your tools!" barked Akira in a hushed tone, and everyone did, no matter what they were doing. Everyone, except for the demons.

As the soldiers approached, they were the only ones undisturbed by their presence, and even stepped out to greet them as they walked closer. The residents of the special zone looked on in horror as these two strangers casually walked up to the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers, unfazed by their guns and keeping their heads high.

"What are you freaks doing?" demanded one of the men. "Who authorized this? Wait… is that a fucking saw-?!"

"Yes, it is." Interrupted the Macken in an authoritative tone. He didn't even bat an eyelash at the fact that the soldier reached for his gun and was about to point it at him. "As for who authorized this, _I did,_ and I would highly recommend that you put your guns away and keep walking, or else your lives will become very, _very_ difficult in the near future."

"Who the fuck are you?" spat the soldier, attempting to stare down the demon in vain. Wordlessly, the menace reached into his coat, and held up his badge.

"This is ' _who the fuck'_ I am." He informed, causing the faces of the humans to turn pale as they read the name and rank. Alois smiled sweetly at the pair before continuing. "Now, is there anything else you would like to add?"

Both soldiers swallowed hard before looking to one another in silence. They had just threatened one of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s top-ranking officials, who was in closely affiliated with the Convention of Twelve and Sir Hellsing, herself. Abruptly, the men stood at attention and offered a salute to the blonde.

"No, sir! We're deeply sorry for our indiscretion, sir!" one of the soldiers said.

"Mmm, yeah… I'm not buying it." Alois answered, carefully putting his I.D. back in his coat. "I bet you do this sort of shit often, don't you? Do you get off on threatening people who have to power against you for trivial bullshit? It really looks like you do."

"Sir, no, sir!" said the other soldier without giving it a second thought.

"I dunno…" the blonde began, folding his arms. "I think you're just saying that to get out of trouble."

"Sir, no, sir!"

"So you're telling the truth?"

"Sir, Yes, sir!"

"Then why did you point your gun at me?"

Both soldiers fell silent. Minds began to formulate an excuse, and beads of sweat began to form against the humans' skin. Their pose even shifted as they nervously fidgeted. They couldn't come up with an answer.

"No response, huh?" questioned the Macken. "In that case, drop your guns and give me three-hundred pushups!"

"Th-three?!"

"I'm sorry, but I gave you an order, not an opportunity for debate. Surely you big, strong, tough, soldiers can handle a couple hundred pushups, right? Well? What are you waiting for? _Get started!"_

Just like that, the two humans' dropped from attention and carefully laid their weapons down on the concrete. Humiliated, they got down on the ground with them and followed orders. Supernaturals looked on in absolute awe as these powerful, ruthless men where made helpless by this mysterious blonde demon. When Alois turned to face them, the group nearly jumped, yet he still smiled in a friendly fashion.

"Sorry about that." He said. "Let's get started on the next one."

The man behaved as though nothing had happened, even while the two soldiers continued to do pushups behind him. Instead, he turned his attention to the project at hand. Picking up a board, he looked up to notice the bewildered faces of the group.

"I told you there was nothing to worry about." Spoke the Macken, being joined by the other demon in putting things in place. Alois seemed genuinely excited by this, and he was. It had been a long while since he got to build something. The last time was during his days at Warwick while building the haunted house for the school's Halloween festival. "This is gonna be so cool when we're done!"

Slowly, the others got back to their positions, their eyes glancing over at the soldiers every so often. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers never yielded to a supernatural. Not ever. Yet here they were, being subjected to some arbitrary punishment by a demon. It was all too suspicious, but none of them were quite brave enough yet to say anything about it. Instead, they picked up their tools again, and continued to put the shelves together.

Tegwen and Akira got done cutting the pieces and soon began to join in assembly. Things went along smoothly and time slipped away unnoticed. Alois and Sebastian no longer had to swap places every other minute to cycle between gluing and hammering nails, as they had the others to support the shelf. Sebastian left the team to their devices altogether in order to slip away on other business. Alois didn't seem to mind, however, even after the SUV disappeared from his sight. He was busy working.

He did look up, however, when the soldiers finally dropped, unable to work anymore. Furrowing his brow, he put his hands on his hips and shook his head. Clicking his tongue, he spoke.

"That didn't look like three-hundred to me." he reproached. "Is that really all you can do? How did you get past basic training?"

"S-sorry, sir…" one of the humans panted, too tired to move. Humming, Alois looked to the others.

"What do you guys think?" he asked. "Think I should let them go?"

Quietly, the others shook their heads and mumbled small "yeses" still afraid of getting in trouble with the men if they kept them. They still weren't completely certain that they were safe with them there, and didn't want to face any future retribution from them by making them continue. With a slightly disappointed look, Alois sighed.

"Fine. Alright, boys, you're free to go." The Macken said. "Get out of my sight, and do it quick before I change my mind. I'm still not too happy about you pointing a gun at me. Maybe I'll complain to somebody about it."

With all of the remaining strength they had, the two soldiers hobbled to their feet, picking up their guns. Weakly, they offered one final salute before fleeing, uttering one small garbled "thank you, sir" before they left. It took them a long time to actually remove themselves from the menace's vision, but they followed orders while Alois continued to work.

"Useless goddamn flunkies…" griped Alois, berating the soldiers to himself. "Can't even do their job… What good are they?" The others couldn't help but overhear, causing their questions to burn even further. By the time Sebastian had gotten back, they were done with that task and finished applying the dark brown staining to the shelves and were merely waiting for it to dry.

"Let's take a break." The menace said as the car rolled up. He trotted straight up to the driver's side window, eager for what he had asked for.

"Can I at least get out of the car, first?" chuckled the butler as he opened the door. When he did, the smell of the vehicles' practically punched the supernaturals in the face. Sitting in the passenger seat was Alois' prize, and when the other man unlocked the door, he started handing out the bounty.

"Who's hungry?" he asked holding out a McDonald's bag. The others could hardly believe it. Some of them had never even seen a real one before, let alone eaten it. Eagerly, the locals received a meal each including a drink before sitting along the sidewalk and chowing down.

Tegwen was the first to finish, having nearly inhaled the contents of the bag, and was scanning for people who weren't going to finish their food, only to be sorely disappointed when her friends refused. Despite the fact that they were already full, they simply continued to eat for both the taste and Akira did partially out of spite. It was as though she felt that it was her duty to do so, simply to annoy her friend. Magnus was the only one who had to call it quits and surrender the remainder of his French fries to the elf before turning to the others.

"So, what's next?" he asked while the menace popped a chicken nugget in his mouth.

"First," Alois began while chewing. "We gotta clear some space in the shop. We gotta move out all of the books that are in the way of us getting the shelves in." Pausing to swallow, he took a sip of his drink before continuing. "Then, we need to put the shelves in, and put the books on them."

"Sounds easy enough." Replied Sebastian. "Would you like me to start?"

"Sure." Answered the fair-haired demon before turning to the old man. "Hey, mister Jenkins, do you got a carpet or something we can lay out on the sidewalk so the books don't get beat up?"

"I'm sure I can find somethin'." the sorcerer stated. "I can go look while the others are finishin' up."

"If you'd be so kind." Sebastian answered as he stood up. "I'll help out."

Once the two were back inside, the others were left alone again. It was awkward, but better, that the soldiers were gone. The question was, what exactly was going on, here? Alois was strange. He wasn't from the special zone, donated lots of things, helped build bookshelves, and bought them food, yet he somehow was able to make H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers obey him without a second thought. Did he have some kind of involvement with them? Come to think of it, they didn't even know his name. He never introduced himself. He's simply "the blonde young man with the cat-like face".

Once they were done eating, they all stood up and got back to work. Now came the not-so-fun part. Hauling large stacks of books outside was a tedious task, and could wear one down before too long. The carpet was spread out on the sidewalk, and they got started.

Before long, other residents got curious and came over to see what was happening. Another group of people, and another, and another started helping them as the situation was explained to them. Help was needed? Help came. The contents of most of the library were emptied out onto the sidewalk, and people even stepped in to dust cobwebs and sweep floors. Alois actually stepped back to watch the sight for a moment, as he could hardly believe it. This was the first time in his life that he had seen a community work together on a project, and he was genuinely blown away by it.

When the time came, he didn't even need to help haul in the shelves and set them in place. He just watched as Sebastian told them where they needed to be, and as the people nodded and headed instructions. As the sun was starting to set, the residents of the special supernatural zone were putting books back inside and placing them on the shelves by genre, by author, and by alphabetical order. Somehow Alois was able to sneak in and return what he had "borrowed" from the library: a copy of Mary Shelly's _Frankenstein_.

"That's the last one!" someone called, causing for the crowd to cheer. The library was looking spick and span. Not one single book sat on the floor, and people could walk around, sit, and read inside the library for the first time in ages. Sebastian had even installed a new door on the building, replacing the broken one that had irritated residents for goodness knows how long.

Alois loved it. There was something deeply moving about the way that the residents immediately stopped to help each other and the smiles on their faces as they were greeted with an almost brand-new library with a tons of brand-new books that none of them had read before. Perhaps the best part about it, though, was seeing the face of the old sorcerer who ran the place being reduced to tears of joy at the sight of the place.

"Thank you, sonny." Magnus said with all sincereity as he walked up to the menace. The old man took his hand in a firm handshake as he choked back tears, his face contorting as he tried his best to stay calm. "You really did it… I just… _Wow_ … You really did it all before the day ended… You're really somethin', y'know that?"

"Nah, I didn't do much. I just showed up with stuff. You guys did most of the work." The Menace stated. He felt an overwhelming sense of pride over the event, and was merely pleased that was able to be a part of it. "You guys are really amazing. I've been around and seen a lot, but I've never seen people working like that. That is fuckin' incredible!"

Magnus nodded quickly, the tears finally streaming down his face again just when he finally managed to hold them in again. The group collectively praised him, telling him how thankful they were that he did this. Bashfully, the Macken tried his best to reply. It was difficult as he wasn't exactly used to receiving this much positive attention, but he somehow managed.

As the sun finally fell, the crowd sort of dissipated and went home as others who were nocturnal took their place on the streets. Magnus and the original trio saw the demons off, saying their farewells and repeating their thanks. Soon, however, the question that burned within them from the beginning had become too much and raged out of control, forcing them to beg the question:

"Sonny, you've done so much for us, and we more than appreciate that." The librarian said as Alois climbed into the car. "Just who are you, exactly? You don't seem like some random drifter…"

A long pause followed as Alois thought. He knew that he would have to explain eventually, and even if he didn't, the others would find out one way or another. Still, he didn't know how to put it. He didn't want to outright say that he was with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and closely affiliated with their notorious boogeyman known as "the watchdog". On that note, he thought of an answer.

"Ever hear of ' _The Watchdog'?"_ he asked, leaning his head out the window as he peered down at the others. They went pale at the question, but were confused since Alois obviously didn't fit the description of him that was passed around since the Phantomhive was first known to them. Alois didn't have the dark hair of blueish-black and the eyepatch, nor did he have the appearance of a surly man or a melancholic child.

"Y-yes?" answered Magnus.

" _Well, I ain't him."_ Alois bluntly informed. "They call me ' _The Lion'_. I'll be by to help on occasion. You take care, alright?"

With a nod from the others and a series of smiles, he returned the gesture before sitting back in his seat and rolling up the window again, peering in the rear-view mirror as the group watched after him as he rode away. Funnily enough, there was another donation to the Wolf's Glen Café that night. It was some spare wooden boards, and a complete set of tools. For the first time, however, there was a note.

" _Tell me what else you need next time, and I'll try to lend you a hand."_


	145. The Big Man In Charge

The Lion's mission was considered a roaring success. Alois went above and beyond his objective, repairing an important social hub and creating a positive link between H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and the members of the supernatural zone. Word of him spread throughout the area, creating a new urban myth that held weight. Just as instructed, The Wolf's Glen left a note on the door where the menace had left his with things they needed, and lo and behold, when the time of the week for donations to come in arrived, everything they had requested had showed up at their doorstep, including materials for potions, and a bicycle or two for transportation purposes. That week, a few more supernaturals were able to change their appearance to better find work outside of the special zone, and bring back money for the community. Alois had done his job absurdly well.

His superiors were proud of him, including his beau, the watchdog. The bluenette praised him and spoke highly of his exploits at the next meeting on the subject, increasing the morale of the Round Table in regards of the matter. They were impressed, and reformation of the supernatural zone seemed possible. Even Sir Integra smiled genuinely, seemingly having a weight lifted from her shoulders.

Alois was thoroughly pleased with himself, but was genuinely surprised when he was asked to attend a meeting as well. As of this point, Ciel had only been invited, as the Phantomhive was more suited for strategically manipulating people. Obviously, he had no business coming up with ideas- that is until he proved that he could make progress boom in such a manner.

"Y-you what?" he asked, uncertain if he had heard the others correctly. Eyebrows raised, the menace looked toward the council with surprise. Never would he have ever anticipated such a move.

"Mister Macken, we are more than aware of your success with the Glen as of thus far." Answered Sir Greendown. "That is why we will be leaving public relations between H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and the supernatural zone up to you."

"I heard that bit." Alois stated. "What I meant was why?"

"You've already established a link with the people of the supernatural zone." Sir Integra informed. "Our moles have confirmed that that talk of a so-called _'lion'_ is buzzing throughout the community with mostly positive reactions. It has come to our attention that you possess the skills, knowledge, and means in order to further the connection between our two parties and possibly establish a truce of sorts. That is why we want you to be the face of this movement."

"So, like a puppet-figure, right?" questioned the menace, arching an eyebrow as he looked toward the Hellsing woman.

"Not at all. We trust your decisions in the field. We are even prepared to reimburse you for the amount you spend on the special zone." Integra answered.

"Nah, I don't need it." Alois said, shaking his head. His statement came to a surprise to the committee, somehow, but as he continued, his reasoning was perfectly sound. "My usual paycheck is enough. Put the money you were prepared to ' _reimburse'_ me toward fixing more stuff."

"Are you certain?" asked Sir Penwood with a confused expression. "You're going to lose money that way."

"It's fine. It's really not a lot out of what I'm paid. What I spent on the shelves and stuff wasn't even a full paycheck. Besides, I hardly spend it anyway. Ciel always insists on paying for everything we need at home."

The watchdog coughed as his cheeks flushed slightly. Straightening his spine and placing his hands behind his back, the bluenette spoke, saying: "We will continue our activity in the supernatural zone, encouraging repair and creation until the next stage, for now. It is important that the Supernatural Relations department gets up and running, as well as for H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. military activity to be controlled and monitored until local involvement becomes integrated in the involvement in policing their community."

"Very well." The woman replied. "Is there anything else that either of you would like to add?" While the Phantomhive shook his head and uttered a small "no", his beau stiffened, his mouth opening as he hesitated before speaking.

"Actually, yeah…" he began, prompting the attention of the others. "When I was helping with the shelves, a couple of soldiers pulled a gun on us for assembling things out in the opening with tools and fixing stuff. There needs to be an explicit rule that states that zone-dwellers are allowed to improve their community out in the open without getting shot at."

A rush of nervousness ran through him, gathering in the pit of his stomach as Sir Hellsing furrowed her brow. As more and more misdeeds by her men came to her attention, the woman was progressively losing her confidence in her men's' occupation of the area. Reaching up, she rubbed her temples with a gloved hand, trying to keep herself focused on the task at hand.

"It will be done." She stated, reaching into her coat and pulling out a cigar case, desperately needing some nicotine at the moment. "I trust that you will aid in spreading the word to the people?"

"If her ladyship commands." Grinned Alois, relived that she wasn't mad. He really wasn't used to this sort of authority over a project. It would most likely take him a while before he could fully claim ownership of it.

"I do." Integra replied, lighting a cigar and puffing on it. "You're dismissed."

Thus, the demons turned around and headed back out the door in order to go home. It was their first time back in the parliament building since the Cerberus building, so they walked slowly, they hands brushing together before eventually intertwining fingers. A sigh escaped the blonde's lips as his mind started reeling on the possible things he was going to have to do or needed to organise. While the others were confident in his abilities, this was a large project. The menace certainly had his work cut out for him.

Ciel snuck a few glances at him, registering his stress over the matter. No matter how difficult things got for the Macken, the watchdog would always be there to come to his aid should the time ever call for it.

"What are you smiling about?" asked Alois, having caught the other demon looking his way, beaming at him. Ciel let go of his hand, instead opting to put his arm around the man as they walked while pulling him closer.

"I'm just really proud of you." The bluenette answered with all honesty. "You're going to do great."

"If you say so…" sighed the menace. "I dunno how I'm gonna pull it off though…"

"Well, if you ever need it, I'll be here to help, okay?" the watchdog reassured as the two stepped out of the building and down the concrete stairs to their awaiting vehicle. "You're perfect for this job. I honestly couldn't think of anyone better for it. After all, you really did have a good time helping those people, didn't you?"

"Yeah…" Alois replied, cracking a small smile. "It was a lot of fun! I'm not sure what I should work on next, though."

"We have time to think about it." Ciel reminded. "Don't feel too pressured to immediately jump to the next thing."

"Maybe I should just ask?" suggested the menace. "They probably know better than I do. I should do that in my next note."

"If you think that'll work."

"Well, it's better to be direct about things, isn't it?"

"Jim, the whole plan is to be sneaky about the reform…"

"I know, I'm just earning their trust." The Macken said, wriggling out of his beau's grip in order to open the car door for him. "I'm being up front in that I want to help, but sneaky about who I'm being backed up by."

"Makes sense." Replied the bluenette with a small smile, hopping into the passenger seat. "Just so you know, though, being a legend isn't all it's cracked up to be."

"Yeah, but you're one of the 'bad guys', so that's to be expected." Jabbed Alois with a grin before he closed the door and walked around the front of the car in order to reach the driver's seat. Crossing his arms the Phantomhive mumbled.

" _We're on the same side, though…"_

* * *


	146. Construction Begins!

It took a while before Alois got a message back on the matter of what project should he focus his attention on, as the town had to decide what should be on his list of agendas. They held several meetings at the church, as The Wolf's Glen Café couldn't hold all of the attendees. Most of them wanted materials to fix things themselves, as none of them were certain that they could count on H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. to actually help them perform the repairs. Thus, they complied a list of things that needed fixed and things that they thought that they needed for the job.

Naturally, the residents observed the notices posted all over the township, informing that H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. now permits for them to work out in the open on bettering the neighbourhood. Flyers had been left at all three of the big locations in town to be handed out, and according to the staff of each one, they were left by a young man with a blonde hair and a cat-like face. They all confirmed that it was "The Lion" who came by and left them. It was only expected that they all wanted to get started right away.

Alas, Alois was only one person. He could only do so much at once. Once he got the list back, he found himself blind-sided by all of the things he needed to attend to, but despite this, he still had a job to do. The Lion could not fail to deliver. The church had leaks in the roof, and there were holes in walls that needed to be filled. Doors needed replacing and windows were cracked. Some people simply wanted the place to look "nicer" and electricity was also a priority.

In the end, the Macken had to call upon Sir Integra, and the quartet of officials on the matter gathered to discuss. Jim Macken, Ciel Phantomhive, Integra Hellsing, and Elizabeth Hellsing all gathered in a room and talked about how they were going to approach this. Mostly, Alois just sat and listened, as he hadn't the slightest idea what on earth the others were talking about half of the time. Fortunately, he was able to get the gist of things.

It was a risk, but they decided that the best option was oddly to make a big racket about it. It worked when Alois worked on the library, so they had something to base their decision on. First, the announcement that H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. engineers would be going around the neighbourhood and hooking up electricity was spread, informing the residents of the supernatural zone of what was going to happen. They were not permitted to show up with weapons. They were not permitted to speak to the residents unless they were asking for information to would help them complete the task more efficiently. This made the locals immensely frightened during the ordeal. Some opted to stay with friends whose houses haven't been up for wiring until the workmen left.

The special zone was set up into ten sectors, labeled "A" through "K". By the time one third of them was complete, the town was confused by the lack of negative action taken against them thus far. They hadn't expected this, but the notice that was passed around was in fact signed by "The Lion", so he must have somehow ordered them to not take violent measures. More and more questions about the blonde swirled around, but the residents weren't unhappy with this turn of events.

Some said that he had bought the land that the special zone was set on, as well as the soldiers occupying it. Others theorized that he really was in league with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and the watchdog, and wanted to trick them. Until one third of the city had power, the residents suffered from unrest. This was because until one third of the city had power, the lion did not return to the town unless it was for his usual donations, or to deliver more notices.

A few days before it actually happened, he announced that he was coming back to launch something big via his usual methods. He said that he needed the help of anyone he could, as he was coming with supplies to fix things, but didn't have the people to do actually do it. Alois was to start in A-block and make his way through the city, doing everything on the list until he was done and needed the zone-dwellers to make him another one. He made sure to inform them purposefully beforehand, because when he came into town, he came in a large, green, military truck.

It rolled down the street and stopped right in the middle of A-block, forcing the locals to run and hide. A military truck with the Hellsing family crest on it was always bad news. There were no soldiers on it, however. Instead, there were only two people: Sebastian, and Alois. The two hopped out of the vehicle, casually walking around to the back of it in order to open it up. Once they did, they started unloading materials designated for A-block onto the street.

Stacks of lumber, tools, paint, plaster… and everything else that they asked for. When that was done, Alois looked for some people to help him get to work, opting to use the megaphone, rather than knock on doors. He climbed up to the top of the stack of wood, turning on the megaphone and taking a deep breath.

"Citizens of the Special Supernatural Zone: It's me; The Lion. Just as I promised, I brought you what you asked for. The truck is empty. All you have to do is come out and take it!" Alois informed, the sound of his voice echoing throughout the silent streets.

Minutes passed… One, two, three… On the fourth minute, a door opened, prompting the attention of the menace. A warm, radiant smile graced his face as a familiar face stepped out to greet him.

It was the old man who ran the library. Soon after, the others who had helped him before came out, too, making a beeline toward the pile. The elf known as "Tegwen" was the first to reach the menace, quickening her pace to a light jog.

"So what's first?" she asked, looking up at him from where he stood on the pile. Alois hopped down to join her on the concrete, and set the megaphone on top of the wood he came down from.

"Whatever you want." Alois answered. "Whatever you guys think you should fix first, go for it!" A sense of sureness crossed the elf's face with those words, seeming to ignite a fire in her eyes.

"Let's see what you've got, and we'll see what we can do with it." Tegwen stated, gesturing for the others to look through the neat piles of materials for things they can use. First thing that struck their fancy were the buckets and buckets of paint, and dozens of brushes and rollers next to them. Looking to the menace one last time, they silently asked for permission to use them.

"Go ahead." He said. "It's all yours."

With that, they all smiled, and they started looking at the colours they had before looking at the surrounding buildings. For a while, they debated on which one to paint what, before they finally decided and opened the bucket and poured it into the tray. Heads started peeking through the windows, wondering what in blazes they were doing while they hauled their paint, their rollers, and their brushes over to the first building, and started to change the colour.

Large patches of forest green appeared on the outer walls, and the group started having a good time again. More curious onlookers came out of their houses, hoping to get a better glimpse of what was going on. When they were spotted by the menace, they froze, debating on running away again before the man spoke.

"Well, come on, then." The menace called out to them, waving them over. "This place isn't going to fix itself. Grab something!"

"Why are you doing this?" asked one of the residents. "You're with them, aren't you? Why are you really doing this?"

"I was in a similar situation, once." Alois began, crossing his arms as he watched some of the residents paint. "Only difference is, your place is actually nicer. I'm helping because I would have wanted someone to do the same for me. Since I can, I will. That's all there is."

"But… H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G…"

"H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. isn't here." Interrupted the menace. "I only borrowed the truck. Now, are you gonna stand there, or are you gonna make this place shine like you want it to?"

Others began approaching the piles, and soon the sounds of construction filled the entire nearby vicinity. People took things into their homes, fixing them so that they could be inhabited. Some went into the library and borrowed books on how to build things and fix things. Sometimes, one of them would read the instructions while others put things together. Plaster was mixed, filling holes in walls, and rotting wood was replaced from stairs, floors, and everything else that they could manage. Buildings were painted, and windows and doors were replaced. They even went as far as to mix concrete in order to fill in potholes in the streets, and cracks in sidewalks.

People from other sectors flocked to help out. Supernaturals of all races and ages came to join in the repairing of A-block. Vampires even came out in the sun, buying shade gel to protect their skin, or simply covering every inch of it by bundling up. The area was looking absurdly lively as the residents worked as hard as they could on making their home outstanding.

Alois hardly had to do anything. Mostly, he sat on the back of the truck when he wasn't working. Occasionally, he or Sebastian would answer questions—mostly about whether or not the residents could use materials to spruce things up and decorate with. That was mostly it, however, other than carrying or moving something that the others couldn't with their absurd strength, of course. Sebastian talked on the phone with Sir Hellsing, leaving Alois to tend to the others.

He hopped off the truck and went walking around, looking at how things were progressing. He was extremely impressed with how well the community took to organizing themselves. Everything was looking quite nice. He even found people out in the street building furniture to put in houses. Some of them were simple, while others had elaborate carvings in them. It was really incredible how skillful these people were.

Occasionally, people would wave to him, smiling or offering him praise. The poor blonde hardly knew how to react to it all. It wasn't exactly as though he were used to this kind of attention. He really didn't expect everything to be going this smoothly! The Macken had really anticipated more of a fight or some serious backlash, but there was hardly anything of the sort on this day, at least.

As the day came to a close, there was still a pile of unused materials left in the street, but they weren't done yet, even though they had all made some outstanding progress. Alois would come back the next day to continue, only neglecting to come the day after because of school. He did come back after his lessons were done to see how things were faring while the residents worked unsupervised, and block A was almost done!

People continued to work, however. They wanted the place to look nice. They pooled together money to plant flowers, and continued to paint buildings until they either covered the dull grey or ran out of paint—whichever came first. The supernaturals exhausted all of the materials, not letting a single thing go to waste, as the menace promised that he would provide more for the next block, and he hadn't failed to keep a promise yet.

One thing he did notice, however, was a common theme in decorations that he hadn't expected. He wasn't sure whether to feel flattered, or baffled by it all. There were lions everywhere. Wood carvings sat over doorways, and there was even a large mural on the side of one of the buildings of one, too. They were carved into furniture, and when the scraps got too small, people started carving small figures out of them. In a matter of weeks, Alois had become a legendary figure to the special zone.

Over the next few months or so, he didn't even have to stay to provide instruction. All he had to do was show up with a truck of supplies to one of the blocks, and unload the contents. The resident supernaturals took care of the rest without being told what to do. They even returned tools to him out of respect, but he let them keep some of them, while using the rest on the next location until they were too worn. He wanted them to make things. He wanted them to fix things. He wanted them to have the ability to keep their home inhabitable.

That was "The Lion". He was generous. He was honest. He was everything that the supernatural zone wanted and needed. That said, there was skepticism from some. Others thought that he was too good to be true. No man who rolls into town in a H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. truck was good news, so why would the blonde be an exception?

For now, though, things were peaceful despite the slight anxiety the man received whenever someone patted him on the back. He didn't think he would ever get used to it. It would be a long time before he did, at least. Still, he sincerely got a sense of fulfillment from his actions. That was all that really mattered to him, for now.

* * *


	147. Lazy Day Concerns

Phantomhive manor; a place that might as well be synonymous with hell according to residents of the special supernatural zone. Little did they know, however, that their beloved hero also lived here along with their most feared of boogeymen, the watchdog. Worse still, Alois slept within the monster's grip, being held possessively by the watchdog throughout the night. He was only freed when the Phantomhive relaxed his grip in order to allow him to turn off the alarm that was set to wake him up. While it was the weekend, the menace had taken to waking up to go to the special zone in order to work the public further. He was taken by surprise, however, when the grip around his middle tightened again, pulling him back into the Phantomhive's clutches and trapping him there.

"Well, good morning." Giggled Alois, more than amused by the gesture. His eyes closed as he focused on the feeling of the Phantomhive's chest to his back and his breath against the skin of his neck. The blonde's grin widened at the grumbling noise that escaped Ciel's throat, forcing him to turn around to face the disgruntled noble. Ciel shifted so that he was able to do so, sighing as the menace now ran his hands through his hair.

"Is the puppy grumpy because he was woken up?" playfully cooed the menace. "C'mon. Let me up."

"Do I have to?" mumbled the Phantomhive, furrowing his brow as he squeezed the blonde. "Can't you just stay home today?"

"That sounds like something I'd say." Alois mused.

"Then you should want to stay here." His beau replied. "You've been going off to the special zone every weekend. Why don't you just take the day off?"

For a moment, Alois' eyebrows raised, as he figured that Ciel should have been the last person to suggest such a thing, especially given how prone to work obsessively on something that he was. The more the Macken thought about it, however, the more it actually occurred to him how little time he had been spending at home. On weekends, he would go to the special zone or to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters in order to help Elizabeth, and the same went for after school, most days. Certainly, Alois still spent time with the bluenette in his office at school and when he came home from working. He usually returned late in the evening, however, which left far less time for the Phantomhive than usual. As Alois' fingers continued to run idly through soft, bluenette locks, a smile graced his face.

"Have you been feeling lonely, Ciel?" he asked, knowing the answer by virtue of the fact that the question prompted a groan from the watchdog as he pressed his face into the blonde's chest. "Ciel~ You have to answer me if you want me to understand, sweetie."

Grumbling, the Phantomhive pulled himself away in order to look at the other with a rather displeased expression on his face. "A little." He answered, prompting the menace to smile.

"Alright." The menace said, pecking the other demon on the forehead. "I'll stay home today, then. I'll just tell them that I needed to spend a day with my family. They'll understand."

"Not if they knew just who it was you're spending the day with…" Ciel replied. "You know I'm bad news over there, right?"

"Mm-hm, but _I_ know that you're a total sweetheart." Alois stated. "Don't worry about it. I'm not leaving you for them."

"I know… It's just… If they ever found out… your reputation would plummet, and everything you've worked for would be for nothing. It's really important for you, and I'm very proud of you for it. I don't want to ruin it for you on accident."

"Ciel, I said I would spend the day _here_ , not take you with me over _there._ " Chuckled the Macken.

"That's not what I mean…" grumbled the Phantomhive as the other demon continued to place kisses on his head.

"You're lonely, but worried about getting in the way?"

"Basically." Ciel answered. "While you're the ' _good_ ' urban legend, I'm the ' _bad'_ one. I want to help more and spend more time with you, but I can't be anywhere near you while you're at the special zone."

"What if you shape-shifted?" questioned the menace. "They only know you by your hair and eyepatch. If you just changed the colour and covered your eye with your bangs or something, no one would be able to tell."

"I don't want to risk it…" the Phantomhive replied. "There's a lot at stake, here. As much as I hate it, I can't really help you openly."

"That's a shame. It would cut down on people asking if I'm single all the time."

"What?!"

Alois laughed as the watchdog sat up, his pinks tinted pink as he looked toward the Macken for answers. "Relax, I'm not gonna accept any offers." Alois said, holding out his arms to the other again. "You're my one and only. I'm popular, so I guess it's pretty normal to be asked that sort of thing."

"Doesn't mean I like it…" grumbled the older demon, returning to his beau's embrace.

"Well, I'm sorry I can't control other people's interest." The blonde stated, rolling his eyes as the bluenette laid down with his head on his chest. "You know just how much I'd love to show you off if I could. You're cute, even when you're all jealous and needy."

"I'm not ' _needy'_ …"

"Mm-hm, whatever makes you feel macho, Poochini." Spoke Ciel's boyfriend. "I'll be sure to give you all of the attention you can stand today because I neglected the poor, grumpy, puppy~!"

"Is the baby-talking necessary?"

"Yes." Bluntly answered the menace, giggling at the displeasure of the other. "It's one of the ways I show affection, after all."

"I am a one-hundred and thirty-nine-year-old demon who is feared as an urban legend in the town that you're trying to repair." Complained the Phantomhive. "I deserve to be treated like an adult."

"I'm treating you like a Ciel. This is how I treat Ciels." Alois informed. "If you don't like it, then ask someone else to cuddle you."

"It doesn't work if it's not you, though." Replied the bluenette.

"Then I guess you're stuck with my baby-talking, sweetie." The menace retorted, running a hand through the other's hair. He grinned at the lack of a fight his beau was putting up over it. In truth, he knew that Ciel secretly enjoyed his sillier displays of affection, so it wasn't entirely surprising. Just as expected, the Phantomhive frowned.

"You're lucky that I miss you while you're gone." The older demon grumbled. "Otherwise I wouldn't put up with this."

"Boo-hoo. You love me and you know it. And _I_ know that you're full of shit. But, if you _really_ don't like it, I could always just go work."

"No, you're staying here today." Ciel stated, squeezing the blonde tighter. "You already promised. You can't take it back now."

"Now I see why the people in the special zone are so afraid of you." Alois mused. "You don't let anyone go once you have them in your grip."

"Of course. If I did, I wouldn't be good at my job. I wouldn't be a very good boyfriend, either."

"You're a whiny pissbaby. Fortunately, I think that side of you is cute. _Whoa!"_

With a grunt, the Phantomhive turned over on his back, maintaining his grip on the menace so that he was forced to lay on top of him. The action made the blonde giggle, keeping his arm around the back of the bluenette's head as it was now being used as a pillow and the other on the man's shoulder, drawing him close. He leaned down and pecked Ciel on the lips and smiled.

"Are you just going to make fun of me all day?" the bluenette questioned, looking up at his beau.

"But of course. I have to make up for lost time." Alois said, pecking the man on the cheek. "I'm sorry I made you feel lonely. I was just focused. It's a pretty big job I've been put in charge of, y'know? You know I still love you most, though, right?"

"I know…" grumbled the watchdog, averting his eyes briefly. For a moment, his lover watched him curiously, trying to think of a solution.

"Why don't you just come with me?" Alois asked, causing the other demon to look at him questioningly.

"Are you insane?"

"No, I mean, like, not as you, but as somebody else." The Macken explained. "All you would have to do is change your hair colour and brush your bangs over your eye and nobody will know it's you! They don't know your actual face, remember?"

"That could work…" Ciel trailed off. "Then I'd be able to see you all day."

"See? Problem solved! Just pretend that you're my assistant or something."

"Are you certain?" questioned the watchdog. "Are you sure no one there will notice anything?"

"Nah. None of 'em really know what you look like. I've heard all kinds of stories, but none of them quite match." The blonde answered. "Sometimes you're a grumpy-looking older man, sometimes you're a creepy kid, and sometimes you don't even look human at all."

 _"Lovely._ That's encouraging." Ciel answered, laying back on the Macken's arm and staring up at the ceiling. The corners of his mouth turned upwards as his beau planted kisses along his exposed neck, his jaw, and his cheeks. "I'll think about it, though."

"Good!" Grinned Alois. "I at least want to show you what all we did with the place. It's really quite dramatic."

"Oh, so you just want to show off, huh?"

"Well, yeah. I have to impress you with what a good job I did, after all." The menace huffed. "I also can't let my darling little doggy be all alone and sad." He added in a small, playful voice as he reached up with his free hand and pinched his lover's cheek. "He's such a nice doggy, yes he is~!"

"You're mean to me." Accused Ciel. "Are you going to be this mean while I'm visiting?"

"Probably not. It's probably best to maintain at least some air of professionalism. Besides, I dunno how the folks of the special zone view homosexual relations." Alois stated, running his hand through the other's hair and brushing his bangs out of his face. Leaning down, he pressed their foreheads together. "Sorry, sweetie. You getting all mushy with me on the job might be a bad idea for now."

"However am I do go on, then? I'll die."

"No. That's not allowed. It's bad for your health. Star-crossed lovers is the most that we can manage in the zone, but here, I'm all yours."

"Good." Ciel said, tilting his head so that their lips connected briefly. "I think I can survive on that."

"Perfect! Let's put together a disguise when we get up."

"Why not now? We're already awake…"

"I'm not done doting on my boyfriend, that's why."

* * *


	148. Restless Waters

Another truck rolled into the special zone, carrying a different set of demons from the usual pair. The tall one with jet-black hair had been replaced with one of red. In a way, it was a blessing in disguise, as the master of the household wasn't exactly the best at taking care of the younger residents of the house. The demon was a surly-looking sort who was slightly shorter. His hair was longer than usual and parted so that it covered his right eye. Ciel's disguise was almost transparent, but given only a select few people knew his face, it was a successful one.

The bluenette couldn't help but smile at how well-liked the menace was within the special zone. Alois waved out the windows of the truck when they passed people on the street. Grinning, they waved back after realizing that it was the lion. They would have been frightened, otherwise. You could tell by the look on their faces. Some of the younger residents followed the truck, chasing it for a ways.

This was in fact the last day of construction for the time being, and the next phase was one that was going to be more difficult. They would have to create some kind of economy here and get the Supernatural Relations Department at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. up and running. The community would eventually have to select someone to represent them to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. in order to conduct negotiations, but that was still a ways off. They still had to make it clear that Alois was in fact a high-ranking agent of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; that the organization was involved, and that they had no malicious intent. That may be quite some time off in the future, but that didn't mean that the menace was going to be working toward it tirelessly.

Alois liked the special zone. The people who lived there were kind. They were united by their hardship and looked out for one another. At times, Alois couldn't help but wonder what life would have been like if he grew up in a place like this instead. Most of the residents were orphans or people who were left with no choice but to abandon their families and leave the human world for good. Now, Alois wanted nothing more than to make this community stronger and more prosperous simply because that wasn't the way things went. It wasn't a sense of selflessness that fueled his attention toward the special zone. It was purely the question "what if?" For the same reasons, he wanted to show the bluenette what he had been doing in order to give him a glimpse into his world. Looking over, he watched as the Phantomhive's eye scanned the scenery and took in all of the sights, curious as to what the man thought about it all.

"Almost to sector H." said Captain Harland from the driver's seat. "Where do you want to drop this stuff off at?"

"Almost anywhere is fine." Alois answered, turning his attention toward the woman. "I usually try to drop them off in the center so that people on the edges don't have to walk clear across the sector to get to it."

"Smart. I'll do that then." The woman said with a smile. Despite the situation, she smiled as always, regardless of the fact that she was an unarmed H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldier in the middle of the special zone. If anyone had anything to worry about, it was her. She trusted her superior's decision to incorporate some other operatives, however, and didn't mind driving the truck since neither of the demons knew how.

"This place is crazy…" said Audrey, looking past her from one of the middles seats in order to look out the window. "It's seriously a whole town of supernaturals…"

"Yup. And they don't like your outfit." The menace stated. "Both of you try to be as relaxed and non-threatening as possible, alright? We want to try and get them on H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s side."

"Roger that." Said Harland accompanied by a nod from the Baines gentleman. Alois thought it would be best to involve at least one non-human operative as well, and Audrey was the safest bet. Seras and Charlotte would have been better picks, but they're both not good with the sun, and Amelie's sleep-schedule has shifted over the years to be nocturnal with Charlotte's. August and Jonathan could have made it, but Jonathan would want to come with Heinrich, who could be somewhat hostile, and August was—well, _August_.

"What all do we have to do?" questioned the ordinarily bluenette watchdog, looking at the menace curiously.

"Drop off supplies and help get people what they need." The Macken replied. "If they aren't sure what they need for a job, then help them figure it out. Also help them out if they happen to need an extra hand."

"Sounds easy enough." Spoke the Phantomhive. "Do you really need this many people for that?"

"Probably not, but introducing the idea that H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. isn't all bad is a pretty good objective to have, right?"

"True." Ciel leaned back, bringing his arms in tight while trying to fit himself in the tight space between Audrey and Alois. He didn't feel too bad about leaning on the menace, however, grasping his hand while the truck concealed them from the view of the locals. Regardless of the simplicity of the task, he was still worried about being discovered. Perhaps this wasn't a good idea after all.

There was no turning back, however. As the truck pulled to a stop, a few residents began to approach, prompting the duo to separate themselves. Alois exited first in order to greet the residents, and was followed shortly after by the rest of his team.

"You started without me?!" Alois questioned with faux shock and dejection, causing the group that was currently planting flowers in boxes along the sidewalk. The menace whistled a note and put his hands on his hips. "Did you guys make these?"

"Mm-hm." Answered one of the elven women working. "We had some stuff left over from the last few projects and we found a book at the library on how to make stuff like this, so we thought we'd brighten things up a bit."

"I'm impressed! Spring's just around the corner, so you're in time!"

"I thought about that. I was a little worried that we would just have an empty box." Said the woman.

"If you did, I'd be happy to get you some more seeds."

"That's fine. They're pretty cheap, so we should be able to scrounge up something." As the elf's eyes wandered past the menace at the sight of people unloading the contents from the truck, so did the rest of her group. All of them watched for a moment before one of them finally asked.

"Who're your friends?"

"Huh?" asked the blonde before registering who it was that they were talking about. Looking behind him, his mind caught up to him. "Oh, them? They're my henchmen for the time being." Pointing, he listed off their names.

"The woman is Captain Debra Harland. She's cool. Human, but she won' hurt ya. The other one in uniform is Audrey Baines. He's from the Intel Department. He's a buddy of mine from secondary school. Half grim reaper. See the eyes?" Turning back to the elves for a moment, he remembered another important piece of information. "Don't worry about them. I know them. They're also unarmed, so they're not much of a threat."

"Oh, thank God…" sighed one of the women, placing a hand on her chest. "I was worried for a minute…"

"What about the redhead?" another asked, prompting the Macken to look again.

"Oh, him? That's Victor Tunstell." Alois lied, giving them the name that the duo had collectively conjured up. "He's my personal assistant.

"Demon?" asked one of the women. "He's cute."

" _If that's your cup of tea_." Alois exhaled. "He's a good man, but he can be a bit gloomy. Stubborn, too. Doesn't like to talk about his feelings often."

"Sounds like a pain."

"Eh, he's alright." Spoke the Macken with dishonesty. His true feelings contradicted what he was saying, but he had to keep up the façade. "He takes time to warm up to people."

While Alois conversed, the others were unloading the truck to the best of their ability. Ciel was doing quite a bit of it on his own with is absurd strength, while the other two had to work together, despite their muscular statures. Eventually, the menace joined them as did others. Once materials started getting laid out, the residents took to the piles and began to work. The H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. members simply had to stand back and watch so they wouldn't get in the way.

People were patching roofs and filling in holes in walls, while others took to replacing wooden posts that held up awnings and other things. Some took to building things to spruce up the neighbourhood, while others painted houses. Furniture was made as groups of people huddled around one or two holding books that held instructions for how to build things. Lightbulbs in streetlamps were changed and front doors were replaced. Vampires wearing shade gel or protective covering to block out the sun used their strength to carry things, while elves used their height to reach others and hold them up. Sorcerers used magic to assemble things quicker, while others used their strengths in order to contribute as well.

"Is it always like this?" asked Audrey, watching the scene unfold.

"Yep. They're very diligent and care a lot about this place." Replied the menace. "They work fast with what they have. It's really kind of amazing."

"They don't even really need instructions. It's like they just figure it out together." Said Harland, leaning against the back of the truck. "If only HQ worked like that all the time."

"HQ has lots of things to sort out on this matter." Spoke Ciel, or rather, "Victor". "We still need to get in a position where a self-sustaining economy is put in place. This is all fine, but what happens once we leave them alone for a bit?"

"Well, they'd probably be happier if H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. had left them alone in the first place." Said Alois. "But, you're right. This place needs money." Looking around, the menace watched the supernaturals work. He saw as the women who were tending to the plants before continued down the sidewalk while others mixed concrete, taking turns to crank the lever in order to mix it properly with the old-fashioned mixer they were using to fill in potholes.

"They're doin' stuff." The menace added. "Why don't you just pay them for it? I mean, this place is going to need maintenance workers, right? The rest of the city has them, and this part is going to need some, too. Why doesn't H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. employ them as official Special Zone workers?"

Raising his eyebrows, he thought about his beau's suggestion for a moment, genuinely surprised by it. Indeed, that would provide a solution to the problem, creating revenue for the special zone and providing a solution to maintain and facilitate repairs in the future. Ciel reached into his coat and pulled out a memopad and pen before jotting down the idea.

"That's really good, actually." He praised. "Nice work. Now, what we have to do is convince them to cooperate."

"Are you kiddin'? People will do all kinds of things for money, even if they hate the people they're workin' for." Alois replied. "I'm pretty sure all you'd have to do is offer them the job."

"In that case, putting the Supernatural Resources center in action should take priority. I'll run this by Elizabeth and Integra later."

"Glad I could help~!" chimed the menace, propping himself upright from his position leaned against the truck. His focus shifted as he noticed something being made by some of the residents.

"Hey! Check that out!" he declared, stepping forward and making his way over to the group. His posse then followed suit, feeling awkward being left on their own, especially the two soldiers. When the menace approached, the craftsmen waved and smiled as he walked up to them.

"Did you carve that?" the man questioned, looking over the bench that the group had made. In its surface, they had carved intricate designs that appeared to be reminiscent of Norse patterns. There were elves primarily working on it along with a witch or two. One of them had drawn the patterns in marker while the rest carved them out. Looking up at the man, they smiled.

"Well, we figured that there could be a few places to sit outside." One of them said, rubbing their stiffened hands and popping their knuckles. "If it's going to be on public display, then it should look nice, right? We're still learning, though, so it's not really good."

"You just started that a couple hours ago, though!" gawked the blonde. "That's really amazing!" As the man looked closer at the back of the bench, he noticed something.

"What's that?" His question caused a few of the workers to become flustered as they looked to one another in hopes that someone else would answer.

"Well…" began one of them. "Lions have been really popular around here lately." They explained. "Lots of people have been incorporating them into designs on things!"

"I'm flattered." Alois said, but upon further inspection, his smile threatened to falter and he turned to the Phantomhive. Ciel was not smiling. He couldn't. The scene that was depicted on the back of the bench was that of a pouncing lion attacking a large, crouching dog. Instantly, both of them understood what it meant.

Two of the Special Zone's biggest legends locked in combat. The Lion and Watchdog were being portrayed as enemies, when in reality, they were not only brothers in arms, but because of this sort of falsehood they were now somewhat of star-crossed lovers. It would have been slightly romantic, if the real world were so forgiving. Her Majesty's Guard Dog was an enemy to the special zone—an urban myth and boogeyman. The Watchdog was the one whom parents would warn their children about so that they would behave. He was a menace, when the blonde menace himself was a bringer of hope and repair.

Both men would have to keep the Phantomhive's true identity a secret throughout the duration of the project, or risk compromising the entire operation. Goodness know just how the residents would react once it came to the attention that there was a dog in their midst. The reputation of the Lion may also plummet, and H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. would lose all of the progress made toward their goal.

While the group who was working on the bench remained none the wiser, the frightening boogeyman that they had fabricated this piece in part about was right next to them, standing idly. Alois continued to talk to them as if nothing was amiss, maintaining the calm of the area to the best of his ability. Meanwhile, a few feet away, a young witch and a warlock were trying to lift a bag of cement on their own, capturing the attention of one of the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. group members.

"Need help?" casually asked Harland, walking over to the pair.

"Yeah, sure. This thing is stupid-heavyyyy?!" The warlock jumped with he looked up to see the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldier, alerting the attention of the witch with him. Both of them dropped the bag and backed away, but the woman continued to smile.

"Don't worry, I won't bite." Harland said, crouching down and grabbing hold of the bag. With a grunt, she easily lifted it and carried it on her shoulder. "I'm with the Lion and I don't have any weapons on me." She added. "So, where do you need this taken to?"

"Uh, just… just over to the mixer." The witch answered, pointing. Following her finger, the soldier spotted what she was talking about.

"Alright, then." Harland replied, stepping over other supplies in order to make her way over to the mixer. After seeing her wander off, her fellow operative followed after her.

"Captain! Where are you going?" asked Audrey, quickly tailing her.

"Just helping these folks." The woman answered, looking over her shoulder. She then kept walking. "Mind lending a hand?"

Although the reaper was concerned, he couldn't argue. This was the job that they were tasked with, after all. Helping the residents of the special zone with anything they needed. Thus, Bones reached down and picked up a bag, wobbling backwards a bit before steadying himself, but he managed. Both soldiers walked over to the sorcerers manning the mixer, using magic to keep the wheel turning so none of them got too worn out to actually use the cement. As the pair approached with the two nervous sorcerers, the others looked up and immediately looked defensive. Audrey's unease was visible on his face, but Captain Harland still smiled.

"Where do you need these set?" the woman asked before patiently waiting for a reply.

"Over there…" irritable mumbled a warlock, tilting his head in order to gesture in the general direction that the pair needed to head off in.

"Alright." Harland replied, heeding instructions without another word. Leading Audrey over, she finally set the bag down with a thud and straightened her back before her associate did the same. With that, the woman then walked over to the group again.

"Is there anything else you need?" she asked.

"No, thank you." One of the witches said, even while others worked to carry more bags.

"Alright, then. Have a good one." The Captain answered, offering a smile before she turned and headed toward the truck again as if nothing had happened. Audrey followed behind her, furrowing his brow.

"Liars. There was still stuff to carry." He grumbled.

"Yeah, but we're only here to do help as needed or wanted. It's not our place to question it." Harland answered. "Quite frankly, I don't blame them for wanting us to shove off. We don't exactly have a good reputation around here."

"I guess…" replied the reaper. "Still, you were awfully polite to them..."

"Hey, I may be in the combat division, but I don't wanna fight civilians." The woman stated. "I only fight who I'm told, and usually, it's because somebody's up to no good. These people haven't done anything wrong, so I don't have any reason to mess with 'em, and that's that."

"You're a good person, though. They shouldn't treat you like that."

"Kid, we mess with their shit all of the time. They don't know which of us is good and which ones aren't. They have to assume the worst in order to stay safe."

"Not all of us do that, though…" Audrey protested.

"My god, you really are a man, aren't you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, long time, no see...
> 
> Before I knew it, we were already at this part! Oh, how time flies... People tend to like this whole town thing once they get used to it, so hopefully, it will go over well! It certainly is good fanficception fodder, apparently pfff-!
> 
> I haven't been very diligent in keeping up with where we're at on AO3. I just copy and paste them from a prexisting file. This whole section has been done for a long time, which is why I'm able to post like ten chapters a day, if I wanted to. It's just being transferred over here. FF is waaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy ahead of here.
> 
> I haven't been really diligent in that, either... Summer classes start Monday, so my mind has been elsewhere. I'm sorry about that! I'll try to post at least one or two chapters a day, but there might be days I forget! If I do, I'll most likely check my tumblr, so if you're like, super desperate for an update on AO3, you can remind me. Or, like I said, all of it that currently exists is on FF. I get not wanting to use a website you're not used to or comfortable with, though. I still have no idea how to work AO3, actually... When you're not used to a site, it's really hard to find stuff, isn't it? 
> 
> Anyway, POINT IS: updating might slip my mind every once in a while. That's the thing to take note of, here.
> 
> Until the next chapter, my duckies~!


	149. Restoration and Renovation

A team was assembled and office space was acquired within H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters for the Supernatural Relations department. The crew had invited two leaders of the community who had worked with the organization in the past, Sister Dorothy and "Baby Face" Baldassare, to aid in the fabrication of a system in which supernaturals and H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agents were to communicate and negotiate terms. Ciel and Alois participated as well alongside Elizabeth and former Human Resources manager and new Supernatural Relations team member Roger Whinery. The group discussed the future of the Special Zone and its inhabitants, and how things were going to possibly function from now on.

The Supernatural ambassadors agreed that paying residents for their work toward the community would aid in their growth, but did not want H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers to maintain occupancy in the area. Instead, they proposed policing themselves, which, considering that one of the ambassadors was a high-profile coven leader, was met with some reluctance on the side of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. That said, it was not off the table entirely. For now, both parties compromised, agreeing to touch on the subject when the Special Zone was in better condition.

Now, since the currently occupied homes of the Special Zone had been repaired, it was suggested that the uninhabited buildings be renovated into new homes, community centers, and possible places of business, which would be run entirely by locals. Thus, it was agreed that Dorothy and Baldassare would converse with their neighbours and decide what types of centers were needed, wanted, and where they should be located.

Once the meeting was adjourned, they returned to do just that. They organised many other meetings inside of the special zone, with both key members of the community, as well as the general populace over the course of several weeks. They decided which buildings should be homes, and which ones should not. Several residents wished to open up businesses and provide services for the community. One person wanted to be a barber, while another wanted to provide medical care. Another wanted space for craftsmen to work, which was welcomed immediately.

Some of the larger buildings were reserved for "city maintenance workers", who would be in charge of maintaining the condition of the Special Zone. This included those who would maintain the roads and sidewalks, clearing them when they got covered in ice and snow in the winter or filled with cracks and potholes. There would be those who maintained the plumbing and electrical systems, as well as those who would maintain the appearance of the area—gardeners and the like. In addition, there was an office made specifically for contact with Supernatural Relations at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters, which both parties agreed should be manned by both residents and H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. staff—however, it should be noted that the locals should be permitted to hold the majority at this location. One building in particular, however, was reserved as a potential "police station", in case negotiations with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. fell in their favour.

As the month of April came to a close, more trucks were rolled in with more supplies. Residents signed up in order to receive pay for their work, and would receive six pounds per hour. It wasn't much, but the residents were happy with it for the time being. It was more than the majority of them were making at the time. The supernaturals worked for hours each day, renovating these horrendously disheveled buildings that were riddled with disrepair.

Both residents and H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. staff members worked on the project, much to the displeasure of both sides. Humans were not allowed to carry weapons and were frightened of being defenseless against these "monsters". Fortunately, many of the supernatural staff members of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. were on the scene as well, acting as mediators. Even Charlotte donned shade gel and stayed up late to help, but her fellow vampire, Miss Seras Victoria, had to stay behind in order to guard Sir Hellsing at headquarters.

Still, it was hardly enough. Tensions were high. Some soldiers refused to share tools out of fear of losing their only "defense" against the supernaturals, thus hindering progress on various projects. Supernaturals were too afraid to ask them to give them back what they needed to work. Fortunately, those handfuls of operatives who were acting as mediators were doing their job the best they could.

"Quit being a baby and hand over the saw." Ordered Captain Harland, impatiently placing one hand on her hip while holding out the other. "You're getting in the way."

"You're just going to give it to them…" the soldier commandeering the tool spat.

"So what? That's our job. We're supposed to help them. Now hand it over. That's an order." The woman said again more forcefully. This prompted the other to surrender the tool, only for her to do exactly as they said, and hand it off to one of the supernaturals.

" _Steady!"_ called a shout from another building. There, one of the support posts was being replaced, prompting Charlotte and Amelie to put in place the temporary ones so that the building didn't collapse.

"Just a little longer, girls! You're doing great! We just need to put in a few screws!" called the local as their fellow residents did just that. The weight that the women were carrying got lighter as the post was put in place, and hesitantly, they let go once the screws were set.

"Phew!" sighed Charlotte. "I was afraid it wouldn't work!"

"Yeah, that would've been real shit, wouldn't it?" laughed one of the others. "We'd have to run for it!"

"Now we can work on installing the tiles." Said the first, earning a collective of groans from the others. "Oh, c'mon! We're getting paid, and the sooner we get it done, the sooner we'll have a whole new place to use!"

"Do any of you know how to install tiles?" questioned Charlotte upon realizing that she had no idea what to do.

"Of course! If we get stuck, we'll just consult the book!" spoke a supernatural, holding up one of the books from the library. "First, let's clean out the crap off the floor before we start hauling in materials."

The crew in this building was the largest, as it was the biggest building that was being renovated. It was the building that was intended to become the "City Welfare" building, so it needed to be big enough to house all of the necessary services and employees. Once that last post was in place, people began working on stairs on one side of the room while others worked on cleaning up enough to start putting in tiles. By the time both tasks were done, both groups simply moved onto something else. The ones working on the stairs rallied others to help them work on the first floor, while the people on the ground floor began hauling in tiling equipment. The group downstairs consisted completely of supernaturals, two of which were H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agents, while the upstairs team was a mix. Upstairs, the demonic duo worked as if they weren't at all familiar with one another alongside the rest of the crew.

"Oi! _Tunstell!_ Can you bring us the bucket of plaster from downstairs?" Looking up, Ciel registered that he was being called by his alias and smiled.

"Sure." He said, answering the local. He got up from his crouching position and walked away from his current group. "Hang on a minute."

While "Tunstell" was considered "odd", and a bit "unsociable", he wasn't thought ill of. In fact, he was considered trustworthy by merit of being the Lion's "personal assistant". He was easy for the residents to talk to for this reason, and was a good mediator because of this. The demon did his job without complaint—or at least not while the others were looking. Ciel would whine to the menace once they got home about this and that, only to be laughed at by Alois.

As he headed toward the stairs, he appeared to be focused on his task, but he was not at all oblivious to his surroundings. Things seemed calm, but in an instant, his sixth sense alerted him to a possible danger. Thus, it was for this reason that he walked slowly, waiting for whatever it was to show itself.

"We need a hammer." Spoke a certain elf by the name of Tegwen elsewhere in the room. "If you're not using it, then let us borrow it."

"Fuck off, girlie." One of the soldiers said. "Take your pointy-ears and shove 'im. We've got better things to do than talk to freaks."

"But you're here, helping us repair the building! We have to cooperate if we want to accomplish anything." Tegwen stated. "I'm just asking for a tool."

"You want _my_ hammer, baby?" barked one of the soldiers as the others laughed like hyenas. "I've got a tool for ya." Scrunching her face up, the girl clenched her fists.

"You _are_ a _tool!"_ she shouted back, causing the humans' smiles to drop. Realising what she had done, her face shifted as well, her eyes widening. As a couple of the men started to stand up, she took a step back.

"W-wait… I…" she began as she started to sweat. A few of the other supernaturals froze as well as they looked on in horror, too scared to intervene. One of the soldiers picked up the hammer in question.

"You _what?"_ he demanded. "Fucking freak. I'll bash your head in. Are you the kind that can die from that?"

"I-I'm sorry… I didn't… I didn't mean it!" Tegwen said, putting her hands up. The sudden movement, however, caused the soldier to jump and cock his arm back. Without another word, he swung his arm, bringing the hammer down again while aiming straight for the elf's head.

But it didn't connect. Tegwen shielded her head with her arms and shut her eyes as tight as she could as she braced for impact, but it never came. Moments passed, and she began to wonder why. Hesitantly, she began to open an eye, bit by bit. She cracked it open and looked up, seeing the back of another man with red hair. Looking over his shoulder, she saw the soldier, paralysed with fear. In his hand was the hammer, but his wrist was trapped in the grip of a devil.

"Why did you raise your hand to this girl?" Ciel asked, squeezing the man's wrist a bit tighter, causing his opponent to wince. "You know that you're under direct orders to not attack the residents of the Special Zone while working unless your life is in immediate danger, yes?"

"Y-yes, sir!" barked the soldier as his friends watched in shock at the scene that was unfolding.

"Then why did you do it?" the Phantomhive asked again.

"I… I-I don't know!"

"You ' _don't know'?"_ echoed Ciel, earning a slight pained noise from his foe as he squeezed the man tighter. "Are you suggesting that you're some madman who randomly attacks people?"

"Augh! N-no, sir!"

"Then answer the question."

"I… I don't know! I don't know, sir!" This answer caused the demon to frown deeply. With one last squeeze, the man dropped the hammer and let out another pained cry. Then, Ciel let go of him altogether, watching him as he hunched over and grasped at his arm.

"It would appear that you've gone and hurt yourself." The Phantomhive stated. "I think you're done for today. If you can't make yourself useful, then go home."

"Y… y-yes, sir…" whimpered the soldier, attempting to stand up. As he walked away, he held onto his sprained wrist, knowing that he would most likely be unable to work at all over the next week or so. Once he was at a reasonable distance, Ciel turned to address the others.

"Well?" he asked. "This is no time for gawking. Get back to work." He ordered, prompting an immediate and industrious response from the humans. With that, the watchdog reached down and picked up the hammer before presenting it handle-first to the elf.

"Is this what you needed?" he asked, snapping the girl from her stupor.

"O-oh. Yeah." She said as she took it. "Thanks."

"No problem. They were in the wrong, and as their superior officer, it is my duty to discipline them." The redhead stated. "I'm Tunstell, by the way. The Lion's assistant."

"Oh!" the girl answered, holding out a hand to shake the demon's. "It's a pleasure to meet you! My name is Tegwen Sibyl!"

"Nice to make your acquaintance, miss Sybil." Smiled the Phantomhive. "I'm impressed by the way you stood up to those men. You're very brave. If only our men had half of that kind of character."

"Uh, thanks…" the girl said bashfully, finally letting go of Ciel's hand.

"Well, I have to go bring up some plaster." The man stated as he moved to walk past the elf. "Keep up the good work."

During that little exchange, the Phantomhive had provided Tegwen with a bit of inspiration. Having regained her confidence, she was now resolved to work even harder than before and thus returned to her own group. Little did she know, however, the kind man who had just saved her and given her reassurance was in fact a wolf in sheep's clothing—or rather, _a dog_.


	150. Red vs. Blue

"I found the instructions!" said the menace, pulling a paper booklet out of a box and handing it off to one of the residents working. "Install it over there, okay?"

"Yes, sir." The supernatural answered before passing the information on to the rest of the group. They were in the final stages of repairs to the building, and were now installing heating and cooling systems to the upstairs area of this particular building. It had only been a few weeks, and the building was looking to be in decent shape, now having electricity, running water, and walls and floors that weren't infected with rot.

Once Alois had completed that smaller task, he stood up from his crouching position next to the boxes and quickly made his way to the ground floor of the building. He traveled down the stairs quickly and smiled as he saw more boxes being carried in. Box cutters were passed around as the tape was cut away from cardboard, freeing more parts for more things. In this case, it was furniture. Desks, chairs, and parts for cubicles were unpacked and workers started assembling them according to the floor plan. The place was starting to look like a decent establishment!

Alois made his way over to a certain redhead who was in the middle of orchestrating the arrangement of the main floor as well as dictating which pieces belonged in which other areas as well. There were meeting rooms, as well as private offices. There was a break room, now, and appliances were installed. The man appeared to be in his element, causing the blonde to smile wider.

"Tunstell~!" he called, prompting the other demon's attention for a moment.

"Yes?"

"How are things going? I'm really liking the looks of things at the moment." Alois said.

"We've got the majority of basic nessecities in." the Phantomhive answered. "Once we have the office set up, we will need to get the computer situation sorted out. How are things upstairs?"

"Good. They're still getting the heating and air-conditioning in, but things are looking good." Answered his beau. "After that, we'll start doing up there what we're doing down here."

"Perfect. What about the staffing situation?" Ciel questioned. "Have you gotten any word about that?"

"Lots of people are signing up to be interviewed." Grinned the Macken.

"How many is _'lots'?"_

" _ **Lots.**_ _"_ Alois emphasized while nodding. His partner couldn't help but smile at his response, looking down to his clipboard in an attempt to hide his expression.

"Good." Ciel replied. "That will make things easier."

"I told you. People are excited." The blonde said, looking out at the floor with a small smile, causing a little bit of heat to gather in the watchdog's cheeks. "It's nice."

That was no fair. Alois couldn't be cute while Ciel wasn't allowed to at least tell him about it. It simply wasn't fair at all! Still, the Phantomhive persevered, continuing on with updates in status.

"We're still having difficulties with the Design Department at HQ." he informed, coughing into his fist. "They're still struggling for the graphics for the window and the sign. They say that they ' _aren't sure what to write'_."

"Why? Isn't ' _Town Welfare Center'_ or something fine?"

"I have no idea…" Ciel answered. "I never understood those artistic types… Still, it's good that they at least want it to look nice. Choosing words carefully is very important."

"Don't cities usually have places kinda like this, though?" asked Alois, turning to the other once more. "Why not use their signs as reference?"

"Maybe it's because we're combining several departments…" the Phantomhive theorized. "Usually, these things are separate."

"That could be it…" replied his beau, pulling out his cellphone and pulling up Google. Fiddling around with it, he pulled up several logos to be used as reference. "They all follow a set formula, though… Wait, hold on…"

"What?"

"They usually have the name of the town or city in front of them."

"So?"

"This isn't London. This place is separate. Does it have a name other than 'Special Zone'?" the blonde asked.

"Well, no…" Ciel stated. "It doesn't. It never has, as far as I know…"

"That's not right…" Alois declared, placing his phone back in his pocket. "This place needs a name. Like, a _name,_ name. That'll get these folks _really_ excited up about the project."

"And what do you propose we call it?" the watchdog asked.

"I don't really have the right. I don't live here, after all. That should be left up to them."

"We should run it by Sister Dorothy and Baldassare at the next meeting." Suggested Ciel. "For now, let's focus on the task at hand."

"Fiiiiinnneee…" answered the menace in a whiney tone. "I wanted to annoy you, though."

"You can annoy me later." The Phantomhive stated with a roll of his exposed eye. Looking forward, however, the man watched as a group walked up to the Macken in order to hit him with a slew of questions.

"Mister Lion! How many more things do we need to do?" one asked.

"Just a few more, down here. Upstairs still has some ways to go." He said.

"We're almost done installing the heating system. What do we need to do after that?"

"Clear space for furniture." Alois answered. "Then start hauling things in."

"We haven't painted the meeting room, though. What colour should we paint it?"

"What colours do you have?"

"Red, green, and blue."

To this, the menace paused to think for a moment, rubbing his chin. His eyes then traveled over to the Phantomhive, causing a coy grin to appear on his face. He then averted his attention back to the others.

" _I prefer blue_." The Lion stated innocently, causing the watchdog's face to turn a light shade of pink. "It's a relaxing colour, don't you think? Move the furniture into that room last—or whenever you get done painting it."

"Yes, sir!" said one of the supernaturals before they all wandered off to carry out instructions. With that the Macken turned to wink at his secret beau before changing course in order to walk away.

"I'm going to check on things outside." The blonde informed. "Be right back~!" All Ciel could do was watch after him.

That wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all. Ciel couldn't even act pleased at the gesture and instead had to keep a more neutral façade. As his love walked away, the corners of his mouth turned upwards ever so slightly. Keeping his feelings to himself, he found, was painful, but the sight of the menace taking charge of things outside dulled that. From Alois' posturing and the determined look in his eyes, to the curving of his lips around each order, Ciel enjoyed the view immensely. He didn't catch himself staring until his sixth sense picked up on the fact that he, himself, was being stared at as well.

"What is it?" he asked, turning to the elf who merely wanted to ask a question while clearing his throat. He found himself embarrassed underneath Tegwen's goofy grin, fully aware of the fact that he had been caught. Quickly, he tried to play it off, straightening his posture and stripping himself of his smile, but the girl was not fooled.

"You fancy the Lion, don't you, Tunstell?" she asked, her grin never wavering.

"Don't be ridiculous." Ciel immediately protested. "He's my boss—and not only that, he's a man."

"So? You act like it's impossible for a man to fancy another man." Tegwen said. "It's not a big deal, y'know."

" _Did you have a question, or not?"_ The Phantomhive asked, frowning.

"Right, right… I just wanted to know if you know where I could find a spare screwdriver." Answered the elf. "No need to get defensive."

"I'm _not_ defensive." The man insisted. Defensively. "Go ask someone by the supply truck, of go borrow one from someone."

"Alright. Fine." Tegwen replied with a shrug. "Thanks for the help _. But seriously, though…"_

" _Get to work."_ Ciel ordered, causing the girl to trot away while laughing.

His eyebrows furrowed together, worrying about being discovered. While that particular girl didn't seem to notice anything suspicious, she did notice his affections for the Macken. A small grumble escaped him while he tried to figure out how to hide it better. The Phantomhive had become so accustomed to being casual with the menace that he now did things without a single thought. The whole point of this was to be close to Alois during the day, but that wouldn't work if the Phantomhive accidentally soils his reputation.

The man's attention turned back to the task at hand, but his mind was clouded with worry. How much longer could he keep this up? How much longer would he have to stay the Lion's secret?

* * *


	151. Destination of the Wicked

The next few weeks were terrifying for the Special Zone. While they had members of the Supernatural Relations department present in the Special Zone, buses showed up for Supernatural Residents to be transported to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters in order to be interviewed for positions in the Town Welfare Department as well as the Fire Department. Only a set number of people were interviewed per day, so only that amount was brought into enemy territory for the day and brought back when they were done. Interviews were conducted at night as well for nocturnal residents, as they would need services as well and would need people to cover those shifts.

Still, it was a nerve-wrecking process. Luckily, residents were allowed to change their mind and back out. Many did, but a brave few didn't. The fact that they showed up said a lot about their character, it was believed, so many of them got positions. A few were rejected. It was helpful that the famed Lion and his assistant tagged along for the duration of the trip, reassuring the group and passed out their guest passes. They stayed with the group waiting in the hallway outside of the offices, finding them chairs to sit in so that they wouldn't have to stand for hours on end and making light conversation. When the buses came back hours later with all of the residents who left safe and sound, more people signed up again.

Residents were assigned on the basis of both what they interviewed for, and based on the interview itself. If the Supernatural Relations worker thought that someone was better suited for a different job, they were assigned there. Naturally, they could decline the position, but most didn't.

When positions were filled, they were then assigned to their stations. Supernatural Relations officials would run them through the tasks that were required of them, and show teach them protocol, rules, and regulations that must be followed for the process to run smoothly. The rest simply required practice. Even without the sign at the front of the building, the Town Welfare Center was fully staffed and operational. Other residents kept coming in with their concerns, needs, and suggestions, and all of them were processed. Even more businesses were created as a result, and as revenue increased, so did the state of living in the Special Zone. Naturally, citizens were thrilled, despite the fact that it took some time to get used to.

The plan was working. Illegal activity plummeted, just as H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and the Convention of Twelve wanted. With their mission accomplished, both would be happy to leave things there, but The Lion and the representatives of the Special Zone were not having that.

In order to be truly self-efficient, they needed to police themselves, as H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. troops still harassed residents on a regular basis. One man was beaten senseless as he reentered the area after having completed a shift at his job at a human supermarket. The reason was that he was "out past curfew", which was an obvious lie. The representatives of the Special Supernatural Zone proposed that they instate a local police department that mimicked the one in the surrounding city. It would be similar to the Supernatural Welfare Center in that it had both representatives from H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. that would send headquarters status reports on a regular basis, but was predominantly made up of local residents. The Round Table was unsure about this, and so was H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. Further negotiation was required.

One thing that did get passed, however, was the proposition of giving the Special Zone and official name that would be chosen by the residents. It was seemingly trivial enough, that there was no reason to oppose the idea. Immediately and enthusiastically, Sister Dorothy and Baldassare returned to the Special Zone in order to discuss what the name should be.

What happened was that throughout the following week, people anonymously presented possible names for the town at the church and at the Town Welfare Center. Then, they had a task force at the Welfare Center to go through them all to find the best ones. The submissions were also run by the representatives of the Special Zone, who then picked the ones that the Round Table and H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. would most likely approve of. From there, the potential names were posted at the church and at the Welfare Center, and people signed up to vote, based on human democratic procedures. The age of eligibility varied amoung species—for elves, in particular, given that their development was extremely long in comparison to others. Everyone who could vote did, aside from a small minority.

The name that was chosen was " _Gehenna_ ". By popular demand, that was to be its name. Since they had no opinion on the matter, the Round Table allowed it, and the documentation regarding the Special Zone was changed. "Gehenna" would be the destination for the wicked—the supernaturals who couldn't pass in a human world.

After that, it was requested that they be allowed to adopt an official symbol in order to identify themselves and separate themselves from H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. While the cooperation of the organization was appreciated, it was expressed blatantly by the representatives of Gehenna that H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. has left a deep scar within the community, and that they could not all unite under that banner because of this. While the request confused the Council, Sir Integra permitted it. In all honesty, the residents were astonished by how benevolent the organization had been toward them. Some of them were suspicious. There was a bit unrest behind closed doors, and H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. was anticipating and planning for resistance. They had to be careful, or else undo everything that they had done. Should violence erupt, the human soldiers would have trouble responding non-violently.

Today, however, was one of celebration. With the hanging of the sign on the front of the building, the " _Gehenna Town Welfare Administration Center"_ was officially complete. The moment right after one of the workers installing the sign shouted "It's on!" cheering erupted from the crowd watching from the street and from the windows of neighbouring buildings.

Alois, who was standing in the street with them shouted alongside the residents, genuinely happy that they did this. Never before had he seen such happiness in a group of people, and it filled him with pride to have been a part of it. Several residents near him shook his hand, while others patted him on the back. Some had tears in their eyes as they thanked him, but he could only smile in return. Gehenna. Alois helped rebuild Gehenna. Some of the taller elves hoisted him up in the air and seated him up on their shoulders as he uttered a small yelp in surprise. Looking down, however, his cheeks started hurting from the amount of joy in the air. People looked up at him and applauded, making him wonder why.

"Why are you cheering for _me?"_ he loudly asked. " _You're_ the ones who did all of the work!" His outburst only prompted more cheering. The noise levels in the town reached record volumes, breaking the one reached by construction!

His beau looked on, grinning up at him. The Phantomhive was immensely proud of the menace, and it showed on his face as clear as day. Brilliant. Alois was truly brilliant. He had come so far and accomplished so much. That was Jim Macken who changed this town. His determination and charity gave hope to the people who lived there, and his support pushed them onward into this very moment. His radiance shined through the crowd, but that could have just been Ciel focusing his sights on the man. The way he was held up above everyone's heads as he brightly smiled made him seem like the sun, and Ciel couldn't help but bask in its warmth for a moment, dazzled by the sight of the blonde.

It was then that Alois' gaze turn to him and that they locked eyes. For a moment, Alois' world came to a standstill as he saw the expression on the watchdog's face. A small blush appeared on his cheeks as he acknowledged the love that Ciel's visage conveyed, returning it. Eventually, he was forced to tear his eyes away in order to look down.

"Hey, can you put me down for a bit?" he asked the two elves that had hoisted into the air. Happily, they obliged, turning their celebration elsewhere when the blonde's shoes hit the concrete. The Lion then stalked his way through the crowd before pouncing on the other demon, wrapping his arms tightly around Ciel's shoulders. Others were doing the same, so it went largely unnoticed in terms of Alois' true affections.

"We're so close!" the blonde declared over the sound of cheering around them, rocking from side to side before pulling back. "This place is really turning around!"

"I'm so proud of you!" Ciel replied. "You've really changed this place with your bookshelves!"

"We're not done, though!" Alois stated. "We need to go all the way! We can't half-ass this!"

"Do it!" his beau grinned. "You can! You're doing so well! You're… You're amazing!"

He wanted to say it. He wanted to tell the menace that he loves him, and kiss him in a way that would make all of their previous kisses pale in comparison. This crowd, however, prevented Ciel from doing so. He would have to wait, and the mere thought of waiting was physically painful to him. Ciel's arms ached to be around the Macken and to hold him close. His voice wanted to call out to him and tell him everything he was thinking at that moment. He wanted to embrace the Lion, but couldn't. Not here. Not now.

The message persisted, however, and Ciel quickly tried to think of a way to discreetly convey his thoughts to the other without attracting attention. He used to have all kinds of methods for silent communication, but only Sebastian understood the majority of them, and he doubted that Alois could understand all but one or two. Thus, he picked one that he knew the menace could decipher.

"Give me your hand." He instructed, prompting the menace to obey. Once he had it, he turned it over so that the blonde's palm was facing the sky. With one hand, he held Alois' in place while he traced a pattern with the other. He only spelled out three words, but it was more than enough to make the blonde blush.

"I-L-O-V-E-Y-O-U" the Phantomhive had spelled out, flustering the menace. Alois then took his free hand and covered his mouth, trying to contain himself as his beau looked on, now embarrassed as well.

" _You're so unfair_." Accused the blonde. "Right when I can't do anything about it… You're… Augh! You're mean!"

"You started it." Replied the watchdog. "How else am I supposed to respond?"

"I don't know! Couldn't you wait?"

"No." Ciel bluntly stated, his answer almost lost in beneath the noise generated by the crowd around them.

Their resolve to keep building skyrocketed, and they all eventually dispersed in order to continue working on other buildings. There were only finishing touches left for the most part. The next big project was completing the fire station, but that wasn't far off from being done. The difficult part about that was teaching firefighters how to drive the trucks. Only a handful of buildings remained untouched, reserved in case something else is needed. Other than that, several businesses opened, and so did a workshop for people to build more things.

Build more, create more, make more. Gehenna was flourishing in comparison to several months ago. While it still had a long way to go, they were heading in the right direction. It was almost disturbing, just how smoothly things were going. It felt as though something bad about to happen was just around the corner.

* * *


	152. A New Cage

The artists of Gehenna were graced with an unusual but exciting task. After their representatives came back from H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; several artisans and designers got to work creating a banner, a flag, or a symbol for Gehenna to unite under. Some went for abstract designs, while others based theirs off of current flags of various countries. Some went straight for a parody of the Hellsing family crest; inverting the colours and applying an alternate saying and a different chesspiece in the corners. Some, however, went for a similar approach, but stopped at the idea of a coat of arms.

While others used their distinctive references for their ideas, these people went straight for books on heraldry at the library. Purple for justice and sovereignty; green for freedom and hope; a heart for sincerity, charity, and goodness; and finally, a lion standing rampant with its forepaws raised, facing sinister. This is what made up the final result that was voted on by the citizens of Gehenna. It was discussed with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. that this was the symbol of their town, and the organization agreed to honour it.

Flags were sewn and hung, shirts were embroidered on, and Gehenna's coat of arms began to make its way all over the city. It was carved into wood finishing on benches and into bricks outside of businesses. It was painted on walls and anywhere else that it seemed appropriate. The residents were proud of this banner and waved it with triumph despite the fact that they still had a ways to go. Some who acknowledged it only became suspicious. It seemed too good to be true, while at the same time, what all had changed?

"It's stupid." Said one girl in the craft building late at night. "It's like they're trying to distract us from some of the worst problems…"

"Like what?" questioned Tegwen, tightening some strings on her own project.

"Like H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G?!" gawked the other girl, showing her fangs. The vampire furrowed her brow as she continued. "It's true that they haven't shot anybody recently, but how much time is left until thing simmer down and they do? It's like they're trying to distract us with all of this shiney new stuff so they can make us forget that it's their fault in the first place."

"Hmm…" hummed the elf, her back still to her friend. "Good point. I'm hopeful, though. They've been real cooperative so far, so… Maybe there's been a shift in command or something. The Lion seems to be pretty high-ranking…"

"I'm sick of him… Always prancing around like he knows what we've been through…"

"He wants to understand and he wants to help." Tegwen said. "I've seen it. He's a good man, and we can trust him. Even if H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. is up to something, he'd help us."

"You don't know that." The vampire stated. "He could turn traitor. The possibility exists."

"And the possibility exists that he won't." the elf replied, picking up what she had made and flipped it over. Turning around, she smiled, brandishing a handmade ukulele before she started to strum it.

"Tegwen, this is serious…"

"I know. I'm just seeing that it works. I like how guitars sound better, but I wanted to see if I could make one of these." Informed the elf as she continued to strum. "Maybe you're readin' too much into it. I don't know nothin' about how that crap works, but I can hope, can't I?"

"Hope doesn't do much in the real world…"

"Ollie~!" sang Tegwen. "Ollie, Olivia, queen of real-life politics~!"

"Tegwen!" Olivia cut off. "I'm serious! You don't know how these people work! I was human once, so I have an idea of it. I'm telling you, people aren't charitable for no reason."

"Sorry…" the other girl sadly answered, putting down her instrument in defeat. Her gaze fell to the floor, wondering what exactly she should say next. It didn't matter, though. The other girl had more to say.

"Aren't you scared?" she asked. "They could come after us at any second! There haven't been too many soldiers around, and the ones that have haven't been carrying their big guns, but they could be hiding something. What if they're waiting for someone to mess things up so that they have an excuse to put us on lockdown again?"

"I don't know…" Tegwen said. "I'm just kinda going with things for now…"

"That's why the rejected your interview, you know…" the vampire said. "You're too laid back…"

"Oh yeah? And you?" questioned the elf. "What about you, huh? You say you're against how things are going, but have _you_ done a successful interview?"

"No…" Olivia replied shamefully. "I didn't even go…"

"And you called me ' _laid back'_ …"

"I don't want to work for them, alright? I'll find somewhere out in London…"

"Ollie, you came here because there was nowhere for you in London…"

"I can _try_." Spoke the vampire, peering up through her black bangs and over the frames of her glasses. "You're the one who's always hopeful…"

Sighing, she leaned against the edge of the table, picking up her instrument again. Plucking at a few of the strings, she thought for a moment, trying to figure out what the best thing to say to the stubborn girl was. She and Olivia never got along well, but she didn't dislike her.

"Well, then you try your best." Tegwen finally said. "Maybe they'll let you out. Who knows? They already let vampires out for night shifts."

"Yeah…" The other answered, looking down at the floor. She didn't know what exactly to say either. The vampire stared at the floor for the longest time until she heard the sound of an engine.

"That's the bus…" Olivia said. "They're bringing people back from their little workshops…" When she finally looked up, however, it didn't appear as though the elf was listening. She looked on in confusion as Tegwen's brow furrowed, her eyes wide and alert as she stared toward the entrance of the building.

"Something's coming." She informed.

Elves had an excellent sixth sense; one that was almost on par with demons and angels. Had it not been for slower reflexes and weaker bodies, they could possibly match them. For now, however, Tegwen sensed something strange, and she didn't know what. It was a powerful energy that resembled that of a vampire, but was too strong and too different to be one from Gehenna. In addition, there was another strange force that she didn't recognise. It didn't feel like anything she had ever encountered before, and the elf had been alive for almost one-hundred and seventy years. Quickly, she made her way toward the exit, instead standing by the window in order to peer out instead of opening the door.

The street was lit as always, and people were walking down the sidewalk in order to go home. The only ones who stepped lightly were the elves. They must have sensed something on that bus as well. Eventually, she saw it too, and became more confused.

A woman with blond hair stepped off of that bus. Her arm was strange. It looked as though it were fashioned by some sort of black energy. That's the sort of thing Tegwen had only read in science fiction books, but judging by the fact that she recognised the uniform, she knew it was real. It was a red H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. uniform—one worn by vampires. This woman was the source of the strange, massive amounts of vampire-like energy.

With her was a young man, with brown skin and short, black hair. He was skinny—almost malnourished like he hasn't been eating, with gold eyes that seemed lifeless as they carried dark, heavy bags underneath them. A H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. uniform covered his frame, shielding him from the cold night air. The man trudged along, carrying suitcases as the woman with him led the way.

One day in the near future, Tegwen and Olivia would learn his name. It was Preston Omid, and the man had been granted permission to live off-base in order to be an observational agent. He was not allowed to carry weapons, but he, himself was a weapon. His condition made him miserable, and it was becoming a hindrance to the organization. Thus, it was decided that the man should have some freedom.

Seras walked him up to a building that was refurbished into a residency. Preston would have the entire place to himself, as no one else lived there, but he could invite people in at his leisure. It was unlikely, given his personality, but it was possible. Stepping inside, he found that it was empty, aside from the essentials. With a sigh, he set his belongings down on the floor and looked around. It was nice, but he was still unhappy with his treatment.

"We'll be sending some of the things from your apartment over the next few days." Seras informed. "You know how to contact us, right?"

"Yeah…" answered Preston, unwilling to put up a fight. The man was tired. He was always tired, now. Yet, he was a little hopeful, given this arrangement. In response, the woman offered up a smile and handed him the key to his new home.

"Call us if you need anything or don't understand something." She said.

"Right… I'll do that…" the man absent-mindedly said. His life was over, and now it was starting again? Just like this? It was hard for him to wrap his head around. In truth, he didn't know exactly what he was supposed to be passing on to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; but if it would get him out of that accursed basement, then he was up for anything. With a small nod, Seras turned to leave, showing herself out.

"Goodnight." She called.

"'Night…" he answered back softly, unsure if she heard him and not really able to care. Hearing the door close, however, he followed the woman's trail and locked it. He stayed there for a moment, just taking it all in as he pressed his forehead against the door's wooden surface. It was like he couldn't be bothered to move, or simply couldn't.

When it became too much for him, however, he force himself to walk away, despite the fact that he didn't know if he could. Lazily, the Omid gentleman scanned his new living arrangements, finding nothing but plain white walls and grey carpet. Occasionally, he'd come across something of interest, like the appliances in the kitchen or the facilities of the bathroom. When he found his bedroom, he found nothing there but a bed, a desk, a chair, a closet, and a window. "Supplying him with the basics" was right. There was nothing but the bare essentials to be found.

The man didn't want to put away the contents of his suitcases for now. He didn't want to sleep, or do anything, really. He was too overwhelmed. Preston had spent months working under H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. They put him to work after he calmed down a bit from his first imprisonment, and he gained small victories and freedoms along the way. They came with doing what he was told, even if he didn't think he could take following the order.

Combat was the worst. Preston was not made to be thrown into the den of beasts who devour humans. It wasn't in his nature. Yet, he somehow survived it all by blocking out everything. Sitting in silence had become a normal pastime of his. Even now, he sat in the chair next to the desk and stared blankly at the wall.

What was he supposed to do here? He didn't know. No one had issued him a very explicit order. He had been told to monitor the supernatural activity in the area, but he didn't know what exactly he was looking for. Really, it just seemed that H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. simply wanted him out of their hair. Preston had no complaints about that. In fact, it seemed like a massive improvement.

Golden eyes shifted from white walls and over to the window, looking down at the lamp-illuminated streets of Gehenna. Purple and green flags with golden lions fluttered in the breeze as the bus that drove him into town drove by. People with pointed ears, fur, fangs, or a combination of, walked along sidewalks as they made their way to their homes. For the most part, it seemed quiet. Ordinary. Normal. Dull. Still, the sight was far more stimulating than the view of his room in the basement at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters. It was nostalgic, somehow. Just how long has it been since he was able to stare out a city street? How long has it been since he was able to sit without discomfort, not worry about anything, and take in the scenery? It seemed like an eternity.

The thought made water build up in his eyes. It's been too long. Preston didn't know if he could take anymore of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and reliving hell each time he had to go to work. He had enough of that to last a lifetime back at Castle Krampus! Now what was he to do? He was free to come and go as he pleased! Preston was free.

Tears began streaming down his face as his smiled. He couldn't tell if he was laughing, sobbing, or a combination of the two. Preston didn't care, though. It didn't matter. None of it mattered anymore. All that mattered was that he was here. He wasn't kept immobile by either disease or by walls. Preston was, in theory, a free man.


	153. Devildog

"I really don't know what to tell you, Tegs…" spoke a woman behind the desk at the Gehenna Town Welfare Center. An elf, she was tall, being much too tall for the desk she sat at and the chair she sat in, with long legs and broad shoulders. Like Tegwen's, her skin was dark tan, her hair braided, but on both sides. Her face was stern, with bushy eyebrows and prominent cheekbones, but she didn't seem at all threatening. "Whatever that energy you were sensing is, I'm not sure what it is, from what you're telling me."

"Then you should come with me to the spot I found it in." the shorter elf replied. "It's freaky! It could be something big!"

"Well I can't go now, I have work to do…" the first woman trailed off.

"C'mon, Tegwen, your big sis has stuff to do." Chimed in one of the woman's coworkers with a smile. "Why don't you try another interview in the meantime? I hear you haven't found anything. A lot like your ' _weird presence'_."

" _Fight me, Helen_." Tegwen answered before turning back to her older sister. "Forsetiiiii~!" she whined.

"The answer is no." the older sibling insisted. "When I get off work, I'll go check it out."

"UGH. Fine! I could have found a bad omen, but you keep on pencil pushing!"

"I'll see you later, Tegs." The older elf replied with a smile at the girl's complaining.

"The man is keeping me down, Seti!" Tegwen declared. " _The man!"_

"Bye, Tegwen." Her sister said one last time. Pouting, the younger elf turned toward the door and walked out. She stuck her tongue out at her sibling one last time, only to have it returned before shutting the door.

Obviously, the girl wasn't the only one to sense the disturbance, given that other elves sensed it too, but she couldn't seem to find anyone willing to help her investigate. Shoving her hands in her pockets, she thought about who all she could ask. Akira would call her crazy, and Clarence is, well, _Clarence_. Cloven hooves were not made to be chasing strange forces, or in case of emergency, running away from them. In the end, there was no one. Tegwen was on her own.

The girl stared at the sidewalk as she trekked onward, only looking up at the sound of a vehicle moving down the road. It was the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. bus, coming back from dropping people off from their training workshops for the day. It made her think that maybe she should try going again going to a meeting, or maybe talking to her sister about what she could possibly do to earn some money. Tegwen's thoughts came to a halt as the bus did the same, stopping suddenly with screeching tires.

"What the fuck?!" demanded the driver, honking the horn. "Get out of the road!"

Tegwen's eyes shifted to the front of the vehicle and set her sights on two figures. Both were dressed from head to toe, wearing gloves, hoods, and covering their faces. They were most likely vampires, judging from how protected from the sun they were, but the elf didn't recognise them.

BANG!

Hands slammed on the hood of the bus, prying underneath the hood and bending it with supernatural strength. The driver kept shouting obscenities at the hooligans, but was rendered silent as the masked n'er do-well pulled a bottle out of their coat. Both the driver and the elf looking on immediately recognised what it was. Tegwen had only seen it in movies and read about it in books, but she knew that a bottle of alcohol with a soaked rag sticking out of the opening could mean one thing: a Molotov cocktail.

As the terrifying offender pulled out a lighter, the driver of the bus scrambled for the door, jumping out while they ignited the rag. The vandal then threw the concoction into the still-running engine while their accomplice held open the hood before both of them fled. They nearly tripped over themselves trying to get away from the combusting vehicle as it was set ablaze. Fire raged and the engine screamed, painting the sky with angry shades of red.

In a flash, Tegwen's mind was yelling at her to do something. Something was about to happen. Quickly, her arm shot out on reflex and her feet moved forward. Her hand gripped the fabric of the fleeing driver tightly and she turned herself around to run with him, pushing him along.

"Get down!" she barked, pushing the soldier into the pavement as his bus was consumed in a roaring inferno. With a hiss, it exploded.

BOOM!

Sparks flew, flying out of the wreckage alond with scrap metal. The fire reached for the heavens as the bystanders shielded themselves from debris. Tegwen looked over her shoulder; eyes unable to look away. They had to, however. They had to look off in the direction that the perpetrators had run off in. Just like that, she found her legs moving again.

Heavy boots slammed against concrete as she propelled herself forward. She snaked her way through the gathering crowd as sirens could be heard off in the distance. For all she knew, she was the only one who saw the vandals- other than the driver of course. She had to hurry, but her mind wasn't keeping up with her body. In reality, she knew that a supernatural that strong would also be much faster than an elf, and that she would be no match against such a person should she engage in combat, yet she still persisted.

As she rounded the corner, there was no one in sight, but her ears perked up a bit at the sound of screaming. This was no ordinary scream, however. This was not a scream out of fear, but out of pain. The hair on the back of Tegwen's neck stood on end. The blood seemed to disappear from her limbs, rendering them numb. The pounding of her own heart in her ears almost drowned out the whimpering that followed the sound, but it still registered.

Eyes wide, she stood there, frozen. The girl knew what direction the sound had come from, but wasn't sure if she wanted to follow it. She sensed no danger, but was wary. There was definitely someone- or some _thing_ there, and it had hurt someone badly. Now, she had a choice. Tegwen could follow the sound, or she could walk away. Both didn't sound at all that pleasant. Desperately, she wanted to know who did this and what happened to them, but she was scared. "Terrified" may be more accurate.

While the air was cold, she was still sweating. Her brow furrowed and her teeth grit together, bracing herself for what was to come. Summoning every ounce of courage she had, she kept going. Running, she ignored the sounds of fire sirens and kept in pursuit, harshly making her way to the spot where the sound had come from. The elf's foot slammed hard on the ground in order to stop herself, but that may not have been the wisest of moves, as she was not alone.

She gazed into the darkness that dwelled between two buildings, hearing the sounds of writhing coming from within its depths. With the light provided, she could see two figures on the ground, clutching at their legs. They were not alone, either. There was a third figure in the darkness, illuminated by the light of a cell phone. Twgwen—the poor girl—couldn't make out what exactly they were saying, as every part of her mind was honed in on traces of blue.

There was only one person who could have hair of that particular hue, and it wasn't coming from the cellphone. Everyone in Gehenna had heard stories. Urban legends were told by word of mouth for decades, ever since his first appearance back in the sixties. Fairytales, folksongs, words of warning—the symbol of the dog had become associated with evil, death, and darkness. Only one person could have hair of blueish black like this.

The Watchdog.

Suddenly the elf's legs felt weak and she could no longer run away. The mumbling of the monster on the phone was lost on her, as he senses only remained focused on the man's form. A blade held within a scabbard was gripped in his other hand. He must have sliced the ligaments in the hooligans' legs. Surely, the girl was going to die. As the man hung up the phone, she stiffened.

Slowly, the watchdog's head turned, revealing only a single, sapphire eye as he looked over his shoulder. Sapphire became crimson, glowing vibrantly and cutting through the darkness of the alley. Tegwen had been seen. This was it. She was going to perish at the watchdog's blade.

" _You should get out of here."_ Spoke the beast, his voice sounding familiar, but shaking the girl's bones. "H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. will be here to pick up these idiots for questioning soon. It's best if you're gone by then."

Unfortunately, the girl was only able to pick up parts of his warning through her own fear. One of the supernaturals who attacked the bus at the Watchdog's feet shifted so that they could see who the man was talking to. It was their voice that snapped Tegwen to her senses.

"Tegwen! _Run!"_ they shouted, forcing the elf to wake up. She didn't have time to think about the fact that they knew her name, but only about getting away somehow.

Her feet scrambled to get herself upright and run. She didn't look back, either. She didn't want to. What if she looked back and the Watchdog was right behind her, baring his teeth? Tegwen didn't stop running, even when she got back to the Town Welfare building where her sister worked. She didn't stop running until she was home with the door slammed shut behind her and locked up tight.

Backing away from the door, she almost tripped over herself as she watched out for anything that could have followed her. There was nothing, though. Her sixth sense picked up nothing, but she had to be sure. That was the Watchdog. There was no doubt in her mind. Since that was the case, she had to be more careful than anyone has ever been. Only a handful of people in Gehenna have been known to see the Watchdog and live to tell about it. There was Sister Dorothy, "Baby Face" Baldassare, and a few others. There was a Girasol member called "Fangless" Shaun who had his fangs ripped out by the Watchdog decades ago, and he still wants revenge. You have to be somebody in Gehenna to get away unscathed, and since Tegwen wasn't a person of any importance, she was surely in danger.

Gehenna was dangerous. First the bus was blown up in front of the Welfare Building, and now the Watchdog was making his rounds? Something was wrong. There was also that bizarre energy in B-Block that she couldn't identify. Could they be related? She didn't know. She was too scared to think.

When Tegwen finally tripped and fell on her rear, her eyes still stayed trained on the front door, waiting for something to happen. Hours passed, and nothing happened, still. It wasn't until her sister came home that she broke from her trance, but by then she was certain that there was something amiss.


	154. Gehenna 5-0

The two responsible for the explosion in front of the Gehenna Town Welfare building were swiftly apprehended and brought into H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. custody. One of them was a vampire and the other was a warlock. After receiving medical attention, they confessed to the act of terror inflicted, claiming that they wished to deter any further H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. activity in Gehenna. They were fearful of what was to come if H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. stayed on course, as they were uncertain of the organizations intentions. The pair were wary of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s sudden interest in bettering the community. This wasn't an unreasonable concern, given previous relations, as they were unaware of the truth.

From this, however, a new problem arose. What was H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. to do with the captives? Imprisoning them would be difficult, as no such facilities exist, lest one counts the dungeon in the basement of the Hellsing estate. Killing them was out of the question, especially since the community was hopped up on shock and fear. It had been months since H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s last killing of residents, so they were right to be fearful of what was to happen to their neighbours.

Simply releasing them was debatable. It could be assumed that they were bound to reoffend, and not only that, they had seen the Watchdog's face. Making it known that the Watchdog had any sort of involvement in the project, and was even working with them under the noses of the residents could backfire. That is a secret that must be revealed at the right moment. In the end, holding onto the culprits was the best option until a better solution had presented itself.

This incident brought up another idea that was presented by the Gehenna representatives, however. It was simply put off until debate was necessary. Now, it was. It was proposed that Gehenna have its own police force—one that consisted of both H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. embassies, and Gehenna citizens. The idea was initially rejected by the council, but Sister Dorothy nor Baldassare would give up. In truth, the demonic duo also supported the idea, which gave them some leverage. After much discussion among the convention of twelve, they decided to allow H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. to negotiate the idea.

Slowly, they developed an idea. The department would consist of mostly Gehenna citizens, with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. officials present on hand. They would act as a halfway between H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and Gehenna, keeping the peace in ways that the organization could not. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. was notorious for being a gang of vicious brutes with assault rifles, but this would be a fresh face. The people should be able to police themselves, but it was agreed that oversight was needed. Thus, the creation of the Gehenna Police Department began.

Notices were posted for a new job that would be coming soon, and countless people signed up to be interviewed for it. It was too good to be true. Of course they would want to be part of such a thing. Interviews were far more rigorous than ordinary ones, however. They could only be administered at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters, and lasted several days. One person would have to come back more than once in order to complete the process. Most people gave up halfway, but others persisted.

By the end, the number of possible candidates had dwindled to only a handful. They were people of strong will and integrity. They were determined and clever. They had a deep sense of justice and a desire to help society for the better. Tegwen almost couldn't believe her eyes when she opened the envelop that arrived to her house.

While the elf was still shaken from her encounter with the Watchdog, she was determined to not be on his list. At the same time, she felt a sense of clarity and calm. With this summons, she almost felt as though she had found her place in the world, but it wasn't over yet.

All candidates had to leave Gehenna for a while in order to undergo extensive training at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters. Yes, they would be right in enemy territory, but they must build an alliance. A new bus arrived and the candidates bid their families farewell for the time being.

Tegwen was terrified. It was her first time out of the Special Zone. To her surprise, London looked exactly as she saw it in movies.

"Oh, you got in, too?" called a voice, forcing the elf to look up. She smiled at the sight of a familiar face, relieved that she wouldn't be going into this alone.

"Akira…" Tegwen said with a sigh. The other girl sat down in the seat next to her.

"This is gonna be tough, isn't it?" inquired Akira. "They're probably gonna send us to boot camp."

"What? Can't your magic do anything to help with that?" the elf asked. "You've got a spell for almost anything."

"Even I have my limits." The half-witch said. Her eyes lit up for a moment as she spotted someone else on the other side of the bus. "Is that Olivia?"

"Yeah, I saw her getting on, but she won't talk to me, for some reason." Tegwen answered.

" _Did you flirt with her or something?"_

" _No!"_ insisted the elf, ignoring her friend's sideways glance as her cheeks heated up a bit. "I don't see her like that at all. She's just been mad at me ever since I felt that weird energy."

"Olivia never was the kind to give things she doesn't understand a chance… Hell, I don't even really know what you're talking about when it comes to this stuff, but I'll take your word for it, at least." Akira replied.

"You've got some witch in you, so understanding supernatural energy is kinda natural to you, even if you only get your own."

"True." The other girl replied. "So, you think you'll find it?"

"I don't know if I want to anymore…"

"Because of the Watchdog?" asked Akira, causing the other girl to sink in her seat a bit. The half-witch's eyebrows raised for a moment before placing a hand on her friend's back.

"C'mon… If you join the police force, then he has no reason to come after you!" she said reassuringly. "Remember the stories? He only comes after people who've done something horrible."

"Still scary. Fuck that." Tegwen stated. "I don't even know if I'll be able to make it through this…"

"If they put a candy bar on the opposite end of the obstacle course, then you will…"

"Would not!"


	155. Fashion Police

Many of the candidates for policework wanted to go home. Training was rough, and so were the classes and lectures that they were required to attend. Doctor Tunstell was tough when it came to the art of deduction. Some of the group actually found his classes more difficult that the physical training!

The Watchdog was hard on them. Like during his college courses, he wasn't about to let sub-par officers and detectives get the job. If he was going to make these supernaturals into police officers, he was going to make them decent ones. Quality was everything. The mental exercises he made them undergo and the memorization of facts and tips on how to solve cases nearly had some of the group pulling their hair out.

He wasn't the only one who was tough, however. Agent Seras Victoria, who was basically the right hand of Sir Hellsing herself, was indeed a former police officer before she became a vampire while on duty. She instructed them in hand-to-hand combat and basic police duties, as well as equipment. It got to the point where only other vampires could volunteer to help her demonstrate various police holds and grapples due to the woman's obscene strength and accidental roughness. Some of them even gave up and went home. Occasionally, the Lion would stop by to put in his two cents.

"You're all Gehenna's first line of defense." He would say. "Tunstell may be a hardass, but he knows what he's doing. We want you to be the best. The community will be looking up to you, after all!"

His words cheered them up a bit, but cramming was still difficult. They had to learn how to solve cases, investigate, and enforce the law. They were trained in firearms as well as hand-to-hand combat. The Gehenna Police Department staff was on their way, as well as the building itself.

While they were undergoing instruction, the building that the residents had set aside for the possibility of having a police department was currently being refurbished and repurposed. There were offices, interrogation rooms, archival rooms, and holding cells designed to house even the roughest of supernaturals by ways of magic. They even brought in H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s resident magic expert in for the occasion.

Break rooms were made and so were bathrooms. Walls, floors, and stairs were fixed, tiled, and painted. The city insignia made its way into multiple locations within the building, as was appropriate. A flag pole was erected out front and they hung the Gehenna flag, and, with great reluctance, a Union Jack as well. While residents weren't too fond of or loyal to the crown, they were still under British rule.

It annoyed the police to have to fly that banner. Britain hadn't done much for them. In fact, it was H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. who annihilated them on the crown's behalf. Nevertheless, they persisted onward for the sake of Gehenna. They sweat, the bled, they wracked their brains in order to have this position. At one point, it seemed as though it were part of the test to see who was actually willing to persevere to the end. When they were worn out from running, they would imagine sitting in their air-conditioned police station and helping people with the strength and knowledge that they did gain.

The police station was equipped with a couple of cars, a truck, and several dozen bicycles, all painted to match. The graphic design department was to thank for the simplification of the lion logo, and the overall look of it everything. That is except for the last thing to be designed, of course. Police uniforms. Those were left to a professional who actually knew a thing or two about clothes.

Now, Kristopherson was surprised when he got the call from the demonic duo, and even more so at their request. So _that's_ what they have been up to for the past few months. Honestly, he couldn't quite fathom what on earth he was getting into, but he would make an attempt after some clarification.

"So, you want me to just design some uniforms, yeah?" Kristopherson asked, rubbing his chin as he looked to the two demons with a bit of concern. "No like, supernatural missions or anything?"

"Nope. You're just designing some police uniforms." Alois confirmed. "You don't even have to set foot in the place. Just design a couple of outfits."

"Somehow, I doubt that…" the faux-blonde stated. "Something always happens."

"I swear to Satan that nothing will happen. Promise~!" insisted the menace. "Besides, you're being commissioned by the government itself, so the pay ain't bad."

"True…" Kristopherson replied. Leaning back in his chair, he let out a heavy sigh. "Fine. I'll come up with something. Just… no weird supernatural shit, okay?"

"Thank you, kindly, Pinkie McKittenbeard~!" Alois answered as he began listing off things on his fingers. "We need summer and winter uniforms. Fall, too, maybe? Just enough versions so they don't keel over from heat or freeze to death… or… whatever the undead do when they get really cold..."

"Got it. Any ideas?" the Miles gentleman questioned. "Can I have a sample of one of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s uniforms for reference? Just a picture will do…"

"Right. We thought you'd ask that, so we brought both a regular combat uniform a supernatural uniform, and a vampiric uniform with us." Stated the menace, digging in his bag. He pulled out one uniform, neatly folded and wrapped in plastic, before handing it to his friend. He repeated the process twice more until Kristopherson had three packages on his desk.

"Hey, Dan, can you hand me the scissors?" he asked, reaching out to the Westley gentleman while he was sitting and minding his own business. The brunet perked up a bit at hearing his name, and shuffled to his feet.

"Fine…" grumbled Daniel. "Why do I always have to be your like, what's the word? The person who hands over tools?"

 _"A handmaiden."_ Jested the Macken with a horrid glint in his eye as he grinned at the man.

"Go suck a fuck, Trancy…" the Westley said.

"Exactly how does one suck a fuck, Dan?"

"I'm pretty sure you know the best out of anybody here, mate."

"So, are you wanting _tips_ , or…?"

"Shuddup, Trancy!"

"Oh, I missed you so much." Grinned Alois as his friend completed his task. "But seriously, though…"

"Still not there yet." Kristopherson interrupted, cutting open the plastic packages. "Even if we were, it's none of your business."

"Oh, so have you two been fraternizing while we were busy, then~?" questioned the menace, causing the faux-blonde to laugh.

"Tell 'im, Dan." He said, knowing that the brunet was wearing a nasty frown at the instruction.

"Fuck off." The Westley spat, piquing the interest of the two demons.

"What happened?"

"Well, you know how he hasn't talked to Ana since graduation, right?" questioned Kristopherson.

"Yeah?"

"And you know how I refused to go out with him until he broke up with her, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I call her up to check in on things at home and she's got a new boyfriend." Chuckled the Miles gentleman.

"Seriously?!" grinned Alois. "Wow, tough luck, mate."

"Oh, it gets better." Continued the faux-blonde. "You know who she's dating?"

"Who?"

"Lawrence Rose."

"The fucking rose actor?!" cackled the Macken, leaning back in his chair. "Oh man, that is rough luck!"

"Shut up!" barked Daniel, his cheeks slightly pink. His flatmate did not, however, and continued.

"That's what you get for not talking to her in months." He said. "She just figured you were over, and found someone who will actually pay attention to her."

"Gah!"

"Hey, at least you're free now, Danny-boy." Alois teased. "Does she know you're super-gay yet?"

" _She figured that, too_." Kristopherson informed.

"Girls suck!" complained Daniel, crossing his arms as he plopped down in his seat.

" _Boys can, too_." Mischievously jested the menace. "But seriously, what did you expect after ignoring her for so long? Did you really think she'd wait on you? I'd be pissed off, too! Not to mention, it's kind of rude to complain about it when you weren't really interested in her."

"The ego is a delicate thing." Ciel chimed in before looking up at Kristopherson. "So, any ideas?"

"I assume this green thing is the ordinary combat uniform. It's boring." The Miles gentleman said, pushing it off to the side. "I don't think I'll be using much of that. These other ones are interesting, though. I like the cut. This yellow is horrible, though. I'm kind of offended by it."

"Same." Alois stated. "So, whatcha think?"

"I'm thinking a cut similar to this one, but in… blue? Keep with a primary colour scheme in relation to the others?" speculated Kristopherson. "Gimme a day or so, and I'll have you some designs."

"Much appreciated." The bluenette said. "If you have any specifications for materials, please make notes."

"No problem. Good luck with _Halloweentown_."

* * *


	156. Complicated

Public unrest was still rife in the community as no leads turned up on the matter of the attack on the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. bus, as the two perps apprehended have not indicated as to whether they had others who shared their beliefs and interests. They wanted H.E.L.L.S. . out. It wasn't an unpopular desire, but no others had acted on it, especially not to this extreme. It was still likely that more vandals were to follow. Occasionally, graffiti would turn up with the words " _HELLSING OUT!"_ written in big letters on the sides of buildings with spray-paint, but more than anything, it just caused a headache for the person who lived there or had a business there, as they then had to buy paint to paint over it.

Meetings were held, and it was unanimously agreed that people who were violent, or would become that way should be outed to the community. Few were silent on the matter, which only made them suspicious. Ironically, fights would break out and had to be quelled once accusations were hurled. People were still nervous as the candidates for positions on the future police force had not returned yet, and H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers still policed the town.

Agents had still turned up with nothing on the matter of a rebellion. Preston had reported that he hadn't found a single thing. He was trying his best, too, as he was actually starting to feel better about his predicament. When he didn't find anything, he only seemed to feel worse.

There was one theory, however. The original terrorists who attacked the bus used a Molotov cocktail in order to blow up the engine. Now, both suspects had been in custody for a while, and it was noted that neither of them even looked to be of legal age to purchase alcohol outside of Gehenna. Since the selling of the substance was currently prohibited, that had to be the only source by default. Since the obviously couldn't acquire the bottle themselves, the only conclusion that could be reached was that they had help. There were more of them somewhere in Gehenna and H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. knew it.

Many citizens arrived at this conclusion as well. As more fights broke out, it was becoming increasingly difficult for H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. to intervene non-violently. They desperately needed the police force in place, and they needed it soon. Training wasn't complete, however. In fact, there was a new candidate joining the ranks.

While, the others were waiting on their instructor, they became confused when the young-looking teen walked into the lecture hall and took a seat, especially because of his appearance. He wasn't wearing the same H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. issued training garb as they were. He was dressed like a civilian, unlike the others, who wore the typical uniforms worn by cadets. More than that, however, the boy bared a striking resemblance to none other than the legendary Lion himself. The boy's platinum-blond hair was cut short and he wore sunglasses indoors. Obviously, he was a strange one. Even still, they were polite to him, especially the two girls who sat in the seats directly behind him.

"Hey, are you new or something?" asked Akira. "Is that why you haven't got a uniform?"

"Yeah, you could say that…" the boy answered. "I'm only here for the lectures, though, since I've already completed basic training."

"Oh, so you're with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; then?" questioned the half-witch. "I'm Akira, by the way. This chick next to me is Tegwen. You?"

"Revy…" answered the revenant somewhat bashfully. "And uh, yeah, I'm with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G… Not officially, though. I've never been assigned to a station before. This would be my first job."

"Really? It can work like that?"

"I'm… a bit of a special case…" Revy informed. "It's a really long story…"

"Are you related to Mister Lion?" inquired Akira, leaning forward in her seat and resting her elbows on the table. Needless to say, the revenant was a bit taken aback by the sudden question, and had no choice but to look back. "That would explain it. You look just like him!"

"Well, yeah…" the boy answered. "He's kind of my… big brother… We're related, but only kind of in a really weird and complicated way. _That_ is a longer story…"

"For real?!" Akira asked before looking over to her friend, who was also obviously interested. Tegwen was confused for reasons that the half-witch could not detect. The boy's energy did not match that of a demon's, nor could she recognise what it was.

"You're not a demon, though…" Tegwen finally stated, causing the other girl to furrow her brow.

"Like I said, it's complicated…" Revy answered. "I'm not a demon. I'm a revenant. We're not really related, but… This body I'm possessing is…"

"Necromancy?!" Akira barked a bit too loudly, causing everyone else in the room to look their way. A small blush appeared on her cheeks as she spoke more softly. "I mean, how does that happen?" she asked, but the boy didn't answer—at least, not for a while.

"It's… complicated…" he eventually said. "Revanants are basically spirits. We possess the bodies of the dead in order to fulfill some form of revenge for them on their behalf… The Lion has… a very complicated past. He was human once, so I was able to possess his deceased body…"

"Human?" Tegwen echoed. By now, several others had tuned in. With that sort of news, it was hard not to be curious as to how on earth such a thing was possible. Sighing, Revy tried to gather his thoughts enough in order to answer.

"Yes." The blonde informed. "Look, the basics of it is, we revenants channel the soul of the person we're possessing in order to be able to know what to carry out revenge on. What I didn't count on was Alois—I mean, the Lion, becoming a demon… I couldn't do it, and got stuck. That's that."

The others wanted to press onward. They wanted to know just how their hero died as a human to make him desire revenge, and they wanted to know why he had died at what appeared to be such a young age. Be that as it may, the revenant seemed annoyed by the attention.

"Wait, his name's _Alois?"_ asked Akira.

"One of them, anyway… He's got a bunch."

"Just what did he get into?" she questioned. "Why'd he need so many names?"

"Because he lived a crummy life." Revy said. "I'm not gonna tell you all of it. That's personal stuff. I _still_ have scars from some of the stuff that happened to him. It's intense. He was killed by his butler—a demon who wanted the soul of his rival, who was in possession of another demon. He put Alois' soul in a ring and tried to merge their souls since he couldn't get rid of the other guy's contract. Alois possessed him, and ended up using one final trump card, and turned the guy into a demon before having his soul trapped in limbo, only to be harvested later."

Revy jumped when he looked up, as other students had migrated over to hear him talk about the menace. The people of Gehenna loved a good story, and that was one of the best ones yet. The real kicker was the fact that it was true. The crowd watched him intently, waiting for him to continue.

"What happened to his rival?" asked one of them; a young-looking elf with a mohawk.

"Did he ever see him again?" asked another, a witch. "Did he ever beat him?" For a moment, Revy paused in order to collect himself again, being unsed to this type of attention. Soon, however, he opened his mouth to speak.

"You've probably heard of him, actually…" the boy began. "He's still around. He's called _'The Queen's Guard Dog'."_

"ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?!" demanded one of the students as others stepped back and put their hands on their heads. It was mind-blowing. This was the story of the century. The hero of Gehenna, the noble Lion, had known the legendary Watchdog in his human life, and was the one responsible for turning him into what he is now. Supernaturals whispered amongst themselves- some of them being unable to as they couldn't contain their reactions.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"

"Holy shit…"

"WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Tegwen sat there quietly, eyes wide at the boy in front of her as he turned in his chair in order to watch the others' responses. The reason why she had run into the Watchdog was because of the Lion? The two urban legends did in fact know each other, and their stories were bound together? Indeed, it was a lot to take in.

"It doesn't stop there, however…" the boy continued. "The Watchdog was bored of living forever. He was tired. So, he resurrected the Lion in order to turn him into the perfect enemy for him to defeat and cure his boredom. It's like they feed on each other…"

The lecture hall was in a complete uproar. The police candidates were trying to wrap their heads around all of this. The Lion was good. He was trying to build their town, but his rival, the Watchdog, still lurked in the shadows. Both of them were with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; yet both of them opposed the other. They had history—history that was stained in blood. Revy couldn't even go on and finish the story between all of the commotion. He couldn't get another word in from the officers knowing that they would have to be on the Lion's side of this. This was big, much bigger than most of them. At least, that's the way it seemed at first.

In the corner of the room still sat one girl all on her own. A vampire. She too, was frightened by all of this. Olivia had her doubts about all of this, so she had come to a much more different conclusion. This was a ploy for the Lion to get back at the Watchdog and defeat him. How petty. How cruel. He was merely using them as fodder, wasn't he? While there wasn't a shred of truth to her concerns, it was a logical conclusion, but it was also one that she would be keeping to herself for now. As the room was in an uproar, the instructor finally arrived. Tunstel narrowed his eye, his brow furrowing in confusion at the commotion.

"ENOUGH!" he bellowed, capturing the attention of his students. Immediately, they froze in place and stared at the man. "What on earth is going on in here?"

"It was Revy." One of the students said. "He was telling us about Mister Lion's past."

"Did you know he was involved with the Watchdog, Mister Tunstell?"

"Is the Watchdog going to get revenge?"

The Phantomhive's eye widened before his head whipped toward the revenant. Now, his brow furrowed with anger as he walked toward the boy. Placing a hand on the desk in front of Revy, he spoke.

"Do not discuss this again." He ordered, causing the Macken to sink in his seat.

"Yes, sir…" answered the blonde as the other looked up toward the class.

"All of you sit down right now." Ciel instructed, his tone carrying an unwavering sense of authority that gave off the impression that it should never be questioned. Thus, the students slinked back to their seats as their minds were still reeling about thoughts of the Lion and Watchdog.

"Mister Lion has put his past with the Watchdog behind him." The man informed. "They have resolved that conflict years ago, and have since moved on. Besides, that entire ordeal was a silly case of mistaken identity." With that, the redhead took his place at the front of the class.

"Don't bother dwelling on it. There's nothing to dwell _on_." He stated. That was the truth. There really wasn't much to think about in regards to that matter. It had long since been resolved, and things have progressed for the better. There was no reason to think ill of either party for that. Even still, Ciel was a bit miffed at the younger Macken for telling about their histories.

"Now that storytime is over, I'd like to start class."


	157. By The Stars

The Watchdog. The Watchdog! The Watchdog had returned to Gehenna. He had already captured two people, and no one knew just where he was hiding next. In reality, he was merely searching for more people who could possibly be involved with the bus explosion, but it wasn't exactly easy for him to move around, now. Everyone was looking for him, and no one wanted to be found. Ciel was not to be deterred, however. For now, he simply focused on training the police of Gehenna as "Victor Tunstell", despite the fact that he merely wanted to charge in and take the problem by the throat.

He ended up having to send Preston in his stead, but, Preston was Preston. He wasn't trained to be a detective, and his mind hadn't been completely "there" as of late. Consistently, there were no results. Perhaps the apprehension of the two original vandals was enough of a deterrent to prevent others from stepping up to take their place.

It had been a while, but things did start coming together, in a way. Kristopherson had completed the designs for the Gehenna Police uniforms, and they had been put into production. A blue shirt cut in the exact fashion as the supernatural forces uniform, but in blue instead of red or yellow. A short, black tie that was almost an ascot, and black pants to match; a white belt holding them up. The hats were almost the same as the ordinary police force found in London, with its checkered pattern, but had the Gehenna coat of arms on the front. On the left breast was their badge in the shape of an eight-point star. A blue circle with the head of a gold lion sat in the center, donning the words "Gehenna Police" on it, and a rectangle with the badge number sat beneath that. On the right breast was a patch with the owner's surname on it. On the left arm was a patch with the Gehenna coat of arms on it. Once the uniforms were done, they were issued to officers who completed training.

A bus rolled into town, turning heads and causing smiles to appear on faces. The people on it were relieved at the sight of home, and were excited to get back to their families and friends. Moreover, they would be starting work soon. Upon stepping out of the vehicle, they found themselves tightly held in arms and receiving congratulations at making it through the ordeal.

The H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. base was terrifying. Armed guards were everywhere, and menaced the supernaturals whenever they were spotted. The candidates for policework had to be escorted everywhere so that they wouldn't get harassed, and even that didn't stop the verbal harassment. The fact that most of them were women didn't help. Jeering and hollering followed them anywhere a group of soldiers was. Had Sir Hellsing caught her men, however, she would have clobbered them senseless as they should have been.

It was over, though. They were official members of staff. The day after arrival, they were taken to the new station and shown around. They were also introduced to their stations. None of them held any particularly high-ranking positions; not even Revy. Still, it was a start, and the possibility for promotion did in fact exist.

Days before the station was to officially open, however, the town was buzzing with more news. Talk of a bigshot from H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. coming into town in order to unveil the police force was spreading like the plague. No one knew just who exactly it was, but H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. presence in Gehenna almost tripled during the days leading up to the assembly. It made residents nervous. It felt as though something horrible was bound to happen, and from their past experiences with the militia, that was a reasonable conclusion to make.

No one saw a car. This so-called "bigshot" was hidden in one of the trucks that held H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers inside. They covered the church and swarmed the inside. Citizens were checked for weapons on their way inside, especially if they wore coven insignias and colours. Some Girasol agents anticipated this and simply opted to not wear them or to cover up their sunflower tattoos. All four of the Girasol Generals were in attendance, and were spotted easily despite their precautions, due to the fact that they walked in with the notorious "Baby Face" Baldassare.

"Good thing they didn't check our shoes." One said—a young-looking woman of Asian descent. Her hair was bleached blonde and she wore black lipstick. Despite her face, she wore rather plain clothing. A simple baggy red hoodie with a dark grey hood and sleeves.

"Shut the fuck up…" said another—the only other man in the group aside from Baldassare himself. He was far taller than the rest, with an angry face and a short crew cut. He had a sunflower tattoo on his neck that peeked out of the turtleneck he wore in order to conceal it. His more notable feature, however, was the fact that he had gaps in his teeth were his fangs should be. "You wanna attract attention over here?"

"Damn, sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." The woman said. "No need to get so butthurt."

"You expect me to show up empty-handed when the Watchdog could be making an appearance?" asked the man. "I ain't gonna pass up a chance to shank 'im good."

"Don't do it, Shaun." Spoke Baldassare, prompting the attention of the other two.

"But Boss—"

"I don't give a shit about your revenge now." The coven leader said. "This gig is way too important for you to fuck up. Wait until later."

Baring his teeth, the man known as "Shaun" furrowed his brow. A sound that could only be described as a growl escaped his throat at the instruction. He wasn't at all pleased with this order.

Shaun was known as "Fangless" Shaun around Gehenna since the Girasol coven was first established. The reason being was obviously his lack of fangs. The real reason why he was so well known is because he is one of the few people to spot the legendary Watchdog and live. In the early days of Girasol, the group was extremely unruly. They caused many killings, but was subdued by the Watchdog. The way he did it was not through storming any fortress or hideout—oh, no. He did it through fear.

The Watchdog came across an especially rowdy bunch of low-ranking Girasol members while patrolling the area. Naturally, his response to the violence was with more violence. He killed all but one of the hooligans, leaving the last one of a messenger. That "messenger" was Shaun. The vampire was held down and given very precise instructions. He was told that he was to return to Girasol with the news that if they continued their actions, the Watchdog would come and wipe them all out, just like he did to that particular group, there. Unsatisfied with the amount of fear instilled in his messenger, however, the Watchdog decided that additional action was needed. While keeping the much taller man in his grips, he smiled as he gripped the man's fangs one by one and tore them out.

Losing one's fangs was detrimental to a vampire. It riddled Shaun's undead life with difficulty. Each day, he grew angrier and angrier, developing quite the temper. That hatred for the Watchdog drove him to claw his way to becoming a general in the biggest vampire coven in London. That hatred caused him to vow that if he ever saw the Watchdog again, he'd exact his revenge.

"Your shitty temper's makin' ya stupid." Baldassare continued, taking a seat in one of the pews. "As if you're gonna put that mutt down with a puny-ass switchblade. It's not even blessed! Just sit down and shut up." Looking up, he turned his attention to the girl. "Kyung-Soon, when's this shit start?"

"I dunno." The woman said, shaking her head as she sat down as well. "It's not like they gave out a pamphlet or nothin'. 'Sides, you know better than anybody. What's this even about? They gonna show us the new cops? Who's this fucker showin' up that's so important that they need all of these rook gaurdin' 'em?"

"Can't tell ya." Baldassare said. "At least not with all these people around. They'd lose their shit."

"That important, huh?" asked Kyung-Soon, turning her attention to the front of the room.

A stage had been installed, and a podium had been put up. There were chairs toward the back of the stage and on either side of the podium. In the side seats, sat the Lion and some other members of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; and on the other sat some important members of the community. That said, there was an empty seat for Baldassare, whom refused to speak. Some of the police officers had begun to take their seats toward the back of the stage, all of them excited to be in uniform for the very first time. The audience had to admit, they certainly looked like the real deal, but that's not where Kyung-Soon's attention was.

"Holy shit, she's cute…" the vampiress said, leaning forward to get a slightly better view. She leaned on the back of the pew in front of her, standing up slightly. "I like her braid…"

"Don't check out the cops, you stupid fucking idiot!" chastised Shaun.

"You can't tell me how to live my life. Girls in uniform are hot."

"All dykes are hot… Well, not in those outfits, they ain't—GUH!" the man was cut off by Kyung-Soon lifting her leg and swiftly kicking him with the heel of her sneaker.

"Who the fuck said you can say ' _dyke',_ huh?" the woman demanded, her face contorting into a grimace. "Only _we_ can say that. If you're not a lesbian, you don't have the right to say that shit."

"I like girls, so ain't I one? _GUH!_ "

"Do you want be to kick your ass?" Kyung-Soon asked, clenching her fist with fresh nosebleed on her knuckles. "Don't think I won't just 'cuz we're in church, shitstain."

"It's just a word, you fuck!" Shaun barked, clutching his face.

"Ding-dong, you are wrong! Keep saying it and I'll keep hittin' ya!"

"Shaun, quit bein' an ass. It's disrespectful." Baldassare intervened.

"But boss… Ain't you the one always goin' on about how the Watchdog's a fag?"

"Fags are fags. They're different." Answered the coven leader. "Anyways, don't crush on the pigs, Sue. It ain't good for ya."

"My gaydar is goin' off the chain right now, though!" the woman declared. "Then again, it could just be my ' _I-hope-she's-gay-dar'_ …"

"Hah!" barked Fangless, leaning back in his seat. "Owned."

"I'll kick you in the face again…" Kyung-Soon growled. "I can hope, can't I?"

"Do it later. You sit down and shut up, too." Instructed their leader, crossing his arms. "Shit's starting."

Kyung-Soon turned her attention back to the stage and sat down, doing as instructed. Everyone else in the room turned their attention to the stage as well. Sister Dorothy had moved a stool so that she could stand up at the podium even with her short stature. The crowd applauded her politely, actually relieved that she was here to speak to them. Smiling at the crowd warmly, she addressed the audience.

"Welcome! I'm glad to see that so many of you came." She said into the microphone. "I know the prescence of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. is frightening, but it fills me with hope to see so many of you here to support us this evening. As you can see, this is a very big change for all of us! Our community has continued to grow, and the quality of life here has improved. With this addition, the law shall be enforced by our peers, rather than soldiers, improving the quality of life even further! Please give a round of applause for the new Gehenna Police Department!"

Just like that, cheering and applause erupted from the crowd, causing police officers to grin and some to blush. Some waved, including Tegwen, taking the opportunity to shyly acknowledge the presence of the girl who had been staring at her before the event started. Sister Dorothy clapped as well with a genuinely happy expression on her face. Before long, however, she needed to speak up again. Thus, she turned back to the audience, causing them to quiet themselves again in order to give her their attention.

"We are all extremely excited to have you here, and are proud of you for coming forward in order to protect our home." She said in reference to the officers. "Now, there are going to be further changes. We are still in the process of writing a proper constitution for Gehenna, and going over the laws in order to reform them and make them fairer. Here to inform you all about this and to answer your questions; please welcome Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing!"

This time, the audience was hesitant to applaud. This time, it was only out of politeness and fear that they clapped their hands. They were baffled as two women made their way on stage. One of them was obviously a supernatural, with a red uniform and bizarre black mass formed into a substitution for an arm. She took a seat while the other woman continued to stand, politely waiting for Sister Dorothy to step down from her stool and for the Lion to help her move it out of the way so that the noble could speak.

For a human, Sir Hellsing looked frightening—not in any physical feature aside from her eyepatch, but in her presence and expression alone. She was the master of monsters, and everyone could tell that she had the willpower to be worthy of such a title. Even those without sixth sense noticed it. It was powerful, domineering, charismatic, and overall intimidating. Raising one hand, she gestured for the audience to be quiet. In a flash, the room went absolutely so. A morgue would have been livelier.

"Thank you for coming to hear what we have to say." Integra said, lowering her hand to lay flat on the podium's surface. "We have never seen eye-to-eye, so it is remarkable that you have all graciously attended. As Sister Dorothy has already said, we will be collaborating with key members of your community to create a constitution that is both agreeable and just toward the citizens of Gehenna. Over the course of this endeavor, we will also be rewriting existing laws, creating new ones, and revoking ones that are unfair or cruel."

"She also said that I will be answering questions. This is true, but please allow me to answer the most obvious one in advance." The Hellsing continued. "That is: The reason why we have seemingly decided to help reinvent this area in the first place so spontaneously."

Now, the room began to buzz. There was whispering amoung the crowd, as this was the question that was on all of their minds, but all of them were too frightened to ask. Once it appeared to die down a bit, the woman continued.

"This is a result of many factors." Explained Sir Integra. "Over the past four years, H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. has gathered many supernatural members of staff in a very short period of time. In fact, many of them worked on this project as well. This brought about an unexpected sense of understanding and leniency within the Convention of Twelve, as well as general members of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. staff."

"However, this was not the only reason. During the previous incident with the magic amulet ' _Jacks_ ' brought about by the Cerberus group, it was asked of the community to help protect each other, and to flush out existing threats. During this time, the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. Intelligence Department had noticed a peculiar phenomenon. Crime perpetrated by residents of the former Special Supernatural Zone outside of the border had plummeted, forcing the Council to ponder this trend and how to keep it up. As a result, the Convention of Twelve met with two supernatural agents employed by us who are also experts in business, sociology, and psychology to help us find out why this has occurred, as well as to come up with a plan of action. This subsequently led us to the conclusion the higher quality of living and greater financial and communal stability is what caused this trend."

Integra paused for a moment to allow the crowd to digest that information. "It was also calculated that this would be most beneficial on both sides long term." The woman stated. "We acknowledge that after the things that we have done, it is difficult for you to believe that we did this solely out of the goodness of our hearts. That is why we are presenting you with these facts. You deserve to know after bearing the brunt of humanity's fear for so long. No amount of apology will ever make up for that. Our actions will continue to speak for us, as actions cannot lie. That is why we will make a sincere effort to make Gehenna stable, safe, and prosperous."

"Now, are there any further questions?" she asked to conclude her address, inviting room for continuation. These people were serious, but few were brave. The room remained silent for the longest time, as no one wanted to speak.

That said, there was a slight stirring behind the woman. A metal chair slid back slightly, scraping against the floor of the stage. The officer stood up, holding the hat that sat in her lap at her side by the bill, and raising her other arm up in salute.

"Ma'am! I have a question!" the officer said, prompting the attention of the Hellsing woman. The surname on the patch sewn to the right breast of her shirt said "Sybil", and the long lock of braided hair on the left side of her head stood out. It was an ice-breaker question, really, but it was also a legitimate one.

"Yes?" Integra asked.

"How will the citizens be informed of the new laws once they're made?" Tegwen asked loudly enough so that the audience could also hear her. "It will be difficult to follow them if they aren't made visible."

"Very good." Integra stated, the corner of her mouth turning slightly upward. Truthfully, she was somewhat relieved that someone said something, despite the fact that it was one of those onstage. "They will be posted around the town as previous announcements have been, only they will also be posted at all exits and entrances to cross the border, as well be available in the Town Welfare Building, The Library, and The Police Station in small booklets that explain them in further detail. The constitution will also be posted in these places."

Nodding, Tegwen sat down again as she was satisfied with her answer. Observing this, Integra continued. "Next question."

"How will the police enforce laws?" asked a brave citizen from out in the crowd, standing up.

"Police will be armed with batons with tazing capabilities, as well as various supernatural charms." The Hellsing leader explained. "Guns will only be permitted in serious emergencies. Suspects will then be put on trial and judged by a jury made up of their peers. If found guilty, the judge with sentence them to a set amount of time in the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. dungeon, at least until we have a more appropriate place to house convicted supernatural criminals. Execution may be a possibility for only the most heinous of crimes."

"What crimes are those?"

"Murder, false imprisonment, and torture, including rape, amoung other things." The woman answered. "However, the severity of the crime also comes into play. If one killed another person out of self-defense, then the death penalty wouldn't come into play."

People nodded as the woman spoke, finding these conditions fair. Murder was frowned upon; rape was especially frowned upon as it was so extremely rare in Gehenna. In some cases, the culprit would be dragged out into the street and brought to the nearest soldier for execution by an angry mob. Many members of the audience was old enough to remember seeing at least one instance of this happening. This merely made it easier for retribution to be brought onto those who deserved it.

After the first few brave individuals stood up without punishment, others followed. Questions came in and the woman answered them with ease. There was not a shred of deception in the way she spoke, causing more and more members of the audience to calm down. This continued for approximately an hour and a half. By this point, the mind of the blonde menace began to wander.

His eyes constantly flickered over to the door, appearing disappointed when he didn't see what he was looking for. No one seemed to notice this, however, as all eyes were on Integra. This soon changed, however, as his entire face lit up. The man sat up straight in his seat at full attention as someone walked through the door. There was a bit of confusion and surprise on his face at the appearance of the man, but there was also fear. Red was now blue.

A man with a stern expression on his face and black coat walked into the church, being sure to walk along the wall so that he wasn't directly in the aisle, gaining too much attention. The attention he did get was startled, silent fear at his appearance. An eyepatch and blue hair were undoubtedly bad news. He was calm, however, and quietly walked up on stage in order to take a seat next to the Lion.

"The Watchdog!" someone finally shouted, standing up and pointing. Another person screamed.

"Wait a minute! Look at his face!" another person loudly called. "It's Tunstell!" Soon, the whole crowd was in an uproar, shouting, screaming, and cursing, but the Watchdog seemed unfazed, and neither did Sir Hellsing. She just patiently waited for an opening to get everyone to calm down. When it never came, however, she had to improvise.

"SILENCE!" she bellowed, her order causing the crowd to go dead quiet. With that, she composed herself again.

"Yes, the Watchdog is here." She stated. "He is one of our ' _specialists'_ , after all. He is the one who set the blueprints for most of the reformation, as well as the one who helped persuade the council to allow it. The urban legend that you know as ' _The Watchdog'_ is just that. An urban legend. The real thing is nothing like the stories that you've created. He's a real person, not a monster."

"Then why'd he lie to us!?" demanded someone in the crowd.

"Yeah, why'd he pretend to be someone else?!"

That, Integra could not answer. It was the first time that night that she was at a loss for what to say. Curiously, she looked over at the man, hoping that he had some kind of explanation. She watched as the bluenette stood up, indicating that he did. He walked over to the woman, who stepped out of the way of the podium in order to let him explain himself.

"A reasonable question." He stated, his voice causing Tegwen to shiver as it echoed throughout the room. It sounded exactly the same as the one she heard in the alleyway. She had no idea why she hadn't noticed before that they were the same. Perhaps she simply didn't want to think about it. What she did know was that it had a similar effect on those who were listening out in the audience.

"To be blunt, my reason for disguising myself are strictly selfish." He began, causing his coworkers to gawk at him and the crowd to become uneasy. "The entire purpose of it all was merely to get closer to the Lion."

Alois' face turned red as the audience went silent. What on earth was Ciel doing?! Had he gone mad?! No. He was calculating. He did all of this purposefully. He could have shown up as Tunstell, but that wouldn't suit his needs.

"I have known Alois from when we were both human." He explained. "We never saw eye-to-eye, but meeting again as demons in a new time and setting cleared up the bad blood between us, as our rivalry turned out to be nothing more than a result of misunderstanding gone extremely wrong. In the end, I've come to like him quite a bit. That's why I didn't want to watch after him from the shadows. I wanted to be right at his side as much as possible."

"Indeed, I am not a monster. I was merely following orders like any _'good soldier'_ should. I have no ill will toward Gehenna in the slightest. It has always been strictly business." Ciel continued. "I do have a heart, and that's why I don't want to hide away in the shadows or be a boogeyman anymore. I want to be at the Lion's side, not as Tunstell, but as myself, Ciel Phantomhive. This is because- and I want to make myself absolutely clear _\- I am in love with him_."

Silence. The room was struck silent in absolute awe. Not only was Gehenna's biggest boogeyman right before them, he claimed to be in love. He was in love with their most beloved of legends, who gained such a status by rebuilding the town that they lived in. Many artworks made recently depicted them as mortal foes, when in fact, their collective consensus in how their relationship was entirely wrong. The Lion and Watchdog were not bitter enemies. They were star-crossed lovers. That was a lot to sink in.

Ciel's eye turned to the side of the stage, however, completely ignoring this. During the silence, a man had snuck along the side of the room just as he did, and managed to get on stage before any of the gaurds could notice. The Watchdog narrowed his eye as it lowered to the contents of the man's hand. A switchblade. Looking back up again, he observed that the man threatening him was a vampire with no fangs.

"Bullshit!" Shaun bellowed. "Bull-fucking-shit! Fucking monster! I'll slit your fucking throat! Everybody knows what you've done! Everybody knows that you're a fucking beast!"

"And what does that make you, who would hold a knife against said 'beast'?" asked the bluenette raising an eyebrow.

"It's me, ' _Fangless'_ Shaun! You tore out my fucking fangs, you fucking cunt!" the man said, sweat collecting at his brow. He smiled. "Now you're gonna fucking pay!"

" _Sorry_ , _I don't recall_." Ciel replied, causing his foe's smile to drop. " _I'm a busy man, you know."_ Once those words escaped his lips, his brows furrowed at the pain that pierced his chest. The vampire had driven it all the way to the handle into his flesh, right between hid ribs,

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah... I haven't been very diligent about updating lately, have I? I'm sorry about that! Summer classes have started and I've been identifying rocks and minerals all week. I'm off Fridays, though, so hopefully, I remember.
> 
> Ah... I got used to actually going to sleep at night, so now being awake until 3 at the moment is really kicking my ass... I need to go to bed...
> 
> One more chapter after this one, probably, and I'll do that...
> 
> Until the next chapter, my duckies~!


	158. The Right Paw

The audience gasped as the blade was driven further into the bluenette's chest. Some shrieked. The Police Officers stood, uncertain as to how to proceed, while Seras Victoria stepped out in front of her master in order to shield her from the fangless vampire. Despite the pain, Ciel was calm. He was in no danger. Upon that realization, the man did not worry. In fact, the Watchdog's stern grimace transformed into a haughty smile.

"Feeling better?" he asked. "Go ahead. Take out your anger all you like. I won't dodge. However—a bit of advice: switchblades are for slashing, not for stabbing. You'll break your weapon if you don't use it properly."

"What?" growled Shaun, his fist clenched around the handle of the blade. "You—you think this is a joke?!"

"Well, it's not like you could actually _kill_ me with this, so feel free to work out some aggression." The Watchdog replied. "I'm perfectly serious, and will do almost anything to convince you. I don't care about fighting you. You're not a target. I only dispose of threats on orders from the higher ups. I'm just a lowly agent, not a monster. If you really wanted me to take you seriously, however, you'd have to do a lot more than come at me with this weak toy."

"Bullshit! You're a monster and you know it!" barked the other man, spit escaping his lips as his anger grew. "You're a fucking monster! You ripped out my fucking teeth and sent be back to the coven without a crew! You wiped them out! Monster!"

"If that's what you want to believe, then I suppose there's no persuading you." Spoke the Phantomhive. Pausing for a moment, he took a moment to think.

"Ah, wait, you're from Girasol, aren't you?" he asked. "I do recall an instance of tearing out someone's fangs… Back then, Girasol wasn't anything but a group of beasts who killed humans and supernaturals alike in order to gain power… I was sent to stop them—wipe them out if nessecary. I decided that it was best to fight psychologically than with a big brawl." Looking the angry vampire dead in the eye, he continued.

"I wiped out a group of them making a fuss and left one to instill fear in the rest of the coven." He explained. "I did it in order to scare Girasol into submission so infiltrating and exterminating the entire organization would be unnecessary. It was a trade-off that would spare both sides loss of life on a larger scale. One small group that could be counted off on your fingers as opposed to a death toll in the possible range of hundreds. _It was merely the lesser of two evils_."

The audience was speechless. The ones who hadn't already fled were dumbstruck by what the Watchdog was saying. The origin of the story of the legendary Watchdog was finally being told from the other side. A soldier who found a way to spare the lives of many in exchange for a few? He did his duty with the smallest amount of life lost as possible, but he had become a monster. Gehenna did not condone his actions, however. They were angry. They were afraid. They had every right to be. This perspective, however, actually made logical sense.

Swiftly, the blade was yanked out of the Phantomhive's chest. Sweat began to collect at the vampire's brow as veins appeared on his forehead. His eyebrow twitched and his nose wrinkled. Shaun's face was warped into an ugly snarl.

"You… You bastard…" he growled. "You fucking—you fucking bastard…"

Suddenly, the blade was brought back down again and sheathed in the demon's chest once more. It happened again, and again, and again, and again. Fangless Shaun kept stabbing the Phantomhive, causing blood to stain both of their clothes and the stage beneath their feet.

"Die!" shouted the vampire. "Die, die, die, _die, DIE, DIE, DIE,_ _ **DIE!**_ **"**

Ciel would not. He could not. A mortal blade could not kill a demon. Shaun's attacks were all in vain. Yet, the Phantomhive took each and every one, furrowing his brow and gritting his teeth at the feeling of his flesh being pierced over and over. He could dodge, but his moral obligations would not permit him to do so. If this is what it took to be perceived as authentic in the words he was presenting to the crowd, then so be it. It was a trivial price to pay.

The Phantomhive hacked up blood once the man finally stopped, spitting it out onto the stage. Shaun did not stop because he was content or out of steam, however. He did it because he did not heed the Watchdog's warning. Switchblades were used for cutting, not for rigorous amounts of stabbing. Thus, the blade had broken off inside the bluenette's chest.

The man's single exposed eye glowed crimson as the blood that stained his shredded white shirt and black coat as he clutched at the spot where the blade was lodged within his body. His other wounds had already begun to seal themselves shut. The first few already had.

As he looked up to face his foe, he saw the man shaking with rage. Still, Ciel was not fearful. He was not worried in the slightest. In fact, he smiled that same haughty smile as he did before.

"Well, I suppose you're done now." He mused, digging his fingers into his wound. A pained sound escaped him as he pry the injury open just enough to slip his fingers inside and retrieve the blade. Once it was out, he tossed it to the side, smearing blood across the floor even further as it pitter-pattered against its surface. After pausing to recompose himself, he continued.

"…Unless, of course, you're content with using your fists." The Watchdog said. "I don't mind. Take out all of the anger and hatred Gehenna has for me on their behalf. I won't dodge. I won't evade. If that's what it takes to atone for what I've done, then so be it."

"FUCK THAT!" the other man roared. "I WON'T STOP UNTIL YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD!"

"That, I'm afraid, I cannot allow." Ciel replied. "I cannot leave my love alone. That is the entire reason why I will endure everything you have to offer."

"BULLSHIT!" bellowed Shaun, cocking back his arm. With all his might, he then propelled it forward, aiming right for the Watchdog's nose.

He did not meet his target, however. Gasping, the spectators were again surprised at the display before them. Shaun was surprised as well. Even the Watchdog himself raised his eyebrows at what had just occurred, his eyes widening as the sound of impact echoed throughout the church without him receiving the blow.

Hesitantly, Fangless took his fist back. "M-Mister Lion?" he gawked, his startled gaze being met with a pair of icy blue eyes.

Red gathered in the blonde's originally pale cheek and dripped from his nose. Alois did not down a look of arrogance as the Watchdog did. His expression, in a way, was far more frightening. The usually smiling face of the heralded Lion was no longer beaming with the warmth of the sun, but rather, looking to the vampire with the blistering winds of tundra.

" _That is enough."_ He said firmly, his tone authoritative with utmost dignity. "You are done. Please sit down."

"But—" the other man tried to reply. "But-?"

" _Now_." Alois stated again. _"I_ will handle this."

Before Shaun could even move, Alois turned to face the Watchdog. To everyone's surprise, the bluenette stood at absolute attention, seemingly intimidated by the Lions new threatening aura. Alois' expression softened; his brow furrowing upwards with concern. With a sigh, he spoke.

"Why did you do this?" he almost outright demanded of the bluenette. "You could have stayed hidden. You didn't need to go this far. For someone who likes to be all calculating, you're a real idiot."

"I'm sorry…" the Phantomhive said softly. His tone was sincere, which genuinely shocked the supernaturals watching. "I just wanted to be able to be with you openly… I didn't want you to feel ashamed of me, or have to hide me."

"Stupid…" Alois replied. "All you had to do was ask how I felt. It didn't bother me at all. I know you. Surely you're not stupid enough to risk the entire project just for me…"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but indeed, I _am_." Ciel answered with a small smile. "It was stupid, but I needed to reveal myself sooner or later. It's selfish. It's stupid, but I want to be yours. I don't want to be portrayed as being against you."

Reaching out, he touched the blonde's cheek where the man had been punched. It had already healed, but blood remained on the menace's face. Now it merely mixed with Ciel's.

"I was going to come here as Tunstell, but I realised that I cannot support you with the entirety of my power as him." The Phantomhive continued. "I admire what you have done here, and I admire you; your strength, your charisma, your integrity—and, admittedly, your beauty as well. I love you, but love alone won't help you reach your ends. That is why I cannot do so from afar. I want to be by your side at my maximum power, so I can be as useful to you as I can as your right hand."

Alois listened. His lips forming a thin line as he tried not to smile. A rosy complexion gathered in his cheeks once again at the bluenette's words, as he really felt them. The warm feeling in his chest betrayed him as the corners of his mouth finally turned upward as he shook his head.

"Dumb dog…" he began, shooing the other demon's hand away. "Like I care about how useful you are… Don't lie to me, either. You just wanted to be near me, didn't you?" the menace teased.

Now it was the Watchdog's turn to blush. "Uh-uh… well… maybe a little…" he bashfully admitted. His eyes fell to the floor, causing the blonde to grin.

"I have no idea what to do with you. Clearly, you're too dumb to be of much use." Alois said, causing the Watchdog to look up. When he did, the menace pecked him on the cheek. "But, you're really sweet."

"Ahem." Interrupted a woman, causing both men to look over the Watchdog's shoulder. Sir Integra had her arms crossed as she tapped her foot impatiently. "This is all well and good, but we're in the middle of a serious meeting, here." She said, causing the demonic duo to snap to attention. Their heads whipped around to see the audience, causing them both to blush furiously.

Their faces turned completely red as they fidgeted nervously, causing a few members of the audience to laugh. A few of them even clapped. When that happened, several others followed, and soon the assembly was applauding the two.

Soon, Integra gestured for the menace to take the podium. Clearing his throat, he did, with his face still flushed. He looked over at the bluenette again, and then to the Girasol members collecting their irate general from the stage.

"W-well, uhm… now you all know the truth about that…" he remarked, slouching a bit as he was chuckled at. "I'm really sorry to have kept this a secret from you. Given the current climate, it was impossible to allow Ciel to cooperate with us as he is. It was actually him who constructed the majority of the blueprints for the reformation project. His knowledge about business and economics was a great deal of help for putting Gehenna on the track for financial stability."

"This doesn't affect our intentions or anything else on our end of things, but it is understandable if you all are uneasy." The menace continued. "Ciel has been a very big part of your lore for some time. He's known as a monster who lurks around the corner to drag people away, but really, he's just an idiot who stays inside all day and complains about going to big social functions. Sometimes, he'll steal snacks, but most of the time, they're from the refrigerator or cupboard."

Ciel folded his arms and furrowed his brow indignantly at the revelations, causing more members of the audience to chuckle. His beau looked to him with a smile, feeling rather pleased with this reaction. Once again, however, he turned back to the crowd.

"He and I are still the same people you knew." He continued. "This time, one of us is just a little scarier-looking. Our actions and efforts will still go toward maintaining the peace and well-being of Gehenna, as well as peaceful relations with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. This will not change."

When the Lion ceased talking, he was met with applause. He turned to take a seat, sitting next to the grouchy-looking Watchdog. Looking out, he could tell that the crowd was mixed on their stance on their relationship, but from the way things looked, it appeared to even out. As a culture that loves stories, they had been greeted with the greatest fable yet. He smiled a bit at the thought, turning to look at his beau.

"Oh." He said aloud as someone else stood up to take the podium to speak. Once he took in the sight of his lover's face, he reached into his suit jacket, taking out a handkerchief before licking it and taking it to the bluenette's face.

"You're absolutely covered…" he chuckled, amused by the embarrassed expression on the Watchdog's face. "It's hardly dignified."

"The same goes for you…" the bluenette answered, pointing out the blood still on Alois' face. Reaching into his own pocket, he pulled out his handkerchief, only to find that there was a massive hole run through it and bloody stains dying it completely red. It was useless. Ciel couldn't return the favour.

"I don't mind it." Alois replied, smiling softly. He paused for a while, continuing to wipe the other man's face. "You really are an idiot… This is so unlike you…"

"I'm sorry." Ciel stated. "I just couldn't stand it anymore—not being able to be with you properly…"

"You're so weird…"

"Is it wrong?"

"No, not at all." The Macken said, shaking his head as he took his handkerchief away again. "It's really sweet. Makes you act weird, but it's sweet. I like that about you. Try to think about things more carefully from now on, though. This is the sort of thing that it's best for it to be planned."

"I see…" Ciel said with a sigh. As time began to pass, the man became increasingly nervous over the matter. What if he had ruined Alois' reputation with Gehenna? If that was the case, he would have ruined this entire project for him! What if he completely ruined the project as a whole? Then he would have wasted the government billions in one stupid move.

Worrying over it, the Watchdog visibly began to sweat. Worst-case scenario, his position comes into question, as does his usefulness. If he is no longer useful, he will be disposed of, and goodness knows what would happen to the remainder of his family if that were to happen. Lesser scenarios include Alois becoming an object of scrutiny in Gehenna, undoing the positive reputation that Alois had so carefully cultivated and was proud of. Taking that away from the blonde was cruel.

"Hey…" called the menace, putting a hand on the man's knee and snapping him from his racing thoughts. "It's gonna be okay. No matter what happens, we'll have each other's' backs, right?"

Nodding, the Phantomhive gave his answer. "Right." He said with all certainty. "Always."


	159. Whiskey Business

Upon discovering the truth about the nature of the relationship between Gehenna's two most popular legends, the atmosphere in the area took a different turn. Things were uneasy, as their Lion, who they valued, respected, and admired, was revealed to be romantically involved with the dreaded Watchdog. Why wouldn't they? It was a logical conclusion to make. The Lion had always worked for H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; but he always cared about the citizens of Gehenna. He went beyond his orders and aided them in ways that did not match the blueprints that he was supposed to follow. He helped them rebuild in a literal sense, using his own hands to reconstruct buildings alongside them, as did the demon known as "Tunstell."

Thinking back, the Watchdog reacted onstage just as Tunstell would have. Calm, cool, and collected, yet easily flustered upon the realization that he had inadvertently allowed himself to be seen interacting with the menace in an emotionally intimate manner. That was Tunstell. Perhaps Alois was right. Perhaps the only difference between Tunstell and the Watchdog was merely haircolour.

Some residents took this directions easily. New stories sprung up as people hypothesized how exactly their relationship began. They took on the more "star-crossed lovers" approach, adoring the version of the Watchdog that was more of a tragic hero in love with someone whom he could not openly have. He took on a disguise, and while the Watchdog was known as a "monster", he was tamed by the noble Lion. Journals were already being filled by residents who authored stories, filling the need for others to read them. Oddly, the romanticization of the pair's predicament improved public perception. While the vast majority of the stories were untrue, they were allowed to persist for this reason. That truth would wait until another day.

Many truths had yet to be revealed. The investigation persisted on, now with the help of the Gehenna Police force. They rode about town on their bicycles, asking anyone and everyone if they had witnessed or observed anything strange happening in the area as of late. Some interrogated specific targets, but some of them weren't quite sure how to get the desired results. Thus, many of their efforts were fruitless, as they relied primarily on the goodwill of others. Those who harbor potential criminals, or are ones, do not tell the truth to the police.

Fortunately, one lead did turn up. Resident Gehenna observer Preston Omid came across a piece of useful information regarding illegal activity within the covens. While this was not at all an uncommon occurrence, it did provide a lead based on pieces of evidence from the attack on the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. bus. In this incident, the explosion was caused by a Molotov cocktail thrown into the motor of the vehicle. Well, it just so happened that a certain coven of vampires had been supposedly smuggling alcohol into Gehenna.

Of course, this was too dangerous for the police to investigate alone. They were still fresh—still new to the game. Thus, a team was accompanied by the Lion. It was an honour to work with him, but the group was a bit mixed about the fact that the Watchdog was joining him too.

"There's nothing to worry about. He's on our side." The blonde insisted. "You all sent like, a month working with him while he was teaching you as ' _Tunstell'_. You all learned from the best in London. Even Scotland Yard goes to him for help."

"It's still hard to believe that he's the same person…" said one of the braver officers. Olivia, a vampire, sat with them in the back of one of the trucks that was transporting them to Girasol's rather conspicuous hideout. "Honestly, it's a little hard to believe that he's merely here because of you." She added. Her brows raised in confusion as the man started to giggle.

"Not really. He's done similar stunts like this before." The man replied. "He worked as a Professor at my college because he was feeling lonely around the house on his own."

"In other words, he's an idiot." Revy butted in. "He's hopeless without Alois… It's gross…"

 _"I'm still here, you know."_ Stated the bluenette in a sour tone, causing the officers to jump slightly. Clearing his throat, he tried to conceal the blush on his cheeks. "I'm not _that_ bad…"

"Nah, _you totally are,_ but it's really cute, I think." Said Alois, prompting his beau to groan. With a roll of his eye, the officers were strangely put at ease by this display of normalcy.

Despite his current appearance and the knowledge of his true identity, the Watchdog behaved in a way that was identical to Victor Tunstell, their former instructor. Watching him interact with the Lion and his brother made him seem almost approachable—like he was a man, not a monster. When the truck came to a stop, however, the man stood up and took on a more serious demeanor.

"This operation should be relatively simple." He said. "We go in, talk to Baldassare, and either get his permission to investigate, or his cooperation to help us weed out any degenerates."

"You sure he'll cooperate?" asked Revy.

"Of course. He may not look like it, but Baldassare cares about this place, and isn't about to let a couple bad eggs ruin all of his hard work." the demon answered. With that, he opened the door and stepped out. He was quickly followed by the rest of the officers, including his beau who followed along close behind him.

They didn't bother being secretive. They waltzed right up to the front door. A few flunkies showed up in order to see what they wanted, taking on intimidating stances in case there was a fight. Unfortunately, this caused some of the officers to take on a much meeker demeanor. Still, the demonic duo did not bat an eyelash as they demanded to see Baldassare. Given who they were, they were immediately allowed entry into the coven's hideout.

"Hey, you lot! Chins up! Don't let them think you're not to be taken seriously!" instructed the menace to the others in a hushed tone. The group made their ways through the abandoned hotel that had been fixed up with both Girasol's own resources and the leftovers of what was brought in by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.

Fortunately for them, there was no wait time, given the duo's presence. They wouldn't have to wait for Baldassare to see them. Surely if the Watchdog and Lion were making a direct visit, then something was seriously wrong. The Watchdog never came by, especially with an entourage.

Once they entered the room, Baldassare came into view with three out of his four generals at his sides. Fangless Shaun wasn't called, as the coven leader knew better, and wished to avoid another scene. There was only one other that could possibly cause something, and Baldassare did his best to ignore Kyung-Soon's looking up and down of one of the officers. The woman flashed Tegwen a coy half-smile, showing off her fangs framed with black lipstick. The officer blushed slightly, but still maintained her stance. Baldassare, however, snorted.

"Quite the imitatin' bunch you've got there, mutt." The sunflower vampire laughed. "My lot'll be pissin' their pants at the sight of 'em."

"Ordinarily, I'd humour your witty remarks, but right now, I'm afraid I've got some bad news." The Watchdog informed, his tone causing the vampire's grin to fade.

 _"'Bad news'?"_ Baldassare echoed. Leaning forward, he looked the Phantomhive straight in the eye, placing his elbows on his knees. "The fuck is tha'?"

"Remember the terrorist attack on the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. bus?" questioned the Watchdog. "What caused the explosion was a Molotov cocktail thrown into the motor."

"What's that gotta do with me?"

"We are aware of your recent shipment of alchohol from London for you to resell in Gehenna." Ciel replied. The vampire scoffed, leaning back and placing his arms on the back of his seat.

"I don't think I quite like your insinuation, Mister Phantomhive." Baldassare answered. "You think I had anything to do with attacking a rook schoolbus?"

"No, actually." The bluenette stated, catching the other man off guard. "But, one of your men might. One of the perps was a vampire. While he claimed to have no affiliation with Girasol, we found the sunflower emblem in his home."

"So you want me to tell you if he's with me?"

"If you would be so kind. Also, if our hypothesis ends up being correct, there may be more like him within your coven."

To this, Baldassare frowned deeply. "So what?" he asked. "You gotta picture or a name or somethin' for me to go on or what?"

"Officer Sybil, if you'd be so kind." Called the Watchdog, prompting the girl to attention.

"Yes, sir!" she answered, digging through the bag she was entrusted with that contained the documents.

Kyung-Soon stepped forward once she had it out, holding out her hand in order to take the file. She turned it around to look at it before glancing up at Tegwen, causing her to blush a tad. With a giggle, Kyung-Soon turned around to walk back to her own group and passed them on to Baldassare. The man opened them, glancing through them as his generals huddled around him to sneak a peek. Baldassare shook his head.

"Don't ring a bell." He said, passing it around to the others.

"No clue who he is…" Said Kyung-Soon, her American accent catching the elf on the other side of the room by surprise. "He don't look like he's from my sect. What about youse guys?"

"Nuh-uh. I dunno who he is."

"Me neither."

"We could take it around to see if anybody knows, I guess." Suggested Kyung-Soon. "Dunno if anybody will recognize 'im, but it's worth a shot."

"That will work." Said Ciel. "You can keep those copies while you look."

"So you think there's more of 'im 'round 'ere?" asked Baldassare. "Think they're gonna cause more trouble?"

"People like that seldom strike only once." The Watchdog replied. "Given the current atmosphere, it's highly plausible."

"Who's fault is that, ya fuckwit?" asked the Girasol vampire. "You're the one who came out and got yourself stabbed onstage."

"I only intended to take a seat. I didn't mean for it to turn into some big fiasco."

"Fuckin' Christ; if ya just kept ya mitts off the fuckin' pussycat for just a little bit…"

"Thank you for your help, Baldassare." The Phantomhive interrupted, scowling at the coven leader. The officers, who were behind him, could not see the face he was making, but were concerned about the expression worn by Baby-face.

"Woofter…" Baldassare said. "Alright, I'll find your man, if I can. No promises, though."

"I'll be taking my leave, then." The bluenette replied. "Thank you for your cooperation as always, Baldassare."

"Yeah, yeah…" the vampire said. "Get the fuck out of my building, ya fuckin' ass pirate…"

"Bye-bye, Baby-Face." Waved Alois as their group turned to leave.

" _GET THE FUCK OUT, FUCKING COCK SUCKING DICK JOCKEY!"_ Baldassare shouted, standing up and baring his fangs as the Macken laughed while closing the door behind the group. Just like that, they were on their way out. The officers weren't even really necessary.

"U-uhm, is that everything?" asked Akira as she and the others followed the Watchdog out. "We didn't seem to do a lot…"

"Yep, that's it~!" said Alois with a friendly grin. "It doesn't seem like a lot, but that's a good thing. That said, if it wasn't Baby-face, it probably wouldn't have worked."

"What was the point in bringing us here?" asked Olivia. "We didn't do anything."

"It's important for you all to see what these kinds of negotiations are vaguely like." Answered Ciel. "It's not all gunfights. That's why you weren't instructed to carry any."

"I was wondering what a baton would do if things got ugly." Said another officer. "So, what's next?"

"We continue looking for possible leads while waiting for Girasol to get back to us." Answered Ciel, causing some of the officers to groan. "You're lucky. Most of the time, you won't even get this."

"As long as we get these people off the streets, it's all good." Spoke Tegwen, changing the mood. "That's our job. It's important; even the boring bits."

"Impressive." Ciel replied. "That's not the case in some places, though."

"Huh?!"

"Yeah, in some places, the law doesn't protect people. People protect the law." Answered Alois. "You lot better stay straight, alright? Don't be gettin' corrupt or nothin'."

"Yeah! Sorry Tegwen, Akira, you're fired." Joked one of the officers.

"Fuck off, Sadie." Snapped Tegwen. "Just for that, I'm gonna gay up this department out of spite."

"You gonna get your little girlfriend to do it?" snickered one of her coworkers.

"What?!" barked the elf, her cheeks reddening.

"That bird was checkin' you out, Tegs."

"So? That's her problem, not mine. I don't even know her!"

"I don't want to see _any_ gang members at the station." Scolded Revy as they all stepped out onto the street.

"Organised crime isn't _that_ bad, Revy." Joked Alois. "Especially when it's used for quasi-decent reasons."

"I don't even want to know…" answered the younger Macken. "I'm also going to have nightmares about those insults Baby-Face hurled at you…"

"He doesn't like me." Faux-pouted Alois, stepping into the back of the truck. "Kick his ass once and he doesn't forgive you. Accidentally let it spill that you're with a man and he'll reveal his secret fascination with dicks and ass."

"Please do not…"

"Okay, sorry, sorry…"

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Get the fuck out, fucking cock-sucking dick jockey"... Hmm... I forgot about that. When this first came out, people thought Baldassare's insults were funny, and I think quite a few people still do, but I never really saw it as a joke? The shit he says is terrible. "Scum" is a good word for him. He's not a nice person.
> 
> What chapter is this? Damn, we're behind. Well, we'll always be behind as long as we're not caught up with the current story, but I didn't realise it was this far off! This is another long fic. I can't not write long fics, apparently. Oh, well. Stick with it as long as you can stand, my dudes.
> 
> Until the next chapter, my duckies~!


	160. Devilopment

Girasol continued their search for anyone who knew anything about the bus-bomber, but found little. They found someone who lived nearby and had seen the perp around the neighbourhood, but never spoke to him and didn't even know his name. Baldassare was getting irritated at not finding anything, and was almost convinced that there was a coup within Girasol's ranks.

Meanwhile, the police were at a loss as well. With Girasol coming up with nothing, they lost their only lead. Two men in masks stopped and deliberately bombed a H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. bus directly outside of the freshly erected Town Welfare Building set up by the organization. That was not an accident. Not at any angle. It was the task of the police to keep the city's citizens safe, but for now, they were stumped.

They asked around, interrogated those who were acting "suspiciously", but in the end had nothing to show for it. Officers took to their bikes and patrolled the small urban town, watching out for people in masks like the ones from before. Nothing. They would have to wait for another attack in order to find more clues, it seemed.

Tegwen was one of the ones who didn't want to resort to that, however. She would roam around even while supposed to be off-duty in order to find something, both in and out of uniform. Her travels took her all over town, and she found a few leads, but none of them seemed to go anywhere. Sighing, she pedaled her bike in search of something. It was getting late and the sun was starting to set.

"No dice…" she muttered to herself as she stopped to catch her breath. She was getting tired. It was almost time to go home. Taking off her hat for a moment to wipe the sweat from her forehead, she almost dreaded having to bike herself back home in block C when she was all the way in block H. Maybe if she found a bench somewhere, she would take a break. Her moment of quiet, however, was short-lived, as she was startled by an American accent.

"Officer Sybil!" called the voice, prompting Tegwen to turn her head. Walking up to her was a recognizable face—one that wore black lipstick. The elf froze for a moment as it registered that she was being approached by the Girasol general from a few days prior. A blush gathered in her cheeks before she shook her head, placing her hat back on top of it once she regained her composure.

"Uhm, yes?" Tegwen questioned, a bit confused as to how the other girl knew her name. "How can I help you?"

"Oh, I just figured I'd say _'hello'_." Answered the vampire as she stopped in front of the other. "It is ' _Sybil'_ , right? I recognised you from the other day. I think I saw you at the unveiling of the police department, too."

"Yeah. Officer Tegwen Sybil." the elf replied. "You're one of Girasol's generals, aren't you? Sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"Kyung-Soon." Stated the Girasol general. "Just Kyung-Soon. Some people call me ' _Sue'_ , though, because apparently, my actual name's too hard for 'em."

"Not really." Nervously chuckled Tegwen. "Oh! I think I saw you at the church, too! You were leaning on the seat in front of you and kicking some bloke. I waved at you, I think."

"Yup, that's me~! Gotta keep them idiots in line, y'know?"

"'Fraid not. The only thing I kick regularly is the vending machine at the station when it eats my money."

 _"Pfft_ , seriously?"

"Yeah. Kick it in just the right spot, and it'll give you your food."

"Well, as soon as they make machines that dispense blood packets, I'll test that out." Said Kyung-Soon, causing the other girl to immediately regret saying what she did. She had completely forgotten that vampires do not eat what she does.

"Sorry…" Tegwen bashfully said, reaching up to rub the back of her neck. She quickly shoved her hand back down to her sides as she became hyperaware of gestures toward her neck. Noticing this, the vampire simply laughed.

"It's fine! I'm not offended or anything." The other girl said, stepping closer. Tegwen's eyebrows raised as she noticed Kyung-Soon's eyes. An anxious feeling caused her stomach to sink at the realization that they were red. Among supernaturals, it wasn't uncommon knowledge that if a vampire's eyes weren't any colour other than red, it was an indication that they have completely drained a human being of blood, either through happening upon a corpse, or through the most obvious means; murder. Before Tegwen could get another word in, cool air hit the top of her head as the vampire plucked her hat from her head and placed it on her own, turning it sideways.

"Hey!" exclaimed the elf, swiping at Kyung-Soon and almost losing balance and falling off of her bicycle. The other girl simply leaned back, dodging Tegwen's flailing with a laugh and a grin.

"Just seein' if you're still payin' attention." Kyung-Soon said. "It's not wise to look a vampire in the eye like that, you know, especially a general."

"I didn't mean to…" answered the elf. "Can I have my hat back?"

"Only if you say ' _pretty please'_."

"Just give it back."

 _"'Pretty please with sugar on top._ '"

"No."

"Then no hat."

With a huff, Tegwen's shoulders slumped and her eyes rolled. "Can I have my hat back ' _pretty please'?"_ She asked, holding out her hand. The American smirked and shook her head, knowing that's the best that she's probably going to get. Taking off the hat, she didn't hand it to the elf, and instead, put it on the girl's head for her, but backwards.

"See? Was that so hard?" asked the American.

"You do know I'm a cop, right?" Tegwen answered with an inquiry of her own, furrowing her brow.

"You do know that I don't care, right?" Kyung-Soon retorted. She reached out again, causing the elf to hold her hat to her head defensively, only to be taken by surprise then the vampire began twirling her braid around her finger.

"Girls in uniform are cute, anyways." Stated Kyung-Soon, her eyes widening as the other girl choked on her own spit and entered a coughing fit. She took her hand away as Tegwen reached up to cover her mouth, turning her head so that she wasn't coughing at the vampire. Said vampire, however, laughed.

" _Very_ cute." She said again. "I like that braid of yours."

"Did you just call out to me to make fun of me?" asked the elf as her coughing calmed down and she regained some of her composure. "Is this what ' _bullying_ ' is like?"

"Nah, if I wanted to bully you, I'd do much worse." Replied the Girasol member. "I just wanted to say 'hi', is all. Can you arrest me for that, little miss police girl?"

"Unfortunately, no…" the officer mumbled. "Anyways, I need to get back. I've got a long ride home."

"Really? How far?"

"Block C…"

"Yikes… If I had a car, I'd help you out. I could probably call a buddy of mine and ask for a favour."

"That won't be necessary." Tegwen stated. "I can handle it. Besides, I need to get as used to riding this thing as possible for work, so it's all good."

"If you say so…" answered Kyung-Soon. "Guess I'll be seein' you around, then." She said as she turned around. Waving at the other girl, she smiled. "Ciao~!"

The police officer was at a loss for what to do with all of that. She couldn't figure out if the coven member had come over to bully her, flirt with her, or something else entirely. Tegwen would have to reflect on it later, however, as she really did need to get started on her trip home.

Pedaling, the elf made her way through various blocks and down the streets that still had no names. They should really get on that. Perhaps she would send a suggestion to the Welfare Center sometime. Thinking of popular locations, she passed by the Gehenna Workshop, where artisans of all kinds liked to fabricate things. Really, it was several buildings placed close enough together and refurbished to work as one. Even Tegwen has made a thing or two there. She still had the ukulele she constructed back at home.

Nearby was the house with the strange presence dwelling inside of it. The elf knew now that it was home to a very peculiar H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agent, as the man worked often with the police department, despite the fact that he couldn't help them come up with any leads. Every time Tegwen passed by that house, she got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She got that same feeling every time the Omid gentleman showed up at meetings as well. Some of the other elves did, too. Their sixth sense did not like the vibe from that man.

Many others thought he was peculiar in his mannerisms and way of speaking as well. He never seemed to be completely present in mind despite the fact that physically speaking, he was in attendance. He always spoke passively and never seemed to quite empathise with certain situations, although he was quiet about it. Preston Omid was a mystery, despite the fact that he was supposedly a long-time friend of the Lion and Watchdog's. They claimed that he had undergone many trials that most ordinary humans didn't have the strength to bounce back from. Really, they weren't sure if he would either, but he was functioning, to a degree.

His house oversaw the street, so he was able to see the officer bike past. Golden eyes watched from his desk as the elf traveled home, his thoughts a jumbled mess once again. This police force was a nuisance to him. He couldn't stand how they always hounded him for leads, when he had none to give them.

Eventually, he was pulled away from his thought processes with the ringing of a phone. Lazily looking over, he sat for a moment before deciding to get up to answer it. Picking up the device, he pushed sat back down on a nearby couch before acknowledging the person on the other end.

"Hello?" he asked, already knowing who it was.

"Mister Omid," said the voice on the other end. It belonged to a man, and was much deeper than Preston's own. "It's Doctor Hobbs, from the research department…"

"I figured." Preston replied. "What can I do for you? Did you get the sample I sent?"

"Yes, that's what I'd like to talk about, actually." The other man stated. "The chip of armour you sent has been most beneficial and has given us some pretty interesting results. They're different than the previous ones."

"' _Different'?"_

"Yes, the makeup is slightly different from our previous samples." Informed the doctor. "Previously, we've discovered that the armour of the 'annies' is slightly different than the bone structure of a demon. It's weaker. Less dense. Yours used to match this. However, the basic structure has changed."

"Really?" asked the Omid. "So what does that mean for me?"

"You're mutating." The other man said. "It's a remarkable mutation of the original. It began as bone marrow from demons, and now it is something else entirely derived from the same branch. We have no idea what this means as of yet, however. I'd love to run more tests on the dangers of the substance, but ethics and protocol will not allow that."

"Shame." Replied Preston. "You could come up with all sorts of things, Doctor Hobbs. Could be an unconventional cure for modern diseases, if you mix it right."

"In many cases, that could be true for quite a few of the samples we have." Hobbs said. "Immortality, invulnerability, and freedom from all sickness… We could never use them, however. Human experiments aren't ethical."

To this, Preston grimaced. If they weren't "ethical", then what was he? "I see." He said. "I doubt that's a major obstacle. There's probably all kinds of loopholes."

"I haven't found them, yet." The doctor said. "It's sad, but I don't think I could do it on my own."

"Shame. If only you had an assistant."

"A lab, some materials, and some DNA is all I need." Hobbs replied. "Genetic material that most scientists could only dream of, and we're not allowed to actually study it. It's like a science fiction movie. So close, yet so far. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. is too strict."

"I know the feeling…" Preston said. _"It's almost as though they don't really have 'the greater good' at heart at all."_

* * *


	161. A Scheme To Prelude A Scheme

The investigation had gone completely cold. The attack was about to be chalked up to being a simple isolated incident, but the Police force of Gehenna wasn't about to let go of their first big case. They were certain that something was definitely amiss. Some of them could feel it in the air. Danger was brewing, but none of the elves could place exactly what it is that their sixth sense was warning them about, let alone find solid evidence. Their dedication was admirable, but the patience of the Watchdog was seeming to wear thin.

Ciel seemed to be fixated on other things, which was incredibly unlike him in the middle of an investigation. Ordinarily, he would become obsessed until the case is solved, but that wasn't so this time. Instead, he seemed oddly focused on FUNTOM, and left the menace to work on the investigation. Curiously, the Phantomhive denied that it was anything important, despite the many meetings he was attending. The contents of said meetings was unclear to the menace, as Ciel had no big events listed in his schedule. In fact, the meetings he was attending weren't even marked down! It was perplexing to the point where Alois was a bit worried.

Still, it was important to trust Ciel. Both of them had both agreed to be open and honest with each other about important matters, and simply open in general. Ciel, despite his nature, improved in this aspect greatly since their last fight in Rio De Janeiro, and has remained true to this promise. And yet, Alois couldn't help but feel nervous. He knew that Ciel loves him. All evidence pointed to this. Ciel places value on Alois above almost everything else, yet the menace felt a bit self-conscious about it. The man contemplated discussing his feelings with the Watchdog, but was worried that the man would just say again that the strange behaviour wasn't of any importance or concern. It was strange. Alois knew it was strange, but he wanted to believe the Phantomhive.

And Ciel was not malicious in his pursuits. Far from it. He simply had another project that he was working on, although it was a mystery as to why it needed to be a secret. It was FUNTOM work, so it wasn't entirely necessary for Alois to be involved. That said, the Phantomhive would usually tell him.

"Another FUNTOM meeting?" asked the menace, leaning against the doorframe.

"Yes." The Phantomhive replied, never skipping a beat. "The project I'm in the middle of still needs work."

"Alright…" Alois said. "I'll leave you to it, then."

And, that was it. The encounter ended, or at least it would have, if the bluenette hadn't caught on to the blonde's feelings. Stopping the menace before he left, he turned the man around and kissed his cheek.

"I'll finish as soon as I can." He said. "I want you to see it. It's important that you do. It's just not time yet."

"How did you know?" Alois questioned.

"Same way you knew that I'm keeping a secret." Ciel replied. "It won't stay that way forever… I promise." Kissing the man on the cheek again, he forced his beau to smile. "Alright?"

"Alright…" the menace said, allowing himself to be kissed on the lips this time as the bluenette leaned back in. "As long as you keep that promise. I don't like secrets…"

"Neither do I, but it's a surprise. I also cannot break a promise to you. The thought pains me."

"Then why don't you just come clean right now?"

"There's things I still need to do, first in order to prepare for it." Ciel informed.

"Can you at least tell me what it's for?"

"I'm afraid that's classified, Agent Macken." The Phantomhive said, touching his nose with his index finger. "Strictly confidential."

"Alright, alright, go to this meeting so you can wrap this up and tell me!" Alois replied, placing his hands on his hips with a pout. One last time, Ciel kissed his cheek before he turned to leave, forcing the smallest of smiles to appear on the blonde's face.

"I love you. Be good, now." Teased Ciel as he walked away, chuckling as his boyfriend shook his head.

"I love you, too. _Fuck off."_ Answered the menace, waving back.

He watched as his beau walked out to his awaiting taxi, not too concerned about where the man was going. Alois had faith in the bluenette, and was fully aware that when Ciel promised him something, he would always pull through. Alois knew that he was one of the only people who the Watchdog would always keep a promise to without fail. This wasn't like Rio de Janeiro. Ciel spoke genuinely, the blonde could tell. He knew the bluenette.

Unfortunately, there were things that neither one of the demons knew. Something was amiss. Perhaps, it was big enough to put Ciel's own schemes on hold, but they would only discover this during the aftermath of it all.


	162. With One Eye Open

A car rolled up to the security checkpoint at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters, and the driver swiped their I.D. card in order to get inside. It was just routine. A few soldiers were carpooling from the apartment complex nearby in order to go to work. The driver was positively identified as agent Preston Omid, despite the fact that he was wearing the wrong uniform. The front gates opened, and they were allowed to pass.

"What's next?" asked one of the soldiers to the driver.

"We go in, get the stuff, and rendezvous with the boss." Said the driver, pulling in to park the vehicle. Unbuckling their seatbelt, one of the others spoke up.

"This is a fucking suicide mission!" they declared. "How the fuck are we supposed to get out of here?!"

"The Boss has got a friend in here. He's supposed to meet up with us." Said a woman in the backseat. She had green eyes and long, dark, hair pulled back in a braided ponytail. Her most distinguishing feature, however, was the surgical eyepatch the covered her left eye. Reaching into our uniform, she pulled out a flip-phone and held it up to the others' view. " _This_ is our ticket out of here once we've got the stuff. That's why we need to bail now. Unless you want to be in the car when it happens, of course."

"U-uhm… n-no thanks…"

"Olivia, how long do you have for that potion to wear off?" the woman asked, prompting the attention of the driver.

"A few minutes." The driver said, wearing the face of Preston Omid. "The transformation spell won't last too much longer, but if we're quick, we should make it."

"What about shade gel?"

"Now that, I've got a few hours on."

"Is it really a good idea to have a vampire with us on this?" asked one of the others.

"She's got more training than either of you." The woman said. "Besides, she can drive. It's pretty ironic that the rooks are gonna be taken down by someone who they trained."

"Why do you think I signed up for the police force?" asked Olivia, stepping out of the car. "It was always part of the plan."

"The boss is a smart guy." The woman mused, stepping out as well. She was soon followed by her associates, even the few others whom were hauled in the boot of the vehicle.

"Wink, I got a text from the boss. He says that the Doctor is waiting for us." One of them said.

"Good." Replied the woman. "Let's do this, people!"

The group strolled into H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters, making sure to remain calm enough to pass as ordinary operatives. They walked with purpose, yet had casual conversation along the way so that they didn't stand out. If they appeared too dead-set on their purpose, they would have come across as suspicious, or so they were told. They easily made their way to the medical wing, as they had memorized the directions there from the garage both forward and backwards.

Nearby was the research department. There, the doctor was waiting for them. He had a strong chin and black hair. His bangs were spiked with gel, and scruff lined his jaw. He smiled at the group.

"Mister Omid, I've been expecting you." He greeted, knowing full-well of the fact that this was a fake. Indeed, he was expecting them, and he slid his key card into the lock and opened the door. "This way." He said, leading the team down the hallway.

They did not speak. They followed the man in silence as they made their way to an empty laboratory. A few of them shivered at the coldness of the room, but the doctor had to keep it cold to store what was hidden inside the locker that he was rummaging in.

"There's a special refrigerated carrier inside of each of these duffelbags." He explained, handing a bag to the first person who held out their hand. "These samples aren't exactly fragile, but it's best to be careful, just in case. Who's in charge?"

"Me." Answered the woman with the braid. "I'm Wink."

"Doctor Brent Hobbs." The man replied. "It's best to split up, now. I assume you already have your teams picked out?"

"Right." Wink stated, turning to the crew. "Olivia. Take your crew to the armoury. We'll take the samples. Remember where we're meeting?"

"Yes, ma'am." Said the officer wearing Preston's face.

"Good."

"Here's the bags to carry the stuff from the armoury." Doctor Hobbs informed, tossing the duffel bags to the imposter.

"Is that everything?" asked the team leader.

"Not quite. There's one more sample that we need to get…"

"What's that?"

"Specimen #D-007." The doctor replied. "That part won't be easy."

"The boss didn't say anything about that." Wink said. "That's not part of the plan."

"Hear me out, though…" Hobbs continued. "If we can get him to work for us, we'd have a powerful ally. Transporting him from the research department to the truck may be tricky, but it's worth it in the end."

"No deal. We're not risking that." Stated Wink. "You're coming with us. Olivia. Hurry up before your potion wears off."

"Yes, ma'am!" the vampire said before turning and taking off. She and her crew hurried down the corridor as calmly as they could to the armoury. Thank goodness, it was empty.

"Lockers 109; 227; 387 673." She said, causing the group to scatter. "Combinations are all the same. It's left three, right seven, and left five."

Quickly, the team opened the locker doors before pulling out more duffel bags, all prepped beforehand by a friend on the inside. Unzipping them, they checked to see if what was the contents matched what they were after. Guns, ammunition, swords, and knives.

"Everything's here." Called one of the bandits.

"Put in the fakes." Olivia instructed, causing her crew to do just that. Taking the duffelbags that the doctor had handed them, they placed them in the lockers before carefully shutting them.

"We're all good."

"Then let's go." The officer said. "We don't have much longer."

* * *


	163. Oceans 11

With great haste, Wink and her team made their way down the hallway with Doctor Hobbs. A witch subtly held her ring to the man's ribs, threatening to strike him with whatever spell she could muster if he failed to cooperate. They didn't have time for anything extra. All of them had a time limit. Those who could not pass for human at a glance took potions to keep their appearances in check, including Wink. Olivia's disguise was of concern, however, as she was still useful in many more ways, as she was part of the Gehenna police force. The change in her shape was far more drastic, meaning that her disguise would be the quickest to wear off. This "Specimen #D-007" was not a priority.

"We won't get another chance…" he lamented. "They'll up the security after this…"

"Too bad. You've got enough stuff to play mad scientist with." Said Wink.

Rounding the corner, the group made their way to the dispatch center, making sure it was empty as well. Carefully, counting the cars, the leader of the group checked the cab to see if the keys were inside, just as planned. Confirming this, she opened the doors.

"Everybody get in and stay quiet." She instructed. Stay completely out of sight. You hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am!" the others said, climbing into the back of the armoured vehicle.

Just as they put themselves into position, they heard footsteps rounding entering the garage. Sucking in a breath and holding completely still, the team sat in silence, desperately hoping that they weren't about to be caught. Bodies tensed as the footsteps got closer and stopped right at the back of the truck. They nearly jumped out of their skin when they heard a knock on the doors. Despite this, they sighed with relief, as it was the special knock that they had decided on beforehand. The bandit known as "Mince" peeked through the window to confirm who it was before opening the door.

An older teenage girl with short black hair cut at the shoulders stood before them with a group of followers carrying duffel bags. She was sweating. The others were fine, however. Her team started passing bags to the others already in the vehicle before climbing in themselves.

"Potion wear off?" asked Wink. "Were you seen?"

"It wore off right after I stepped into the garage. No one saw." Olivia said before walking around to climb into the cab. Wink took a seat next to her in the passenger seat before the vampire turned the key and started up the vehicle.

"Looks like smooth sailing, from here." Olivia noted as she steered toward the exit.

"Not completely out of the woods yet." Answered Wink. Her eyes squinted as they drove out into the light and made their way down the driveway. She reached over and flipped the switch to turn on the flashing lights on the roof. "Drive a little faster, so they think it's an emergency."

"Yes, ma'am." The vampire answered, giving the truck more gas. Just as Wink suspected, they weren't stopped by security on the way out. They made it past the gates and down the street.

"Hey, can you guys in the back still see the place?" Wink questioned, reaching into her pocket. She pulled out the flip-phone and opened it.

"Yeah."

"Tell me when you _can't."_

Silence ensued as several of those in the back stared out the small windows of the back door, watching as the base grew smaller and smaller. When it finally disappeared, they said the word, and Wink flipped the lights off again before calmly dialing the phone. Everyone sat in silence while listening to the dial tone, but then, everything went quiet.

"I see smoke." One of those in the back said. Others quickly crowded the window in order to see the black smoke rising from the distance.

"Which one was that?" asked Olivia.

"The car bomb." Wink stated, pausing to fumble with the device again. "Next are the ones you put in the lockers."

Again, more smoke. The more smoke that came out, the less likely that someone was going to go after them. And they didn't. They made it all the way to their destination at the port. There, they were met by others. Some of them were humans, but they helped them load all of the stuff onto a shipping vessel. This was their hideout. It wasn't located in Gehenna. That's why H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. couldn't find it. They didn't think about the possibility of them being able to hide here, just like they didn't think about the possibility of their movement being able to attack them directly. The key was in their connections.

People began unloading the weapons and samples from the bus. They took inventory of the weapons, and they took the genetic samples they stole as well as the doctor to a makeshift laboratory that was constructed on the ship. It was fully stocked with medical equipment.

"The boss will be here, shortly." Said the supernatural who escorted him. It was the one named "Mince". His disguise had started to fade, and his true form showed. A cynocephalus; or man with a face that resembled a dog. They weren't threatening, as they possessed the same strengths and weaknesses of a mortal man. Soon, Doctor Hobbs would in no doubt have a sample from him as well before this was over.

"Alright." Answered Hobbs. He began unpacking, placing the samples in a refrigerator. "I'll wait here, then. I assume he wants to give me my orders directly, then?"

"I'm not sure, but it's probably best to wait."

"That won't be a problem. I think I'll relax for a bit. That was a rough run, wasn't it?"

"I'll say… You get some rest, then." Said Mince.

"You too." The Doctor smiled as the other man left. He then resumed putting the DNA samples where they belonged, pausing when he came across one that was particularly interesting.

"Blood Sample #15; Specimen #W-001: Amelie Garou; Live." Hobbs read off, examining the container. A wicked grin crawled across his features at the object in his hands, excited to finally be able to play around with these materials as he pleased. "' _Live_ '… In other words: ' _infectious_ '."


	164. She Was Scared

The head of the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization was irate. Her organization had been broken into and robbed effortlessly. The thieves disappeared without a trace after injuring staff and stealing weapons, as well as an armoured car. That wasn't the worst of it, however. The worst part was that supernatural DNA samples had been stolen. These samples were highly dangerous in the wrong hands. One drop of blood could infect a human, who could infect more humans, who could infect more. The chain was endless, and it would be H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s responsibility to destroy whatever it was that came out if it.

Repairs were made immediately. Security increased. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. searched for their culprits, narrowing down the perps through surveillance footage. One of them bared a strong resemblance to Preston Omid, an agent whose I.D. card was used to access the base. Another was Docotr Brent Hobbs, who worked in the Research Department on testing supernatural genetic material alongside Doctor Elena Lovejoy, who was thoroughly questioned.

Lovejoy was deemed innocent, but the others were now wanted criminals. Their I.D. numbers were terminated and their cards were no longer functional. They could not be allowed to walk free. They knew too much about H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; and possessed what was essentially biological weapons. Only one possible punishment awaited them upon capture, and that was execution.

But that was not the entire story. Not long after the attack, agent Omid called in to headquarters, unaware that the order had been issued. The reason he called was to be issued a new keycard and have the old one decommissioned, as it turned out that it was somehow "lost". It was not "lost". H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. knew where it went. It was in the hands of the bandits, whatever their organization would be. Regardless, Preston was brought in for interrogation, as he was the prime suspect. After all, the security cameras picked him up both during the attack, and setting items in place beforehand. This impostor knew what they were doing.

They knew the map of the base; they knew where to get what they needed in order to set things up. This person, whoever they may be, was not just any impostor. No, this person was undoubtedly a H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. employee. Since Hobbs was also seen in the footage, however, the question was: "who is it?"

Who is the culprit?! H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. scrambled for an answer as the town was buzzing with the news. The residents of Gehenna were just as surprised as the organization. Neither of them thought that such a thing was possible! The citizens of Gehenna were uneasy as well, given that they were unaware as to whether or not H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. would take it out on all of them as a result. Every time a truck rolled into town, they all scrambled to hide once more.

There was nearly an outright "witchhunt", if you'll pardon the expression, for people who may be in league with these terrorists. If there wasn't already, there certainly was now. Anyone who seemed suspicious—anyone at all, was reported to the police. Upon investigation, many of them were false alarms. Some of them required further looking into, but none of them seemed immediately harmful.

Integra was careful to go about this in a calm manner. The last thing anyone wanted was hysterics, especially when guns were involved. She did not send armed squads into Gehenna, but instead, a few armed investigators, who would not be permitted to shoot without probable cause. If a single bullet is fired, H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. would know who did it and why. Integra was a woman of strong morality and sense of justice, therefore she was not going to cover up any wrong-doing by her staff. Unfortunately, Gehenna did not know this.

People gathered outside the police station regularly, demanding information on the unknown enemy and how H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. was going to retaliate. With each answer, they got angrier. How does the police not know who the terrorists are yet? How do they have no leads? How do they not know anything? Even with definite answers were given, the police were accused of lying. The mob forced the office to close it's doors temporarily, and the phone lines were flooded as fear grew.

"Get out here and tell us what's going on!" shouted one member of the crowd. "You can't, can you?!"

"Quit licking the rook's boots! What about us!?"

"Why haven't' you found anything?! You're just waiting for them to all come in and wipe us out!"

It was a select few who were especially outspoken, but others were riled up by their demands shouting along with them. Some banged on the windows and front door of the station. It was a good thing that it was made out of bulletproof glass, but there was no telling how well that would stand up to a supernatural crowd.

The Police lines were too busy to contact H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; and the officers had no idea how to calm an angry mob, but despite this, one of the calls seemed to get through, as a paddywagon and a few cars rolled up to the front of the station with the rook's insignia. Unfortinately, the crowd did not take kindly to this, and instead reacted fearfully.

"They're here!" they shouted.

"Guns! They've got guns!"

"Out of my way!"

"Everyone remain calm!" called the voice of an agent over a megaphone, standing at a decent distance from the crowd. "We are not here to fight. We simply wish for you to peacefully disperse."

"Then why do you have guns?!"

"Fuck you!"

"Peace, my ass! Get the fuck out of here!"

"Please disperse peacefully." Repeated the military man. "H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. is doing the best it can during this time. We do not blame Gehenna. We're not going to act violently unless provoked."

"That's never stopped you before! You'd shoot us for the hell of it!"

"Quit lying, piece of shit monsters! We know what you do best!"

"Murdering war-mongers!"

"If you don't disperse, we will be forced to use the tear gas." The soldier announced. "Please, don't make this more difficult than this needs t—"

The man was abruptly cut off as a bullet flew straight into his temple and exited out the other side of his skull. Blood splattered against the ground and the boots of one of his comrades before his body soon followed. He fell to the earth with a gut-wrenching thud, prompting the townspeople to scream and flee. Other soldiers took to arms, raising their weapons and seeking out the assailant, only to see nothing. It wasn't until another one was shot that the answer dawned on them.

" _Snipers!"_ bellowed one of the agents before she was swiftly silenced with a bullet to the back.

The doors of the police station were opened in order to let in some fleeing protestors. A few of the officers beckoned the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agents to come in as well and escape to safety, but the protestors inside were hesitant to welcome them. Two soldiers made it into the station, while others hid in the armoured truck and called for backup. Gehenna officers tried their best to keep the crowd calm as they looked out at the stressful scene outside.

There were still soldiers on the ground, bleeding. They were alive, but still at risk. Once the snipers became aware of their living status, they would surely be shot again. Officers inside tried to cope, but were having trouble containing the citizens, contacting H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. for help, and coming up with a course for action. Some of them watched helplessly as things descended into near chaos.

"Is anyone injured?" called Tegwen as she stood on top of a desk. To everyone's relief, no one had been struck, save for the agents outside. The elf's attention then turned out the windows of the front of the building, over people's heads. Agents laid in agony while trying not to move or whimper. They were playing dead in order to avoid being shot at again.

She couldn't bear watching the scene, yet she did not ignore it. Instead, she took action, jumping down from the desk and dashing to the back of the station. She passed many officers on her way to the storage room, where they kept the various arms that the police were permitted to use.

"Tegwen! Wait!" called Akira as she zoomed by. "Where are you going?!"

"I have to do something!" answered the elf, swinging the door open and stepping inside.

"What are you doing in here? Shouldn't we be out front keeping the crowd calm? Whoa, wait-! What are you doing?! You can't have that! You have to have permission!"

Tegwen swiftly strapped a holster to her hip and placed a pistol inside, making sure that it was loaded, set to safety, and held securely in its place. It was completely against protocol, as guns were never permitted unless under dire circumstances. Still, the elf paid no mind to her friend as she opened up the closet which held the riot gear, grabbing a Kevlar vest and a bulletproof shield. Once she had these items, she turned around to make her exit, passing her friend on the way out.

"Tegwen!"

"There are injured people in the street!" Tegwen answered, her tone grave and her eyes fierce. Akira looked into her heated gaze, knowing that she was completely serious in whatever it is that she was about to do. There was no stopping her. "I have to get them to safety!"

"Are you out of your fucking mind?!" demanded Akira. "That's suicide!"

"What do you want me to do?! Leave them?!"

"I want you to use your brain for like, five seconds! What if you get shot?!"

"What if _they_ get shot?!" asked her friend. "Our job is to protect people! That means _everyone!_ They are our allies, I can't just leave them bleeding in the street!"

The conversation was over as Tegwen turned to leave. She didn't look back, even when her friend called out to her; even when Akira tried to stop her. The elf's resolve did not shake. She was afraid, of course. Very afraid. In fact, the only time she had been even close to being this fearful was when she met the Watchdog in that alley before she had decided to become a police officer. Tegwen was afraid, but so was everyone else in the station. So were the people laying in the street playing at being dead. Despite this, the girl was compelled to move forward.

Shocked by the sight of her in riot gear, the crowd parted like the Red Sea, giving her room to maneuver with the heavy shield in her grip. As she got to the front door, she looked back at the faces staring at her. They were stunned. They were confused. They were uncertain. They were afraid. Then again, so was she.

Turning to face the outside again, Tegwen released a shaky breath. Tightening the grip on her shield, she glanced over the bodies before her, trying to remember which way the snipers had shot from. She couldn't hear the murmuring of her fellow citizens behind her, as she could only hear the sound of her heart beating rapidly in her ears. Summoning every ounce of courage she had, Tegwen took a step out into the street.

She held the shield over her head, protecting her from any shots from above as she made a mad dash out into the open. The crowd held their breath as they watched her, knowing that she could be struck down at any moment as well. She looked down at the first body. Dead. Then the second. Dead. The third, she leaned down to look at, before grabbing the woman around the middle with one arm, and holding the shield unsteadily with the other. Unfortunately, she couldn't both carry the woman, and her shield, so she was stuck.

Some of the other soldiers, however, saw her, and saw what she was doing. Tegwen dragged the soldier over to the armoured car. There were others hiding on one side of it, so it must have been out of the sniper's range. When she got there, she lowered her shield.

"She's alive." She said, looking up at the soldiers.

"Are you out of your goddamn mind?!" asked one of the soldiers.

"I can't carry her back by myself." Tegwen said. "She'll be safe at the station until backup shows up, but I can't carry her and the shield on my own. Do you have any more shields?"

"Got it." Said another soldier before turning to their team. "You and you; get some riot shields out of the truck."

"But-"

"We can shield her from all sides while she carries Johnson that way!" they said. "We can also get out of here!"

"Fine…" said one of the other soldiers, following instructions. Tegwen handed over her own shield to one of them before hoisting the injured woman on her back.

"There might be a few others." She said.

"Then we'll make two trips!"

Quickly, they made their move, forming a sort of turtle shell around Tegwen and the injured soldier. Multiple times, Tegwen's heart nearly stopped as bullets bounced off the shields. The process of walking to the building took only seconds, but it felt like hours, as the elf was completely on edge. Right foot, left foot, right foot, left… Never before has something so simple seemed so tedious. The poor girl didn't even realise how tense her body had been until she reached the station and fell to her knees on the floor. That was too much, but at least this soldier was safe and is able to have the witches currently there treat her. Now lied the matter of retrieving the rest of the injured.

She need not worry, however, as swift feet pitter-pattered against the concrete. The doors flew open, and a glimpse of pale blonde hair was seen before dashing out into the street again. Two more injured soldiers were brought in and left on the floor next to their comrade before anyone could say a single thing. The man then stood out in the middle of the street in plain sight with his back turned to the crowd. Despite this, they all knew who it was.

"Mister Lion…" breathed Tegwen, relieved to see the man. Her worry soon returned, however, as the sound of gunfire went off.

Her eyes could not keep up as the demon dodged, for the movement was simply too fast. He knew just which direction it came from, from what angle, and had the reflexes to avoid the projectile effortlessly. Regardless, people called out to him, pleading that he come back inside where it's safe, but the demon did not listen. Instead, he simply danced in the street all on his own, without giving a single effort to fight back. Tegwen could barely see him move, but when he stopped, she could see his face as clear as day. Alois Trancy, Mister Lion, was _smiling_ throughout the entire ordeal.

It was baffling. What on earth was he doing? Was he merely taunting the enemy? Another truck pulled up, but he paid it no mind. He danced in the street without a shred of tiredness as if the entire exchange amused him. It did.

Much to the astonishment of the spectators, the bullets began to fade. It wasn't clear as to why, at first, but it was soon clear as the shattering of a window broke the eerie silence. A body hit the ground along with the gun that person was carrying. Clad in black, wearing a mask, they laid against the concrete in a daze as they struggled to collect themselves. Pain coursed through them as the world seemed unsteady for a few moments, but they had the sense to observe that they were being watched.

They had been thrown to the lion, and once they had been presented to him, the lion ceased to dance. Alois towered over them, gazing upon them with a haughty grin. When he took a calm step forward, they flinched; their eyes wide and bright through the holes in their mask. Quickly, they scrambled for their weapon and sat up. Taking shaky, unsteady aim, they pulled the trigger in the direction of the menace, but this time, he did not dodge. He didn't need to.

 _Click!_ The sniper gasped loudly and looked down at their rifle before pulling the trigger again. They were out of bullets. All of them were. That's why it was quiet.

Sweat soaked through the mask of the sniper as they looked up at the demon that now stood right in front of them, looking down at them. To their surprise, the man looked away, and instead turned his attention to the armoured truck off to the side. Alois then held out his hand, holding up three fingers. Silently, he then pointed with his index finger up toward the windows on some of the nearby buildings. One, two, three… He pointed to three windows, and the sniper on the ground next to him gasped in horror.

Alois wasn't dancing needlessly. He was finding out which directions the shots were coming from while causing his inexperienced foes to fun out of bullets. They were defenseless as the doors to the truck opened. Soldiers quickly filtered into the buildings that Alois had pointed out. Soldiers from the first truck apprehended the sniper that sat next to Alois. All four in total were taken alive.

The menace paid no mind to this, however. Instead, he looked up to the broken window that the unfortunate assailant had fallen from—or rather, was _thrown_ from. He continued to smile as a familiar outline watched him in return. It was then that another body fell toward the earth, only landing on its feet this time.

"You're slow, Pooch." Alois teased. "They ran out before you could get more than one."

"I was blocking off their possible escape exits." The Watchdog replied, dusting off his jacket before walking toward his beau. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting. From the looks of you, however, it doesn't appear that you're too upset."

"I just think it's funny." Answered the lion. "There was no way that they could win, and now we have more leads. These people aren't professionals. There's no way that they won't confess in interrogation. Also, did you really have to throw 'im out the window?"

"I had a grip on him, but he wouldn't stay still." Stated Ciel, placing his hands behind his back. "I didn't push him _that_ hard… That glass must be cheap."

"Sure it is, dear." Snorted Alois, snickering at the grumble that his lover produced in response. "So, I assume that we should address the public?"

"Indeed. It would appear that we have captured ourselves a few terrorists. They're organised, but inexperienced. What concerns me, however, is who on earth taught them how to use those guns?"

"Their ' _inside man'?"_

"Precisely. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. has a mole, and they're both collaborating and training these extremists."

"Extremists?" asked Alois.

"Yes. Notice that they didn't strike a single supernatural, other than when they tried to fire at you." Ciel pointed out. "Even officer Sybil, who was clearly in their firing range although she had a shield. From that, we can confirm that they aren't against Gehenna, as a reformed town. They're against H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G."

"So they want us out?" questioned the menace.

"Too early to tell. One thing's for certain, however, is that we have a mole problem…"


	165. Dogs Have 9 Lives

The interrogation room was occupied over the course of several days after the supernatural extremists were apprehended. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. tried their best to get them to talk. While none of them took kindly to sitting in that chair with their hands cuffed, a few were mildly cooperative. Bits and pieces of information were retrieved, including proof for Ciel's hypothesis.

No supernaturals were shot during the attack on purpose. The group said that they didn't want to hurt them, as they were on their side. Begrudgingly, one or two admitted to attacking the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agents with the intent to kill. Yes, this was a direct attack on H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. It was revealed that the primary instigators in the crowd were actually there to rile everyone up enough to draw out the organization.

Silly things. Just what did they hope to accomplish with something so petty? Did they hope to strike fear into the heart of the organization? If anything, it only made them more persistent. Now they had information on the identity of the terrorist group, and nothing would stop them from destroying it once and for all.

 _The Scarlet Order._ That was its name. According to those captured, this is what the group was called, and they now were on the lookout for anything that could possibly identify members. Unfortunately, H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. was unaware of any symbols that were affiliated with the group, as the culprits claimed that there were none as of yet. Thus, the name was all that they had while several of their soldiers were either dead or undergoing medical treatment.

Meanwhile, the Gehenna police department kept the public at ease. It was partially thanks to officer Tegwen Sybil, that their faith was restored, despite the fact that she aided their supposed "enemy". Unwittingly, she had help instill the idea that both H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and Gehenna were here to help people, and that they were united against the same foe, who would attack from the shadows without their teamwork, along with the hero of Gehenna, the mighty "Mister Lion", and his lover, former boogeyman, "The Watchdog".

While her decision was indeed rash, it proved to be the right one. Modest, she was, and genuinely saw no need for praise. It was merely what she felt was the right thing to do, not out of any cunningness toward manipulating the crowd, but as a fellow person who saw others who needed help. She failed to see any bravery on her part due to fear, and expected punishment for breaking the rules. She had broken the taboo of breaking into the equipment room and stealing weapons, but she did not receive any retribution. Instead, she received thanks from H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; and was offered a promotion. She declined, however, as "Rule-breakers shouldn't get promotions. That's for people who work hard."

Many rules were broken, however, and not just by Sybil. A handful of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers stationed in Gehenna had stopped checking in to headquarters with regular updates. This was unacceptable, but this wasn't any ordinary instance of rule-breaking. No, upon further inspection, it was discovered that no one had reported seeing them over the course of several days. Their homes were empty as well. Immediately upon realizing this, all of their I.D. cards were deactivated, including the replacement card for Agent Preston Omid.

Omid was a bigger cause for concern than any of the others, not only due to his status as a supernatural agent, but also due to his status as a suspect in the attack on the base. The Scarlet Order had somehow gotten his keycard before, but that was merely a fake using his card, right? While this was possible, it was also possible that his place was taken by a double for the sake of preserving his services for a little while longer. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. launched an internal investigation and checked every nook and cranny of the base for anything out of the ordinary. Stock was taken, roll was called, and all other supernatural subjects, both living and remaining DNA and tissue samples were checked in order to see if all was accounted for. All of it was, accept for one person: Preston Omid.

He visited the base regularly up until he stopped checking in altogether, venturing down into the basement. It could be assumed that he was merely checking on his old room, as some of his belongings were still inside, but upon further inspection, he came out empty-handed. Then, he stopped. Once H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. launched their investigation, they examined the basement from top to bottom in order see what he was up to. Curiously, nothing had changed. Not his room, nor any others. Now suspected of being up to something devious when he stopped checking in, Preston, like all of the others, had his residency inspected as well.

That is how the demonic duo found themselves at the man's home. A copy of the key was given to them by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; and after carefully examining the pace from the outside, trying to foresee any possibly booby-traps that might lie in wait for them inside, they slowly opened the door and let themselves inside. The lights were off, but neither of them had any trouble seeing. On the surface, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but both of them, as detectives and as Preston's friends, knew better than to go with a superficial judgement such as this.

Preston was smart. He was a genius with technology of all sorts, and read several paces ahead while weighing the consequences of an action. He wouldn't be so careless. As much as the duo didn't believe it, though, he might have reason to betray H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. He had done it once, having felt that he had no other options, and his treatment at the organization was that of a criminal, not one of someone who was manipulated by a more powerful force into committing a crime. He seemed emotionless as of late, but now, the two realised that they should have recognised it sooner. He wasn't emotionless. He was seething with repressed anger.

Despite his improved quality of living, he did not utilize it. There was so much empty space in this building. Some rooms were completely bare. The only rooms that seemed to be in use were the bedroom, living room, bathroom, and the office area. Preston only used the necessary areas of his home, and judging by the boxes still piled up from when he first moved in a few months ago, he hadn't even bothered to finish unpacking.

"We should check his computer." Ciel finally said to the other, cutting through the solemn atmosphere in order to focus on the job at hand. "He was good with computers, after all. In fact, we should probably confiscate it and take it to headquarters."

"Right…" sighed the menace, running a hand through his hair. "But, isn't it a bit early to assume that he's really with them? What if this was a set-up or something? What if he was forced to go?"

"Do you see any signs of a struggle?" questioned the bluenette, walking into the bathroom. There was nothing there, but it certainly said a lot. Ciel rummaged through the Omid's medicine cabinet while shaking his head.

"He packed his toiletries." He added. "No toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant… nothing. Kidnappers wouldn't have taken them."

Ciel's voice pierced through the empty house although he spoke softly. It was deafeningly quiet, aside from the tapping of the mens' shoes against the floor as they ventured further into the house. Grim air seeped through the walls, poisoning the atmosphere as both men tried to force away the fact that this was the home of one of their friends. No matter how many times they recited "it's just another job" in their heads, they couldn't forget. Mantras were of no use, so the duo was forced to confront the fact. Preston, their friend, might have become their enemy.

Ciel grimaced as he traversed down hallways and through doorways, searching for any important belongings that were either misplaced or missing. It stung. It stung badly. While he had avoided reaching out to others or allowing them near him in the past in order to avoid the pain of watching mortal companions die, never had he anticipated that he may one day meet a scenario where he could very well be the person to end their life under orders.

No, it hadn't come to that, yet. The Phantomhive shook his head briefly, but then sighed. Who was he kidding? It was simply the way that this world works. Today's friend may very well become tomorrow's enemy. That is the way that it has always been, from the moment that his first life had ended, and he had taken on the second as "Earl".

Had he gone soft? Not quite. He simply became human, and obtained a human heart in this fifth life of his, the one that began once Alois had returned to this mortal world. Accepting this betrayal was more difficult that before. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this specific type of stinging sense of sadness. Ciel had killed comrades many times before, as betrayal was common in times of war, but this wasn't a war just yet, and he knew his foe personally. It was personal, no matter how much Ciel wanted to suppress it.

Sadly, it was a lot harder on the menace. He hadn't been in a war, nor had he been required to kill a friend with his own two hands, but he had been betrayed before. It cost him his second life, the life of an Earl. Once again, the Judas was someone he trusted—someone who he would have never suspected of doing so. That life was over, so why does this keep happening? Alois sniffed at the thought, trying to ignore the aching dryness of his throat as he, too, tried to forget Preston.

Unfortunately, it was impossible. Duty got in the way of it. His mind continuously jumped to the worst-case scenario.

"I can't find his laptop." He said finally, his voice desperately wanting to crack. "The computer in the office is still here, though."

"Good. We'll take that before we leave." Ciel stated, following the other's voice. "Looks like he covered his tracks well. Unfortunately, it was a personal computer, not H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s, so we can't track it with GPS."

"Think he's still in London?"

"He's close. He has to be. His target is here." Spoke the Phantomhive. "H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G."

"Are we sure?" questioned Alois. "That it's just H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.?"

"What do you mean?"

"He's a lot like us, in a way, now." Alois said absentmindedly, nudging one of the boxes on the floor with his foot. "He has many possible targets, and not just H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. What has he to be angry about?"

"The way H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. treated him…" Ciel replied. "Us, too… He could be angry at us, as well… And…" Suddenly, both men looked up at each other, eyes wide as they both thought of a grim realization.

"…The others." He continued. "If he's like us, and really wants revenge, then… He could go after the others. _Especially_ Daniel and Kristopherson…"

"But he's not the ringleader, is he?" asked the blonde. "It's still too early to tell if he's pulling the strings!"

"True… but… It's probably best, if… if we keep an eye on them, for a bit."

At this, Alois' face contorted as he tried not to make the expression of sadness that his heart so desperately wanted him to. It was painful. Just the thought of all of these people, good friends, turning on each other was too much. Tearing more people away from their ordinary lives was too much. An ordinary life was precious, and should be preserved at all costs. The duo knew the value of it well, but knew that it was their duty to live unnaturally in order to protect such a valuable thing. That was the duty of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. That was the duty of the Queen's Guard Dog, and now, H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s Lion.

No more people need to suffer. The result of normal humans having their normalcy stripped from them is people like Ciel, Alois, and now Preston. Some humans cannot bear that weight like the duo could, though. Or rather, as well as they managed. Only time would tell how Preston would cope, but judging how far he fell from what the duo considered to be lacking the severity of their despair, the demons did not have high hopes. Those who cannot withstand peering into the true face of the world become monsters for the sake of coping with the fear.

"Why does this always have to happen?" asked the menace to no one in particular. He sniffled and rubbed his eyes, making sure that the tears that threatened to gather there were gone. "Why can't bad people be the only ones that this happens to? Why do good people have to become this way?"

Then, the house was quiet again, apart from the strained breathing of the blonde as he tried to calm down. His beau stared at him for the longest time, feeling as though he should respond but having nothing to say. Finally, all he could do was shake his head.

"I don't know." He said softly with a small shrug. "I really don't know. It's not fair, but there's really nothing anyone can do to stop it."

"It's fucked up!" Alois croaked. "It's like he was punished when he didn't do anything wrong! He saved Kris and look what he got! Black Annis, and now H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. is after him? We're supposed to be the good guys!"

"You and I both know that there's no such thing as true _'good guys'_." His beau said, his tone somber. "There's no such thing as ' _divine retrubution'_ , nor is there such a thing as a reward. God doesn't exist. If he does, then he's a sick bastard. Bad thing happen to good people, and good things happen to bad ones."

" _It doesn't make sense! Why can't we all just be happy, for fuck's sake?!"_

Falling silent again, the bluenette looked on with a concerned expression that masked his own sadness at what happened. Possibly losing a friend hurt him, and seeing the blonde in such distress hurt him, too. Perhaps for his own comfort, but consciously for the blonde's, Ciel slowly reached out to him, extending his arms and inviting the menace close. His arms gently wrapped around the menace as he continued to try and think of an answer.

"I… I really _don't know_. If I did, I would have tried to fix it long ago…" he sadly informed. "I'm sorry…"

"Is it too late?" inquired Alois, resting his head on the other's shoulder. "Can he be saved?"

Pausing, Ciel thought before answering. "Maybe…" he said. "It depends on what he wants, and how badly he wants it."

"Revenge?"

"Yeah… Looks like it… The question is, how strong is the ringmaster's illusion on him, and how badly has it corrupted his mind?"

* * *


	166. Mourning Already

After compiling what minimal amount of evidence they could after entering the home of Preston Omid, it was all sent to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters. Upon further inspection, the computer tower's harddrive had been removed, making the retrieval of any data impossible. What they did gain from this, however, was the knowledge that this was indeed meditated, and Preston had not been captured by force. No, he left willingly.

Preston was a double-agent. He had committed treason against his country and would be punished severely if caught. It was difficult for the duo to really wrap their heads around, and even more so for them to try and explain to the rest of the sensational seven, or rather, the sensational _six_.

All of them entered depressive states. Audrey lost one of his best friends. They often went to each other's houses to play games and discuss science fiction, but now that person whom he had gotten to know was broken beyond repair, and now waited on the opposing side until he either struck again or was caught. He shuffled through his job, forgetting things and tripping up as his mind wandered elsewhere. Kristopherson blamed himself. After all, he was the one who Preston got infected with black annis while trying to save. He sat in his room and had difficulty doing any work. His college studies suffered as well, but he wasn't the only one who felt that the blame belonged to them. Daniel felt as though it was his fault entirely, as he forced Preston to go along to Castle Krampus in the first place. Preston repeatedly tried to talk him out of it and pointed out how terrible of an idea it was, but Daniel ignored his pleas. If anyone was to have the finger pointed at them, it was him. All of them sort of shut themselves off from other people as they mourned their friend—all but Travis, who sought out emotional support. He moved back to visit his parents for a while until he's feeling better. They didn't mind, and were glad to help. He also had Patricia coming over from time to time to slap him to his senses and get himself on his feet.

The demonic duo were not immune to this. It was a heavy burden to bear, being the ones who would have to pull the trigger on a friend; even a former one. There was a sense of betrayal and a sense of mourning, despite the fact that the man was still alive.

Ciel has had to kill traitors before. Deserters, double-agents, and other treasonous forces that were a hindrance to the cause he was fighting for at the time had to be dispatched swiftly. The Phantomhive was good at it, too, as he made sure to never get attached. It was just another ordinary hit. Now, however, the target was someone whom he considered a companion. Preston was always the kind to crumble under pressure, so it was also quite astounding that he managed to attempt a coup. Regardless, in his heart Ciel knew that his duty had to come first, in this case. There was no salvaging this friendship. It was done, and that's all there was to it. His beau, however, seemed to disagree.

His partner was not used to this. He had only killed one traitor before, and it was indirectly. He never had to get his hands especially dirty, and he also knew deep down that the spider who had killed him must also die. Preston, though? Preston was hardly a "bad" person. In fact, Alois could sympathize with his hurt, and understood why he would be so angry. He just didn't want to believe it.

The man laid face down on the sofa in Ciel's office, moping at the order that they had received. They were to either bring Preston into custody, or kill him. There were no other alternatives. The duo sat in silence, with only the sound of Ciel's fingers tapping against the keyboard as he searched for possible leads. It was starting to get on the Macken's nerves a bit. Groaning, he managed to force the sound to stop for a few moments, as Ciel stopped his actions and looked up at him. His sapphire eye scanned over the menace, watching him as he pressed his face further into the cushion.

"Are you alright over there?" he asked, trying to sound playful, but knowing that the menace may not be in the mood.

"Uuuuurrrraaaaaaggghhh…" Alois groaned again, shifting so that he could look up a bit, but still being unable to see Ciel over the arm of the sofa.

"Kind of feeling that way, myself." Ciel stated. "Anything I can do to help?"

"I have _nooooo_ ideaaaa…" replied his beau, moving so that he was now on his back instead. "Everything is horrible and I don't know how to deal with it."

"It _is_ difficult…"

"Why can't they send other agents to deal with this?"

"Because they need _all_ of us, depending on how bad they've utilized the bounty from their little heist…" Ciel informed. "They stole what is essentially biological weapons, and directly picked a fight with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. It's bad enough that it's got the entire organization is in a tizzy."

" _Yeah…"_ Alois said sadly. He knew what was at stake. It would be hard for him not to acknowledge it. However, that didn't change the fact that the blonde didn't want to believe it. In truth, no one did. With a sigh, Ciel scooted his chair back and stood up, walking around his desk in order to make his way over to the menace. Alois felt a hand sweeping his bangs out of his face and opened his eyes in order to look up at the bluenette and watch him as he crouched down in front of the sofa.

"It's not the end of the world." The Phantomhive said. "Ideally, this sort of thing would never happen, but it does. It's more common than anyone thinks."

"Have you needed to do this sort of thing before?" questioned Alois.

"Many times." His beau answered, continuing to run his hand through the other man's hair. His face was a tad somber, but he wasn't going to try and force a positive atmosphere where it wasn't wanted or needed. "I've lived through two of the biggest wars in history, remember? I actually fought in one. There were many times when I had to take down my own comrades. Some of them I knew quite well. I knew about their families back home, and their hopes and dreams when they returned… My job, however, was to cut that short."

"Does it ever get easier?" the Macken asked, rolling so that he was now laying on his side, facing the bluenette. He didn't like the hesitation on the other demons' face as Ciel opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again. It was never a sign of anything good.

"No…" softly spoke the Phantomhive. "It doesn't… Killing people isn't always easy. It gets harder when you know them."

"That's not helpful at all…"

"I know, but I like you enough to tell you the truth." Ciel said. "We could go for a capture, but that would be more difficult and risky. Worst-case scenario; I could probably do it. Preston isn't the same person we used to know. People like him… they don't handle this sort of thing well… There's a very small chance that he will come back to us, especially since he'll be treated worse if he captured. That's part of what led him to do this in the first place."

"So that's it, then? There's really no other way?" To Alois' inquiry, the Watchdog, paused.

" _I'm afraid not, love_ …" he finally replied. Pulling his hand away from the blonde's lock, the Phantomhive then reached for his beau's hand and intertwined their fingers. Both of them held tight for comfort, both upset by this course of action.

"I don't want to…" Alois sadly stated, trying not to allow his voice to crack. Trying to blink away tears, he accidentally allowed some water to drip from the corner of his eye and fall to the couch cushion as he lamented. "That's too cruel…"

"I know… I'm sorry…" lifting both of their hands, Ciel kissed his lover's fingers. "I know it's hard. It's hard for me, too. I don't want to… to kill Preston, but there aren't many options."

"Because they're our orders?"

"Yes."

"Would you take out _anyone_ if you were ordered to?"

Ciel opened his mouth to answer, but stopped as he fully processed the potential weight of that question. He furrowed his brow as he thought, only to relax again as he found the answer. "No." he said. "If I knew that there was another way, or if I knew that we needed the person enough for an even bigger cause to make that attempt, then no, I wouldn't. I'm not so mindless as to simply obey all orders without giving them heavy consideration, first."

The blonde was silent as the other spoke, and shook his hand out of his beau's grip as Ciel finished speaking. He then sat up and held his arms out. " _Hold me_." He instructed, to which the bluenette stood up from his crouching position and took a seat next to the menace. After wrapping his arms around the menace's shoulders, Alois continued.

_"So you wouldn't—"_

"No, _I wouldn't."_ Ciel interrupted, stopping Alois before he could even ask. "If I was ever ordered to, I could think of at least ten different arguments against it, and if that didn't work, I'd beg."

"What if _that_ didn't work?" questioned the menace.

"I'd come up with another plan. If running away would work, so be it. If bribery did, so be it. Really, there's not a lot that I _wouldn't_ do to prevent that." The Phantomhive said. Leaning over, he pecked the Macken's temple. "So don't think like that."

"Okay…" Alois replied. A small smile played at the corners of his lips from relief, but faded as another thought resurfaced. "But what are we going to do about Preston?"

"Make a plan and stick to it until there's a chance to change it. If none appear, then carry out the plan."

"So you're saying that if there's a chance to capture him or talk him down, we'll take it?"

"Precisely." The Phantomhive answered. "If we can avoid it, we will. If we can't, we can't. Sometimes, things are unavoidable, but sometimes, circumstances change the game."

"That's better, I guess…" the menace mumbled. "This sucks…"

"I know…"


	167. Nothing But The Truth

Ciel sat in his office, attempting to decipher more of the Scarlet Order's secrets. They haven't made another move, but they have compiled a possible list of suspects. Several citizens have been reported missing from Gehenna after the attack in front of the police station. After having their homes searched, they turned up with a few incriminating articles. Boxes of bullets, and make-shift weapons crafted from whatever could be found. Several of them proved dangerous. Millwall bricks, Molotov cocktails in the making, tonfa clubs, blackjacks, knuckledusters, dartmoor spikes, whips, flails, and even _guns_ all fashioned out of found items! That evidence was hard to ignore.

Upon finding out the identity of some such individuals, H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. interviewed residents about them, finding out what they were like and what they did around the neighbourhood. They even brought in a sketchartist to create pictures of the suspects when actual photos couldn't be found. Posters started to appear around the area, offering rewards to those who came forward with information. Despite this, none did, and Ciel was stuck at his desk trying to tie pieces together.

They had everything they needed for arrests, except for the locations of the criminals! It was surprisingly difficult to find them in a city as large as London once they started to run away. It's always best to catch things early, but that isn't what happened this time. The enemy was getting away, and could be virtually anywhere within city limits.

Sighing, the bluenette rubbed his temples. He really didn't want to be working on this at the moment. He had other things to do. The man had a massive project that needed done, and it probably would have been completed by now if it weren't for all of this "Scarlet Order" mess. Tiredly, he looked over at his beau, seated in his usual spot on one of the office's notoriously uncomfortable sofas, leaning against a cushion that he had actually bought recently for the specific purpose of making it bearable.

The Macken sat with tablet in hand, scanning local news sites for anything of interest. Occasionally, the media does find things before either the duo or H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. Then again, the organization had a special team to do this for them. All they did was browse articles all day in order to make sure that any missions that may have otherwise slipped past stay under wraps. There were occasions, however, where they were wrong. Alois browsed with an almost blank expression since he sat down, but eventually, his eyes lit up. A scoff escaped him as he sat upright in his seat.

"Hey, Ciel, look at this." He called, standing up and walking around the other man's desk in order to show his beau his find. "' _Werewolf Sighting Near Soho Has Chinese Restaurants Worried.'"_

"What?" gawked the bluenette, leaning over to get a better look at the article.

"Yeah! That's what it says! Look!" pointed out the menace. " _'A man wandering through Soho Saturday evening sought out strangers on the street in order to find Lee Ho Fooks, a Chinese restaurant in the area, eyewitnesses stated, before lashing out at passersby. The man started acting suspiciously before beginning to snarl, scream, and swipe at bystanders. Some witnesses claimed that he grew hair as his face contorted painfully, before eventually fleeing when people began shouting at him to leave._ '"

"Sounds like an addict of some sort." Ciel dismissed. "You see them in that area on occasion."

"Who knows? Maybe somebody forgot it was a full moon?"

"It wasn't a full moon…"

"How do you know? We were inside all Saturday evening." Alois answered, taking the tablet and pulling up a search engine. "I'm gonna look it up…"

"Why?"

"I'm curious!" stated the menace as he typed in his search and pressed "enter". When the results came up, a wide grin appeared on his face. "Oh, man, look at that! Full moon. Right there. Boom."

"It's probably just a coincidence." Replied Ciel. "Why on earth would a werewolf be in Soho during a full moon?"

"I dunno. Maybe he's new and didn't check before going out." Shrugged Alois. "It's probably some hokey bullshit story. You see those on occasion. I just thought it was interesting, is all, given the current situation."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Scarlet Order stole some serious shit. They didn't just take guns, remember? They took DNA samples. Amelie's was some that was stolen, so who knows? It could happen."

For a moment, Ciel stopped to think, furrowing his brow. What the menace was suggesting did make sense. Nodding, Ciel provided his own speculations.

"That would explain the amateur way of going about this." He said. "They must be someone who approached this willingly."

"Why?"

"Because someone who didn't would fret about it and never forget that their first full moon is near." Ciel explained. "Someone who approached Scarlet Order for lycanthropy would most likely do so for the power and invulnerability involved. That kind of arrogance will lead them to make more mistakes."

"True. So, do you think it really could be Scarlet order?"

"In truth, I have no idea. It really could be a hoax, or someone making up tall-tales, but there is a chance that it could happen, given the circumstance."

"Should I look for more articles?" offered the menace.

"If you think that will help." His beau replied.

"And what about you?"

"In truth, I have no idea." Ciel stated, rubbing his temples. "Maybe I'm losing my touch…"

"Nah, it's just hard to locate people."

"A bunch of supernatural beings?"

"In a city of over eight-billion? Hell yeah." Chuckled Alois, walking back over to his seat. "They've got a genetics expert and a computer genius with money to burn. I don't assume that you've tried to track his spending, have you?"

"I have. It's been moved. Probably overseas. We can't track it. Purchases, too. He's probably using a proxy server to order anything he needs. Like lab equipment, for example. All he has to do is have it delivered to a fake address."

"So he's too good for you?"

"Maybe, maybe not. It's hard to say until we catch him." The bluenette answered. "It's very rare for someone to get away from a Phantomhive."

"So a few have?"

"Of course. You're one of them."

To this, his beau laughed. "Not true. I'm here now."

"But did I capture you?"

"You captured my heart." Alois teased, putting a hand on his chest as he plopped down in his own seat once more. "I'm sure we can catch them. We've done more impossible things before. Eventually, these fucks are gonna get cocky, and when they do, we'll be there to swoop in on their cocky cock-up."

" _Cocky cock-up?"_

"Yeah. They'll make a mistake and be like: ' _knock-knock: who wants some cock?_ '"

"That doesn't even make sense." Ciel said, shaking his head and chuckling at the other demon's vulgar humour.

"Maybe not, but neither does half the shit in this scenario." Answered and menace, pointing his finger toward his partner. "If you think about it, the more time goes on, the less things make sense. You fought a fucking _dragon_ , Ciel. Seriously."

"That's why I have you, who actually understands that kind of bizarre unlogic, I suppose."

"Also because you love me."

"That, I do." Ciel replied with a grin. He leaned back in his chair and looked up. His eye was trained on the ceiling as he sighed. "I want this to be over already."

"Why's that? Your ' _secret project'?"_ questioned his beau, his eyebrow arched as he faced the other man.

"I was thinking along the lines of how tedious this is, but yes, that too."

"Good. I've been dying to see what it is already." Alois said, turning his gaze toward the tablet in his hand as he swiped his finger across the screen. "That why you haven't been going to meetings lately? Is Funtom really okay with you pushing back something so important?"

"' _Funtom'?"_ mouthed the bluenette, furrowing his brow for a moment before he remembered. "Well I am their boss." Ciel answered. "They shouldn't be too upset."

He didn't notice, but his hesitation caused a look of confusion to appear on his lover's face. Ciel spoke as though he knew what he was talking about before, didn't he? Yes, of course he did. Ciel wouldn't lie to him. He's learned his lesson already. Alois shook away the thought and continued his search.

"Nice brainfart, mate." He said. "I guess even world-class detectives can get them."

"'Brain… fart'?" quoted Ciel in confusion.

"Yeah, it's when… It's like when your brain hasn't quite processed something in the middle of a conversation, so it's kinda takes a minute for it to catch up." Alois explained, looking up at the bluenette and waving his hands around as he spoke. "S'pretty normal."

He waited for a moment, but the bluenette didn't respond. Either there was another lapse in what the bluenette was thinking, or there was something else going on. Alois trusted Ciel, but he was one to worry over little details of his relationships on occasion. It was something that he couldn't help. The Phantomhive was one of the first genuine and healthy relationships that he had in a long while. The other being his relationship with his brother Luka.

"Ciel?" he asked, his face worried and his tone uncertain. "What is it?" This seemed to snap the other demon out of his daze.

"What?" asked the bluenette. "Oh. It's nothing. I've just got a lot on my mind…" Watching his lover carefully, Alois had to pursue the matter further.

"Is it the project?" he questioned, averting his attention from the tablet in his hand completely. The blonde picked up on the hint of surprise and worry on Ciel's face, and hoped that it was only his imagination. "Is it really important?"

" _Extremely…"_ muttered the Phantomhive through his teeth while rubbing his forehead. Nervousness built up in his chest over the matter, and it was easily read by Alois.

"What's so important about it?" the blonde questioned. "Talk to me."

"I can't…" Ciel replied, sheepishly avoiding eyecontact with his beau. "It has to remain a secret, for the time being."

"Ciel; babe… I'm a _secret agent_. I _think_ I know how to keep a secret." The blonde asked. Standing up again, he walked over to the bluenette's desk and placed his hands on his surface. Alois examined the man's face carefully, trying to detect a single hint of deception or guilt.

"I know, and I _will_ tell you…" answered the bluenette. "…but not _now._ "

" _Ciel."_ Alois said. His tone was slightly stern as he looked to the Watchdog. "You're not _hiding_ something from me, are you?"

"Well, that's kind of what a 'secret' is…" Ciel said, finally facing the blonde and being taken aback by how completely unamused his face was. Sighing, he apologized. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry… But I really need to keep this a secret. I _don't_ like doing so and I really don't like lying to you…"

" _Lying?"_ Alois echoed confusedly. "Who said anything about _lying?_ Ciel, don't do this to me. We both agreed not to do this."

Colour drained from his face at the realization that he may have just given himself away. His eye was wide as he looked up at the menace and his stomach dropped as those two icy blue eyes stared back at him with such intensity. Indeed, there was a falsehood or two in the information that he gave Alois. He hated it. He didn't want to keep it a secret for any longer, but he had to, or else it would be all for nothing. Sucking in a breath, Ciel tried to compose himself before he spoke.

"You're right…" he replied. "I did lie in a few places in my story. My intention was not to harm you or violate your trust in me."

"What is the lie, Ciel?" Alois asked with a frown, his voice calm, but cross. "Tell me."

"The project is not for Funtom. It's actually a personal one." The bluenette answered. "I said that it was for Funtom because I didn't want you to ask too many questions about it. It's nothing harmful or dangerous, though! Believe me, I would tell you if it was… It's just… I need it to be a surprise, so I can't let you know what it is, yet…"

"You aren't really helping your case, you know…"

"I know… I just… I _need_ this. This isn't like Rio de Janeiro. This is different." Ciel said, looking down as he spoke. When he finally looked up again, he reached across the desk and placed a hand over Alois'. There was a sense of determination and sincerity in his eye as he stared back at the platinum demon in front of him. "I promise you, I'm not up to anything nefarious, and after this, I'll never pull another stunt like this again. I wanted to tell you, really I did, but this case we're working on pushed that back. As soon as the mission is over, I'll tell you. I'll tell you _everything_." Pausing for a moment, he squeezed the Macken's hand.

"Please… I _need_ this, Jim." He said. "Just this once. Just this one last time. Then I'm an open book for you to read as you see fit. Right now, though, I need to have this secret. It's important to me that I keep it for the time being…"

There was a long silence. It loomed over the duo like a poisonous miasma that clogged their lungs with uncertainty. Both parties were waiting on Alois' response with their eyes trained on each other, gauging their reactions. Alois had to think, however. He had to think about exactly it was that the Phantomhive was saying, and needed to determine whether or not he wanted to take the man on his word. Alois wasn't sure about this. He wasn't confident in it at all. He was confident in the bluenette, however. After all that they have been through together, it has been proven time and time again just how much Ciel cares for him, loves him, and is devoted to him. Alois could trust Alois with anything, be it a secret or his life, but now, Ciel has neglected to do the same.

As he searched his lover's eyes, however, that pool of sapphire had something else to say. There was desperation in Ciel's plea. There was worry, and even a slight hint of fear. Still, there was something else. Trust. Ciel trusted that Alois would accept this, and not out of any gullibility. Ciel respected him, and wanted Alois to respect him as well. They were on equal terms. With all sincerity, Alois did want to trust Ciel. That said, he certainly wasn't at all too keen on being lied to.

"What you did was wrong." The menace said finally, pressing his lips into a thin line in between sentences. "You know that, don't you?"

"Yes." Ciel answered. "I know. It was wrong and I shouldn't have done it."

"And you're not just saying that because you're in trouble, right?"

"Never."

The word resonated in Alois' mind as he stood there, leaning on the desk and staring at the Watchdog. He read every centimeter of the Phantomhive's face for any indication of falsehood, but he found none. Instead, he found nothing but truthfulness. Ciel did not like lying to Alois, and Alois knew it. He couldn't keep secrets for long, and he didn't. There was always a rational reason for it, and Ciel always came clean in the end. The Watchdog had learned to do this, not because it made him look bad, but because he learned that it was not only disrespectful to his lover, but violated his lover's trust in him, and made Alois upset. None of those things are acceptable by Ciel's standards.

With lips pressed in a thin line and a stern expression that wavered, Alois weighed the situation. Passing judgement on Ciel was no easy task. Still, at the end of his pondering, Alois relaxed and let out a sigh.

"You _will_ tell me at the end of the mission." He said. Slowly, his eyes looked down at the hand clasping his own before placing his free one on top of it. "I trust you to do that, alright?"

"Yes. That isn't up for debate. I'll be prepared by then." Gently, the watchdog took his hand out from under Alois' and took both of them in his own as he stood up from his seat. He stood slightly bent over the desk between them so that their eyes were at the same level. "That's a promise. And I never break a promise to you."

"Good…" Alois' response caused the bluenette's expression to soften a bit.

"So… are _we_ good?" he questioned. "At least for the time being?"

" _For now_." stated the menace. "But you do realise that I'm mad at you, right?"

"As you should be. I would honestly be surprised if you weren't."

"You don't seem too upset by it…"

"That's not it…" answered the watchdog with a sigh. "I'm mostly just relieved. It was part of my plan all along to tell you. It's a massive part of it. Right now I'm just trying to solve this case so that I can do so that much faster."

"Aren't you afraid of what that means?" questioned the menace. "Preston…"

"True… That complicates things…" Ciel mumbled. "It would probably be better if we waited a little longer then…"

"No. You already promised. No take-backs."

Ciel looked up in surprise, not expecting that. His gaze softened, but he was still frowning. He didn't much care for that option, and he showed it. There was a smidge of disappointment on his face combined with something that Alois couldn't quite decipher. Still, the Phantomhive agreed.

"You're right. I'll keep my promise." He said. "Ordinarily, I would read the mood to tell you something like this, but…" Ciel paused in order to sigh. "I already promised…"

"Ciel?" called the menace. To say that he was concerned about Ciel's expression was only part of it. He was afraid of what it could possibly mean. Why did he seem so let down by this?

"I'm sorry. It just seems so insensitive." Ciel stated. "It's also inappropriate for me to be wanting to make haste in this mission. Killing Preston is something that I want to avoid if at all possible, but…" He looked down for a moment, lowering both of their hands. "I just want to get this off my chest… It's selfish, I know… Cruel…"

"Ciel, you're not cruel…" Wiggling his hand out of his beau's grip, he reached up and cupped the man's cheek. "You're wonderful. This is obviously something really important to you, so you want to take care of it. Then there's the added pressure of… Preston's situation. You're conflicted, and it isn't easy. Tell me soon, but… Don't hurt yourself."

Placing a hand over Alois', the watchdog stared at his lover warmly while wearing a soft smile. Turning his head slightly, he kissed the other man's palm before looking at Alois again. The gesture combined with the expression on his beau's visage caused a small blush to appear on Alois' face. He hadn't expected Ciel to look at him like that. Not right at that moment, at least.

" _I love you_." Ciel said. "I love you so much. I really don't deserve you."

The menace was taken aback for a moment before conjuring up a retort. "Too bad. You're stuck with me because I love you, too- Even if you're a complete ass."

"I'm glad."

"You're _weird,_ that's what you are." Alois replied. Despite the fact that he was shaking his head, he smiled. "Just what am I supposed to do with you, you silly thing? Aren't you supposed to be working?"

"You needed my attention more." His boyfriend answered as though it were the most obvious fact in the world. He turned over Alois' hand, and as he continued to speak, he would pause on occasion in order to kiss the man's fingers and knuckles. "What was I to do? Refuse to speak with you and continue to work? That would hurt you, which is completely counter-productive. That is something that is never an option."

Smiling, the Alois' blush darkened at the other's words, and his heart fluttered at the romantic gesture. Just what had gotten into Ciel? Had Alois done something to spark the Watchdog's passions? There was nothing that Alois could think of. He had been angry at Ciel for lying, but right now, he could tell that the man was speaking from the bottom of his heart.

Ciel would tell him his plan. It wouldn't happen that day or the next, but he would tell him. All that was necessary was some hard work and patience.


	168. Don't Let Him In

Was it a hoax? News outlets continued to report on supposed "werewolf sightings" around London. Fires were started and there were reports that "beastlike figures" were seen dancing in the flames. Some people saw them in secluded areas at night and were lucky that they weren't seen. Others weren't so lucky, and had them prowling around their homes. One woman was hospitalized after a home invasion. Unfortunately, her elderly mother was not so lucky.

From the bizarre nature of the crime, Scotland Yard had no choice but to call in the demonic duo. After being briefed on the situation, they rolled out and headed toward the crime scene. It was still relatively fresh, as police hardly examined it. Just by glancing at it, they knew that they were way in over their heads.

The back kitchen door was busted open, reduced to splinters as it was thrown across the room. The doorway wasn't that well off, either. No human could have done that. It was impossible. Not even an athlete could have knocked over a fully-stocked refrigerator in a scuffle, yet there it was, lying on the ground covered in clawmarks. It was just like the walls. Wallpaper was torn and covered in gashes, along with the same blood that covered the floor. There, the mutilated corpse of the elderly woman that lived in that house along with her daughter was strewn out amoung rubble, broken furniture, and cooking equipment.

When the duo got there, the police there were in a hurry to leave. Not only did they want to stay out of their way, they mostly wanted to get away from this bizarre, gruesome crimescene. They had already started making their way to their vehicles by the time the demons had ducked underneath the police tape that surrounded the house, but one of them did stay behind.

"I hope you can tell me what the _hell_ happened here?!" demanded detective Bailey junior as he approached the two men and began walking alongside them. "What happened in there is _not_ normal!"

"Cool it, Junior. Let us at least look at the place first." Answered Alois as his beau opened the front door of the house and walked inside. He followed after the bluenette, tailed closely by Michael.

"How can I 'cool it'!?" gawked the mortal detective as they traversed through the hallway. "Look at the kitchen!"

As they got closer, their nostrils were assailed by the stench of blood, causing Detective Bailey to cover his wrinkled nose and mouth. Disgusted yet unperturbed, the two demons, however, ventured forward. Scratch marks began to appear on the floor. Some of them were deep. Others were shallow. What was constant was the fact that they looked like a beast had made them on its way out of the kitchen. When the duo finally peered into the doorway, they looked at one another and started digging in their coats.

"We'll take over from here, Junior." Said Ciel, donning a pair of latex gloves while his beau did the same. The two demons then made their way inside the room, completely ignoring Detective Bailey from that point onward. "Jim, do you want to check the door or the body?"

" _Door._ I'm not sure if I'm good enough at inspecting bodies to be accurate." Answered the blonde, making his way to the kitchen door that connected to the outside.

"Sure it's not too gross for you?" joked the Phantomhive.

"Gross, but I've seen bodies before. I even had to dissect some animals a few semesters ago. I don't even know where to _start_ with a mangled piece like that, though." Alois answered, looking over his shoulder for a moment. He then turned his attention to the splintered door frame, inspecting it carefully as he continued to speak. "It's probably best left up to you, Doctor."

Ciel chuckled and shook his head, but the menace didn't see him. Instead, he focused on the splinters, couching down to get a better look. Brow furrowing, he squinted as he saw something irregular. Blood. Now, the scene was covered in blood, but from the location of it, which was right where the door was broken, it didn't seem to be from either of the victims. In other words, it had to belong to the perpetrator.

Reaching into his coat again, Alois pulled out a small, black case. Opening it, he revealed some supplies such as tweezers, cotton swabs, scissors, and even small plastic tubes that could be sealed. Taking one of the cotton swabs, he rubbed one of the wooden spikes that protruded from the door until he felt as though he got a reasonably-sized DNA sample, he placed the swab into one of the tubes and screwed the lid shut. Then, he proceeded to pry off a different bloody splinter with a pair of tweezers as an additional sample, just in case. In was then that he discovered something else. Carefully, he picked it up with his tweezers and held it up to his view.

"Hey Ciel, I've got something." He called out, capturing the bluenette's attention away from the body for a moment.

"Yes?" the Phantomhive answered, holding up his blood-covered, gloved hands so that he wasn't touching anything else. "What is it?"

"Our intruder got a boo-boo." Mischievously stated the menace. "There's blood on these spinters, like 'e hurt himself when he broke the door. Wanna know what else I found?"

"What is it? Don't keep me in suspense. It's not nice." Ciel playfully said back as he watched the menace place something into another tube.

"Hair." The blonde replied, holding his find up to view. "I found hair. And wanna know something else? It don't look human. More like an animal."

"Let me guess. Werewolves?"

"I'm thinkin' so, but we gotta send it to HQ to make sure, unfortunately."

"At least we have a hypothesis." Ciel answered, causing the human who was still standing in the hallway watching them gawk.

"Werewolves?" asked Bailey. "You're seriously thinking werewolves did this?!"

"It's not impossible. Besides, it's from another case we're working on. It's classified, though. Top secret." Replied Alois, standing up from his crouched position and carefully slipping the closed tool case back in his jacket. He jumped over an especially large puddle of blood as he made his way over to his lover to see what he had found.

"What?" 

"Government stuff. Not even Scotland Yard can know." Ciel cut in, standing up in order to face his beau. Taking off his gloves, he nodded toward the body as he looked down.

"She's been torn to pieces." He said.

"I can see that, but how?" questioned the menace.

"Well, it's going to come as a surprise to you…"

"What is it?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Ciel, stop being a prick and tell me!" complained the Macken, pouting as the other demon smirked.

"There's claw marks all over her body." Ciel stated. "Bite marks, too. From the size, depth, and pattern, can you guess what left them?"

"A 'not human'?"

"That certainly isn't human." The Phantomhive said. "We should take a few pictures to send to headquarters. Is the camera still in the car?"

"Yeah. In the trunk." Alois casually anwered. "Should be around the bags with extra clothes in them."

"Why do you need extra clothes?" butted in Detective Bailey. He shrunk a bit as the pair looked at him confusedly. Neither of them answered at first, but Alois did make a wide, sweeping gesture around the blood-splattered room.

 _"Gee, Michael, I have no idea."_ He said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "It's not like there's a possibility of getting dirty on this job."

"Alright, is that entirely necessary?" Michael questioned with a furrowed brow. "That's not going to be obvious to everyone!"

"Not to a _newb,_ anyway." Muttered the menace, inviting a chuckle from his partner.

"Jim, be nice." The Phantomhive said. "There's still more stuff to look at. We have to be thorough."

"Yes, dear." Sighed Alois, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, should I go get the camera out of the car so we can document the crime scene?"

"If you would be so kind."

"On it. Be right back~!" the blonde said, stepping over more puddles. He quickly made his way through the house and toward the front door.

"After that we'll figure out how he got to the back door!" Ciel called after him.

"Okay!" his boyfriend called back, disappearing out the front door and hopping over blue police tape. Ciel simply shook his head. Walking away from the body, the bluenette walked toward the back door and looked outside.

"Must've hopped the fence." He said to himself.

"There's no way." Detective Bailey interrupted. The man had difficulty making it over to the bluenette, and nearly slipped in blood. "I saw that fence. It's almost three meters high!"

Ciel only rolled his eyes at the sound of the man disturbing the crime scene with his clumsiness, not even bothering to look over his shoulder at the man. "Exactly." He said. "No human could have done that."


	169. Tragedy

In the most recent gruesome murder under investigation by London's finest, there was one survivor. However, the woman was admitted to the hospital due to injuries sustained in the attack, so her interrogation had to be postponed. Meanwhile, the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. research department was working tirelessly to confirm investigators suspicions that lycanthropy may be involved. It was vital that tests be completed as swiftly as possible, as ordinary human hospitals are not equipped to handle supernaturals, which in turn puts many people at risk.

It was hoped that they were incorrect, however, that is not how things turned out. The samples provided by agents Phantomhive and Macken were confirmed lycanthropy-positive. Thus, it was swiftly determined that the victim would be sent to the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. facility for further treatment. In addition, she too, would be tested for lycanthropy, but judging by how quickly her wounds healed, no one was optimistic.

Her name was Grace Ethans. She sat quietly in her chair on the other end of the table as she waited for the investigators to arrive and interrogate her. The woman looked exhausted. The trauma of going through such an ordeal was substantial enough for her to also need psychiatric counselling, so the duo would have to treat this gently. Really, it was a little early for interrogation, but they were pressed for time.

Finally, the door to the interrogation room opened and two gentlemen walked through. Her eyes widened at their appearances. They seemed much too young for this job, but she wasn't going to question that, especially with the mean look that the one with the eyepatch wore. The men shut the door behind them and sat down on the other side of the table. Grace was a bit taken aback by the juxtaposition of the two, as one of them had dark hair and one had light, and their expressions reflected this as well. The one with the hair of a strange blueish-black wore a surly look, and Grace couldn't tell if it was an expression of his thoughts on the situation or simply just the way his features sat. As for the blonde one, he wore a friendly smile that set the woman at ease. He looked like a man who was here to help. Together, however, they looked like comedy and tragedy.

"Thank you for cooperating with us, Mrs. Evans." Said tragedy, his tone pleasantly casual and nonthreatening. "Hopefully, if we can get all of the information we need, we can have this case wrapped up really quickly."

"It's _Miss_ Ethans." Corrected the woman. "I'm not married anymore- not to that monster, and from what happened here, I'd like to stay that way."

"What do you mean?" questioned the bluenette, somewhat taken by surprise. He certainly didn't expect the woman to get right into things, as much as he appreciated it.

"You want to know who did this, don't you?" the woman asked. "It was my ex. He showed up, prowling around the back door late at night, shouting… After I wouldn't let him in, he… It sounds crazy, but… he… he…"

"… _Turned into a beast?"_ continued the blonde man, raising his eyebrows questioningly. "Men really are brutes, aren't they? I suppose you're thinking something a bit more literal, though."

"Yes…"

"So what did this beast look like? A large dog? A wolf, maybe?" the blonde stopped for a moment before shaking his head. "Ah, wait, we forgot to introduce ourselves! It might help if you know our names. I'm Senior Detective Constable Macken, and the grouchy-looking fellow next to me is Senior Detective Phantomhive. Please forgive our rudeness."

"It's no problem at all. I'm Grace. Grace Ethans…" the woman said. She looked like she wanted to say something else, but she hesitated. Looking down, she sucked in a breath. "I'm… I'm not crazy, I… I just…"

"What did you see, Miss Ethans?" questioned the bluenette. He tried his best to not look intimidating, but his natural expression betrayed him. Grace blinked, trying to force away tears. Her face was flushed and her breathing quickened. "It's alright. Take all the time you need."

"It's just as he said, though." Sniffled Grace. She shook her head and shrugged. "It really is. He—he became a monster- a _real_ monster! With—with fur, and fangs, and claws… He looked like… As mad as it seems, he looked like a—a wolfman! I just—I don't know what to do, detectives…"

"That's alright." Said Alois. "Most people don't know how to react when they see something like that, but believe me, you're not crazy. Do you know where you are, now?"

Shaking her head again, the woman spoke. "Some… Some kind of special facility…"

"A very special one. Right now, you're at the headquarters of the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization. That's ' _Her Royal England's Legions of Legitimate Supernatural and Immortal Night Guard'_." The blonde clarified. "It's a special government branch that specializes in the handling of supernatural cases like this."

Furrowing her brow, Grace's mouth hung open slightly as she looked at the man with disbelief. "Is this some sort of joke?"

"No ma'am." Answered Ciel. "After all that you have been through thus far, it should be obvious." Pausing, he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, letting out a huff of air. "Believe what you want Miss Ethans, but it could very well be detrimental to your health if you don't."

"What do you mean?"

With that, the two men looked at one another. Clearing his throat, the blonde then turned back to the woman. "What my partner is trying to say is that we know you were injured by this beast." He said. "And… Judging by how fast your wounds have healed…"

"You could be infected with lycanthropy. In other words, what happens when someone is bitten by a werewolf." Interrupted the bluenette.

"You're joking…" Grace said, her head shaking with disbelief. "I can't. I can't be. You don't understand… I _can't_ be like that..."

"Miss Ethans, I know it's hard to accept, but-"

"Who will take care of my _kids_ , huh?!" the woman shouted, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. "How can I take care of them if I'm a bloody monster, huh?! Are you going to take them away once you've rescued them?!"

"Miss Ethans, calm down." Ciel instructed, putting his hands up. "What do you mean ' _rescue'?"_

"They're _gone!"_ screamed grace, slamming her fist on the table, cracking it. "I had no choice but to let that bastard have his fucking visitation rights, but he— if he tried to kill me… He's not going to give them _back!"_

"Your ex-husband?" questioned the menace, looking to the Phantomhive with wide eyes for a moment. "Miss Ethans, you ex-husband took your children and attacked you? Is that what happened?"

"Yes! Isn't it fucking obvious?!" demanded the woman. "Harris would do something like this… That's why I divorced him… I didn't want to give him the kids, even for a weekend, but… The court ordered it… I don't know how he did this, but I know it was him. I saw him out the window, and I heard his voice shouting at me to come outside. I-I thought I was safe as long as I stayed in the house… and… O-oh God…" With that thought, Grace slouched in her seat and covered her face with her hands, releasing a heavy sob. " _M-mother…"_

The two men simply let her have her cry for a few moments. Unfortunately, there had to be a time where one of them got what information they needed. "It's going to be alright, Miss Ethans." Said the Phantomhive. His voice was soft and was surprisingly soothing, despite his mean face. "We'll get your children back. How many are there?"

"T-two." She choked out. "Just two. A boy and a girl… Andrew and Paige…"

"How old are they?"

"Andrew is six and Paige is fourteen… I can't imagine what they must be going through…" Grace choked. "As horrible as it is to say, I don't know if I really want to…"

Once again the gentlemen shot each other another glance. The woman was a mess. There wasn't much that they were going to be able to get out of her at the moment. Yet, they still needed one thing. Just one, single piece of information.

"We're almost done for the day, Miss Ethan…" began Alois, folding his hands as he leaned forward. "Once you tell us that, you can go, okay?"

Sniffling the woman answered. "Okay…"

"All we need to know is what your ex-husband's name is." The man said, and Grace nodded, trying desperately to compose herself.

"Harris." She hiccupped. "Harris Hartley."


	170. Comedy

While Grace's condition was stabilizing both physically and mentally, it caused quite the mess. The fact that children were involved in all of this was the primary reason. They would never be able to go back to the world of humans after all of this. Everywhere they went, they would know the true nature of this world that they live in. That was a heavy burden for a child. Setting them up in foster homes wouldn't help. They needed to be treated by professionals.

The Convention of Twelve debated the circumstance of the Ethans family, and decided that it was best to keep the children with their mother upon their rescue, as lycanthropy is not dangerous unless someone abuses the power that comes with it. Grace would not be able to live normally, however, and she would not be able to work at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. because of her children. Thus, it was decided that they would reach out to their supernatural neighbours, the town of Gehenna. It was then that the representatives of the township were called in and the discussion of asylum for the Ethans family went underway.

Gehenna had no problem with accepting Grace, who by this point was a confirmed werewolf. Even so, they did have major concerns for her children, who, as far as anyone is aware, are human. This fact may no longer be true given their situation, but they still had to factor in the possibility. If the children had been changed, Gehenna would accept them without question, but the possibility of humans living there was unknown. This matter required further consideration.

Meanwhile, the demonic duo began tracking Mister Harris Hartley, Grace's ex-husband. They obviously didn't find him in his home, but they did find further evidence to link him with the attack. Hair in the bottom of his shower was confirmed to be that of a werewolf. That was enough, but the fact that he had seemingly tore the house apart while fleeing the scene also was a big indicator that he was running away from something. The small amount of children's clothes left behind was a big indicator that he was not alone.

The duo was furious. Integra was furious. And even H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.' own resident lycanthrope was absolutely furious. Amelie, unlike this man—this horrible, horrible man—did not have a choice in the matter. She had this fate of becoming a beast forced on her while trying to flee a desperate situation. It was painful. It was agonizing. It was unwanted, and lonely. Why should someone else be able to choice this sickness? It wasn't fair.

Despite this, the woman agreed to aid the victim of this latest attack, swallowing her own achiness and pushing forward. She resonated with Grace's situation, but it wasn't required of her to share. More than that, she didn't want to. Amelie only did what was asked of her, and that was to prepare Grace for her first moon and give advice on how to cope.

Mrs. Garou didn't want to become a teacher. That wasn't her department, nor did she want to revisit this again. With the potential for more people like her to follow Grace, however, it looked as though she had to. That is when another idea was proposed by them demon known in Gehenna as "Mister Lion". It was more of an off-handed comment that took off in conversation.

_"It's not like there's an instruction booklet or a pamphlet you can pick up at the local clinic, now, is there?"_

To this, a follow-up question was asked. "Why not?" They had the resources. They had the data. Realistically, it was feasible, and was actually a more practical idea than some seminar. Books could be printed and distributed in Gehenna, placed in the library, available for purchase at the general store opened up by residents, at The Wolf's Glen, or even at the Town Welfare Center. In fact, there could be more than one book of this sort. Vampires came into Gehenna often. They were usually new, and clueless as to what on earth they were supposed to do with their newfound supernatural status. It was a common problem, so why not try to give the resources to potentially solve it?

Here is where H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. ran into another problem, however. They had graphic designers. They had a print shop. They printed instruction manuals all of the time for protocol, techniques, and the like. However, they had no one who could make a "self-help" type book. There was no one to author it.

That is, until the duo made a suggestion. They had a friend who could write, and was almost done with a novel he had been working on over the past year and a half. He was human, and could write from that perspective, but he was also understanding, and willing to listen and incorporate the views of others into his works. Well-tempered, aware of the supernatural, and good with words, they had a friend who could author these books. His name was Travis Sullivan.

Travis would be compensated for his work, and would most likely cooperate if asked nicely. With this, the council agreed to have this friend of theirs write, especially after having read some of the roughs that the man had sent to Ciel for his opinion. All they needed were a few hours away from tracking Mister Harris in order to talk to Travis. In fact, they simply left the prior task up to the Intelligence department, as tracking and locating targets was part of their occupation.

Finding Travis wasn't difficult. What was difficult was setting up an appointment. They couldn't simply waltz into his house, as he was no longer living on his own. To combat the depression of losing Preston to despair, he returned home to his parents' house, and it was because of this that things became tricky. They couldn't simply have their discussion around his parents, so the duo had to come up with something else. In the end, they invited him to their home in order to discuss an important commission.

This is why it was Travis who appeared before the manor as an important guest. The man stood before the manor, looking up at the intimidating structure with a notebook tucked under his arm. It had been awhile since he had set foot in this place. With him was his assistant and unexpected co-author, Patricia Ramirez.

Patricia was only initially supposed to be an advisor for combat scenes, giving her boxing background, but once it was brought to Travis' attention that she, too, was an English major at a university, he began having her do more than that. Eventually, she began authoring entire sections, and she had no qualms about it so long as she receives credit and financial compensation when the book goes to print.

She walked up the steps to the front of the manor, fiddling with the memory stick that held the current progress on their book on it in her pocket. Before Travis could even knock on the door, it opened, startling both writers as a man clad in black appeared before him and smiled.

"Ah, Mister Sullivan." Greeted the butler. "It's good to see you again. It's been awhile, hasn't it? Same goes for you, Miss Ramirez."

"You actually remember me?" asked Patricia. "You're thorough. I figured that I was just a side character."

"Of course. What kind of butler would I be if I could not remember names?" with that, Sebastian gestured inside. "Please, do come in."

As the pair walked inside, the woman looked toward her associate. "What the _hell_ was that?" she whispered questioningly.

"Who knows? I think it's one of his catchphrases." Answered Travis in a similar tone. Both were oblivious to the small twitch of the butler's eyebrow as he led the two to his master's office.

Ciel sat on one of the sofas, conversing with Alois over a few documents. There were folders stacked neatly on the coffee table in front of them, and as the door to the room opened, the men placed the folder that they were looking at back in its place and turned their attention to their guests. Alois grinned and waved excitedly while his partner simply smiled.

"Travis!" called the blonde, looking as though he wanted to get up. He contained himself, obviously trying to maintain the air of a serious business meeting, but failing badly. He hadn't seen his friend in quite a while, so he was very keen on this visit. "Welcome back~!"

"It's good to see you again, Alois." Smiled Travis, taking a seat on the sofa on the other side of the table along with his own associate. "You remember Patricia?"

"Of course~! How are you? Had your fill of weird supernatural shit, yet?" the blonde jokingly inquired, turning to the girl.

"From the sounds of things, it doesn't matter even if I did." Patricia answered, shaking the hand of the watchdog as he reached across the table.

"We look forward to doing business with you." Said Ciel with a small nod.

"I accept my fate." The woman jested. "So, about this book?" she questioned, leaning back in her seat and draping her arms over the back of the couch. Crossing one leg over the other, she was comfortable, contrasting greatly with the quiet man seated next to her.

" _Books_ , actually." Ciel corrected. "Two of them. One of them is about werewolves, and the other is about vampires."

"I'm not writin' _Twilight_ fanfiction, mate…"

Giggling, the menace needed a moment to collect himself from that remark before speaking again. "No, no! It's more of a… self-help kinda thing, actually."

"So, self-help books for new werewolves and vampires?" questioned Travis, startling the two demons with his spot-on analysis.

"Well, yes." The bluenette replied. "I did say it was for H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. over the phone, yes?"

"Yeah, that's how I figured it out." Answered the Sullivan gentleman. "I'm pretty sure they've got all kinds of manuals on killing the supernatural, and people who're better candidates for writing them other than Patty and I."

"True, but who can write books meant for the general public?" inquired the Phantomhive. "That is where you come in."

"Alright, then. Do you know where I can find information on my subject, then?" Travis asked, being pleasantly agreeable, as was his nature.

"In the folders." Alois said, patting the stack of documents. "There's people to contact for information, how to reach them, and even some data."

"Oh, good." The human said. "Is that one werewolf girl who worked for H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. in here? I'd like to talk to a real werewolf, if I can."

"A… real werewolf?" echoed Patricia, a skeptical and somewhat nervous look crossing her features.

"Yep." The menace replied, picking up folders and flipping through them until he found the correct one. He presented the opened file to Travis to look over, handing it to him carefully so nothing spilled out. "Amelie Garou. Her wife is in there, too, so you can ask her for tips on dealing with a lycanthrope spouse. Also, since she's a vampire, she should be handy with the other book, too."

"Perfect." Travis answered, looking up from the folder in order to give his friend his attention. "Sounds simple enough, since everything's there. We'll get on it right away."

"Huh? Just like that?" asked his associate. The woman then turned her attention to the demons as well. "What about pay?"

That question caused the bluenette to chuckle; mostly because that is what he, too, would be concerned about. "Yes, we will discuss that as well." He informed. "Travis kind of jumped the gun, there. We will need your information in order to route the money into your accounts."

"Just how much are we talkin' here, eyepatch?" questioned the woman, leaning forward. "I'm not interviewin' no werewolves for peanuts, here."

Blinking, the Phantomhive sat back in his seat and rubbed his chin. That was an excellent question, and one that needed an answer. Unfortunately, H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. hadn't given them a budget.

"We will have to ask." He answered finally, prompting the woman to throw her hands up in the air.

" _Nope_." She said. "No deal. I know better than to strike a deal with someone with no money on the table. Not happening."

"Patricia…" Travis began, only to be cut off by a raising of the bluenette's hand.

"Understandable." Ciel stated. "That's very good business practice. We can call the office, if you'd like."

" _I'd like."_ Patricia answered, prompting the bluenette to stand up. He then walked over to his desk and picked up the phone. The woman listened intently while Travis looked to the blonde seated across from him apologetically. Alois merely smiled in response and shook his head. It only took a few minutes for the Phantomhive to get the information he needed and hang up.

"Eighteen thousand." He informed.

"Only eightteen thousand?" asked Travis, causing the woman seated next to him to choke on her own spit.

"What do you mean _'only'?_ That's a lot of money!" she loudly stated. "I could do a lot with that!"

"That's only up front." Ciel informed, sitting back down. Crossing one leg over the other, he got comfortable in his seat. "Eightteen thousand for each of you."

" _Each?!"_ gawked Patricia, placing a hand on her forehead and looking up at the ceiling.

"So, is it a deal, Miss Ramirez?" inquired the devil, smiling from across the table at her.

"You bet, chuckles." The woman answered, holding out her hand. "I'm in."

"I'm fine with this." Travis interjected as the other two shook on it. "I'm just happy to help out a friend."

"I'm sorry for the small amount. After that, you'll be getting paid by books sold, so it still probably won't be much overall, given Gehenna's population."

"I'm fine with this."

"God, rich people are annoying…" muttered Patricia, leaning back in her seat. Her eye caught the image of the blonde menace nodding at her knowingly.

" _Tell me about it…"_


	171. Professional Quality

Tracking down Mister Harris Hartley was no trouble at all for the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. Intelligence Department. They had spies tailing him left and right, and had seen him on more than one occasion with a child—always one or the other, but never both at the same time. Sometimes, Hartley would have the girl with him, and sometimes, he would have the boy. Either way, the lumbering brute of a man was always hovering over them and watching their every move, yet he was oblivious to the plainclothes officers tailing him.

Hartley often hung around a specific pier, accompanied by others. Human agents had no way of sensing as to whether or not they too, were supernaturals, so they were sure to keep their distance. That pier, however, held one very interesting craft. A shipping vessel owned by the SOMA Technology Company.

Upon questioning the president of the company, however, they discovered that they no longer owned it. It had been purchased by a buyer whose name turned out to belong to a person who had died years ago. It was a fake. The owner of the company, the mother of Preston Omid, was certain that it was her son by this point, and cooperated with giving H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. information about the vessel, including blueprints and layouts.

"Bring my son to justice." The woman said. "Bring him home. I do not fully understand what's wrong with him. I do not understand what he's going through. I do know that he is in very much pain. Please help him in any way you can."

Hartley had been seen boarding the vessel as it sat in the harbor along the Thames. Without a single doubt, that is where the Scarlet Order was hiding. Thus, the council gathered in order to devise a strategy. In the end, they decided to set up a blockade so that the terrorist organization could not escape out to sea. Then, they readied boats in case the ship took off, before sending in a team to inspect the vessel. This was arranged to appear under the guise of police work. Britain's finest duo of detectives would be sent in with backup at the ready should things turn ugly.

It was daytime when the gentlemen arrived. Sir Phantomhive and his partner, Mister Macken, casually walked up to the ship, protected by daylight and the openness of their surroundings. The Scarlet Order could not attack them so blatantly. When the two men clad in black arrived, those in charge watched carefully.

A woman with long dark hair fastened into a single braid in the back stood overlooking the scene playing before her, placing her hand on the railing of the ship. Her ring gleamed in the sunlight, itching to take care of things swiftly, but knowing that patience would prove to be more prosperous. Suddenly, her attention was captured as she was approached by an underling.

"Captain Wink!" he said, panting. Sweat beaded his forehead as he addressed his superior. "We've got trouble. Two H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agents have showed up. It's the Watchdog!"

"What do they want?" asked Wink. "Have they made any demands?"

"Just to see whoever is in charge, Ma'am." The flunkie replied. "They want to look around…"

"Let them." The woman said.

"Ma'am?"

"We'll give them the impression that we have nothing to hide." Stated Wink. "Tell those who are not in human shape to remain out of sight."

"Yes, ma'am." Said the underling, before turning to do as his was ordered to as Wink looked back out over the rail, gripping it tightly.

Frost appeared where her hand had touched as the gems on her ring glowed. Furrowing her brow, she tore her hand away, causing ice to shatter and fall to the ground. She then turned just as the funkie did, in order to inform those in charge of the situation. Meanwhile, outside, the duo were waiting.

"Not very professional, are they?" whispered the blonde menace, leaning over to his beau. "Their staring is obvious. Something's definitely up."

"I don't doubt that for a second." Answered Ciel in a similarly hushed tone. "I find it especially peculiar as to why they haven't left someone with us to make sure that we stay put."

"Maybe they figure that the surveillance of the others is enough?" suggested Alois.

"Bad move."

"Do you think they believe that we cannot tell what they are?" questioned the menace. "How foolish…"

"Amateurs." The Phantomhive said. "Be on your toes, however. They may act volatile when backed into a corner."

"Yes, my love." answered Alois, turning his attention away from the bluenette as they were approached by another. He appeared to be the man in charge, but the duo knew better. This "leader" was merely a front. Still, they acted as if they hadn't the slightest idea.

"How can I help you gentlemen?" the man asked, holding out a hand. "I'm Brian. I'm the man in charge, here."

A glint appeared in the bluenette's eye at the way the man spoke. The fact that he was in charge was presented as an afterthought. He is indeed a false leader.

"Senior Detective Phantomhive." The bluenette said, shaking the man's hand nonetheless. His eye stayed fixed on the other gentleman's as he spoke. "This is my partner, Senior Detective Macken. We're looking for someone by the name of Harris Hartley. Can you perhaps help us find him?"

Suddenly, Brian's eyes darted away, off to the side. Something was hidden in that direction. It could be Hartley, but given how nervous he seemed at that question, he was looking for approval from someone. So that's where the boss was hiding…

"Oh, he's around here somewhere." He said, looking to the side again for confirmation that this was the correct course of action. Regardless, Ciel's eyes stayed fixed. "I'm sure I can look around for him. Why don't you come inside and wait?"

"Thank you very much." Ciel answered, looking over to the menace as Brian turned away to lead them. Pointing with his eye, Ciel silently communicated where the actual threat was located, to which the blonde nodded.

"So, is Harris in any trouble?" asked the faux-leader as he walked up the ramp with the duo into the ship.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you the details, but yes, he is a suspect in a case." Answered Ciel. He wasn't going to let them in on how much H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. knew so easily. As Alois looked around in false wonder, concealing the fact that he was actually looking for the true boss, the pair came to a stop once they reached the interior of the ship.

"I see. Well, I hope I can help you out, any." Brian replied, not even turning to address the two as he spoke. "I'll see if I can find him. Just wait here."

"Thank you for your cooperation." The Phantomhive stated, allowing the man to walk away. Once he was out of sight, he turned to the menace.

"Let's start looking." He said.

"Split up or stay together?" questioned the menace.

"Stay together. There's enough supernaturals on this ship to be a tad overwhelming."

"You got it, boss."

Casually, the duo looked around as though they were just nosy. They walked as though they had no purpose whatsoever, as though they hadn't the faintest idea as to what they are doing. It was a farce, however. Their senses were open, taking in all of the information that they could. They knew that all eyes were on them, so they played the part of the bumbling police officers. Little was it known to the vast majority of the eyes that were honed in on them, they knew everything. Ciel and Alois even knew that the true commanding officer was tailing them, so they kept the act up until they were completely out of sight.

Wink was confused. She couldn't figure out why they were acting so recklessly. Surely, since this pair was so feared by all who heard of them, they would act with more grace. Even so, she did not let them out of her sights. That is, of course until she saw their eyes.

The woman stopped dead in her tracks at that devilish glint. A feeling of unease punched her in the stomach as she noticed it. That clumsiness was a façade, and hidden behind it was something much more dangerous. She had been fooled, but no longer. Wink retreated in order to find backup, instructing a pair of disguised elves to keep their senses honed in on the demons as they traveled further into the depths of the ship. She could not allow them to get far, however. She could tell that these two were in fact professional.

"Brian, rally the werewolves." She said, passing the man in the hall.

"Ma'am?"

"Don't ask questions. Just arm them, and exterminate those demons."

* * *


	172. Dogfight

Intruders waltzed about the ship nonchalantly, not even giving the faintest hint of understanding just what kind of den of criminal activity they have just stumbled into. The men were not oblivious, however, and fully understood the gravity of the situation that they had just landed in. As they advanced, sly grins appeared on their faces.

"Smells like trouble up ahead." Alois pointed out, his icy blue eyes glancing toward his beau. "Or wet dog."

"It's unavoidable." Ciel replied. "Send a text to our backup, will you?"

"Roger that." The menace said, pulling out his cellphone. He began texting as they approached a clearing, and didn't stop until it was finished. Both of them stopped and he slipped his phone back in his pocket with a grin. The duo appeared amused despite the fact that they knew that they were surrounded.

Alois' smirk widened, flashing his teeth. He could sense their enemies hiding behind crates and metal storage pods, and was almost itching for a fight. Once they stopped, he raised his arms up over his head, stretching.

"So, who's going first?" he asked his beau.

"Well, it's usually courteous to let guests go first, but I'd rather the hosts make the first move." Jested the Phantomhive. "After all, we did drop in unannounced."

"So we did." The blonde said. "But, it appears as though they're waitin' for something."

"Permission from their superiors." Ciel stated. None of them are sure about their situation. They aren't trained killers. They want to be told what to do, and not just do it."

Alois whistled a flat note. "Major mistake. Think we can use that?"

"Maybe."

"So what's the plan, love?"

"Well, first, let's see if we can shake their resolve." The watchdog replied.

"Lead the way."

With that, Ciel held his head up high and puffed out his chest. Determination adorning his visage, he spoke; his voice booming throughout the room and not leaving a single opportunity to ignore it. " _Supernaturals!"_ he bellowed, making the ears of his enemy pique. "Surrender now and you will be spared. You will be given asylum in Gehenna, and be given proper knowledge of your conditions. All you have to do is drop your weapons and leave this ship now. Failure to do so will result in injury or death."

Silence did not prevail, as the sounds of whispering was heard coming from the shadows. Some debated this. Some rationalized it away. Either way, no one left, as they were too scared of both H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and the Scarlet Order itself. No one knew what the penalty for treachery was, and from their actions thus far, no one wanted to find out. So it was that they continued to defy the demons, although some with uncertainty.

"Doesn't seem to have worked." Alois said, hearing the loading and cocking of guns.

"It did. It just hasn't taken effect just yet." The Phantomhive retorted. "Many will become deserters once the battle starts. That's how it is, when the enemy has underestimated you."

"How rude. Better show them what for, now, huh?"

"Definitely."

On that word, one of the supernaturals in hiding sprung out and began firing, causing the demons to dodge. The werewolf's fur bristled, eyes wide, with his lips pulled back in a snarl. Oh, how the beast howled as it opened fire, soon being followed by his comrades. Werewolves opened fire on the demons and shot erratically. Staying low, the Lion sprang at the assailant while the Watchdog seemingly disappeared. It wasn't until the attacker heard the cries of pain from his comrades that he knew where the bluenette went. This didn't last long, however, as the menace appeared before him in a golden flash, aiming his gun at the lycanthropes head and pulling the trigger.

The gut-wrenching, hollow thuds echoed around the room between the thunderous sounds of gunfire. At times, there were those who when confronted by her majesty's beasts, threw down their weapons and put up their hands in surrender. They wimpered. They cried. They begged for mercy while attempting to evade the glowing gaze of the demons. Yet, as promised, they were let go. The Watchdog, known for his mercilessness, towered over the kneeling traitor and pointed to the exit.

" _Go_." He said, shaking the bones of the deserter with a single word. They did as instructed, however, and fled the battle as quickly as their legs could carry them, and surrendered to awaiting H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. forces outside.

But then, the door began to close and they could no longer escape. Some fled to the top of the ship and bathed themselves in sunlight before jumping over the railing into the water below. They swam to shore and followed the suit of their fellow traitors, seeking refuge rather than conflict.

Soldiers outside, however, gawked at signed that the ship was preparing to depart and called in for reinforcements. They alerted their barricade and hoped that it would hold. They hoped for the demons inside, as well, as they were on their own for the time being.

That said, they were doing just fine. Alois stood, surrounded by the bodies of beasts and men alike with a grin plastered across his face. Twirling his guns, he waited for the rest of the deserters to flee.

"As long as there's music, I'll keep on dancing~!" he declared pausing to fire at one more foe. The blonde then holstered his weapons as his lover finished off the last man standing on the opposing side.

"You're very good at it." Ciel chimed in as he stepped out from behind a crate. "Good thing, too, seeing as though there's more on the way. Not only that, I think the ship is taking off."

"Oh well. We planned for this, so it should be fine." The blonde said.

"You seem to not be too concerned."

"If I get worked up, it's hard to do my job. Let's just get this over with."

Nodding, the bluenette gestured for the Macken to follow him. "Come on. Let's finish this."


	173. The Man In Maroon

_"NO!"_ roared doctor Hobbs, nearly on the verge of pulling his hair out. The man was a mess as it is. Tired-looking, with more scruff, the doctor looked dreadful. His canines were more prominent and his labcoat hardly fit anymore. He had grown taller, more muscular, and more beast-like. It was obvious that the man's genetic experiments hadn't stopped at merely infecting other people with supernatural disease, but also infecting himself with God-knows-what. Hobbs slammed his fist into the wall, denting the metal. It was then that he had to be stopped.

"Calm down, Hobbs, don't lose yourself." Said Wink, keeping her arms crossed. "Those demons are simply stronger than we anticipated. We just have to be smarter."

 _"Smarter?"_ echoed Hobbs, turning to face the woman. "We're trapped on a ship with two of the most dangerous supernatural beings in Britain. You have _no idea_ what we're up against, and now you've wasted some of my precious dogs."

It was true. The ship was now traveling along the Thames, and it wasn't certain as to whether or not the demons were trapped inside with the Scarlet Order, or if the Scarlet Order was trapped inside with the demons. Either way, everything was a mess.

" _Enlighten me_ , then." Wink shot back through clenched teeth. Her brow furrowed, and her single eye glared up at the man before her, only to earn a snarl.

"You're an idiot." The Doctor scoffed.

"You don't know either, do you?" asked the woman with small twinge of a smirk playing at her lips.

"I know the stories." Hobbs replied. "I know how Phantomhive slayed a dragon all on his own! I know how Macken attacked a castle and won! _Don't_ underestimate them, _little girl_."

"I could still freeze you in your tracks, _Frankenstein_."

"What?!"

"You heard me. You're a thing."

Baring his teeth, Doctor Hobbs snarled at the teen before him and furrowed his brow. Then, he cocked his arm back and roared, prompting the gems on Wink's ring to glow. The room's temperature dropped as the man swung.

"Filthy witch!" the man boomed, only for his snarl to disappear completely as his arm was stopped. Wink stood at attention, betraying her fighting stance while her associate winced at the force being inflicted on his arm.

"S-sir…" Hobbs grimaced, only to be let go again. "M-mister Omid, I—"

"Save it." Said Preston, glaring up at his subordinate with golden eyes. He lowered his hand and placed it in the pockets.

The way Preston looked at him was cold, but with a hidden fire. He didn't look threatening at the moment, as he was dressed in cheap, maroon sweatpants and a hoodie to match, but that was simply so that he did not waste any descent clothing in battle. His armour tears any garment to shreds against his wishes, but it is worth it. Preston held himself as though he was a man to be feared, but it was his anger that really sold it. The man was on a mission, and it may have just been compromised.

"I don't care about what you have to say." Spoke the Omid gentleman. "All that matters is that we can't turn back now. We're moving, and those two monsters have boarded. We just have to make the best of it. We've got bigger problems than that, anyway."

"What do you mean?" questioned Wink, relaxing her stance a bit.

"There's a blockade up ahead." The man informed. "And H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. has more boats following us. We need to take care of those or we have no chance of making it out of here."

"What do you want us to do, sir?"

"You got those guns I ordered?"

"Yes, but we haven't tested them yet…"

"Test them now." Preston instructed. "Use the remaining werewolves for that. Board ships if you have to. Do what you must. As for the others, focus on protecting the lab. There's no doubt that's what they're after."

"What about you?" asked Hobbs.

"I need to take care of something." Answered the Omid.

"Those kids?" questioned Wink. "We need to get them off of the boat."

"Don't worry, I have a plan." Informed Preston. "It might not be so bad that Hartley brought them here after all."

"Why's that?"

"We're going to use them as a bargaining chip to get past the blockade." The Omid said, turning his head to look toward the front of the vessel. Placing his hand on the rail, he furrowed his brow at what came ahead.

"Wink, go get them and bring them to the radio room." He instructed. "I'll meet you there in a bit. We need to contact H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G."

"Yes, sir." Answered the woman, shooting a nasty look toward Hobbs as she turned to leave. The doctor simply growled back before turning to look at Preston.

"Mister Omid…" he began. "How are we to take out those demons?"

"Any way you can." Preston replied. "Be clever, or you'll be outwitted. They're very resourceful, and they _do not_ give up."

"So… What do we do?"

"Crush them. Set traps. I don't care. Do whatever it takes. They won't stop until you do." The man said, tightening his grip on the rail. "They never will… That's what makes them so strong…"

"Sir?"

"Hurry!" Preston ordered, turning to face the doctor. He was agitated, with his brow furrowed and nostrils flared. The force he was squeezing the rail with caused it to bend as he thought of the demonic duo. Preston was angry. His teeth were bared as he looked to the doctor almost accusingly, despite the fact that Hobbs was most certainly not the one who he was angry at. "If you're really the genius you say you are, surely you can think of something!"

"Of course I can!" Hobbs said back. "But do they have any weaknesses?"

Suddenly, Preston's face seemed to calm down. His anger cooled for a moment as his expression fell. Releasing the rail, he opened his mouth to answer.

 _"Each other."_ He said. "They are each other's weakness."

* * *


	174. Exchange For What?

H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. was almost at a loss for what to do. Scarlet Order had the two Ethans children, Andrew and Paige, and had offered them over in exchange for passage through H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s blockade. Scarlet Order wanted to make it out to sea. For answers, Sir Integra was called upon for orders.

The iron maiden weighed her options carefully, and demanded contact with the terrorists, personally. She wanted to make sure they were clear, all while having her own advantages. She even contacted the demonic duo for assistance.

They knew that Preston would keep his word. He wasn't the kind of man who would harm children needlessly. Their assertion that this was a fact helped shape Integra's final decision. She would let them pass. However, Scarlet Order would be required to send smaller vessel to meet H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agents and hand the children over once they had passed.

Integra was no fool, however. She had every intention of capturing the fiends before they could escape into international waters. Once the children were secure, they would be brought ashore, and H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. would call in the Navy in order to sink their vessel. By this time, it was necessary for the demons aboard it to somehow flee.

Preston stood, looking back at the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. ships with a pair of binoculars. He watched as the small rescue boats exchanged the children, and as Scarlet Order's boat turned around to come back. The duo was right. Preston kept his word. He waited until the children were safely ashore before carrying out his next attack.

"Wink, are you ready?" he asked, turning to the woman behind him.

He watched as the woman chanted her incantations. Wink was focused, barely registering his voice as she drew energy from the magic circle that she and other witches on the ship had drawn onto the deck in chalk. She was joined by other witches, who sat on the outside of the circle, reciting similar chants as the circle glowed a brilliant light blue. Cold winds came forth from the lines, blowing Wink's hair about, but she paid it no mind. She couldn't afford to mess this up.

Finally, the witch took her stance. Sucking in a deep breath, she let it out before taking in another. Cocking her left hand back, she let the gems on her ring glow with the power of the circle, taking in the light that emitted from her feet. Then, in an instant, she shot her arm forward, pointing directly at the blockade.

" _Beati pauperes spiritu!"_ the woman shouted, expelling the light from her fingers and hurling it toward the ships before her. That light struck water near the boats, but it still had its intended effect. Upon making contact, the water froze, locking the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. ships where they were and crawling up their sides. The corners of Wink's mouth turned upward at this as the light at her feet faded. The woman paused to clutch her hand in her other one, warming it and trying to relieve the numbness of her fingers.

"Good." Preston said. "Now they can't follow us. That was very impressive, by the way. Magic is handy."

"Thanks." Wink replied as her fellow witches stood. "That was great, ladies. We got 'em!"

The women cheered while the boat continued onward. Rejoicing was abundant while Preston looked on, the smallest of smiles gracing his face. It soon faded, however, as he thought about the next step.

"Yeah, good work." He praised. "Now all that's left is to get rid of those demons and get to the ocean."

"With our magic, it should be a sinch!" said one of the witches.

"Yeah! I'll turn 'em into barbeque." Another said, flexing her hand as heat radiated from it.

"It's best not to underestimate them." Preston chastised. "Every time someone underestimates them, they become overwhelmed. We can't let that happen."

"So we go all out, then." Wink said. "Overwhelm them instead."

"Perhaps…" Preston said. "I'd like to do this with the least amount of losses as possible, though."

Despite his wishes, however, the demonic duo traversed through his ship and cut through his forces with ease. It didn't matter what they were. Human, werewolf, vampire, sorcerer, cynocephali, faun—it mattered not. Scarlet Order's forces were not trained to fight. They did not have a firm grasp on their own powers. They were like infants of the supernatural world, and that made them utterly defenseless against the demons no matter how well-armed they were.

Grabbing the shirt of one of the brutish werewolves who attempted to assail him, Alois held the poor man in front of him, using him as a shield from the hail of bullets fired by the others. The menace tossed him aside once the bullets stopped. That was when the others had realised what they had done, and stopped in horror at both their own actions, and the actions of the merciless demons.

" _Monsters…"_ uttered one of the lycanthropes, lowering her gun. That was when she felt a searing pain in her abdomen and fell, painting the ground red with blood. Looking up from her place on the floor, she saw the Watchdog with her last bit of consciousness, unable to do anything but spectate as the demon cut through her comrades in their moment of shock and awe.

The demons advanced from that spot, leaving the injured. They no longer had to worry about extermination. That would be happening shortly. All they needed to do was get off the ship first.

"How much longer do you think we have until we reach the ocean?" Alois questioned as they ran. He multitasked and changed his weapons magazines.

"We have plenty of time." His beau answered, a smile appearing on his face. "All we have to do is run, and our mission is complete."

"You seem happy about it."

"I have much to do after this."

Onward! The duo must hurry! The Watchdog grew eager as his true ambitions came further within reach. He wanted the mission to be done. Anxiety grew within his stomach as he thought of what was to come. The man was going to tell his beloved all about his personal goals, but not now. Not like this. Thus, they ran until they turned the corner.

Ciel had been so lost in his thoughts that he almost failed to miss the girl who stood in the path, leaping over her instead of going around her and appearing on the other side. His actions earned a hearty laugh from his beau, only to abruptly stop as he set his sights on the person who nearly caused Ciel to crash. His brow furrowed as his cheer faded into anger.

" _You…"_ he said, eyeing the girl. He recognised her, and so did the Watchdog. Ciel was especially familiar, as he was the one who trained her. Officer Oliva Marks of the Gehenna Police Department.

The girl looked back at him, the pink frames of her spectacles falling down her nose as she stared at him in horror. She had come face-to-face with the legends of Gehenna, and she knew that they were angry at her for betraying their trust. Olivia was weak. She was still fairly young; only seventeen, and had become a vampire only within the past year. She had no mastery over her power. There wasn't much there to begin with.

Still, with what she had, she tried to run. Her feet hit the ground as hard as her legs would allow her, trying to carry her away from the demons as fast as they could. Alas, she was a rabbit in a cage with a lion and a hunting dog.

Suddenly, a hand wrapped around her throat, stopping her movement while hoisting her up in the air. The Lion had her in his grips and stared her down with eyes like icy fire. Gasping, she met his gaze and went numb all the way down to her fingertips with fear.

"So, you're a mole as well?" the menace questioned. "How unfortunate… You could have been such a good police officer."

Olivia could not speak for she was too afraid. Instead, she made a series of undecipherable noises in an attempt to form words that she could not think of. Tears streamed down her cheeks as her eyes filled with panic.

"Jim." Called the bluenette, prompting his beau's attention. "Focus on the mission. She's not worth it."

Frowning, the menace looked to the girl again before releasing his grip and allowing her to fall to the floor. Olivia coughed and gasped for air as the two demons kept running. Coughing turned to sobbing. Sobbing turned to hyperventilating. The girl was unable to breathe as she was overcome with fear. Olivia almost died.

She knew that she needed to alert someone of the duo's whereabouts. Anyone would do, as long as they could pass it on to her superiors. And yet she chouldn't move. Her legs were numb and would not obey her commands to stand. Her arms would not pull her up. Her eyes would not let her see what was in front of her as she shook violently. She had peered into the eyes of death, and death stared back with rage hiding behind cool blue.

Fortunately for her, someone happened to walk by and spot her in the floor. Two people came upon her and quickly helped her to her feet, seeing that she was obviously in some sort of trouble. She hiccupped as the two frantically asked her what happened.

"What's wrong?!" one asked. "Are you hurt? What's the matter?!"

"Mate, maybe she saw the intruders…" said the other. "There were a whole bunch of injured folks not too far from here…"

"W-w-wa…" The girl tried to speak. She needed to tell them that they were right, but her voice betrayed her. She couldn't form the words.

"What do you need?" asked one of her comrades. "'Wa'? 'Water'? Do you need water?"

"No, you idiot. Look at her. She's a vampire. Vampires don't drink water!"

"Oh, that's right…"

Olivia had to let them know. That the demons had been here and that she had no idea where they were going. They were moving away from the laboratory, so she was uncertain as to where they were going. She didn't know if they had already stolen back the DNA samples and were fleeing, or what. She had to let them know, however, but she could no longer see them through her fogged vision.

"Wa…" she said, choking on air. "Wa…"

"Come on, you can do it." One of her fellow supernaturals said. "Deep breaths, now."

Doing as instructed, Olivia attempted to take slow, deep breaths in order to calm herself down, but her lungs ached and the tears just kept coming. Shaking, her breathing just got worse, coming out rapidly and laboriously. Soon, her legs gave out again and she feel to her knees, slumping over and hiding her face. Taking in one big breath, she forced the words out.

" _WATCHDOG! LION!"_ she screamed. "THEY'RE HERE! THEY—They— They ran—They ran that way!" The two crewmembers looked to one another with worry crossing their faces as well. With just as much panic, one of them picked the girl up and started carrying her in the opposite direction.

"I'm getting her out of here! You tell the captain!" they said, causing the other to nod.

It seemed like everyone was running on this ship, as the captain was very quickly notified by several people about the status of the demonic duo. Wink had no idea what they were up to, as she had talked to Hobbs and his werewolves near the laboratory, only to find that they hadn't seen so much as a single glimpse of the demons. Thinking, she tried to figure out what they were up to.

"Wink." Called a voice, prompting the woman to quickly turn around in her place at the bridge.

"Yes, sir!" she answered, her eye meeting gold. Preston appeared before her with folded arms.

"Have you found them yet?" he asked, making his way over to peer down at the deck.

"No, sir… We're close, but… They never made it to the laboratory." The witch informed, piquing her superior's interest. "It's like they turned around? They seem to be heading upward."

"To the deck…" Preston muttered, looking out carefully. What could possibly be on the deck of interest? Why did they turn around? There was no reason for them to do that. Was there? The Omid furrowed his brow and thought for a moment, trying to think like a H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agent.

"The life boats!" he suddenly declared. "Their plan has changed. They're trying to escape the ship!"

"What? Why would they do that?!" questioned Wink as she followed the Captain out the door and looked over the deck from the outside.

"Something's going to happen to the ship." Preston said, making his way down the steps. Quickly he gave up on this and simply jumped over the rail. "We have to find out what it is! Get Hobbs up here! When those two show up, we can't let them get to the lifeboats!"

* * *


	175. Asura

Upward, the duo climbed as they headed toward the deck. All they needed to do now is steal one of the life boats and escape. Then, it was out of their hands and they just needed to go home. But not yet. Once the blonde menace set foot on the deck, he was pulled back by his beau as a flurry of bullets were fired in his direction.

"What the fuck?!" the man shouted, leaning against the bluenette as he stayed out of range.

"Looks like they anticipated us coming up here." Speculated the Phantomhive. "Any plans?"

"I got nothin'." Alois replied. "If we had some kind of shield, we could probably get somewhere."

"Let's look around, then." The bluenette replied as both of them began searching. Suddenly, however, they both stopped.

"Hold on a second…" the Macken said, holding up a finger. He pointed before pressing the finger up to his lips and shushing Ciel. Then, he proceeded to tip toe up to a broom closet located in the hallway. Gripping the doorknob, he found that it was locked—or rather, was being held closed from the other side.

"Come on out, now. No need to be shy!" he declared, yanking the door open and subsequently pulling the person on the other side with it. They let out a yelp as they hit the floor, only to scramble to their feet again. The man quickly pressed his back into the wall, trying to get as much distance between him and the demons as possible.

"Li-listen! I don't want any trouble!" the man said, holding his hands up. "I-I know you were looking for me, so let's work something out!"

"Looking for you?" echoed the menace, looking over to the Phantomhive while arching an eyebrow in confusion.

"Harris Hartley," the bluenette began. "How good it is to finally meet you. Unfortunately, however, we no longer need you, so you are disposable."

Hartley squeaked at what that implied, only to furrow his brow in a snarl. "You'll have to catch me, first!" he growled, baring his teeth. Taking a strong stance, he took a deep breath and grunted. The hair on his forearms stood on end and grew longer and fuller, as did his facial hair and the hair on his head. Veins protruded from his forehead as his limbs elongated and his muscles shifted, causing his clothes to rip. Harris' ears grew pointed and migrated to the top of his head.

"Oh yeah, you're a werewolf…" mumbled the menace. "That's a relief. I thought he was trying to shit himself or something for a minute…" he said to his partner before turning his attention back to Hartley.

"Harris, my friend here is wrong! You're not disposable! In fact, the bigger you get, the more useful you are!" Alois declared, cocking his arm back and grabbing the lycanthrope by the throat mid-transformation. Swinging him around, he aimed the man toward the door and pushed him out.

"Single file, everyone!" he said. "Everyone behind Harris!"

The blonde devil was quickly followed by Ciel, both men wearing wicked grins as Harris screamed. Bullet holes began appearing in the man's body until his compatriots realised what they had done. How could these people use another person as a shield? That was cold-blooded. Inhumane! It was heartless, and it was cruel, but it worked. The duo was safe right up until they tossed Harris' body aside and leapt into the crowd, guns drawn, swords out.

Further friendly fire ensued. While trying to hit the demons, the Scarlet Order flunkies ended up hitting each other on multiple occasions. Injured people fell left and right. Some were simply wounded, while others were dead. Witches, werewolves, and the like fought against two demons and failed miserably at it. Upon seeing this, the leaders of the order conversed with each other.

"RETREAT!" barked Hobbs, commanding the werewolves from on high.

"Everyone fall back and regroup!" said Wink. "We'll handle this."

Preston stood tall, looking down at the deck. His arms were crossed, and his fingernails bore into his flesh through the sleeves of his hoodie. Sweat beaded on his forehead as his brow furrowed. Gritting his teeth, he looked upon the display with growing anxiety. He was so close. Preston was so close to escaping, but needed his former friends to tell him what the council was planning.

"Get down there!" he ordered his subordinates. "Take them down!"

"Yes, sir!" chanted the others, leaping over the rail and being followed by the man of the hour himself.

The trio stared at the duo, and the duo stared back. Both parties locked eyes and watched each other's movements carefully. Then, the Order shifted. Hobbs grit his teeth and flexed, tearing the already-giving-away labcoat as he took on a form more fit for battle. The doctor looked like a werewolf as he changed appearances, but he differed as though he were some sort of new sub-species. His face was flat and furless like a human's, and he had the nose or a dog. His body was hunched as he tried to balance on his more dog-like legs, and his forearms were both long enough to brush against the ground and extremely brawny. As for Wink, the woman held up her hand, showing the glowing stone that flashed light blue.

"Split them up." Preston growled through grit teeth, clenching his fists. To this, his accomplices nodded.

" _Beati paupers spiritu!"_ shouted Wink, cocking her arm back and expelling a light from her fingertips and aiming right between the duo, and yet the duo didn't move. The beam struck the demons, seemingly freezing them. A wall of ice formed between the two groups, causing the Order to smirk.

"HA!" barked Doctor Hobbs. "That's what you were worried about, Omid?" he asked, looking over to Preston, only for his smile to fall at the look of fear on the other man's face.

" _You didn't get them."_ He said. "They didn't even try to move… You _didn't_ get them…"

"What do you—"

Suddenly, the sound of crashing was heard as the shattering of ice rang out. Out of the debris came two figures, blasting toward the trio at top speed, or rather, toward the woman who fired at them. All Wink could utter was a guttural grunt as she was yanked along by the demons, steam escaping their mouths and a ridiculous amount of heat radiating from their bodies. They leapt up to the bridge and took off their ties. One of them hogtied the poor girl with her hands and feet tied behind her back, while the other gagged her with his own tie.

"Ooh~! A souvenir!" chimed the menace, slipping the witch's ring from her finger. Wink thrashed and tried to shout while the man slipped it in his pocket, but was restrained.

"Wink!" yelled Hobbs, poising himself to go get her.

"Wait, you idiot!" Preston butted in, the fabric of his own clothes tearing as black shards protruded from his skin. Hobbs ducked down as Preston's armour formed a shield to protect them from the hail of bullets that the duo fired at them.

"Looks like close combat is our best bet." Said the bluenette as his arm continued to pull the trigger. "What do you want to do?"

"We could both take one of them on each." Alois suggested. "They seem pretty easy."

"Do you want me to take Preston?" Ciel asked, reloading his pistol while his beau continued to fire. It took a few moments for the blonde to answer, but as he didn't have much time, he nodded.

"Go ahead." He said with just a twinge of sadness in his voice.

"I'll break the shield. Then you strike and separate them." The Phantomhive said, drowning out their opponent's ability to hear their plan with the sound of gunfire.

"Roger that."

With one last bullet, Ciel jumped over the rail and down to the deck. Cocking his arm back, he curled his fingers into a fist before hurling it forward and down onto the Omid's shield. The force of the impact caused the barrier to shatter. Preston choked and clutched his arm in pain, but right as the debris clattered to the ground, the blonde menace appeared right before the pair.

"Sayonara, pug-face!" He said, aiming his gun for the pseudo-lycanthrope's head. However, before he could pull the trigger, he felt the air being forced from his lungs.

"Guah!" he let out as he went flying backwards. Hobbs chased afterward, cocking his arm back again and slamming his fist down again right over the blonde's face. The menace winced at the blow, and his eyes widened as fingers wrapped around his throat.

"What did you say, you little shit?" growled the beast that stood over him. "You better show some respect, brat! _I'm_ the genius who invented an entirely new species of werewolf!" Gripping Alois' throat tighter, he forced the boy to gasp. "What's that? Got something to say?!"

All of a sudden, the blonde stopped struggling and smirked. With a laugh, he pursed his lips together and spat clear into the doctor's eye. " _Kiss my ass."_ He wheezed, only to be picked up and slammed back into the ground.

"You _BRAT!"_ Hobbs roared, taking one of his hands away to wipe at his eye, mistakenly giving the menace an opening. Aiming his gun, Alois fired, hitting the other man's pointed ear. While Hobbs screamed and clutched his injury, the menace weaseled away and stood up, signaling to the bluenette that he was alright. With that knowledge, Ciel simply nodded and carried on with his own fight.

Preston's arms were covered in black armour as he hurled on punch after another at the bluenette. Each time he missed, the man grew more and more frustrated, flaring his nostrils in a terrible snarl. His eyes were aflame, yet leaked water as he roared, trying to land a hit on the Phantomhive.

"Is this all you can do?" questioned Ciel, dodging another one of the Omid's blows. "I expected better of you."

"Shut up!" shouted Preston. "Just shut up!" He nearly lost his footing upon missing the former Earl again, leaving room for the Phantomhive to kick him in the stomach. He didn't kick him hard, but it was hard enough to cause the man to stumble back.

"Can't even think of a clever retort? What's the fun in that?" the Phantomhive questioned.

"Shut the fuck up! I'm not having fun!" snapped his former friend.

"Then why are you doing this, Preston?" Ciel asked. "What do you have to gain?"

"It doesn't matter!" shouted the man in maroon, violently swinging his arms with such ferocity that he could be mistaken for a wild beast. Yet while attacking the Phantomhive, he could only be likened to a child.

"Do you want revenge?" the demon asked.

"Just die!"

"Preston."

"Shut up!"

"Preston."

_"SHUT UP!"_

_"Do you hate me?"_

That question all on its own caused Preston to bawl. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he faced the demon. The man's swings held greater power before, but as they became more increasingly erratic, they didn't even come close to hitting the Watchdog. He couldn't even see the expression on his friend's face as he attacked, as he was blinded by his tears and fury. Had he been able to see, and had he wanted to, however, he would be able to recognise the solemn expression that the Phantomhive wore.

This fury was familiar. This anger was recognizable. This sadness was well known to Ciel. Deep wounds have been etched into both Preston's body and mind, twisting him into this vengeful and sorrowful creature before the Phantomhive. Ciel did not fight him. He merely evaded, stepping back from each swipe.

"Die!" bellowed the Omid, cocking his arm back and aiming his fist directly for the bluenette's head. He wasn't going to listen willingly, so Ciel decided to make him, forcing him still by capturing his fist. It took hardly little effort on his part in order to keep the man's hand stationary, despite Preston's efforts of freeing himself.

"Let go!" he yelled. "I'll kill you!"

"How? Your arm belongs to me, now." Ciel replied, his tone as cool as ice. "I'm not giving it back until you're finished with your tantrum."

The man did not waver, however, and instead stared his opponent straight in the eye with a growl. Cocking back his other arm, he hurled that one at the Phantomhive as well, only for it to meet a similar fate. With a sigh, Ciel shook his head.

"Are you quite finis—"

_BAM!_

Just then, he was struck square in the jaw. But How? He had both of Preston's hands firmly in his grasp! Once Ciel's mind caught up with him, he opened his eye in order to observe the additional arm that had sprung from Preston's back. It was constructed from black annis armour and had all five fingers curled into a fist as the piece extended from above the Omid's shoulderblade. While the Phantomhive was gawking at this, another blow was landed on his stomach from below, originating from the opposite side. Then another from above, and then another from the other side, and then two from below. This kept up until Ciel was forced to let go of Preston's true arms, yet it wasn't the end.

Again and again, the Omid struck his former friend, sometimes cocking back all six arms and hitting him at once, but other times, he struck him at random. Blood dripped from the bluenette's nose as he stumbled backward, trying to wrap his head around this barrage, but as more time went on, he, too, became angry.

"Enough!" Ciel boomed, leaping back in order to create some distance. His wounds healed within a matter of seconds, sealing themselves shut and removing inflicted blemishes as steam hissed from his wounds.

"You want to do this the hard way?! Come on! I'll show you a _real_ fist fight!"


	176. The Destroyer Of Man

"Haha! En garde, you ridiculous pug-monster!" taunted the menace as he evaded the beast's punches, swipes and slashes. He spun and twirled as he playfully slinked out of the beast's reach. "You're not as quick of a breed as regular werewolves, huh?"

"Shut… up!" huffed Hobbs. He took a few steps back and created some distance so he could take a moment to catch his breath. The poor doctor was drenched in sweat as he panted under the sun beaming down on the deck, huffing and puffing as he slouched with his hands resting on his knees. "Why's it so hot?! This is England! It's not supposed to be sunny!"

"We can take a break, if you want." Alois offered, planting both feet on the ground and placing a hand on his hip.

"How can you be perfectly fine?! Why aren't you tired?!"

"Well you see, I'm one _hell_ of a secret agent." The menace said, posing dramatically. He stood there for a moment, taking in the confusion of his opponent until he broke character and snorted.

"What the fuck was that?" Hobbs questioned, baffled by the Macken's antics.

"Inside joke, inside joke; don't worry about it." Alois said, trying to hold in his giggling. "I'm a demon. What did you expect? We can take a break if you want, or you can just give up now and leave me alone. Your pick."

"Is there a third option?"

" _Death_."

Hobbs looked up at the menace, unsure if he was to believe what he was suggesting. Alois did have a reputation at his former place of employment for being highly eccentric, but never did he expect him to pull something so ridiculous. What was the right choice? He was tired, and didn't know if he could keep going. If he continued, he might die, but there's not guarantee that Alois wouldn't kill him.

"Are you serious?" the doctor questioned in disbelief.

"What? Death?"

"No, about taking a break."

"Oh, yeah." The Macken said. "Let's be honest, I know I can beat you, but there's really no use in straight up killing you. Our mission is over. All we need to do is escape."

"So why don't you just run, then?" asked Hobbs. "Why stay?"

"Those two need to have a chat, I think." Alois answered, gesturing over to the other fight taking place nearby.

"You're crazy."

"I can just kill you if you want. No skin off my nose…"

"A break sounds lovely." The doctor butted back in. "Shall we sit down?"

"Sure. Be my guest." Answered Alois with a grin, plopping down where he stood, and crossed his legs. Soon, the doctor did the same and both of them turned to watch their compatriots engage in combat.

BANG!"

Suddenly, Hobbs screamed while Alois remained unphased, still watching his beau fight as he pointed one of his pistols in Hobbs' direction. Pain radiated from the wound inflicted on the doctor as he clutched his leg in agony and hunched over. When the man looked up at the blonde, the menace was standing with his pistol back in its holster as he dusted himself off.

"You shot me?!" the doctor gawked. "Why would you do that?!"

"So you won't come after me while I go get the life boat ready for my escape." Answered the blonde. " _Duh_."

Once he was satisfied with the lack of mobility from his foe, he made his way toward the lifeboats, making sure he avoided the brawling of his beau in the process. As he ran, however, he noticed something very distressing. The land had ended, and they were surrounded by open water. Following that observation, however, he stopped and turned to shout.

"Ciel!" he called, putting his hands around his mouth in order to direct his voice toward the bluenette better. "We're at sea!"

His beau didn't answer right away. He was too busy. He had six fists to dodge and only two to block and counter with. Leaping backward, he created some distance between himself and his opponent in order to reply.

"Just get the lifeboat ready!" Ciel shouted back. "I'll be there as fast as I can!"

Preston's eyes darted to Alois and then back to his opponent. Sweat ran down his forehead, forcing him to squint in an attempt to keep it out of his eyes. Ciel wasn't even tired. His injuries healed instantly.

"You… You… Piece of shit! Why are you running away?!" he demanded, his voice booming.

"That is for me to know, and for you to find out when it happens." Ciel replied. "If you answer my questions, however, I might generously give you a hint."

"Fuck you!"

"Now that's unsporting of you." The Phantomhive quipped. _"And you know I'm in a committed relationship, so I'm afraid that I will have to decline your offer."_

Gritting his teeth, Preston's face contorted in a way that was almost painful. His brow furrowed and his eyes were wide; His lips pulled back in order to reveal his teeth in a snarl and he scowled so intensely that it would rival the bluenette. The Omid's fist was clenched so tightly that he could have pulled a muscle, but he did not register that right then. Preston was too focused on the Watchdog.

He took a step closer, and then another, and another as he took off in a run. Cocking three arms back, he launched them all at the Phantomhive at once, forcing Ciel to block with the entirety of his forearm. The force was enough to leave a nasty bruise, and had he been a demon himself, he would have been able to shatter it. A barrage of fists came after the bluenette, forcing him to block with his own arms, and occasionally take one of the blows.

"What. Did. You. DO?!" Preston roared, striking the bluenette between words. "You arrogant, stuck-up, psychopathic _monster!"_

"After all you've done, do you really think you have the right to call me a monster?" questioned Ciel as he winced at a fracture appearing in his arm from the endless assault. As soon as he healed a portion, another fist came down and inflicted more damage, leaving him unable to solidify the bone again. "You're a killer too, Preston. You betrayed your people."

"They betrayed _me first!"_ the Omid shouted, a crack appearing in his voice. "You left me to die! I was sick and _dying,_ you fuck! Nobody even _cared!"_

Fists flew, striking the demon again and again, leaving no openings to counter as they moved rapidly and continued to move faster. Tears began to fall, mixing with the sweat on Preston's face and stinging his eyes. Yet he still pressed on, taking everything out on the Watchdog. Each blow contained his own anguish. It was a part of him that he was projecting onto his foe. Fear, loneliness, and pain were just the beginning.

"Preston!" Ciel called out, but his voice fell on deaf ears as the beating continued. The difficulty of maintaining his stance grew with each hit. Blood stained his clothes and face where the skin had given way, only to heal seconds later.

"If I hadn't gone with the others to save you, none of this would have happened! But I did! Because I _cared!"_ yelled the emotionally wounded man. "If I hadn't met you-! If you never came into my life-! I had a future! You took it away! You and your stupid organization! Monsters!" Cocking his arm back, he screamed.

" _YOU'RE ALL MONSTERS!"_

Impacting the Watchdog's arm one final time, the bone finally gave way, shattering within the confines of the Phantomhive's flesh. Biting down, Ciel's eyes widened at the unexpected pain and he broke his stance in order to back off yet again. His arm dangled at his side as he stared at his former friend, limp and unwilling to move. Steam escaped the bluenette's injuries as he allowed himself to heal. A single, sapphire eye met two golden ones, finding nothing but hurt behind bitter tears.

Gold should shine, but these eyes were dull as their owner was broken. A hand reached up to wipe them in an attempt to clear his vision, but the water would not stop. The only sounds that could be heard on that deck now where the crashing of waves, the whipping of winds, the hissing of steam, and the hiccupping of a young man who had been pushed too far. All humans had a breaking point, and Preston had met his long ago. The shattering of his spirit from illness that could not be cured, isolation, imprisonment, and agonizing pain was simply too much for a person to endure. This was something that Ciel understood completely. That is why his gaze was not angry. It was not irritated. The eye of the Watchdog looked at this young man with nothing but solemn empathy.

How long had it been since he had lived this scene? Ciel knew that it was over one hundred years ago—one hundred and thirty, to be exact, as the Phantomhive knew the exact date. On his birthday in the year of 1885, Ciel Phantomhive witnessed tragedy that no child of the age of ten should ever endure. For two months, he knew nothing but fear, pain, loneliness, and suffering until his heart finally went numb from it all, only to ignite with the roaring flames of hatred upon awaking once again in the world of light, forever binding him to the underworld for the rest of eternity. Once that step had been taken, one can never move back—only move forward until the flame burns out and they are left with nothing until they regain the strength to rebuild.

"Preston." The Watchdog called again. " _Do you hate me?"_

"Why won't you just die?" Preston sobbed, holding his head in his true hands. "Why? Monsters like you… Monsters like you-!"

"I am no monster." Ciel said. "I am a man. I have witnessed hell, and I have crawled my way to the surface at the expense of my humanity and freedom. Back when I was human, I would be giving orders, but now I take them."

Tilting his head to the side, the Watchdog inquired: "Just what do you want, Preston? Will you become a monster yourself for the sake of defeating me? For the sake of defeating H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.? What is the cost? What is the prize you seek?"

"Shut up!" whimpered Preston, his entire body shaking with his head.

"What do you want? What will you win?" the Phantomhive pressed further, flexing the muscles in his arm once the bones had healed. "What is it that your heart desires? Revenge for revenge's sake?"

" _Shut UP!"_

" _The answer is NOTHING!"_ Ciel declared. "Revenge is hollow and meaningless. It doesn't give back the price you pay to get it. It will not heal you. Nothing will unless you face yourself, Preston! Your anger, everything you are right now, comes from _fear!"_

"SHUT UP!" his foe screamed, finally looking up. The flames of rage finally returned to his eyes, causing them to come back to life. "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!"

"I know _EVERYTHING!"_ Ciel bellowed. "I know because I _lived_ it! The world does not revolve around you, Preston! You don't know what happened after the castle! Everyone had to recover. Everyone. Everyone did visit you! You were unconscious! Kristopherson was so overcome with guilt that he couldn't bear to see you in that state! Even _I_ had to undergo counseling afterward, because _I was sick to begin with!"_

With each sentence, Ciel's own fury began to rise as he recalled the events. It could be heard in his voice and seen in his eye. Able to move his arm and hand, he clenched his fists tightly, leaving indents in the palms of his hands and he stared the Omid down.

"One year ago, I was captured and locked up for one month! I was tortured! I was isolated! I had nothing but faith in the fact that I knew Jim would come find me! That is how I survived!" barked the Watchdog, forcing his opponent to take a step back. "One-hundred and thirty years ago, I was captured and locked up for two months! I was tortured! I was isolated! I still bear the marks hell burned into my skin! My world fell apart and the despair turned a ten year old child into a monster! _Do you not think that I know what it is like to see your entire world fall apart and vanish before my very eyes!?"_

Fire burned behind Ciel's eye, but it was not the flames of hatred. It was passion, combined with the indignant anger of his opponents invalidating words. The hound had seen hell, and endured its scalding iron against his flesh. The devils he saw there dance in his head at night sometimes as the scenes unfold behind his eyelids. And yet, Preston knew better. The suggestion made the bluenette erupt.

"Do not dare suggest for even a moment that _I_ do not know what hell is like, for _I_ have _seen_ it!" He boomed. "I was too weak the first time I escaped and became a monster. _You are doing the_ _same."_

Preston's expression wavered as his winced at the sound of his former friends' voice. He listened. His mind raced. He couldn't respond. Rationality was lost.

"You're _still_ a monster!" the Omid declared. "Don't talk about imprisonment when you let me be imprisoned!"

"Would you rather I had done nothing and allowed you to _die?!"_ questioned the Phantomhive. "Had I not talked with my superiors, that is what would have happened! You are _alive,_ Preston!"

"I don't care!" Preston howled, spit escaping his mouth as he did. "I don't _CARE!"_

"You just want to wallow in your sadness and anguish!" accused Ciel, pointing at his former friend as he snarled _. "You_ do not wish to remain human! Do not project that onto me! _You_ are the one who is willing to forfeit your humanity for a small amount of _petty revenge!_ Do not think that I do not know the nature of revenge! I know it well, as it has left deep gashes in my heart that still ache! They ache whenever I see people like you, willing to sacrifice your soul for a prolonged _tantrum!"_

"I'm _HUMAN!"_ objected his foe.

"You're a _THING!_ Goddammit Preston! Open your eyes!" roared the Phantomhive. "YOU. ARE. _**ME!**_ _"_

Silence. The air had been poisoned with it as neither man could breathe. The air had escaped their lungs and the expression of the Omid fell as he stared into the face of this demon. There was hurt, there was anger, and there was _sadness_ reflected in that sapphire eye of his.

"You're becoming the same monster that I did." Ciel said, his voice calm. "Give up, Preston. Don't become a monster that is too weak to bear that suffering."

How was Preston to react to this? To his plan being all for naught? Was he wrong in perceiving that this was the way to fight against the injustice that he faced at the hands of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.? No! He was right. This was Preston's way. This is how he chose to cope with it. That is what Preston decided.

"No." the man said, looking up at the bluenette. "I will see this through to the end. I am not coward. Not anymore. I am done letting everyone else dictate my own life. I will make my own decisions from now on."

"And what is your choice?"

"That I can't forgive you." Preston replied. "You fucked me over. You fucked me over real bad, and I can't let that slide. Deep down, I always knew you were dangerous. I knew that being around you would bite me in the ass one day, but I stuck around because I tried my hardest to see you as a person. Now I know that you're just a _thing."_

Closing his eye, the bluenette sighed. There was no reasoning with the Omid. He was too invested already and too far gone. Taking a fighting stance, he positioned himself to get back into the battle.

"Then you give me no choice." Ciel said. "I'm sorry things turned out this way."

"I don't believe that for one second." Preston answered, doing the same.

"Sorry for that, too."

Clenching all six fists, the Omid put one foot before the other, and again, and again, and began charging at the Watchdog while the demon mirrored his actions. Both men cocked back their fists and attempted to strike the other. The demon was much quicker than Preston, so he was able to keep up with all six of the arms coming at him now. Cracks began to appear in his foe's armour as they brawled, giving way to the force of the Phantomhive's blows.

Finally, their fists clashed together one final time, shattering one of the Black Annis arms that sprouted from above Preston's shoulderblade. The one on the opposite side was crushed as well in a follow-through strike on the Phantomhive's part. Gritting his teeth, the Omid changed his tactics as well as his weapon. The fingers of one of his remaining arms flattened and joined together, forming a sharp point, and as he distracted the demon with the rapid barrage delivered from three arms, the fourth pierced the demon's flesh, right between his ribs.

" _Urk!"_ uttered the demon, his brow furrowing as he winced. Just then, however, his eye widened and he clutched at his side, groping around next to the wound until a relieved expression befell his face, only to disappear shortly after Preston pulled out his blade.

The Omid's face contorted into a wicked grin as he attempted to repeat the action, only to have his arm grabbed by Ciel's. Squeezing it with inhuman force, he attempted to crush it, but was stopped with a blow to the face. When he did, the impact caused something to fall out of the hole he had made in the bluenette's jacket and roll across the deck. Ciel's face went pale as the object tried to escape, and it was as though he had completely forgotten about the fight at hand. His opponent was baffled as he turned away to dive after the small square item, but still, Preston tried to stop the demon all the same, leaping after him and bringing his arm back down on top of him before Ciel could reach the box.

A cry of pain escaped Ciel's lips as the black annis blade pierced his flesh once again, but he still persisted, desperately reaching for the item as he was stabbed over and over again. It was fortunate that the bluenette could not die, or his unprecedented prioritization of that object would have cost him dearly. Ciel could afford a few stab wounds, but what he could not afford was losing that box. It was too precious, and too important to truly replace. As Ciel's fingers brushed against the side of the box, his assailant leaned forward and curiously picked it up. When Preston's fingers gripped the sides of the object, Ciel's eye widened and his body thrashed violently, eventually shaking the other man off.

" _ **NO!"**_ he barked, scrambling to his feet. "Give that back!"

"What the fuck? Just what's so important about it?" Preston asked, taking several steps back in order to create distance. The man smirked as he held the box away from his foe, pleased by the hesitance on the Watchdog's face. Whatever this box was, it was important; so important that Ciel could not risk Preston breaking it, and so important that he would rather be stabbed repeatedly than lose the item. "What's wrong? Afraid I'll break it?"

"You don't know what you're doing." The Watchdog growled, holding out a hand. "Return it to me at once!"

"And if I don't?" his opponent asked. "Maybe I'll just crush it…" he mused, gently squeezing the sides of the box while holding it up where the bluenette could see.

" _DON'T!"_

Ciel's outburst caused the Omid to laugh. Never had he seen the man so on edge. Even after being stabbed multiple times, the bluenette's eye was fixed on that box, blatantly ignoring his wounds sealing themselves shut as steam radiated from them. The Phantomhive was not letting that box out of his sight.

"What's so important about it?" asked the Omid, placing his thumb and index finger on the lid. "You'd get _stabbed_ over it?"

Opening the box, Prestons' arrogant smile faded. His laughter was gone in a flash, and his will to torment the Phantomhive had come to a screeching halt. Preston looked to the bluenette, then looked over his shoulder at the blonde, who was still currently in the midst of figuring out the lifeboat, and back again. His muscles relaxed as his face morphed into one of concern and confusion.

"What is this?" he asked, holding the box out to the Watchdog. "Ciel… Is this…?"

Pausing for a moment, Ciel's eye darted to his beau as well, and then locked back on Preston. Body relaxing, his fighting stance fell as a heavy sigh escaped his lips. Ciel ran a hand through bluenette locks, sweeping his hair out of his face momentarily.

"It is… _my ambition."_

* * *


	177. Benevolent Bestower Of Happiness

Alois struggled to figure out just what to do with his lifeboat and was about to give up and wait for Ciel to come help him, but the bluenette was still engaging with Preston. Curiously, the two no longer seemed to be fighting. Instead, they seemed to be talking? It didn't matter, despite Alois' attempts to listen in. He began receiving messages from headquarters, taking up all of his attention at that moment. His eyes widened at the realization that the ship was now in international waters, and that there was nothing more H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. could do. The Navy could no longer sink the ship.

"Ciel!" Alois called, waving toward the bluenette and grabbing his attention momentarily. "The mission's a bust! We're not in Britain anymore!"

Nodding, the Phantomhive shouted back. "I'm working on it!" he said before turning his gaze back to Preston, his expression serious, yet concerned.

"Are you certain?" he asked. "What's the catch?"

"You get the fuck off of my ship." The Omid answered. "That's all I really want right now. I'll let you go, and I'll give you the samples in the laboratory. Just as long as you get the hell away from me."

"But why?"

"Think of it as a gift." Preston stated. "You're a nasty son of a bitch, and I still hate you. In fact, the next time I see you, I'll be taking that head of yours. But for now… I can't keep fighting this battle. It's obvious."

"Is that all?" Ciel questioned. "Why are you giving this back to me?" he added, taking the small, black box from the hand of his former friend.

"Well, that's because I'm not a heartless bastard, Ciel." His foe replied. "I don't have it in me to take that away. From anybody; even a monster like you. Just take the samples, take the box, take your man, and get off my ship."

Pausing, Ciel looked the other man over before nodding. He slipped the box into a different pocket and made certain that it was safe and secure in its new place before looking at Preston again.

"Thank you, Preston." He said earnestly. His eye and his expression were softer than usual, albeit somewhat melancholic. "I really mean it." Holding out his hand, he offered to sportingly shake his foe's in what was an immensely unusual display of fair play on the Phantomhive's part. Preston looked at it, and paused, before shaking his head.

"Whatever." He replied. "Just come clean out the lab." Preston said, gesturing the demon to follow him. He was forced to wait, however, as the bluenette didn't go right away.

"Not yet. I should update Jim on the plan." Ciel answered, shaking his head.

"Make it quick." Instructed the Omid, to which his foe agreed. Quickly, Ciel made his way over to the lifeboat where his beau was standing, only to be met by the blonde on his way there.

"Jesus Christ, you look terrible!" Alois said, reaching out and cupping the Phantomhive's face. "Are you alright? Does it still hurt?"

"I'm fine." Ciel said assuringly with a small smile. "There's been a change of plans."

"What is it? What's going on?"

"Preston has decided to make a strategic retreat, and as part of our agreement, he will let us go, as well as allow us to take all of the samples back." The bluenette said, reaching up to brush his fingers against his love's hands as they stayed fixed on his face. "We have to go and get the samples, and then we can leave."

"So he figured out that he couldn't win, and instead of continuing to fight a futile battle, he's going to cut his losses, eh?" asked the menace. "But what's going to happen to him?"

"He's going to go his own way." The Phantomhive informed, gently pulling the other man's hands away from his face and holding them. "Can you notify H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G?"

"Alright. Just go get that shit so we can go home."

"Yes, you're highness." The Watchdog quickly pressed his lips against the menace's hand and then his cheek before letting go. He made haste to get back to Preston, not wishing to keep him waiting.

As for the blonde, he sat patiently in the boat, watching the two leave. They paused to untie Wink while Preston instructed her to make sure that Hobbs wasn't dead, but then they went inside. Alois observed the woman following her instructions, as there wasn't much else to do but worry about Ciel. It was a long walk down to the laboratory, and a long walk back. It would take him some time to collect everything he needed, and Alois really didn't like him being alone with their supposed "enemy" for that long. He was afraid that something might happen to his beau, but he wasn't picking up any form of distress with his contract.

He fidgeted and tapped his feet while he sat, keeping his eyes peeled for the bluenette despite the fact that he could sense when he was getting close. When he did, he immediately perked up. Icy blue eyes honed in on the door that led to the inside of the ship, and when he saw Ciel exit while carrying two duffelbags, he stood up. He walked over to his beau and took one of the bags before starting to walk alongside him back to the boat, adjusting the weight of the strap over his shoulder.

"How'd it go?" he asked, looking over his shoulder to see Preston exit the ship as well.

"We got what we need so we don't come out of this empty-handed." Ciel replied as the menace gently set his bag down in the boat and reached out to take the remaining one from the bluenette. After handing it over, Ciel turned to Preston one more time.

"So I guess this is it until next time, then?" he asked, causing the other man to nod.

"Until I come and get you." Preston replied. "Better enjoy things while you're still living."

"Always." Ciel said. "Which way are you heading?"

"Why the fuck would I tell you?"

"Because it's closer to get to either the Netherlands, or Belgium from here. Honestly, I'd pick the Netherlands. I hear Catholicism is a thing in Belgium. Where the Catholics are big, then so is Iscariot. Steer clear of them if you like living. They're even worse than H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G."

"Sounds like I have a new target." Preston retorted. "I'm going to have to fix things up, first… You really caused some damage…"

"It's my job."

"You're a dick."

"Depending on a person's perspective, yes." Qupped the Phantomhive. "Best luck to you, Preston."

"Yeah, yeah… Get off my ship."

Flashing a friendly smile, Ciel turned the other way and hopped into the lifeboat. "Let's go." He said to his beau, before both of them began lowering the vessel into the water, looking up at Preston as he disappeared from their sight as it was blocked by the side of the Scarlet Order's ship. Awkwardly, they both tried to figure out how to pilot the vessel, but they somehow managed, as clumsy and fumbling as it was, to steer the blasted thing despite the panicked yelling and bickering over which way they were supposed to be going.

Somehow they made it back into English waters. Their small boat was fortunately spotted by the English Navy ships, and H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. was able to get them safely ashore. They landed slightly off from the mouth of the Thames River, and would have to be driven back to London as soon as headquarters sent them transport and was updated on the situation. The demonic duo failed their mission to eliminate the Scarlet Order and would be punished for it. However, their punishment would be mostly to save face, so it would most likely not be at all severe. It would be a slap on the wrist compared to a lower-ranking supernatural.

All they had to do until transport arrived was watch the waves while wearing filthy clothes. The H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agents waited on their own ship while the duo sat on the rocky excuse for a beach among pebbles and the occasional discarded soda can. Alois took off his jacket for Ciel to wear, as the bluenette's own was tattered and bloodied. The blonde pulled up the sleeve of his shirt and licked it before using it to wipe the blood from his beau's face.

"Quite the gentleman, you are." Jested the Phantomhive, sitting still and simply allowing Alois to do as he wished.

"One does his best when his boyfriend gets in a fight." Alois joked back. "Honestly, I don't know how you could have gotten this fucked up. Preston's not that strong, is he?"

Silence. There was a brief silence between the two of them as Ciel hesitated. Alois simply continued his ministrations while he waited for Ciel to answer. Once the man's face was sufficiently clean, he pulled back and looked at his love. Confusion crossed over his face as he looked at his Watchdog, arching an eyebrow at the expression Ciel was wearing.

"What is it?" he asked, snapping the bluenette from his trance. Blinking, the Phantomhive shook his head.

"I was just thinking." Ciel replied. "I was having trouble fighting because I had something else on my mind. It's what convinced Preston to finally give up."

"What did?"

"I told him about my personal project." The Phantomhive said. "One of the pieces fell out of my pocket, and I couldn't let it get damaged."

Confusedly, the blonde furrowed his brow. The news that Preston would allow them to go free for this mysterious "project" of Ciel's was extremely concerning, especially since it was so secret, that the Phantomhive could even tell his boyfriend! Not only was it unfair, but it was also a cause for alarm. If the Scarlet Order had an interest in it, then just how dangerous was it?

"Ciel," began the Macken. "what on earth are you up to? You promised to tell me after the mission was over, but… Why would… Why would Preston be interested in it?"

"Because he's our friend." Answered the bluenette, taking his beau's hands. "Jim, I know I haven't been honest with you, and I'm sorry, but—"

"But _what?"_ Alois asked, trying to take his hands away. "How dangerous is it?!"

"Jim, it's not dangerous at all." The Phantomhive stated. "I told you, I'm not going to do anything dangerous without first consulting you."

"Then what the hell is it!?" demanded the Macken. "Ciel, I swear to God…"

"Jim, please, just listen…" Ciel interjected before the blonde could go off. "I was hoping to tell you right _now_ , if you'll let me."

Alois looked his beau over, trying to get a read on him. The ordinarily pale bluenette had a slight pink hue in his face as his eye stared straight into the Macken's. There was unease, but it wasn't the same as when dealing with a threat. Alois had seen the Phantomhive under stress many times before, but this type of nervousness was new.

"What?" the Macken asked. "What's your plan?"

The shift in Ciel's expression did nothing to quell his unrest or ease his concerns, as the man seemed obviously taken aback by the blonde's statement, despite the fact that it was exactly the one he was looking for. Anxeity was obvious as Alois sense it through his contract. He wasn't sure what to expect, especially since the Phantomhive, who was usually so dignified and sincere, even when discussing personal matters was so flustered. It grew hotter outside, at least for Ciel as his heart rattled his ribcage and the redness of his face grew darker.

"U-uh, we-well…" the Watchdog stuttered, pausing to cough into his fist and clear his throat. "I…"

"You're not doing a very good job of building confidence, you know." Alois said, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, y-you're right…" Ciel replied, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "I just—I just don't know how to say it…"

"Then just say it. Whatever it is, it doesn't have to be perfect."

"Yes it does…" answered the Phantomhive. "Trust me."

"Ciel, as long as I can understand the basic gist of it, it's fine." Asserted the blonde. "Now just tell me. What's got you so worked up?"

"Uh…" Ciel looked down for a moment, suddenly taking great interest in the rocks they were sitting on. "The thing is… I…" He paused, taking in a deep breath in order to calm himself down.

"Jim," he began, adopting a tone of complete and utter seriousness. "I… I don't want to be your boyfriend anymore."

"Wh-what?!" the blonde gawked, pulling away from the bluenette more, as his love's words hit him like a train. Instantly, his eyes were wide and the colour drained from his face. "Ci-Ciel, if there's something th—"

"No, no, no, no! That's not what I mean!" frantically interrupted the Watchdog. "Just let me explain!"

"Then what do you mean, Ciel?!" Alois demanded, his voice cracking. His own face began to heat up as tears began to collect in his eyes, pouring out and staining his cheeks. "Do you—do you not…"

"Jim, no! I _love_ you!" barked the Watchdog, reaching out to grip the other man's shoulders. "I love you more than anything! I'm not trying to break up with you! I'm trying to _propose_ to you!"

Instantaneously, Ciel caught himself allowing his intentions to slip out, and his face became so red, that it would be amazing if the stain in his cheeks ever did come out. When those words slipped out, Alois immediately opened his mouth to yell back, but then they registered, and the Macken paused, tears still falling from his eyes as he looked to the other man confusedly as Ciel took a hand away to clutch at his own mouth.

" _What?"_ he asked, eyes wide. The scanned the other man's face for any trace of insincerity, only to find none. Inhaling and exhaling, he tried to calm down enough to press the matter. "You… you wanted to… to… to _me?"_ Hesitantly, his beau nodded in return.

Ciel had never been so nervous in all of his life. He was sweating. He was almost shaking. The Phantomhive had been planning this for months, trying to make sure everything was perfect, and here he was, messing it all up and making the blonde cry. Slowly, he took his hand away from his mouth and nodded again.

" _Yes."_ Ciel answered. Hands unsteady, the Watchdog groped around in the inside of his pocket in order to pull out a small, black box. "Th-this is what fell out of my pocket earlier… I had to make sure it didn't get damaged so I could… S-so I could give it to you."

Alois swallowed as his beau nervously opened the box, revealing a gold ring carefully secured inside. It was intricately decorated with the head of a lion carrying a pale grey topaz in its mouth. A gasp escaped the blonde's lips at the sight of it, before his eyes quickly darted up to the bluenette's face, fresh tears. They only got worse when his love shifted, standing on one knee as he continued to display the ring.

"Jim," he began, his voice soft and earnest. Ciel looked to the menace with the same sense of marvel as though the entirety of the world stood before him. Only Alois was reflected in that sapphire orb of his, as the menace held the bluenette's complete attention.

"You're brilliant." He continued, watching as the blonde tried his best to hold back his tears. "All of this time, I was trying to figure out just how to tell you just how brilliant and wonderful you are, but once again, I'm at a loss for words. I realise that explaining it all would take an eternity, as I find something new that I love about you every single day. So, will you allow me to start, by permitting me the honour of becoming your husband?"

Letting out a laugh, the blonde was smiling so hard that his cheeks hurt despite the fact that the tears would not stop. His heart was racing and his stomach fluttered with every word. He knew what he would answer with, and yet he was so overwhelmed that it was difficult to form the word.

"Jim, will you marry me?" Ciel asked, trying to remain as calm as possible, but not doing a very good job in the slightest.

Quickly, Alois nodded, not even having to think about it. A nervous laugh escaped him as he smiled genuinely, wanting nothing more. He tried his hardest to blink back his tears, but it was no use. He was overflowing with happiness.

"Yes." He said, continuing to nod. "Of course I will, Ciel."

Suddenly, his beau lit up, his body relaxing as an equally large grin graced his face. He didn't want to look away from his love, but had to in order to take the ring out of its box. He closed the container again and placed it in his pocket before gently using his newly freed hand to reach for Alois' and hold it tenderly. "Excited" did not clearly define the way that the Watchdog felt as he gently slid the ring on his beau's left ring finger.

Once it was on, he looked up at the man, inviting him to do the same before he guided his new fiancé's hand up to his lips in order to kiss his ring. Immediately, the blonde moved forward to wrap his arms around Ciel's neck and pull him into a tight embrace, absolutely loving it when the bluenette did the same around his waist. Ciel gripped Alois tightly, picking the man up from his seated position and lifting him into the air. The sound of waves was no match for the sound of their rejoiceful giggling as the Watchdog twirled them both around, only to lose his footing and slide on the rocks, forcing the two of them to the ground, with the blonde on top of him.

" _Oof!"_ was all that was uttered by the bluenette before he continued to laugh with his beau. He moved a hand from around Alois's waist in order to cup the blonde's cheek and guide him into a kiss. Both of them tried their best, but were still forced to giggle through their nose. Once the first one broke into laughter, the other followed, but neither of them minded in the slightest as they continued to enjoy each other's embrace and their smiley, giggly kiss that both of them were too happy to break.

Soon, however, Alois had a craving to see his love's face, so he had no choice but to pull back, propping himself up with his hand pressed uncomfortably against the pebbles beneath them. Tears fell against the bluenette's cheek as he looked down at him, taking in his features and overjoyed expression, before taking his free hand and wiping Ciel's face with his thumb. Alois then caressed his face, tracing his fingers along his jawline. He continued to laugh, but desperately tried to stop in order to not spoil the romantic air.

"Why are you crying?" Ciel asked, wiping the tears of his finance.

"I can't help it!" answered the blonde. "I'm—I'm just so happy! You make me so happy."

"Good. That is my life's greatest ambition." The Watchdog playfully replied, trying to sit up. Once more, he snaked his arms around the waist of the fair haired demon and pulled him close, pecking the man on the cheek as Alois rested his hands on Ciel's chest. "God, I love you so much, Jim. I hardly know what to do."

"Let me be yours while you be mine." Alois said, closing his eyes and rubbing noses. "That's all I could ever wish for."

" _So you have wished it, so it shall be, highness."_ Ciel answered, closing his own eye and leading forward for a kiss that would be one of many over the course of eternity.

* * *


	178. News Of The Week

The duo wasn't in too much trouble for failing to exterminate Scarlet Order. They were successful in taking back the stolen DNA samples, as well eliminating a substantial amount of their forces. Moreover, they did give an estimate of where the Order was heading, so their job was done, and aver a light scolding, they were allowed to go home.

Alois woke up the next morning in the arms of his beau, resting his head on the man's chest as he listened to Ciel's heartbeat and soft breathing. Icy blue eyes groggily fluttered open before setting sights on his left hand, which was placed on the bluenette's chest as well, and a bright smile graced his face as his vision focused on his ring finger. An engagement ring. The blonde's heart fluttered at the sight of the custom ring, recalling the event that led up to it being placed on his finger.

The night before, Ciel explained everything that he was doing in secret behind Alois' back. The Watchdog had asked for the permission and blessing of the Round Table, researched what all he needed to know about choosing a ring, made several visits to several jewelers, and even enlisted the help of the butler in order to get the blonde's ring size. All of that was merely the easy part.

In the second phase, Ciel tried to come up with a way to actually pop the question, asking the opinions of married colleagues—including Elizabeth, his _former_ fiancée! According to Ciel, the woman was overjoyed at the possibility of the duo marrying. Sebastian offered advice as well, but his lessons on how to be "suave" simply didn't take. Finally, Ciel resorted to the internet, but it offered no practical help. None of it mattered, however, as when the time finally came, poor Ciel almost floundered. Alois, however, found it endearing, and wished to cherish the memory always.

Now, he shifted, placing his hands under his chin as he looked up at his beau from his place on the man's chest. Ciel stirred with the movement, instinctively squeezing the menace a little tighter. The gesture made the blonde giggle to himself, while he tried to keep it quiet so his beau could sleep. It didn't matter, however, as the bluenette woke up when Alois could no longer deny his compulsion to kiss his chin and cheek. He continued to kiss the Watchdog's face even after the man clenched his eyes tightly shut, taking a deep breath through his nose as he woke up. Then he relaxed and let out a hum before kissing the blonde back.

"Good morning." He greeted groggily, finally opening his eyes. "I see someone's already having a good day."

"How can I not?" giggled Alois, pulling away to look at the other man. "I'm still excited! And it probably won't be wearing off anytime soon."

"Good. I like seeing you excited." Ciel replied. "You're adorable."

"So are you. I can tell you're happy, too!"

"It would be impossible for me to not be." The bluenette said. "Should we get started?"

"Started on what?" questioned the menace.

"On the preparations for our wedding." Ciel answered with a slight pink tint in his cheeks. "There's a lot to do."

Ciel's face was pale in comparison to the blonde's. The man's face was completely red. It was almost hot enough to burn the bluentte's skin as he hid his face against his chest.

"Uuuugh… I feel like I'm going to cry again…"

"Happy tears only, please." The bluenette insisted. "Just make sure that you're calmed down enough to tell Luka and the others the news, later."

"Luka!" Alois said aloud, immediately raising his head. "I completely forgot about that!"

"Well, if we make it downstairs in time for breakfast, you can tell him then, if you're alright with it."

"I'm more than ' _alright'_ with it." Alois said, leaning down again in order to peck his beau on the lips. "It's a shame we can't hang out here just a bit longer. I'd celebrate with you a bit more."

"We have all of the time in the world for celebrating." Ciel informed, shifting so that the blonde fell off of him with a small "oof" and onto his own side of the bed as the Watchdog sat up. The bluenette leaned back down to kiss his love before sitting up again. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed and getting up, he stretched for a moment before heading toward the dressing room in order to set out some clothes before his shower. "We should really get up."

"Hmmm… I think I'll stay here for a moment and check out my _fiancé's_ cute butt." The menace replied, grinning as he put emphasis on his beau's new title. "You know, I think it might have actually gotten cuter?"

"Likewise." His lover replied, looking over his shoulder before disappearing into the dressing room. "I'll be out in a bit, and then the shower's all yours."

"Hurry back~!" Alois playfully chimed, raising his eyebrows when the Watchdog peeked his head through the doorway one last time.

" _Yes, dear."_ The man said before vanishing again. He didn't even get to properly enjoy the face that the menace was making.

It didn't really matter, as Alois quickly covered it with his hands in order to conceal his flush, and rolled over so that his pillow could take their place. That wasn't fair. That wasn't fair at all! Alois was now left alone with his rapidly beating heart and the butterflies that were throwing a fit inside of him as he let the entire situation marinate his mind. Never did the menace think that this was possible, and never did he ever suspect that he could ever be this happy for being wrong. He had always thought that his love was content with dating, but now, that proved to be false as he invited the menace to become a part of his family of nobles. Never did Jim Macken ever believe that he would get here.

But he did, and now he could barely contain himself. Even the bluenette was more excitable, Alois could tell, especially with his insistence that they should get started right away. This was only the mere beginning of things.

He was eventually forced from his place in the bed by a freshly showered and fully dressed Ciel, and was bribed with a "good morning" kiss so that he would get the same way himself. Unfortunately, they missed breakfast, as the menace spent far too long in the shower staring into space. That wasn't on the agenda for the day, however. Right now, Alois needed to find Luka.

Naturally, Luka was in the entertainment room watching cartoons. The lad seemed very invested in what was happening on screen until a commercial came on. Alois used this as an opportunity to sit down next to him on the couch, immediately capturing the younger demon's attention.

"Mornin', Luka." Greeted the blonde, causing Luka to smile. "How're you?"

"Good." His brother replied. "You weren't at breakfast today."

"I got a late start, today. Ciel almost had to drag me out of bed. He did that really annoying thing where he grabs the blanket and then pulls it off really fast."

"I hate that."

"It made me not want to get up even _more_ , so here I am, all late and stuff." Alois explained. "I couldn't let him win. I hope you understand."

The younger demon laughed, swinging his legs back and forth over the side of the couch. "You and Ciel are silly."

"That's because he's fun to be around!" the menace replied. For a moment, however, he paused, remembering his agenda. "Hey, Luka?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you think about Ciel?" he asked. Luka paused for a while, trying to think of a way to explain his own thoughts about the bluenette. After a few moments, he looked as though he had come up with something and nodded.

"He's weird." Luka said. "Nice, though. I like him."

"Well, how would you feel if he became your big brother, too?"

"Isn't he already?"

"No, I mean like, officially."

"I guess that would be neat." The boy answered. "He's already kind of like a big brother, though. Why?"

"Well, because he's about to become your brother-in-law." Explained Alois, holding up his hand. "In other words, Ciel and I are going to get married."

There was a moment where Luka looked confused, his mouth open slightly and his brow furrowed, but then as what the man was telling him registered, his face lit up, and a grin appeared on his face. "REALLY?!" he asked, leaning forward and grabbing Alois' hand so that he could see the ring. "FOR REAL?!"

"Yup." Smiled the menace. "Ciel and I are going to get married, and he's going to be your brother-in-law. I hope you're not _too_ upset."

"That's _great!"_ Luka excitedly said. "I always knew you would! Oh! Oh! Can I tell Sebastian and Revy!?"

"Sure. Knock yourself out." Laughed Alois, glad to see that he wasn't the only one excited about this, despite the fact that the butler already knew. He grinned after the boy as Luka leapt over the back of the couch and took off.

"Sebastian!" He called as he fled down the hall. _"SEBAAAAASSSTIAAAAANNN!"_

"Don't run!" the blonde called after him, shaking his head as he continued to hear the brunet's footsteps thumping against the floor. Once he was gone, the menace turned, holding up his hand again so that he could look at his ring.

"This was a good week…"


	179. Purple Blood

Luka told the entire household of the news. Ciel Phantomhive and Jim Macken were getting married. From there, the duo called their friends, and informed them, along with what happened the Preston, so the exchange was very bittersweet. The six were delighted that the two demons were making such a step, but were saddened by the news that they were no longer the sensational seven.

Life goes on, however. Wherever Preston may be, the others had their own lives to attend to. Right now, for example, the demonic duo was discussing what all needed to go on their marriage certificate when they applied at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. More precisely, what names would be on it.

"You don't have to change your name if you don't want to." Insisted the Watchdog, sitting on the sofa across from the one that his future spouse sat on. "I personally don't want to change mine, so asking you to feel as though you must wouldn't be fair."

Alois' face was flushed again as blood flooded his cheeks at the thought. It certainly wouldn't be the last time that it would throughout this ordeal. In truth, he was eager to rid himself of the name "Trancy" for good, and while he felt now resentment toward the name "Macken", it still didn't have the same ring as his partner's surname. A good part of him, however, was simply excited to be considered family. Being given his spouses name would label him as belonging to Ciel, and the blonde absolutely loved that idea.

Pausing, the menace took his time in both calming down and in thinking of what he wanted to do, but he was flustered and started to daydream. Poor Alois was distracted by his own thoughts, leaving the bluenette waiting for his reply. Unfortunately, the long silence made Ciel uneasy. The watchdog was flustered as well, despite his seriousness, and was starting to feel a bit nervous.

"Uhm, if you need some time to think about it, I don't mind…" Ciel informed, snapping his beau from his trance. "I understand. There's no rush. It's just that one has to have the forms filled out a certain amount of days before the ceremony."

"O-oh! Sorry, I got distracted…" bashfully admitted Alois, fidgeting in his seat. Clearing his throat, he then continued. "I don't mind taking your name. In fact, I kind of like the idea…"

Now it was the Watchdog's turn to blush, his cheeks staining themselves bright red as he averted his gaze. One hand covered his mouth as he tried to contain himself, and the other tightly gripped his knee. Ciel loved the idea of making Alois a Phantomhive. The man was known to be prideful of his family name as most nobles are, and the idea of sharing that with the menace caused his more older, more conservative, and more "traditional" side internally do backflips.

"' _Jim Phantomhive'_ …" he unwittingly said aloud, causing his beau to be taken aback just a tad.

"I… I _love_ that…" Alois said in response, his own blush darkening. His answer pulled the Watchdog back to reality. Ciel's face lit up with excitement as he momentarily forgot to conceal it. "It has a really great ring to it."

"O-oh." The bluenette uttered before clearing his throat. "Well… I-I guess that's settled, then."

 _"Pfft-!_ You don't have to act so cool, you know. I know you're excited." Grinned the other demon, standing from his seat before walking around the coffeetable and plopping down next to his beau. He leaned against Ciel's shoulder, taking his hand and intertwining their fingers. "We're going to be married, so you can always be honest with me. In fact, you're cute when you're excited."

"Well… I didn't want you to feel like you had to just go along with what I liked…"

"That doesn't mean you have to still hide it, now." Alois said, taking his free hand and reaching up to pinch his lover's cheek. "C'mon, let me see that adorkable happy face~!"

Alois smiled as his pestering got through to the Watchdog, causing Ciel to laugh. His beau took his hand, forcing him to cease his bothering in order to kiss Alois' fingers. He lovingly smiled at the soon-to-be Phantomhive, simply enjoying the sight of him and his very presence.

"Old habits die hard." Ciel answered finally. "I'm sorry. It's a little embarrassing to be so old fashioned. There's a little bit of 'noble pride' in that. It's been drilled into my head, you know. Somehow one hundred years isn't enough to shake it."

"Wouldn't that mean that you should marry another noble?" questioned the blonde. "My pedigree isn't exactly ' _pristine'."_

"That doesn't matter to me. I care more about the fact that you're the one I love. I wouldn't be excited at all if it were anyone else." Ciel answered, tilting the blonde's chin up so that he could look at him directly in the face. "You may not be a blue blood, but your heart is nobler than that of most nobles. You're strong, brave, tenacious, cunning, and you have a strong sense of morality. You are _perfect_ for the Phantomhive family. Even if you weren't, you're the one I want."

He paused to kiss his beau, using his free hand to cup Alois' cheek once he pulled away. "I've thought long and hard about this, you know. Selfishly, I do want you to become part of the Phantomhive family, because out of everyone in the world, I love you the most."

A wide grin appeared on his visage as the blonde moved to hide by pressing his face against Ciel's neck. The Watchdog could feel the heat from his beau's skin, taking it as a sign that he was successful with his flattery. Untangling their fingers, Ciel wrapped his arms around Alois' shoulders, pulling him close so that he could continue to conceal himself while maintaining the Watchdog's affections.

"Are you _trying_ to make me cry again?" the blonde asked, his voice somewhat muffled. "I can't take this much happiness all at once…"

"I'm sorry. I like making you happy." Said Ciel. He kissed the man's head before continuing. "I'm really looking forward to being your husband, you know?"

"I know." Giggled the menace, still refusing to show his face. "I'm looking forward to yours, too, Mister Phantomhive."

"I'm glad," began Ciel, holding his beau tighter with a blush " _Mister Phantomhive_."


	180. Threads of Dread II

There was not one single thing in the world that could bring Alois down as the man continued to float on air. Over the past few weeks, he and his fiancé had gotten a marriage license, and decided that he would in fact be taking his husband's last name once they were married. Every so often, the name "Jim Phantomhive" would pop into his head and he had no choice but to smile at the thought. Never did he suspect that it was possible to be this absolutely elated, but here he was, almost high on the feeling.

Today, he was not with his beau, however. Instead, he was with a rather odd combination of people. Both his fiancé's cousin, Lady Elizabeth Hellsing, and Kristopherson Miles. Truth be told, he was extremely nervous about this particular outing, as he would be picking out what he would be wearing on his wedding day.

"Not going for a dress, Alois?" joked Kristopherson, much to the confusion of Elizabeth.

"Why on earth would he wear a dress?" asked the woman, turning her head away from the garments that she was looking at.

"It's just a joke, Lizzie." Alois fibbed, but he certainly wasn't going to wear a dress on such an important occasion. That would be taking this lightly. No, he wanted a proper wedding, and he wanted it to be nice, as he only intends to get married once.

"I think you should wear white, though." Kristopherson suggested. "It'll contrast nicely with Ciel's dark colours. And I know Ciel's going to want to wear something dark."

"That is so Ciel…" the woman said. "I think that's a wonderful idea, though. Alois, what do you think?"

"U-uh… I don't know? I'm not really sure what I should be doing." Answered Alois with a bashful expression. In truth, he wanted to look good for the bluenette, but wasn't sure in the slightest how to choose the right outfit. There were so many options, and he just didn't know where to start. "I like that idea, but are you sure it's not too much?"

"It'll be fine, mate. We won't let you look bad on your big day." Said the Miles gentleman, putting an arm around the menace and pinching his cheek. "I'll pick you out something fantastic!"

"Clothes have gotten so plain over the past century…" Elizabeth complained to herself. "Where's the complexity?"

"Oh, that's true… Fashion does come from layers…" answered the faux-blond, letting go of the menace in order to walk over to his accomplice. "Should we go with a tuxedo? I'm afraid that might look too stuffy…"

Alois simply stood back and observed the pair as they conversed, debated, and sometimes argued about his wardrobe. The basis for it looked good to the menace, but he doubted that they were done. Eventually, he grew bored of their bickering, and his eyes began to wander around the store, soon landing on accessories.

Walking over to the case, the blonde looked through the glass at the various necklaces and earrings and such until he found the men's section. He found more earrings, forcing his mind to immediately shift to his beau, as he had often helped the man pick out new pairs behind glass just like that. Unconsciously, he smiled at the thought, remembering how Ciel always asks him which ones he likes the best, only to get embarrassed for worrying so much about how the blonde thought of his appearance.

While the blonde continued to look, he spotted sets of cufflinks. Some were plain, and some were not. Some were colourful while some maintained their metallic look. Alois raised his eyebrows as his gaze locked on a particular pair that caught his interest; a pair of silver cufflinks shaped like dogs. It was then that the menace came up with an idea.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" asked Kristopherson from behind Alois, causing the menace to jump.

"Cufflinks…" Alois answered, turning around to face his friend. "They made me think of Ciel. Do you think we could incorporate them somehow?"

Krisotpherson scanned the display for a moment until he spotted what the blonde was referring too. All of a sudden, his eyes lit up. Without another word to Alois, he immediately turned around and searched for Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth!" he called, scanning the aisles. "Alois just gave me the _best_ idea!"

After the shouting, all was quiet. Alois assumed that he had somehow found Elizabeth and was discussing the "idea" the faux blonde was supposedly given. Since he wasn't being summoned, however, the menace simply shrugged and continued looking at things, only to spot his two fashion consultants reappear and head toward the display, where Kritopherson showed Elizabeth the cufflinks. The woman gasped before clapping her hands together.

"That's wonderful!" she said, nodding. "This will work!"

Before Alois could even ask, the pair grabbed him and dragged him off to search for more clothes. This time, they started holding items up to Alois, discussing how they looked before finding items that they thought would go with them. They held up jackets, shirts, ties, vests, and looked at shoes before making him try some on. Alois, being baffled by how fast all of this was happening, simply went along with it and did as he was told, occasionally giving input.

"The tie should be blue." Said Kristopherson.

"Yes, but not that shade. It's too dark. Try this one." Answered Elizabeth, handing the strip of fabric to Kristopherson for him to hold it up to the menace along with their current ensemble.

"Too light."

"This one, then."

Krisotpherosn repeated the action while Alois stood there confusedly, unsure of how he felt being stared at like this. "Perfect!" the faux-blonde pointed out. He then handed the articles of clothing to the menace, to which Alois jumped as his arms quickly held onto the garments to that they wouldn't fall to the floor.

"We need you to go try these on." The Miles gentleman instructed, pointing. "The dressing rooms are over there. We'll be right here when you're done. Just shout if you need us."

"U-uhm, okay?" the blonde answered with uncertainty. Carefully, he tried to balance the garments in his arms without dropping them on his way to the dressing room, stopping to apologize to another shopper who was there looking for a dress with her friends. Quickly, he shut the door once he was inside the cubicle with a sigh, carefully setting the items on the bench.

Minutes passed as he donned the outfit, putting his own clothes in a semi-neat pile on the other side of the bench. The red of his face as he looked in the mirror and examined his attire contrasted greatly with the white suit and tuxedo shirt. The blue tie complimented it well, as the dark grey vest and black belt muted it just enough so that the outfit was extravagant, but not too bright. Alois almost wanted to hide, as his heart was racing so fast that he swore other people could hear it.

"Alois, are you alright in there?" called Elizabeth, forcing the Macken to jump and utter a small squeak in surprise. After a few moments, the pair waiting outside saw the door open and Alois bashfully walk out. The poor man's blush only darkened as those of his friends lit up upon seeing him.

"You look so cute!" praised the Hellsing, walking up to the blonde in order to give him a tight hug. Her arms wrapped around him so fiercely that poor Alois almost thought that his ribs would break!

"It's fantastic." Said Kristopherson, stroking his goatee. "It just needs a few accessories in order to really complete the look."

"Like what?" curiously asked Alois, finally sucking in a breath as he was released.

"Oh, a corsage, and maybe those cufflinks you were looking at." The grinning faux-blonde said. "I think it would be sweet if you both matched."

Pausing, the menace fiddled with his ring, as he thought. There was one thing that was still deeply bothering him. After much hesitation, Alois finally worked up the courage to ask.

"D-do you think he'll like it?"

"Of course! He's crazy about you!" Kristopherson said.

"He'd probably blush at how cute you look, Alois." Added Elizabeth. "He has a weakness for you. Believe me, I'm the one who listened to him talking about how much he wanted to marry you and how he wanted everything to be nice for you. He'll love it."

Alois couldn't control his face as he smiled at the thought of his fiancé trying so hard to impress. He was seriously looking forward to seeing the bluenette's face on their wedding day. It was his sincerest hope that Ciel would be happy. His heart beat just a little faster as he imagined the bluenette seeing him for the first time and getting flustered like usual. But it was endearing. Ciel's silliness was always endearing, and could be taken as proof of his affections.

"Okay." Alois replied. "Let's look at flowers."

* * *


	181. Dashing Devils

Alois took great care to keep his wardrobe hidden from the bluenette, even enlisting the butler's help and warning his beau to stay out of a specific guest room for a while. His requests were understood by the bluenette, as he knew the importance of the gesture. Ciel also knew that it would be his turn to go on a similar mission.

Ciel hated shopping for clothes, and had even less of a clue than the blonde did, but he had to pick out the right outfit to impress his future spouse with. The man had gone on countless missions in which he took down some of Britain's greatest villains, but this actually had him nervous. While he had the assistance of both his cousin and his fashion-savvy friend Kristopherson, the Watchdog was still concerned. He was never comfortable in such fashionable stores, and was only felt at ease in a handful of more specific stores.

The moment he stepped into that store, he was uneasy, hanging back behind the others while he maintained his usual calm façade. He strode in with his hands in his pockets before the Hellsing woman fell back and looped her arm in his. She could tell that he was uneasy, so she tried her best to reassure him.

"Don't worry, Ciel. We've already got ideas for what we want to do, here." Elizabeth said. "All you have to do is tell us whether or not you like it."

"Fine…" the bluenette grumbled, trying to calm his nerves. He didn't like his surroundings, and the pressure of choosing something that wouldn't embarrass his beau was quite a large task for him. "I can't tell you how much good my opinion will do, however."

"Well, you know what Alois likes, don't you?" asked his cousin. "That's pretty important to all of this."

"Yes, but I'm not exactly the most fashionable of people, you know."

"Yeah, usually you either look like a mobster, or a rich fuck." Kristopherson butted in, only to have his shoulder swatted at by Elizabeth. "What? I was playing."

"Be nice." Elizabeth scolded. "Don't make people who are already nervous even worse." Looking to her cousin as they continued walking, she rolled her eyes. "Honestly, his mother should really have a word with him." Kristopherson simply stared at them as they walked by.

"He's nervous?" he asked, moving again to keep up to him. "How can you even tell?"

"I _pay attention,_ dearie. That's how you notice all sorts of things, now come along." Elizabeth gestured for the man to follow, much to Kristopherson's annoyance.

"Just like my mother…" he muttered as he followed along.

They eventually started working again, getting along much better in the process. All Ciel could do was stand there and take it, standing up straight when the others held up clothes to him, and slipping on jackets to make sure they were his size and slipping them off again. For the most part, he simply stood there awkwardly and seemed confused. Occasionally, he would give his input, but not often. He felt as though he was being much too laid back and thoughtless about this, but in all honesty, he wasn't sure what he should be doing.

"Ciel, do you have any preferences?" Elizabeth questioned, holding up a vest. "Surely you've got some ideas for what you want to wear. Oh yes, what about your eyepatch? Do we need a new one? What about earrings?"

"Uh… well… I was thinking that I could wear my lion earrings." The bluenette replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm not sure how that would fit in with your ideas, though…"

"No, no, no! That's wonderful!" the woman said. "What colour are they?"

"Gold?"

"That's perfect." Kristopherson chimed in. "If they were silver, that might be a problem, but they should go with our colour scheme."

"And that would be?" asked the bluenette.

"Black and gold." The human answered. "Or yellow, really. This vest. Take it and the stuff we've picked out and go try them on so we can see if our plan is a flop."

"The dressing rooms are over there, Ciel. If you need anything, just tell us." Elizabeth added, gesturing while Ciel draped the garments carefully over his forearm.

He was cautious in crossing the store, despite the fact that people moved out of his path with one look of his face. Had it been an ordinary day, he wouldn't have noticed, but his currently self-conscious mind took it a bit personally. Ciel knew that he could be a tad intimidating, but he never wanted to be while working for Alois. As he closed the door of the cubicle, he sighed and carefully set down the clothes before straightening his back again. The bluenette stopped in order to look in the mirror for a moment, inspecting his face.

 _"Jesus, would it kill you to smile?"_ he muttered to himself, flexing his brow as he tried to rid himself of his scowl. Then he tried to add a grin, holding it for a few moments before letting it fall.

 _"Great, now you're the bloody Joker…"_ he snidely mumbled, scowling worse than before. Shaking his head, he started disrobing and trying on the outfit that the others put together.

His suit was black, unknowingly contrasting with his spouses' white, causing the yellow vest to stand out with his white cravat tucked in. It was just flashy enough to keep up with Alois' wardrobe, but not enough to overshadow Ciel's own personality. True, the bluenette felt that he looked decent enough in it, but did he really look like "husband" material?

Ciel was excited to finally be marrying the menace. He really did love the man with all of his heart, and it took him ages to finally convince himself that this would be a good step for the both of them. Alois was worth it, and deserved a "proper" ceremony. The Watchdog couldn't help but feel his heart fluttering when he thought about becoming the blonde's spouse. He loved seeing Alois being so happy and excited, so he wanted everything to be nice for his beau. Despite his earlier thoughts of self-doubt, remembering just how happy the blonde had been acting over the past few weeks made a genuine smile form on his face. It sat so naturally on his visage, and was a massive improvement from the forced one from before.

"Ciel? Are you almost done?" asked Elizabeth from outside, capturing the bluenette's attention.

"Jesus, do these two have trouble dressing themselves or something?" questioned Kristopherson, immediately shutting his mouth upon seeing Ciel exit the dressing room.

"I assure you, I have no problems on that front, Kristopherson." He said, carrying himself in his usual dignified manner. "I was merely making sure that I look halfway decent."

Before the Miles gentleman could defend himself, the bluenette was attacked by his cousin as he was lifted off of the ground in a crushing hug. Kristopherson's eyes widened as Ciel simply allowed himself to be held up as though he had experienced it countless times before. Elizabeth spun them both around before Ciel's feet finally touched the ground again, continuing to squeeze him as she spoke.

"You look so _adorable,_ Ciel!" she practically squealed. "Alois is going to love it!" Pulling back, she cupped the man's cheeks and grinned. "I am so, so, _so_ happy for you! Look at you~! So handsome! I can't wait for Alois do see it!"

The Phantomhive was blushing at this point, bashfully trying to maintain his air of dignity. He took a moment to straighten his clothes and cleared his throat before running a hand through his hair in an effort to calm himself. Elizabeth's excitement was almost infectious, as he only grew more and more eager for the ceremony.

"Do you really think he'll like it?" he asked, his voice much calmer than his face.

"Of course! We'll fix your hair before the ceremony and get you all ready—"

"Please don't tell me you're going to do my hair like Aunt Francis…"

"No, never. That would just be _mean_." Elizabeth stated. "I meant like the way you used to for formal events."

"Oh. I haven't done that in ages…"

"All the better reason to show Alois." The woman said. "Come on, go put your clothes back on and we'll get you all ready for your big day."


	182. Forever My Highness

It was a lonely night for the demonic duo. Of all of the traditions, this was the most unpleasant thus far. Ordinarily, the bride and the groom are not to be together on the night before the wedding, but no one really knew how that would translate when both spouses are of the same sex. Still, the duo stayed in separate rooms, getting a miniscule amount of sleep due to the discomfort of sleeping alone.

However, this arrangement had its perks, as they were able to get dressed without the other seeing their outfits before the ceremony, timing it so that they left at different intervals. It was quite the pain to endure, having to separate from each other for the entire day. The wedding would take place at sundown in order to accommodate vampiric guests, so the duo were not in contact the entire time. It was almost unbearable, as the pair were both almost unable to contain their excitement.

Fortunately, they had plenty of distractions, since their fashion consultants each had them busy. Elizabeth was busy trying to fix Ciel's hair while Kristopherson made sure that Alois' wardrobe stayed in pristine condition. Not one speck of dirt made it onto that white suit under the watchful eye of Kristopherson Miles. The only break Alois got from him was when the faux-blonde left in order to get himself ready. He enjoyed it immensely, trying to fluff his hair up to his own standards and wrinkling his nose at all of the product in it. Soon, however, he jumped when the door swung open again, quickly forcing his hands to his sides so that he wasn't touching anything before turning to face the intruder.

"It's almost time!" Elizabeth said as she stampeded into the room. "You need to get in position!"

"H-huh?!" nervously barked the menace, his face heating up. He wasn't able to say another word before the woman quickly grabbed his hand and started tugging him out the door.

"Just do what you did in rehearsals!" the Hellsing reassured. "Don't worry, you'll be fine!"

"U-uh bu-but—"

"No buts! You've been waiting so long for this, and Ciel has tried so hard to help you both get here." Elizabeth said, dragging the man through the church. "Don't you dare try to back out and throw that away. If you do, I'll never forgive you."

"I-I'm not going to!" protested Alois. "I'm just nervous!"

"What is there to be nervous about? You've rehearsed this!"

"So?! What if something goes wrong? What if I cry during the ceremony? What if Ciel doesn't like the way I'm dressed—"

Alois was cut off as the two of them came to an abrupt stop. To his surprise, Elizabeth turned around to face him, looking at him directly in the eyes with determination. He was even more surprised when the woman stabbed him in the chest with her finger.

"There is no way that Ciel won't love it." She declared. "I am one-thousand percent sure, so I promise you without an ounce of uncertainty that Ciel is not going to be disappointed. Don't you dare doubt yourself today." Elizabeth ordered, jabbing him again. " _Not. To. Day_. Today is supposed to be happy. Just go to him, Alois. He's determined to make you his husband. An outfit is not going to shake his resolve in something so important."

"O-okay…" bashfully nodded the menace.

"Good!" grinned Elizabeth, slinking behind the man in order to nudge him along. "Now go get in position. It's just around the corner, like always. I have to get to my seat!"

"Oh. Okay?"

"Break a leg!" the woman said as she made her exit. She gave the man a thumbs up before turning to leave. Alois watched after her for a few moments before finally snapping back to attention.

"Oh yeah!" he said before quickly jogging through the hallway. He tried his best not to trip as he hastily rounded the corner to the spot where he was supposed to enter with his spouse, and somehow in all of this, he forgot that Ciel was supposed to be there.

"C-Ciel?" the blonde let out before he nearly wiped out from not paying attention, only to be speedily caught by the bluenette. He looked up, finding that he was in his lover's arms, and his face immediately flushed. "Wow…"

The Watchdog swiftly helped the man to his feet, still neglecting to release him, however. His eye scanned Alois, taking in his appearance as his breath was stolen from him. Instinctively, he reached up to cup Alois' cheek as the blonde rested his palms on his chest.

"You look absolutely incredible…" he said, his voice soft. A genuine smile graced his face as he looked into the blonde's eyes, only to have it returned as the blonde did his best to hold back from crying again.

"So do you." Alois answered, leaning into his beau's touch. "You look fantastic."

Smiling, Ciel pressed leaned in close to the menace, pursing his lips. His eye closed, only to snap open when he didn't feel Alois' lips, but rather, his fingers as the other man stopped him.

"Not yet." The menace said. "Just a few more minutes." With those few words, Ciel's shock subsided and he pulled back again to look at his beau.

"I'll be counting the seconds." He answered, causing the other demon to giggle. It was around then that the duo was yanked from their amourous exchange by the sound of an organ.

"Oh shit! It's starting!" Alois said, grabbing the bluenette's arm and pulling him along. They reached the door just as it cracked open and sorted themselves; the blonde taking the bluenette's arm as they made sure that they were standing on the correct sides that they had rehearsed with. Once the door was fully opened, they made their first steps down the aisle.

All was not calm in the Gehenna church on that day. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agents and supernaturals alike clapped and cheered when the duo walked out. The Gehenna Police department sat in full formal ansembles while rejoicing for the demons, as did critical members of the H.E.L.L.S.N.G. organization. Even Sir Integra herself clapped while her grandmother stood up in her seat. Seras Victoria joined them, and so did Audrey Baines, wearing his signature hat with his formal uniform. He behaved boorishly along with the rest of the seven, now joined by Pratricia Ramirez, who was seated next to the smiling Travis Sullivan. Miranda Ackerman sat with the rest of the Research department, while Captain Debra Harland sat with BRAVO team, applauding.

Their family was there as well, much to the delight of the duo. Sebastian held Luka as he stood up so that he could see over the heads of the crowd and wave at his brother, causing both grooms to wave back conspicuously.

Key members of Gehenna sat in the audience and cheered as well, including those from the Wolf's Glen and the Gehenna Public Library. Alois waved to them as some of the police blew their whistles, uncharacteristically led by Revy Macken, who often times believed himself to be above such acts of celebration, but the blonde still maintained his grip on Ciel the entire time. He would look up at the Watchdog, who would look back at him and grin widely. It was obviously taking all that Ciel had not to kiss his beau, and Alois was loving it.

Both of them, however, felt their nerves returning to them as they made it to the altar. Once Baldassare ended the song on the organ, the crowd grew quiet again, shushing each other. Chuckling rumbled from the crowd when both grooms accidentally took a breath to calm down at the same time, but it was quickly silenced as Sister Dorothy prepared to speak.

"Welcome." The nun greeted to the audience. "We are gathered here today to for the joining in bond of matrimony Ciel and Jim. The contract of marriage is one not to be entered into lightly, but thoughtfully and with a deep realization of the obligations and responsibilities it entails. Please remember that love, loyalty, and understanding are the foundation of a happy home. No tie is more important or tender."

Both men continued to smile as they listened, occasionally sneaking glances at the other until it was time to face their spouse. Both men were smiling so widely that it was almost painful, their cheeks pink as they eagerly awaited their chance to kiss the one another and embrace them. The anticipation was killing them. In truth, they wanted the ceremony to be over as quickly as possible so that they would no longer have to wait. They would soon get their wish as Sister Dorothy continued.

"Do you, Ciel, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?" she questioned.

"I do." The Watchdog proudly declared without the slightest bit of hesitation, looking the blonde straight in the eyes as he did.

"And do you promise to keep him, love and comfort, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse and to be faithful until death do you part?"

"Even after that." Ciel answered, causing his spouse's cheeks to darken as the church cooed.

"And do you, Jim, take Ciel to be your lawfully wedded husband?" the nun inquired, now facing the other demon.

"I do." The menace said, his tone sincere, despite the deep breaths that he needed to take in order to remain calm.

"Do you have rings?" Dorothy asked, tuning to Ciel.

"Yes." Answered the Watchdog, producing them from his pocket. He handed one to the menace while keeping the other, if only for a moment. Gently taking Alois' hand, he slid the band onto his spouse's finger.

"Jim," he began, taking in the blonde's features as he spoke, and smiling reassuringly as he spoke. His voice took on a much gentler tone—one that was seldom heard in public. "I give you this ring, in token of my commitment and love."

Then, it was Alois' turn, taking another breath in order to remain calm, despite the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes. Taking Ciel's hand, he held it for a moment, before beginning to slip the ring on the Watchdog's finger. It took him a few seconds longer to speak, but he did.

"Ciel, I do the same for you." He said, his voice sounding confident enough to embolden himself. "I give you this ring, in token of my commitment and my love." It was with that, that a tear did fall, but Alois smiled all the same. He was overflowing with happiness at that moment, and the bluenette couldn't help but clasp his hands, unable to stick to the script upon seeing that face.

"It is now with great pleasure that I pronounce you spouses for life." Declared the nun, smiling along with them. "You may now seal your vows with a kiss."

It was then that the demons practically jumped into each other's arms, embracing each other tightly and securely as they kissed. Alois cupped both of his husband's cheeks as he smiled into the kiss, allowing his tears to fall freely as the other demons wrapped one arm around him while gripping the back of his head with the other, unable to remain stoic when joyously overflowing with love.

The pair stayed like that for a few moments. It was long enough to hold them both over until later, but short enough that it wasn't inappropriate. Either way, it elicited the same hooting and hollering from their friends as the rest of the crowd cheered. The pair separated, limiting themselves to simply holding hands as they stepped down from the altar, only looking away from each other in order to look as to where they were going. Once they were finally on the floor, they looked back to each other, unable to hold anything in.

Ciel reached up in order to wipe the blonde's tears with his thumb as their friends, family, and coworkers approached them in order to bid their congratulations, but the duo were more focused on each other. They each put an arm around the other as they faced the others and conversed, sneaking glances at each other often. They couldn't help it. From this day on, they would be husbands. That was an exciting feat within itself. Afterward, life would go on as the demonic duo became Sir and Mister Phantomhive.

* * *


	183. Louder Than Words

All was not over with the marriage of the two Phantomhives, as they still had an after-party to attend. It was much larger than either of them really were into, but with the amount of people who attended, it was somewhat necessary. At the start, the crowd was tense, with the intermingling of several conflicting groups, including H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; Girasol, the Gehenna Police Department, key members of the community of Gehenna, and friends and family of the grooms.

Sir Integra's assistant never left her unguarded, meaning that Seras Victoria was constantly hovering over Sir Hellsing in order to protect her from the potential dangers that surrounded her. Despite the fact that the head of the organization herself was present, all was surprisingly peaceful. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. Charlotte and Amelie danced together, and Patricia asked Travis. Daniel and Kristopherson simply chatted, as Daniel's father was in attendance, and Audrey conversed with Miranda about supernatural findings, discussing theories as Audrey showed the researcher photos on his phone. The real turning point of the party was when top-ranking member of Girasol, General Kyung-Soon Park, asked local hero Officer Tegwen Sibyl to dance, somewhat breaking the ice between the conflicting groups in attendance when Sibyl accepted. Now supernaturals and humans conversed, although still remaining careful to be sensible. There were still barriers up, given the extensive history between H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and Gehenna.

Despite the bluenette's nature, he was required to go to the after party. He had few qualms about it, however, due to the fact that he still got to spend time with his husband and behaved as though no one was watching. Guests were somewhat taken by surprise at how gentle and loving the "terrible" Watchdog was behaving as he and his spouse were practically attached at the hip.

He was out of character by the standards of Gehenna citizens and H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. flunkies, laughing earnestly with friends and family, smiling from the heart, and gently caressing the face of his beloved as others danced and chatted around them. His butler was even surprised that he hardly payed attention to the cake, instead opting to focus on Alois, even when they had to part. Alois stepped on the dance floor with his little brother, Luka, dancing with the younger demon's feet standing on the menace's shoes. Even then, the Watchdog watched him while practically glowing. There was as pride and there was love, combined with the deep sense of devotion that he felt for the blonde just radiating from his being.

"Someone's happy." Commented Elizabeth as she took a seat next to her cousin, pulling him away from the menace for just a second. She smiled as the bluenette let out a chuckle, grinning a dopey grin.

"I can't help it." Ciel replied. "It's not every day that one gets married."

"True, true." Nodded the angel. "I was excited on my wedding day, too. It's just sort of fun to see you so excitable and smiley."

"Is it that obvious?"

" _Extremely_ so." The woman said. "I'm actually surprised that you're not out there dancing with him."

"It's Luka's turn, so I'm sort of taking a break." Answered the Watchdog. "I always was the sort to just spectate, so I'm not too bothered."

"Oh, so you're taking turns, then?"

"Well, it would be rude not to let his brother have a turn." Ciel said, pausing for a moment. "Do you have anyone to dance with?"

"Not really." Elizabeth answered. "Unless Integra wants to dance, but that seems unlikely."

"Would you like to dance?"

"Are you asking me if I would be willing to dance with you?"

"Well, if you put it that way, it sounds like a chore."

"Well, if you haven't improved any over the years, it very well may be." Jested the woman, giggling along with the bluenette.

"That's harsh." Chuckled Ciel.

"Perhaps, but you've stepped on my feet plenty of times to be cautious." His cousin replied. "Do you think I could possibly get away with all of my toes?"

"I will make no such promise." The bluenette said, standing up.

"Well, I would love to, but I would rather have permission from your spouse before I do." Elizabeth said, prompting her relative to look back to the blonde menace on the dance floor.

"One moment." He said to the woman before making his way over to his beau, prompting the blonde to look up. Their conversation was covered by music, but went without conflict and ended with the bluenette pecking his husband on the cheek.

"Permission granted!" the blonde called out to Elizabeth as Ciel walked away from him, causing the woman to smile as she took the Watchdog's hand while he led her to the dancefloor.

They twirled around as Ciel demonstrated that he had in fact improved over the past hundred years. He didn't step on Elizabeth's foot even once. She appreciated this fact, finally not having to worry about pain in her feet or scuffs on her shoes, and she didn't mind not dancing with Ciel in the way that he would dance with Alois, keeping her at an appropriate distance for family members and close friends. The pair had fun, even if they were not dancing at a wedding in the way that was originally dictated for them. That part didn't matter, as they both preferred it this way.

"Not bad. My Isaac was better, though." Elizabeth teased.

"I'm still working on it." The Watchdog halfheartedly protested. "Dancing is difficult!"

"Nonsense! You were perfectly in sync with Alois earlier!"

"It's easy because we have a contract. Reading his moves makes it simple." Ciel answered. "That and sixth sense…"

"You're just used to him." The woman said. "That's good, that's good! I'm glad you mesh so well. It's really fun to watch."

"Oh, yeah? How's that?"

"You act… kind of like a puppy? It's hard to explain."

"How on earth am I like a _puppy?_ " Ciel asked confusedly, shaking his head as he twirled the woman again.

"I don't know. You just get this look on your face." Elizabeth answered with a shrug.

"I do not…"

"Quick! Think about holding his hand."

Just like that, Ciel's face shifted slightly, causing the Hellsing to smile. Her grin only grew as she felt the Watchdog's fingers twitched. Elizabeth took her hand from her shoulder and pointed at Ciel's face.

"There! Right there! Like that!" she accused. "You look like such a dope."

"Gee, thank you, Elizabeth. That _warms my heart."_ The bluenette replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm. He opened his mouth to speak again, only to have his attention stolen when he was tapped on the shoulder. His cousin snickered as his expression instantaneously changed at the sight of his beau standing behind him.

"Jim!"

"Luka got tired of dancing and is now raiding the snack table." Informed the menace as the two relatives separated. "Mind if I cut in?"

"Sure." Elizabeth answered as her cousin held out a hand, but to his surprise, Alois did not take it.

"Thanks~!" the blonde said, taking the woman's hand and trying not to laugh in the bluenette's general direction. The Hellsing woman was amused as his spouse almost visibly pouted, crossing his arms and shaking his head as Elizabeth and his husband danced.

"That was mean." Giggled the Hellsing woman, amused by the both mens' actions.

"If I can't mess with him every once in a while, how can I say that I love him?" retorted the menace, twirling them both.

"True. Playfulness is an important part of any relationship." Elizabeth noted.

She and the menace had a laugh while dancing together, but it ended abruptly when the song changed. Both of them stopped for a moment as they became confused by the sudden change in tempo. This song was much slower, the pair realised, looking at each other for a suggestion of what to do. Alois, however, turned around when he sensed a familiar presence behind him. Ciel stood with a determined expression and an extended hand, smiling at the blonde as he confronted him.

"I'm afraid that I must insist that you dance with me for a song like this." He said, ignoring the snickering of his cousin for a moment in favour of focusing on the slight blush on his husband's cheeks. Elizabeth let go of Alois, prompting him to turn his attention back to her for a moment as she offered a curtsy.

"I do not wish to intrude." She said with a grin, waving at the pair as she made her exit. "Have fun you two!"

Before Alois could say anything, she was gone, leaving just him and the other Phantomhive. Thus, he turned to face his beau and took his hand, allowing himself to be pulled in close to the Watchdog's chest and held their securely. The blonde half-expected the bluenette to assume a more classical starting position, but found himself a wee bit surprised when the other man simply placed his hands on his hips, leaving the menace to paw Ciel's chest as they kept their proximity.

"This is an interesting change." Alois said with a bemused smirk. "Since when do you dance like this in public?"

"Since I got married." Answered the Watchdog in a matter-of-fact tone, not allowing himself to become flustered. "Today is really special, and I have an especially strong urge to dote on you."

"It must be quite something." Chuckled the menace, sliding his hands underneath the other man's arms and resting them on Ciel's back, pulling him closer so that he could rest his chin on his man's shoulder. He smiled contently to himself as they swayed from side to side. "It's nice."

"I'm glad you like it." Ciel said. "I haven't had quite my fill yet, however."

"Oh yeah? And what would fix that?"

"Well, I was hoping to kiss you, but then you went and leaned on my shoulder instead."

The Watchdog's complaint made Alois laugh, encouraging him to pull away somewhat, holding his own hand behind the other's back so that he could still hold him. "You're so needy…"

"I can't help it. You're too cute. So cute, that it's insane." Ciel replied, pecking the blonde on the nose before moving to his cheek. He made his beau giggle as he kissed him all over his smiling face. It was a compulsion for the bluenette to keep kissing the menace, and Alois was absolutely loving every second of it.

However, a new craving eventually arose, and Ciel was forced to pull back so he could look at his husband's face. One of the hands on the blonde's hip came up to cup his cheek as his beau caressed it, his eye taking in every detail of Alois' face. Before the menace could say anything, his husband pulled him close, tightly embracing him as nuzzled the man, his eyes closed as he enjoyed the contact. The action was bizarre for Ciel, so it naturally took the blonde by surprise.

"Ciel?" he called, hugging his spouse back all the same.

"God…" sighed the Watchdog, nuzzling his spouse with a smile. "I just… I just love you so much…"

Suddenly, the temperature in the room rose substantially—at least to the blonde as a dark blush appeared on his face. Slowly, he held Ciel back, and then all at once, squeezing him tightly as fresh tears fell from his eyes. Neither of them were moving to the music anymore as they simply stood and embraced each other.

"I love you too." Answered the blonde. His voice was wet as he spoke, no longer worried about crying. Right now they were laying their feelings out bare for the other to see, so he was not holding back. Turning his head, he kissed the side of his husband's. "I love you so much… You... You make me so happy, Ciel… So happy that I don't even know what to do…"

"I feel the same way." Ciel replied. "I don't always act like it, but you… I always… I just…" For once, the Watchdog was at a loss for words, causing him to grunt, but Alois was patient with him.

"You are so important to me." Finally spoke the bluenette, pulling back to that he could address his beau directly. "I can't even figure out how to explain it, but you make me feel. I want to share everything with you—every triumph, every struggle, every moment, and everything else in between. This feeling is so deep that I can feel it in my bones, and I want you to know that. Jim, I love you with everything that I have, and I—I just—"

Ciel's voice sounded strained. His face was completely red, but showed not a single hint of embarrassment. The Watchdog felt no shame, but he was feeling so intensely that he simply didn't know what to do with it all. His chest was warm, but felt as though his heart was about to burst. His fingers felt the fabric of Alois' jacket and the details on the blonde's soft cheeks attentively, unable to focus on anything but the menace. Nothing else mattered. It was all Alois. Thus, it was Alois who was the reason that the Watchdog was choked up.

Taking a deep breath, Ciel tried to come up with something else to say, opening his mouth despite the fact that he had nothing to say. Quickly, the blonde silenced him by pressing his finger to his lips, causing his beau to look at him with a surprised expression. He waited patiently for an explanation as the tearful menace took a few deep breaths.

"That's how I feel about you." Alois stated, moving his hands so that he was holding the bluenette's head. With another shaky breath, he continued, allowing his tears to fall freely as he smiled at the other demon. "I love you, and I want you to always know that as well."

Grinning back, the Watchdog closed his eye, signaling that the Lion should advance, and he did. Alois leaned forward while pulling Ciel closer, and the bluenette did not object. Gently, they pressed their lips together very sweetly, kissing for the sake of being close to one another and expressing the sincerity of their love. Neither of them could quite find the words, but their actions spoke well enough for them until they did, and the Phantomhives would have the rest of eternity to do so.


	184. Suite Talk

It was an exhausting night. Sebastian had to keep track of Luka, who tried his best to eat the entirety of the refreshments before passing out underneath the table with his legs sticking out underneath the tablecloth. Revy turned down every single invitation to dance as the other police officers partied with the other guests. Sir Integra wisely left the party early, making her congratulations and staying for a while out of politeness before promptly leaving and taking her assistant with her. The Grooms both understood, as one of them wasn't exactly the "partying type." By the end of the night, he was nearly dragging his feet as he walked out the door!

He still smiled, regardless, and waved in a friendly manner to the rest of the family as they parted ways. The demonic duo were heading off to the hotel suite that they had booked in advance, but despite the amourous air, they did nothing risqué for quite some time upon their arrival. Both men nearly collapsed upon stepping into the suite, and used quite a substantial amount of the remainder of their energy in order to make it to a couch.

The duo plopped down on the cushions, leaning back in their seats as they both started loosening their ties. The strips of fabric were tossed to the floor as soon as they were off, and the men undid the first two buttons on their shirts. With that, they slumped where they sat, leaning against one another as they found themselves physically pained by the thought of moving. They stayed like this for half an hour or so before finally being able to chat. Witty banter was shot back and forth as the pair flirted and played, still high from the delight of officially uniting their families.

Hours passed as they both chatted while recovering, but they eventually got ready for bed, showering and brushing their teeth. The pair had almost agreed that it was too tiresome at the moment to consummate their marriage that night, but once they were about to turn in, the demons seemingly caught their second wind. Their night was tender as the pair softly made love whilst giggling.

It was no wonder that they both woke up in such exceptional moods the following morning, still radiating happiness as they slowly returned to the conscious world. Ciel was in no hurry to open his eyes, but he could still feel the menace curled up against him. A smile instantly formed on his face as he squeezed his spouse a little tighter, pulling him close while burying his face in flaxen locks. The Watchdog's mind was almost completely awake, but the man really did not feel as though he wanted to sacrifice the soft comfort and warmth that he was experiencing at that moment. His actions, however, caused the menace to slightly stir, mumbling while trying to hide his face in Ciel's chest.

Then, his eyes abruptly opened as he registered where he was. Lifting his head, he forced the bluenette's face away as he sat up and rubbed his eyes, noting that he still had arms around his waist as his beau refused to let go of him. With that, he smiled, shifting so that he could lean over and kiss Ciel's cheek. He saw his spouse grinning and simply laid back down with him.

"Good morning, sunshine." Alois cooed, running his fingers along the other demon's cheek.

"Good morning…" began the bluenette in response, finally opening his eyes. Moving his hand up, he gripped the blonde's, bringing it to his lips and kissing his ring. "… _Mister Phantomhive_."

He grinned as his words widened Alois' smile, flashing his teeth as the blonde giggled. The Watchdog found his ribs being squished as the menace flopped down on top of them, pushing the air out of his lungs with a small "oof!" When the form on top of him continued to convulse with every laugh, he patted the man on the back and kissing him wherever he could reach with Alois hiding his face in his shoulder. The blonde kissed him back, pecking along his shoulder and neck before finally pressing his lips firmly against the flesh and blowing raspberries until he finally had to laugh again. He was infected by Ciel's cackling at his actions, finding delight in the Watchdog's expressions of joy.

The laughing only got more pervasive as the bluenette switched to offense, wrapping his arms around the menace and sitting up with him in his lap. A squeak escaped Alois as the other Phantomhive blew raspberries back, using the blonde's neck as his target. Pulling back again, they faced each other, but not for long as the menace grabbed hold of his spouse's cheeks and pulled him in for another kiss.

"Did I hit a nerve?" playfully asked the Watchdog once their lips parted again. He smirked while pressing their foreheads together, waiting for his beau to recollect himself in order to reply.

"A little." Alois answered, allowing his hands to drop to the bluenette's shoulders. "I'm still excitable, you know. That's going to take me some getting used to."

"That's perfectly alright." Informed his beau. "I really like seeing you like this."

"Likewise." Said the blonde. "You're much more chipper than usual, too."

"But of course. I've just married the love of my life. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, it isn't exactly as though I can help maintain your bloodline, you know."

"I don't care about that." Ciel stated with a childishly stern expression. "I have no need for an heir, and what matters is that I have you. As old fashioned as I may be, I can still see the importance of marrying for love, and I much prefer this to any alternative."

"Oh yeah? What are the alternatives?"

"I marry someone whom I don't love instead and live miserably with both them. I much prefer this sequence of events."

"I can tell." snickered the blonde.

"Good, because I'm very excited, too." The Watchdog said. "I can't remember the last time I've been this happy. You've always made me happy, but you just keep making me happier and happier as time goes on."

"That is my ambition." Alois retorted.

"I don't know what to do with it all, really." His beau commented. "I'm never sure what to do with it, so I'm afraid that I just make weird faces or something."

"I like them, though! They're so dopey and cute… Just express it however you're comfortable with. That's always my favourite way."

"Even if it's just holding you?"

" _Especially_ if it involves holding me." The blonde emphasized. "Or kisses. You know how much I love kisses." He added, prompting the bluenette to peck him on the lips.

"Well, you know how much I love giving them." Retorted his spouse. "If that's what you want to do today, I will have no complaints."

"What? You haven't planned anything?"

"I had a few ideas in case you wanted to go do something, but the entire day is open, really."

"And if I wanted to stay in bed all day and act lovey-dovey and gross?" the blonde said questioningly, arching an eyebrow as he waited for a response. He maintained the expression even as the bluenette chuckled.

"That works." Ciel answered. "Go ahead and gross me out. Should we put on pants first?"

"Nah, they're probably going to come off again, anyway." Bluntly stated Alois.

"Oh yeah, and why's tha—oh…. _Oh."_


	185. Bonny Swans

With the sun rising over the city of London, it did the same in Gehenna. Morning did not come for only the demonic duo, as it also came for a certain police officer. The run-down apartments that were still partially under construction in Gehenna's C-Block was where Tegwen Sibyl made her residence, and for once, she wasn't woken up by the sound of construction, but rather the sound of a phone ringing.

The woman's eye's flickered open and immediately snapped shut as a throbbing pain surged in with the sunlight, filling her entire head. Tegwen didn't even remember coming home last night, much less changing into her sleep clothes, but from the way she was feeling, she had drank too much while at the wedding party. She groaned as the phone continued to ring, making her headache worse as it forced her to get up and do something about it. Sitting up was a bad idea, however, as she immediately felt nauseous. Still, she trudged her way out of her bedroom and managed to reach the phone. She picked it up and tried to collect herself for a moment before finally answering.

"Hello?" she greeted, her voice tired and groggy.

"Tegs? It's Akira." Her friend said on the other end of the line. "Are you okay? You sound terrible."

"I just woke up." Tegwen yawned, leaning against the wall.

"It's past noon?"

"…And I'm hungover."

"Good thing I called in sick for you." Laughed Akira. "I was just checking to see if you were alright."

"And for that, I thank you. I'm good, though. I feel like shit, but otherwise fine."

"Ah, that's good. I was a little worried. Nobody from the station really recognised the girl who helped you home, so I'm glad she wasn't a serial killer."

"What girl?" Tegwen asked, furrowing her brow in confusion.

"The one you were dancing with last night?" answered the other officer. "Vampire, blonde hair, black lipstick… that one?"

Akira's explanation caused the elf a bit of alarm. "Wait, how did she know where I live?"

"Sophie told her? She wrote it down on the back of her hand and everything."

"Why didn't you take me home?"

"I was drunk, too." Said Akira. "Why? What's wrong? Who is she?"

"Remember the girl I told you about who kept pestering me while on patrol?"

The other officer paused for a moment. " _That was her, wasn't it?"_

"Yep." Answered Tegwen.

"Is that bad? You seemed really friendly the other night?"

"Well, yeah, because she was actually _nice_ to me." The elf replied.

"I think she's into you, mate…" suggested Akira.

"Then why doesn't she just say so?"

"Some people have trouble with that." The officer on the other end of the line said. "In fact most people do. You're just weird about that shit."

"Am I?"

"You're very blunt…"

"Hey, it's better to be too the point than confusing." Tegwen protested, hearing her friend chuckle on the end of the line.

"Yeah, but it takes people off guard." Said Akira. "Anyway, if you're alright and no stalkers are after ya, I have to get back to work. _Some_ people are productive members of society who don't get completely sloshed at other people's weddings."

"Fuck off."

"Too blunt~!"

"Fuck you!"

"Even worse! Later, Tegs~!" Before Tegwen could answer, the other woman hung up, causing her to pout.

" _Bitch_ …" she grumbled, hanging up the phone. She then sighed, figuring she should take a shower and do something about this hangover. It wasn't as though she was going to get dressed, however. Running around the house clothes suited her just fine.

At least, this was how her plan was until she spotted the lifeless form currently lounging on her couch. A blonde woman with fangs was fast asleep in her living room, slumped over the armrest so that she was out of the sun. Tegwen nearly had a heartattack at the sight, jumping back and losing balance so that she fell flat on her rear. None of this was doing her sick feeling any good. The elf clutched at her chest as the other woman groaned, clearly unhappy about being up in the middle of the day.

"Keep it down…" complained Kyung-Soon, seemingly forgetting where she was.

"What are you doing in my house?"

The sound of the voice caused Kyung-Soon to wake up a bit more as she now had to figure out why on earth she was waking up to Tegwen. Opening her eyes, she snapped them shut again at the bright light the poured into the room.

"Could you close the curtains?" she asked the elf, grunting as she positioned herself upright a bit more. "The whole reason I'm still here is because of the sun…"

"Fine…" answered Tegwen, standing up and squinting herself as she shut the curtains. "Trapped by the sun?" she asked the vampire, looking over her shoulder.

"Yeah… I didn't bring any shade gel because I thought I would be back before dawn. Turns out I was wrong." Kyung-Soon informed. "Sorry I kinda squatted here without asking."

"Well, according to Akira, you helped me home, so I guess I can't really complain." Tilting her head, Tegwen asked: "Are those my sweatpants?"

"What? Oh, yeah. Sorry about that, too. Sleeping in a skirt just wasn't working for me. Oh, and for the record, you dressed yourself before you keeled over."

"It's fine…" Tegwen answered, blushing a bit at the explanation for her being dressed in sleepwear as well. "Uh… You can crash here until it's dark again. Sorry for waking you up."

"What? You're not going to kick me out?"

" _Yes, I'm going to force a vampire into the sun. I am just that much of an asshole_." The elf answered, causing the vampire to laugh.

"Ooh~! So you've got a sarcastic side? Nice." Kyung-Soon said with a smile, flashing her teeth as she stretched out a bit. She had washed off her makeup from the night before, making it the first time that Tegwen has seen her without black lipstick. The vampire was a bit confused when she caught the other woman staring. "What? I was just teasing…"

"Oh, I was just thinking." Answered the officer. "My head hurts and I want food. Hopefully, I don't throw it up."

"Yeah, you probably should eat. Your stomach is probably empty from last night. Don't worry, none of it got on the floor, and I held your braid back for you."

Unconsciously, the elf reached up and grabbed her braid, making the vampire laugh again. She hadn't undone it the night before, and her hair clips were still in her hair. Sighing, she took them out and started walking toward her bedroom in order to put them away, untangling her now-messy braid as she did.

"Thanks." She said. "You can stay on the couch until night and get some sleep. Just shout if you need anything."

"M'kay~!" the other woman answered, waving as Tegwen disappeared into her room. When she came out again, Kyung-Soon made an attempt to go back to sleep, but then heard another door close, and the sound of a shower turning on.

" _Too awake now_." The mumbled, sitting up. Taking a deep breath, she rubbed her eyes before taking a good look around the room.

Unopened boxes were stacked around the minimal amount of furniture that the room contained. There was a couch, and there was a coffeetable with an old radio sitting on it. That was all, other than a guitar propped up in the corner next to what appeared to be a homemade ukulele. A Gehenna Police bicycle was leaned against the wall, which was bare as the room was devoid of any decoration whatsoever. It would seem that Tegwen had only moved in recently. Judging by the small amount of boxes, however, she didn't have much.

Kyung-Soon found herself compelled to look inside the boxes and ordinarily, she would. This time, however, she wanted to make a decent impression, so she would just have to contain herself until Tegwen gave permission to do so, and that is if she did at all. This would have been much easier for Kyung-Soon to bear, had there been anything else to do. All she could do was sleep, but now the vampire was far too hypervigilant to do so.

Soon, however, the other woman came out of the bathroom, feeling much better now that she was clean. Tegwen had simply put on another set of comfortable clothes meant for running around the house, although she did make a conscious attempt to try and match, given the fact that she wasn't alone. Pausing, she looked over at the vampire for a moment confusedly.

"Not going to sleep?" she asked.

"Too awake." Answered Kyung-Soon, shaking her head.

"Oh, sorry, mate." The elf replied, walking across the room in order to dig in a few grocery bags. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Nothing I can think of." Said the other woman.

"Well, what do ya wanna do?" questioned Tegwen. "I've got books, a radio… We can just talk, if you don't mind me talking while eating."

"That sounds like a pretty good idea." The vampire chuckled. "I don't know what we would talk about, though."

"Whatever you want." Answered her host, sitting down on the floor while pulling out some sort of convenience store snack and eating it. "I feel really rude for not offering you anything to eat, but I really don't have anything that you can."

"That's fine. I wasn't really expecting it, so don't worry." Kyung-Soon replied. She paused, trying to think of a conversation starter. "Sooo… You keep your bike inside?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah. Just in case something happens to it." Tegwen informed. "I doubt that anyone would steal it or anything, given that it has the word 'Police' on it in big letters. I guess I'm just paranoid."

"Nah. I would probably do the same." Kyung-Soon answered. "Only, in my part of town, it probably is a legit risk."

Tegwen hummed in acknowledgement, continuing to eat as she tried to come up with something to say. It was difficult, as she spontaneously remembered that Kyung-Soon was a high-ranking member of the equivalent of a supernatural gang. How exactly does one appropriately answer that? Her obvious discomfort, however, as picked up by her guest, causing the American to fret over saying the wrong thing. As one could imagine, Kyung-Soon wasn't exactly well-versed in casually conversing with "outsiders".

"The worst part is carrying it up the stairs, though." Tegwen finally said, trying to keep things going. "It's only one floor, though, so it's not too bad. I feel sorry for the cops who live on the third floor."

"More police officers live in this building?"

"Yeah. We get to live here for free, as long as we're still working for the city. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here." The elf informed, crumpling up her wrapper. "You're not up to no good, are you?" she teased.

"What? Me? No." Kyung-Soon answered, smiling as the other woman laughed. "At least, not right _now,_ anyway."

"Good. Please keep it that way around this building, m'kay?"

"What? You worried for me?"

"Well, yeah. You're a nice person." Stated Tegwen. "And none of us really _want_ people to get in trouble. That would be fucked up."

"You're very different than human police…"

"You're not in trouble with them either, are you?"

"No."

"Good."

Kyung-Soon giggled and shook her head. "So you like your job?"

"Yep." Tegwen answered. "I've always wanted to be a police officer, so I jumped at the chance when they were recruiting."

"Really, why's that?"

"Well, most of the books in those boxes are detective stories…"

That made the vampire laugh harder. "So you wanted to be like the heroes in those books?"

"Hey, don't hate on someone's dreams." The other woman said, playfully scolding her guest. "It's not a bad thing. I just like helping people."

"No, no, I mean, it's pretty amazing that you actually did it." Kyung-Soon corrected, shaking her head. "It's a pretty good thing to aspire to do."

The vampire grinned, flashing her teeth at Tegwen, but the elf wasn't intimidated in the slightest. While her guest was one of the highest-ranking members of the largest coven of vampires in London, Tegwen didn't find her scary. In fact, Kyung-Soon's praise made her blush a bit, and she could only hope that her guest couldn't tell due to the darkness in the room, but that was unlikely. The other woman could sense her pulse. This only made the vampire smile more, knowing the affect that she was having.

"So, you're a police officer, you like detective novels, but is there anything else that you like to do?" Kyung-Soon inquired. "You've got instruments and a radio, so I assume that you're into music, too?"

"Huh? O-oh, yeah… I play all the time." answered the officer, playing with the long lock of hair on the left side of her head where her braid normally was. "There's CD's in those boxes, too, but I don't have a player. I had one back home, but it was my sister's. I'm trying to find one."

"You play guitar?" asked her guest. "Do you sing?"

"Yeah, a little…"

"That look in your eyes says otherwise…"

"Okay, quite a bit…" Tegwen corrected, feeling oddly embarrassed. "I'm not that good, though…"

"I'll be the judge of that~!" chimed Kyung-Soon, gesturing toward the instrument. "Entertain your guest!"

"Are you saying you need me to sing you a lullaby?"

"Whatever you want, Maestro." The vampire grinned as she laid down on the couch, putting her hands behind her head.

"Maestro didn't play guitar."

"If he did, he would be you."

Tegwen rolled her eyes at her guest, turning her back on her momentarily as she crawled over and grabbed the instrument before turning around and leaning against the wall. She took a few moments to make sure that the instrument was in tune, perhaps taking too long as she tried to think of something to sing at the same time. Once she could no longer fake tuning, she sighed, pondering what to do.

"Uh, I dunno what to sing…"

"Anything's fine." Kyung-Soon said. "Whatever you like."

"Uh…" the elf looked up at the ceiling as she thought before scrunching her brow and closing them again. Eventually, she looked at her guest then. "Is a ballad okay?"

"Sure, sure."

"I can't tell you how good it'll be… The only thing coming to mind is ' _The Twa Sisters'_." Tegwen said as she began to strum. "It's about murder."

"Pfft! Sounds lovely~!" Kyung-Soon giggled, prompting the other woman to smile again. Taking a deep breath, the elf sang:

" _There were twa sisters sat in a bower;_

_Binnorie, O Binnorie_

_There came a knight to be their wooer._

_By the bonny mill-dams of Binnorie…"_

Kyung-Soon had trouble making out the meaning of the lyrics due to the older English, but focused greatly on the elf's voice. It was sweet and suited the woman well as she was seemingly unaware that she was being watched so intently. Now it was the vampire's turn to blush as her red eyes made out every detail of her face, from the long eyelashes that were as white as the elf's hair, to the way her lips curled as she sang. Her fingers were rough from plucking the strings of her instruments, and she was not dainty or fair-skinned, but she was beautiful all the same, being so passionate about the ballad that she conveyed to her guest. Kyung-Soon could only blush, being unable to look away while the other woman sang, feeling the sadness in the song.

It was a tale of two sisters, both courted by the same knight. Stricken with jealousy, the eldest sister pushes the younger into a pond and refuses to pull her out, drowning her to death. When her body washes ashore, it is found by a musician who fashioned her remains into a harp, using her golden hair as strings. Later, he visits the King of the land, but when he plays the instrument, it sings about how the elder sister killed the younger, causing her to be punished. Kyung-Soon was surprised that the elf knew of such a story, given her typical demeanor.

Tegwen sang several songs that day, strumming one ballad after another, and the Girasol vampire listened intently until her eyes could no longer stay open. Yet, the host continued to play, causing the woman to sleep soundly throughout the day. They spoke whenever she woke up, engaging in banter and rambling on about nothing at all until the sun set and it was time for the vampire to leave.

Like the gentlewoman that she was, the officer insisted that she walk the other girl home, but Kyung-Soon wouldn't allow her to cross into Girasol territory for her own safety. Thus, they parted a little ways from Kyung-Soon's actual place of residence, but the vampire still found it endearing, and enjoyed the extended conversation all the same.

"I'm sorry I made you sing for me all day." The vampire said as they stopped. "I had a really good time, though."

"No problem. I did too." Grinned Tegwen. "You can keep me up next time."

"Sounds good." Chuckled Kyung-Soon. "I should give you my number so I can call you. What's your number? I can just text it to you."

"Uh, I don't have a mobile, actually." The elf bashfully answered. "I can give you my home number anyway, though."

"Okay, I'll enter it in." Kyung-Soon said, taking out her phone. She punched in numbers as the other woman recited them. Once that was done, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a marker, taking Tegwen's hand and beginning to write.

"Aaaand here's my number." She said.

"Do I even want to know why you keep a permenant marker in your pocket?" the elf asked, watching the other write.

"To write graffiti on bathroom stalls." Bluntly answered the vampire, smiling as Tegwen nearly choked on her spit while trying not to laugh.

"And now bathroom stall is on my hand. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome." the Girasol woman answered, taking her hands and her marker away and putting it's cap back on before placing it back in her pocket. "I thought you'd appreciate that."

"Oh, you know it." Tegwen answered with a smile. "So, uh, I'll be seeing you then, yeah?"

"Be seeing you, too." Answered the vampire, leaning forward and kissing the elf on the cheek, staining her skin with black lipstick. "I had a great time."

With that, she turned away, leaving Tegwen wide-eyed in shock. She waved at her before continuing on, prompting the elf to do the same. Once she was gone, Tegwen reached up and touched her cheek, feeling the residue of lipstick while blushing. She knew that Kyung-Soon could feel her pulse just then. Was it long enough for her to register just how fast her heart was beating?

 _"'Better to be blunt than confusing'_ …" Tegwen muttered to herself. "I'm still confused, though…"


	186. Luka's Plans

Hello again! It's me, Luka. I haven't talked in a while, but a lot of stuff happened! My big brother got married, and the whole house was really crazy for a while, especially before the wedding. Jim and Ciel were planning it, and Sebastian was really busy running around doing stuff for them. It was pretty amazing because I didn't think it was possible for one person to do all of that, but if I say anything, he'll make his weird joke again.

I didn't get to play with Jim as much, but he still made time for me like normal. He was really happy all of the time, and even though I accidentally broke a window while we were playing outside, he didn't get mad! He even let me help with the wedding! I got to pick out snacks and I helped with the flowers. I picked them out and even got to put some of them up before the ceremony. Sebastian got mad when I put streamers down my pants and pretended to be an octopus, though. He's not fun like that. He said he didn't want me to get dirty, but I was really bored when I ran out of stuff to help with.

The worst part was getting an outfit to wear. It was really boring and I wanted to go home. The wedding was fun, though. There was so much food and I almost got sick. I didn't care, though, 'cause it was really tasty, and I didn't actually get to eat everything I wanted to because I fell asleep under a table and Sebastian had to take me home. I almost barfed on him when he picked me up.

I got to say "goodbye" to my big brother and Ciel before we left, though. I didn't get to see them the next day. Sebastian said that they were out spending the day together. It's probably okay because when they came home they were still all mushy. It was kind of gross, but they were so happy, that you can't be grossed out by them. Even Ciel hasn't stopped smiling! There's probably not a happier pair in the whole world.

They brought me back the tiny soaps and shampoo bottles from the hotel. I like those. It's more fun than regular soap and I like to empty out the bottles and fill them with things. Sometimes I pour the shampoo on my action figures like they're being trapped in slime! So I did that a lot after everybody came home, but I ran out of shampoo and Sebastian already told me not to refill them because it's "wasteful" or something.

Jim and Ciel started talking about going on a trip somewhere together. I think they were talking about going out of the country, but didn't know if they could? Something about the Round Table… I didn't really understand. Apparently, it's supposed to be just the two of them, so nobody else is going. Jim said it's because they need to be gross and lovey-dovey for a bit. I don't get why they can't just do that at home, though. Sebastian says it has something to do with "tradition", but usually that means that it's something boring, so I dunno why they'd want to.

I don't really mind it, though. Jim says that he's told Sebastian to take me places too. Going places with Sebastian isn't that bad. He's really cool but his jokes aren't that good. Like a dad on TV. He's nice though, and tells me all kinds of cool stuff. He has a lot of stories. Ciel is in some of them, and in some of them he's a human kid. Sebastian says that he was really grouchy when he was a kid. He says that he likes him a lot better now that he's actually happy and stuff.

Ciel's nice, though. He's been really happy lately, too. Normally, his face doesn't change much, but now he always smiles much bigger and he pats my head more. Ciel is fun, but he's usually not this energetic. I like it a lot.

Everything's just been really different around here, but I don't think that it's a bad thing. The only thing I'm not really looking forward to is Jim and Ciel going away for a couple weeks. I'll miss them. Sebastian says he'll pay extra special attention to me, but I'll still miss 'em, even if it's just a little while.


	187. Where In The World?

"So, what do you think?" Alois inquired, taking a seat in his usual spot on the unbearable sofa in the Phantomhive office, where he began skimming through travel books once more. "Cornwall? Norfolk? We could visit Warwickshire and see the castle."

"I quite like Cornwall." Answered his spouse, sitting at his desk and doing the same. "It's very pleasant."

"You sent me pictures from there while you were at a meeting." The blonde stated. Holding open one of the pages of the book he was looking at to the other man he added: "It looks lovely, doesn't it?"

"It does. You'd like it a lot." Ciel replied. "The council is debating on whether or not we can leave the island or not."

"I take it that you have some place in mind, then?" grinned the menace, enjoying the small blush that appeared on his beau's face as the man chuckled.

"I've been wanting to show you Paris sometime, so I was trying to see if this would be a good opportunity."

"Ooh~! That sounds fun." Alois chimed. "Think the council will be keen on letting their favourite pet demons leave the country?"

"We've done it before, but that was for work." The bluenette answered. "I'm not sure if they'll like the idea of us going for recreational purposes."

Oftentimes, it is traditional for newly married couples to have a honeymoon period, and given the fact that the menace was still on summer vacation, now was the perfect opportunity for the two of them to go somewhere together. As things continued to be calm after the fiasco with the scarlet order, the pair began planning for their honeymoon, but as time went on, they discovered that it was quite difficult to do so. Alois had never planned a trip before, and Ciel had never planned a trip for recreational purposes before.

"Oh, well." The menace said. "As long as I'm with you, it doesn't really matter to me."

"What if something goes horribly wrong?" asked Ciel with a playful smile.

"If it does, it'll go horribly wrong with you there, so it's not as bad as if could be." Alois replied, lowering his book.

"How does that make it okay?"

"It just does." While the bluenette shook his head, his partner stood up and made his way back around the desk, leaning down and putting an arm around him. Alois kissed his temple, forcing the Watchdog's smile to brighten. "You make everything fun."

The other Phantomhive chuckled as his beau rested his chin on his head. "Really? I'm told I'm quite the downer."

"No way, you're wonderful." Alois declared. "We're going to have fun no matter where we pick. Paris sounds nice, and so do those other places. Maybe we can have Paris as a primary plan, and have ideas for another place just in case the Round Table says _'no'_?"

"Sounds like a good idea." Said the bluenette as he exchanged the book in his hand for one of Britain. He opened it, keeping his head still as he was unable to look up at his beau with the blonde resting on his noggin. "What sounds good to you?"

"That one." The menace said, pointing his finger in a random location on the page, not taking his decision seriously.

"You're no help." Ciel sighed, taking the blonde's hand in his own. He paused, playing with the blonde's fingers while he thought. The bluenette carefully examined Alois' hands, taking in all of the details.

His body was still relatively new, and with his regenerative abilities, there wasn't a single blemish to be found, making them soft and smooth to the touch. They seemed delicate, but they are hard enough to shatter bone. Alois' hands had been covered in blood many times as he swung fists and tightly gripped the handles of guns, but now, when held by the hands of the Watchdog, they held a gentler feeling. Briefly, Ciel fiddled with the ring on the other man's finger before bringing Alois' hand to his lips and kissing the wedding band.

"I want to see you somewhere beautiful." The Watchdog finally stated, causing Alois to blush.

"Where did that come from?" questioned the blonde, despite the grin on his face. "You're so weird."

"That's not really something I can help. It's just the way I am." Ciel said with a small smile. "I just want to take you somewhere nice, is all. It would be a nice change of pace, wouldn't it?"

"True, but do oyu have anywhere in mind?"

"I have no idea, unfortunately…"

"Well, we'll figure it out." Alois replied, kissing the top of the other man's head, taking his free hand to reach up and pat the bluenette's locks. "Your hair's really pretty."

"Now who's doing the blind-siding?" retorted his husband.

"Well, I was just thinking about it, and I'm not sure if I've ever told you." The menace answered.

"I think you have, but I can stand to hear it a few more." Stated the Watchdog. "Personally, I like your hair better."

"You'd look weird as a blonde, though. Besides, I think it's unique." Alois informed, messing up his husband's hair by rubbing his cheek against it. "So soft… Soft and blue…"

"I'm already ' _unique_ ' enough… are the different-coloured eyes not enough?"

"I love all of it together~!" the menace declared. "You're super-cute! The cutest~! Adorable grumpy puppy~!"

"Now you're just being silly." Ciel answered. "Are you making fun of me?"

"Never! I mean it! You're really cute, Ciel." Stated Alois, freeing his hand from the bluenette's and pinching the Watchdog's cheeks. While Ciel groaned, Alois smiled as he stared intently at the other man's visage. "You're precious. I love this face."

"You're the cute one. I'm not."

"Well, you think I'm cute, and _I_ think _you're_ cute. We're _both_ cute. How's that?"

"If you say so…" chuckled the blunette, grabbing Alois' hands and taking them away from his face. "I still think you're the best, though, which I why I want to show you a good time when we finally decide on a place to go."

Alois snorted while trying not to laugh. "That sounds dirty…" he said.

"That too, I suppose, but also in a non-suggestive way." Ciel answered. "Now will you help me figure out where we ought to go?"

Closing his eyes, the menace took one of his hands away and placed a finger in a random location on the still open page of the book that his beau was looking at. "There."

"You're still not helpful…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooh... I remember this arc being hard to write.... Mostly, because I'm not a fan of using actual locations for things in the event that I fuck up something about it really badly, and this made that a requirement... Still, it was very fun. Cute, too. Let's hope it goes over well on AO3~!
> 
> I'm sorry for the long wait, by the way... Classes started, so I totally forgot I needed to upload chapters... Someone sent me a message on Tumblr to remind me, so that's why I'm back again! I'm sorry! So sorry!
> 
> This is what I've been keeping from you, too. Ain't that awful of me?
> 
> Until the next chapter, my duckies~!


	188. A Rewarding Business

A major development for Gehenna occurred. The first ever printed books specifically written to better the lives of new citizens had been published; "The New Werewolf's Guide To Living", and it's counterpart: "The New Vampire's Guide To Living", both by Travis Sullivan and Patricia Ramirez. Free copies of the lycanthrope book were mailed directly to the homes of those who sought asylum in Gehenna upon abandoning the Scarlet Order, including the home of Ms. Ethans and her children. Despite this, the demand for both books were high.

Several copies were given to the library, and some cheaper copies are available at the Welfare Center, while others were available for purchase at the general store. Both books were completely sold out by the end of the first week, as they were even purchased by those who didn't belong to those species, for a plethora of reasons. Some had spouses or adopted children who were either vampires or werewolves, while others had friends. Some just wanted the knowledge for future reference. Few supernaturals were fully aware of how vampirism or lycanthropy worked- even those who had been that way for years! Vampires who were centuries old were learning new things about their bodies and how they worked, and soon, it became considered to be required learning in Gehenna.

H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. had to keep up with the demand, but the authors of the books were certainly not complaining. They were getting paid, after all, and the fact that residents of Gehenna wanted even more books did not hurt their feelings in the slightest. As long as H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. was willing to give them the data, they were happy to compile it together and make it readable for the supernatural populace. They even had a deal for the novel that they had been working on for the past year to be published.

H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. even discussed the possibility of having a print shop in Gehenna. There were many supernaturals who had written books, but none of them had been printed via printing press. If they were willing to pay, they could have their books published. This would gain revenue for both the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization and the town of Gehenna. However, this idea would take some time to be developed. The boom in Gehenna's economy from this, however, was substantial, and the money earned by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. in sales tax and royalties was more than enough to cover the costs.

All of this good news called for some reward. The demonic duo, who had helped sparked this boom by both coming up with the idea and creating the market, had been subsequently granted permission to travel abroad for a few weeks as they had requested. Naturally, they would be expected to return if called, but the demons were determined to have fun until either that happens, or the end of the honeymoon. Thus, they quickly debated on where they wanted to go and made a plan. Occasionally, the butler would provide insight, ironing out the wrinkles in their plan.

"Do you want me to pack some spare eyepatches?" asked the blonde, walking back into the bedroom. The other demon stood, packing the suitcases that were resting on the side of the bed. Ciel straightened his back and furrowed his brow in thought.

"It couldn't hurt." He said, holding his hand out. "Hand them here."

"Whoop~!" Alois chimed, tossing an eyepatch to the other Phantomhive and repeating the action after the man put the first one away. He laughed as his beau shook his head before turning to disappear back into the dressing room.

"Ciel?" he called, raising his volume so that he could be heard.

"Yeah?" the bluenette answered back.

"Do we need guns?"

Pausing, the Watchdog thought again. "I'd pack them just in case."

"'Kay. How many magazines?"

"Oh, I dunno… A couple?" contemplated the bluenette. "I don't plan on running into anything, let alone anything big, but we all know how that goes."

"One minute, you're trying to go on a date, and then the next you're trapped in a high-speed car chase across London again…" Alois lamented with a sigh. His volume picked up again as he thought of another question. "What about silencers?"

"Probably wise. Can't be too prepared."

"On it."

"Jim?" called the bluenette.

"Yes, dear?"

"How many extra pairs of underwear is it advisable to take?"

The Watchdog was actually surprised by the sound of snickering from the other room, and rolled his eye as it carried over into the bedroom. "You plannin' on pissin' yourself a lot?"

"No, because demons don't urinate, and you know that all sorts of things happen…" Ciel replied.

"I'm just teasing." His beau answered with a grin. Alois pecked the other man on the cheek before setting his gun case on the bed. "One or two pairs, probably. Dunno what might happen, but it could."

"I have had things happen like you wouldn't believe…" shuddered the watchdog. Grimacing, he went back to carefully placing his clothes in his suitcase. Watching him, the blonde shook his head.

"Okay, now I need to know." Alois said. "What happened?"

"It's embarrassing…"

"All the more reason why I need to know."

Sighing, Ciel placed both hands on the surface of the bed and scrunched his face up in thought. It took him much longer than Alois had anticipated, but judging by the slight blush on the Watchdog's face, it needed to be worded just right. Shaking his head one last time, he looked up.

"Let's just say that it's a very, very good thing that demons can regenerate." The bluenette stated vaguely. His husband stared at him for a moment in confusion, simply watching him as he wordlessly continued to pack.

"Did you get shot in the ass?" he bluntly asked, causing the Watchdog to tense up. It was only momentarily, as he relaxed almost immediately after.

 _"Close_ …" Ciel answered, refusing to be direct. His continued attitude of mystery over the subject only made Alois' curiosity worsen. It took more thinking, but it wasn't long until the blonde figured it out. His brow raised and his eyes widened as his cheeks turned pink. Uttering a small gasp, his pointed at the bluenette, making his inquiry.

" _You were shot in the d—"_

 _"Drop it."_ Ciel interrupted, his face burning. The two returned to folding clothes and placing them in suitcases in silence. Alois turned to his own work, looking down as he placed a few shirts in a semi-neat stack and attempted to cram them in his bag. Another question surfaced, festering in his mind as he forced himself to ignore it and let it go. Alas, the temptation was too great.

_"Is that why that one spot is more sensitiv—"_

_**"Not another word."** _


	189. Bon Voyage, Dear Demons

The duo got up early and placed their bags in the back of the Mercedes before saying their goodbyes and heading out. They both reminded each other to pack their passports and hid their weapons by sewing the cases into their demonic garb. On the car ride over, the bluenette explained the differences between flying out of the country and taking a ferry, which is how they will be operating that day.

Security was a non-issue, and the duo were able to board the ferry just like any ordinary person. It was a bizarre feeling for the both of them. It led them both to wonder if there was a possibility of something going wrong. They parked the car and begrudgingly decided to get out and look around the ship, still feeling a tad uneasy about leaving their belongings behind. Surely there was a way to insure that security would stay out, but that would be the locks on the doors. Security was unlikely to tamper with an expensive-looking car like theirs in the first place, but the duo, being used to doing things by means of questionable legality, were still uneasy.

"Well, it's still pretty neat to be on a boat without having to assassinate anybody." Alois said as they approached the top deck, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the rays of sunlight that assailed them. "I've never really gotten to look out on one before."

"It's nice, isn't it?" asked the smiling Watchdog as he followed his beau. "Enjoy it while you can. It won't be that long until we get to the other side."

Almost immediately, the blonde rushed to the side of the boat, looking over the railing and admiring the sea. He placed his hands on the rail and leaned over, occasionally pulling back so he could swipe his wind-blown hair out of his face. Despite the irritation of having his hair tickle his nose, the blonde wore a wide grin as he was finally able to slow down and not have to worry about combat while enjoying the view.

"Ciel! Look!" instructed the menace as he looked out. "Everything's so blue what the fuck?! This really _isn't_ England!"

"Yeah, there's actually _sun_ in some places." Chuckled Ciel, walking up to the other man.

When Alois turned to face him, he blushed a bit at how happy his love seemed. The bluenette was unable to resist that grin, and wrapped an arm around the menace's back, pulling him close as he stood beside him. Placing a smiling peck on the other man's cheek, Ciel simply stood, enjoying the sound of his husband giggling and the sight of the man and the sea.

"Ciel~!" whined the fair-haired demon. "People can see~!"

"I don't mind it. Do you?"

"Not really, but usually you're shy about this stuff, aren't you?"

"I couldn't care less at the moment." Ciel informed, kissing the menace's forehead. "I've been having these urges to dote on you whenever you do something especially cute, and not acting on them is painful."

"But I didn't really do anything?" giggled Alois, leaning into his partner regardless. "I was just standing here."

"And you looked cute doing it." The Watchdog replied. "Sometimes, you just do things in just the right way in just the right moment for me to just be overcome with this feeling. Even if it's something that no one else can really see."

Blushing, the menace leaned his head against his love's shoulder, putting his arm around the other man as well. Both of them looked out at the water with grins on their faces, merely enjoying the moment. Taking in a deep breath, Alois let out a sigh.

"Well, had I known that, I would have quit trying to hold myself back sooner as well." He answered, prompting his spouse's attention. "You're really cute, too, and sometimes, I just want to hug you and let you know that."

"Honeymoons are for being mushy, so by all means, feel free." The Watchdog said. "Just be sure to keep things family-friendly while in public."

"No snogging?"

"No snogging."

"Fiiiinnee…" answered Alois with a pout. "Then I guess I'll just have to be patient…"

Looking up at the other man, he raised his eyebrows at the gentle grin that the Watchdog was wearing on his face. Ciel looked happy, but that wasn't what stopped the menace dead in his tracks. It was the way that Ciel looked at him with that gaze of his that was ordinarily colder than ice, but was now warm with the love he had for the blonde as he held him close. Alois was treated by the Watchdog as though he were the most precious thing in the world. This is how Ciel always treated him, and he only treated him with greater familiarity as time went on.

Despite everything that they have done, despite everything that they have endured, they are here, and they are happy. The past few weeks were almost surreal to the duo, as it was as close to the golden standard of normalcy that they could possibly get, and it was about to get even worse. When one's life has been shaped by combat, conflict, and violence, such a drastic change was almost off-putting, despite the fact that it was welcomed. In fact, Alois loved it, and he loved sharing it with the Watchdog.

"Can I at least kiss you?" asked the blonde. "Not _snog_ , but just a kiss? I really need it."

"You don't even have to ask." Ciel replied, allowing his eye to close as his beau pressed their lips together. Both of his arms wrapped around the other man as Alois squeezed him around his middle. Keeping true to his word, however, he soon pulled away.

"We are going to have a good trip." He said with a grin.

"Mm-hm! I can't wait!" Alois answered, resting his head on the other man's shoulder. He suddenly raised it, however, as a dark blush appeared on his face. Following his gaze, the Watchdog's face changed into a similar hue as it occurred to the duo that they were in fact being watched.

"Oh, to be young..." Smiled the old woman who the demons had locked eyes with as she stepped out onto the deck.


	190. Bredoteau

After having reached land, the happy and excited newlyweds drove off of the ferry and onto French soil before making their way to their hotel. Ciel handled the conversation with the front desk and checked in, as he was the only one of the pair who could speak fluent French. Alois, however, fiddled with the strap on his bag while nodding along as he pretended to understand what the others were saying. When they reached the room, however, the put their things away before proceeding to do as traditionally expected of couples on their honeymoon.

When the sun rose, it wasn't at their usual time, but the duo paid no mind as they weren't quite done embracing one another. Their legs were tangled together as they slowly regained consciousness, softly breathing in the scent of their lover and basking in their warmth, unwilling to move. The only time that either of them did, it was for Alois to pull his husband closer with a smile on his face, prompting the other man to kiss his forehead. Ciel grinned at the small giggle that the blonde emitted, and upon realizing that they were both awake, he spoke.

"Good morning, love." He cooed as his beau pressed his face further into his chest.

"G'mornin'…" Alois answered, his face muffled against Ciel's skin. "Is it time to get up? I don't want it to be…"

Rolling over, the bluenette pulled his beau on top of him so that he could reach the nightstand while still maintaining his grip on his spouse. Picking up his phone, he checked the time before setting the device back down again and rubbing his eye. Taking in a deep breath, he answered.

"Not yet. We still have a couple hours." Informed the Watchdog, rolling again so that they were back in their original position, making the blonde laugh.

"Good. This is too nice to give up so soon." His beau said, tilting his head so that he could reach Ciel's lips. "Still not enough cuddling from last night."

"I'm sorry. In my defense, however, you wanted to keep going."

"Yeah, I wanted to see how many times we could." Alois answered. "You were very impressive."

"As was my intention." The bluenette haughtily replied, despite the snickering he was met with.

"If I felt like getting up, I'd punch your shoulder for being an arrogant sonuvabitch, but alas, I do not."

"Well, fortunately for you, we have a few hours until we have to get up."

Contrary to what the Watchdog just said, their peaceful moment was interrupted by a knock at the door, startling them both. The two quickly sat up, looking to one another. Their confusion was justified, as neither of them were expecting anyone. Knowing that this was unusual, and knowing who they were, the demons immediately took this as a sign of danger.

"What the fuck?" blurted out Alois, shushing himself as the knocking became more aggressive. He then proceeded to speak in a hushed tone when he continued. "What's the plan?"

"First thing's first: We put on clothes." Ciel replied. "Then, one of us will look through the peephole and see who it is."

"And if it's bad?"

"We kill them. Since they're knocking, they're clearly amateurs, if they're a threat."

More knocking ensued, attracting the duo's attention once more. Nodding to one another, they threw off the covers and began collecting their clothes off the floor and donning them, rather than search their suitcases for clean ones. Time was of the essence, and whoever was outside was losing their patience.

While Ciel tied his eyepatch, Alois walked up to the door. He sensed two figures on the other side, and communicated this to the other man by holding up two fingers. Then, the man put his eye up against the peephole and looked out, getting a look at these morning-ruiners. One was a stout man dressed in a poorly-fitting suit, while the other would have been looking straight at the menace had he known he was there.

He was younger than the first man, appearing to be in his thirties, with a pasty complexion and a seemingly perpetually-furrowed brow. Steely eyes peered at the door from behind rectangular glasses as the man held his coat tucked underneath his arm as he made the leather of his gloves complain whenever he squeezed his hands as he held them together. His black hair was long and pulled back into a curly ponytail that rested over the shoulder of his tailored grey suit. This man looked to be a strange combination of dangerous, snooty, yet somehow unthreatening.

"Ciel, it's either law enforcement, or the French gay mafia." Alois informed, turning around as he gestured toward the door. The blonde stepped out of the way as his spouse motioned for him to move.

"I'll handle it." Ciel stated, unlocking the front door. When he opened it, the expression of the man on the other side looked surprised for a brief second before going back to looking annoyed.

"Sir Ciel Phantomhive?" He questioned.

" _Oui."_ The bluenette answered, watching carefully as the other man reached into his pocket.

"I speak English, Sir Phantomhive." He informed, pulling out a badge, rather than a weapon. "I am agent Dominique Bretodeau. French Intelligence. To my left is my fellow agent, Felicien Lamar."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, agent Bretodeau." Ciel replied. "So, how may I help you?"

"Your superiors have informed mine that you will be visiting our country, and I have been instructed to make sure you aren't up to any funny business."

"I assure you, my business is _never_ funny." The Watchdog said, earning a giggle from behind him.

"Is that your partner in there?" questioned Bretodeau, arching an eyebrow as he tried to peer inside the room.

"Yes, that is agent Jim Phantomhive." Ciel answered.

"He's a Phantomhive as well?"

"He's my husband." Said the bluenette, casually leaning in the doorway.

"Bonjour." Greeted the menace with an intentionally heavy English accent, waving from inside the room.

"We're on our honeymoon." The first Phantomhive informed. "We're here as tourists."

Dominique actually looked surprised by this, as though he either genuinely believed the two to be up to something malicious, or he was surprised that they were married. Either way, Bretodeau did not like their attitude. Quickly, his face went back to its previous irritable expression.

"Very well." He said. "But if I get even the slightest hint that you are up to something—if you slip up even once, I will not hesitate to bring you down."

"Sounds like you're itching for a fight, Bredoteau." Alois chimed in, walking up to the group. "Unfortunately, we're not interested."

Suddenly, Dominique's brow twitched upon hearing that. He seemed more irritated than before, and both Englishmen simply looked to one another while the Frenchman fumed.

"It's 'Bre _ **TO**_ deau'." The agent corrected, his tone somewhat aggressive. "Not 'Bre _ **DO**_ teau'."

"Alright. Sorry. My bad." The blonde apologized, albeit insincerely. "I can't pronounce French words like Ciel."

"Well, you should learn."

"Omelette du fromage."

" _What?"_ gawked Dominique, looking back to the bluenette with a baffled expression. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"Probably." The Watchdog answered. "He's kind of silly sometimes."

"Keep the jokes to yourselves." Replied agent Bretodeau, pointing his finger. "Like I said, behave yourselves, or else I'll be forced to take action."

"We will be on our best behaviour mister Bretodeau." Ciel informed. "Like we said, we are not agents at the moment, but tourists. We will be doing our best to have a normal trip before heading back to England without incident."

"Good." Dominique said. "We will be keeping an eye on you, Phantomhives. With that, I bid you farewell." Suddenly, he turned and began walking, startling his associate, but before the other man could follow, he addressed the demons.

"Congratulations on your marriage." The other French agent hastily said before jogging to catch up, leaving Ciel to close the door again. Shaking his head, the Watchdog put his hands on his hips for a moment before addressing his spouse.

"' _Gay mafia'?"_ he finally questioned.

"Well, he's obviously got _something_ up his ass." Alois answered with a shrug, grinning as his beau laughed while locking the door back.

"So, what are we going to do?" he questioned. "Agent fabulous sounds like he's going to be stalking us."

"We continue as planned." Answered the bluenette, walking over and putting his arms around his husband. "He's not going to bother us as long as we're good, and we don't plan on causing trouble, do we?"

"No." the other replied, putting his hands on Ciel's chest and feeling the muscle through the demon's shirt. "Not _much_ trouble, at least. So we're just going to ignore them?"

"Precisely." Stated the Watchdog. He gently pecked Alois on the lips before sighing. "Should we get ready and have an early start? I don't think it's really worth it to go back to bed at this point."

"Yeah, you're right…" answered Alois. "I call bathroom first?"

"As you wish, your highness." Ciel grinned, kissing his husband again.


	191. Fromage

In a very bizarre course of action, the demonic duo were behaving like ordinary tourists. It was peculiar for them, but they were having fun acting like an ordinary, care-free couple, visiting landmarks and tourist-trap locations while blending in with the crowd. Ciel did most of the talking when it was necessary, like when they ordered food and needed directions to their next destination.

Ciel paused every so often, shifting his weight off of his feet to relieve the achiness of them gained from so much walking. While he was incapable of becoming winded from this level of exertion, he was perfectly capable of feeling strain. Thus, while on their way to Notre Dame out of their delightful sense of irony and humour, he requested to stop again, causing his spouse to tease him.

"Those expensive shoes are not meant for walking, Ciel." Alois snickered, watching as the bluenette paused on a bench. "Don't you have any tennis shoes or something?"

"No, I don't." answered the bluenette, taking off one of his shoes and rubbing his aching soles. "In fact, I brought every pair of bluejeans I own on this trip as well."

"You _need_ some casual clothes…" the other man said, placing his hands on his hips and shaking his head. Walking over to his partner, he took a seat next to him. "Business suits will only get you so far."

"I don't _just_ have suits."

"Yes, you also have dress pants, and sometimes, polo shirts." The menace pointed out. "I assume you packed all of those as well?"

" _Maybe…"_ Ciel answered, cracking his toes. He then put his foot back in his shoe and tied it before reaching over to unfasten the other one.

"I need to get you some T-shirts or something…" Alois shook, before gesturing to himself. "Let me see your foot."

"Why?"

"I'm gonna rub it."

"We are in public."

"What about letting me dote on you?" questioned the menace, batting his eyelashes. "It's not like it's something weird, or anything. You know I'm not some weirdo who's into feet."

"Exactly the sort of thing that someone who is secretly into feet might say." Jested the Watchdog, earning a playful punch to the arm.

"You're mean! And I was just trying to be helpful! So cruel!" insincerely lamented his beau.

"I still love you anyway."

"I'm _not_ into feet!"

"Well, either way, we should get going." Ciel said, slipping his shoe back on and tying it. He was ready to go before the menace even knew it, much to Alois' surprise. Standing up, the Watchdog reached out a hand to his spouse in order to help him to his feet, grinning at him mischievously as he took it.

"You're so mean to me…" Alois replied as his husband put an arm around him.

"I only tease you because I like you." The Watchdog said while walking.

"Still don't have a foot fetish…"

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." Ciel apologized, pecking the menace on the side of the head.

" _You're_ the weird one…"

"I know…"

"Confess to your sinful perversions when we get to the church." The younger Phantomhive instructed without a shred of seriousness.

"Alois, we are demons." Protested Ciel with similar amounts of gravity.

"Confess."

"We have killed people."

"Confess."

"We work for the Royal Order of _Protestant_ Knights, not the Catholics."

" _Confess_." Playfully hissed the blonde, causing the other to shake his head.

"Who's the ' _weird_ ' one again?" Ciel questioned as they continued to walk. "Is this why you suggested we go here?"

"No, mostly it's because of my sense of irony and because I just want to see some gargoyles." Answered Alois, keeping up with his lover's pace. "They're really cute."

" _Gargoyles?"_

"Yeah. They've got cute faces."

"Somehow, I feel as though this explains a lot…" muttered the Watchdog as they approached the church, pausing upon seeing a group of people. They obviously weren't French from the looks of them, and there was a woman with a flag that said "English Tours".

"Think that's our group?" questioned the newer Phantomhive.

"Most definitely." The bluenetted informed. "I must say, however, I am a bit surprised at the amount of Americans."

"How can you tell they're American?"

"Baseball caps with sports teams on them." Ciel said, pointing. "Also the T-shirts. One way to tell if someone is an American tourist is by the design on their T-shirt, or the fact that they wear a sweatshirt. Big lettering, especially block lettering, and big logos are a massive giveaway. They also seem to have an aversion to collared shirts."

"And then the rest are English by default?"

"Most likely, yes." Spoke the bluenette. "Unless they are used to travelling or something."

"Alright, Mister Travel-expert, we're here, now, so you have to be nice." Scolded the menace, wagging his finger at the persnickety Watchdog.

They quickly joined their group and gave the woman running the tour their tickets before assimilating into the crowd. Alois started looking around the crowd for the signs that Ciel pointed out and listening for accents, only to find that Americans seem to talk very loudly, even while chatting amongst themselves. Occasionally, he would look to his beau again, earning a sympathetic look, but he would inevitably be roped into conversation against his will with some of his fellow tourists.

"This is exciting!" said the young woman next to him. She leaned in to talk to him while gesturing to the building. "Look at that building! We don't have anything like that!"

"We do." Answered the menace. "I think it has to do with the age of the countries."

"You're British?" asked the woman. "What're you doing in France?"

"What are _you_ doing in France?" retorted Alois. "We like to travel, too."

"Well, I'm here with my school group. University of Rhode Island."

"Ah. I'm just here with my mate." The demon said, gesturing to his spouse. "School hasn't started back up for us yet."

The woman looked over to the bluenette with raised eyebrows, causing him to smile in a friendly manner out of politeness, but he couldn't help shake the feeling of being stared at. People were looking at his eyepatch, and in truth, it did make him a bit uncomfortable. He caught several looking his way and saw them whispering, but their voices were muddled together with the crowd's.

"Well, I'm Natalie." The woman said, introducing herself.

"Alois." Answered the blonde.

"Well, Alois, this is going to be fun." Said Natalie before walking back over to her friends. They were some of the girls whispering about the Watchdog, and she joined in with ease.

"I hope she doesn't stay that friendly." Alois said to his beau. "That's going to be annoying."

"My expectations have lowered as well." Ciel replied. "Hopefully, they'll forget about us while on the tour."

"You think they will?"

"I have no idea…"

At long last, the tour guide clapped her hands together in order to summon the attention of the group. After finally settling down the group, she managed to go over the rules of the tour and all of them were able to set off. The duo were able to enjoy the church, taking in the grand sight of it. Alois was especially impressed at the magnitude of it all, with its stained glass and elaborate architecture. Never before had he seen anything like it.

Ciel smiled after his beau as the blonde excitedly pointed things out and intently focused on what the guide was saying about things. He couldn't help but think that how serious the blonde looked while listening was adorable, and when the other man finally found his gargoyles, Alois' lit-up face was almost enough to make his heart melt. The menace was nearly bouncing off the walls while pointing them out, making his husband laugh as he tried to imitate the faces of the stone creatures. Ciel even took pictures of Alois with his beloved gargoyles in order to text send to Sebastian when he updated the family on how they were doing.

It was then that Ciel noticed that a few of the girls from before were taking pictures as well. He didn't mind them giggling at his antics, but there is no telling where those photos could end up. To him, it didn't matter that they weren't of anything of much importance. It is inappropriate to take photos of someone without their consent.

"Don't take pictures of him." He instructed without being hostile. Ciel wasn't rude, but he was firm, and his actions alerted the menace as to what was going on.

"Why?" one of the girls asked. "It's not like it's anything bad."

"Yeah, but no. Please don't take pictures of me." Alois intervened, furrowing his brow. "What the fuck? Why would you do that?"

"Chill out, okay? Here, I'll delete it." The woman said, fiddling with her phone for a moment. "It's not a big deal. We just thought you looked cute, is all."

"That doesn't make it not creepy." Answered Alois with an obviously discomforted expression on his face. "In fact, that makes it worse. Wouldn't you be weirded out if some dude you don't even know randomly took pictures of you without you knowing because he thought you're ' _cute'?"_

The women paused for a moment, putting their phones away. "That's true…" one of them admitted.

"Well, at least you get that it's not right." Said the menace. "As long as you don't do it again and got rid of the pictures, it's not really a big deal." For a moment, he looked to his beau with a small smile. "Right, Ciel?"

"Right…" begrudgingly grumbled the Watchdog, retreating to his blonde. Grabbing his hand, Alois reached up with his free one and pat the bluenette on the head.

"It's so funny how territorial you can get. It's cute." Spoke the fair-haired demon before pinching his love's cheek. To this sight, the girls looked to one another confusedly, not sure what to make of it.

"Well, I knew you wouldn't like it." Answered the bluenette. "Your best interest interests me."

"Uhm…" began one of the women. "Are you two… y'know…"

"What?" asked Alois, dropping his hand to his side while maintaining the grip on Ciel's with his other.

"Are you gay?"

"Nope." Answered the blonde, watching as the Americans sighed with relief. "Bisexual in a same-sex marriage." He corrected, grinning as one of the women nearly choked on her own spit.

"I'm the same." Added the bluenette. "We're actually on our honeymoon."

"Why didn't you say anything?" questioned one of the girls.

"You didn't ask! You just started taking pictures." Alois stated, holding up his hand. "I have on a ring, you know."

"Well that's embarrassing…" said the woman's friend.

"It happens. Just don't do that in the future."

"Jim, the tour group's leaving." Pointed out Ciel, catching everyone's attention. Sure enough the group was moving, and all of them were being left behind.

"Shit! C'mon!" exclaimed his beau, leading him by the hand as they quickly moved their legs to catch up again, closely followed by the Americans as they did the same. What they didn't notice, however, was the fact that they were being observed.

"That was close." Whispered Bretodeau to his assistant. "The Watchdog looked like he was going to attack that girl."

"Are you sure he wasn't just upset that his husband was being photographed?" asked Felicien.

"He's a seasoned killer who has no remorse for those who get in his way. What do you think?"

"I think you have the brain of a cheese sandwich..."

"Quiet!"


	192. A Hundred Years Later

"How funny do you think the higher ups will think us hanging out at Notre Dame is?" questioned the blonde menace, holding hands with his beau as they exited the building. "Not one single Iscariot member? How does that even work?"

"Let's not talk about this now." Ciel said, leaning in. "It's best not to make ourselves conspicuous."

"Fine, fine. It's just weird. Like, we go someplace, and we _don't_ get into a life-or-death battle?"

"I know, it's a really strange feeling." The Watchdog answered. "It's pleasant, but it feels like something's… off?"

"I've been feeling that way, too. Like, what do normal people do on trips?" Alois asked.

"They walk around and do things, and try to avoid conflict."

"They _avoid_ it?"

"Humans are so strange."

The way that Ciel said this with such seriousness caused the menace to laugh. It was true that the duo weren't quite familiar with the way that more "ordinary" people would enjoy their vacation, but they were going to try. It was almost a relief that the possibility of Iscariot being here was present, as it gave them a much needed sense of danger. Still, they would try their best to keep things tame.

They had one last stop for the day, and that was the Eiffel tower. In fact, it was one of the last places that the duo would be visiting while still in Paris, as they had planned to visit other cities and towns as well. As cities were their comfort zone, the duo had figured that it was best to push beyond that, as any good traveler does. The tower, however, was very familiar to the bluenette, as he had lived in Paris before his return to London, and from the fact that he had quite the adventure at this exact location before while the Evil Noblemen were still in existence.

"Jim, you're supposed to get souvenirs afterwards." Playfully scolded the bluenette as his beau looked at useless knickknacks.

"I'm afraid I'll forget." Answered the menace. "I need to get something for Luka."

"Fine. Just be careful. Do you have anywhere to put it?"

"Good question…" said the blonde. "No…"

"So you'll have to carry it, then."

"Will you remind me to get something on the way back?"

"Of course." Ciel replied, reaching out to hold onto the other man's hand. With that, the two walked on, but the Phantomhive may in fact forget, as they were faced with the obscenity of the line in front of them.

Lines were everywhere in Paris, and they were almost maddening. Thus, the reason why they wouldn't be staying long. From the looks of things, they were going to be waiting around for hours and the bluenette wasn't sure if his feet could take it.

"Maybe we should just skip it…" suggested the menace. "It'll always be here, right? Maybe next trip."

The bluenette paused to think. He wanted to show his beau the monument, but by the time the line was absurd, and neither of them wanted to stand in it. In this case, the logical course of action any normal human being would make is to go back to the hotel. Fortunately, the demonic duo were neither normal, nor human.

"Well," he began. "We could sneak in."

"Sneak in?" echoed the blonde, looking at other with great amounts of skepticism. "How do you suggest we do that? The line starts here. The elevators are right there. The top is up there. Between all of those things, I don't think there's much opportunity to sneak up there without getting caught, spyboy."

"A man can dream, Jim." Ciel replied. "I guess waiting in line it is…"

"Can you not fathom getting into places without using questionable means, or something?"

"Well, I'm used to doing things the other way."

"You've been here before, haven't you? How did you get on then?"

"I rode the elevator with the queen." Answered the bluenette.

"Victoria?" Alois inquired further.

"The same." Ciel stated. "It was a really stressful time."

"How so?"

"I'm not sure if this is the right place to talk about it." The Phantomhive admitted. "I'm sorry."

"Then is going to the top of the tower really the best idea?" asked the menace, grabbing both of his spouse's hands. "If there's something bad associated with it, then we don't have to go."

"It's alright. Really, it's fine. I just want you to get to see it."

"You're more important, though." Shook Alois before looking determinedly into the bluenette's eye. "I know you. If you won't talk about it right away, it's something bad. There's no way I can go up there with you if it's like that!"

"Jim…" Ciel turned his eyebrows upward. "I'm not… I'm not going to lose it or anything. I promise."

"You're not just saying that are you?"

"I'm not." Confirmed the bluenette.

"Swear on your contract?"

"I promise."

"Okay…" Alois replied, still not appearing to be convinced in the slightest. "We can go, but on one condition."

"What's that?"

"You can't let go of my hand." The blonde dutifully instructed.

"I was going to do that anyway, though."

"Yes, but it calms you down, so you're not allowed to let go."

Ciel paused, surprised at the statement. It was true, though. Having contact with the blonde did calm him down and make him feel at ease. Alois made him feel secure and safe, so holding his hand would help him greatly. Yet it was still with great reluctance to express weakness over something so trivial.

"Very well, then." Answered the Watchdog. "I accept these terms."

It was hours before they were able to reach the elevator, and the first thirty-minutes or so were spent in silence until the two realised that this was silly, and began to small talk. They watched tourists pose in front of the tower, while others tried their best to round up their children. Small talk was rampant. They talked about articles they've read, some of which had gruesome murders as the subject, with almost unnatural calmness and fascination in a public place. English-speaking tourists who overheard them in the line shifted uncomfortably against the duo's knowledge. This is simply what happens when two supernatural and decently disturbed detectives, secret agents, and assassins start up a conversation in order to quell the boredom of standing in line for hours.

And that is how they spent the time, engaging in shenanigans and conversation while accidentally disturbing other guests, but no one complained. How could they? These men were discussing murder! That's just the way they are, and there is no real way around that.

The sun was setting by the time the duo finally made it to the elevator, and the duo excitedly stepped on with the blonde reaching down for Ciel's hand. It was much different than the Watchdog remembered, but it was the same basic idea. The main difference was the fact that there was no place to sit, so not only had they been standing for hours, they would have to keep standing, which disappointed the bluenette greatly.

His beau looked out the window with his free hand pressed against the glass, watching as the world below grew smaller and smaller before his very eyes. This was Alois favourite part of visiting the London Eye back home, but now he got to experience it in a brand new way, and his smile was infectious as it spread to the bluenette as well. Ciel stood next to him, holding his hand as they traveled upward, and while he watched the earth as well, he would sneak glances at the excited blonde as well, making the entire experience feel so surreal somehow.

This is where he saw her majesty, Queen Victoria, and spoke with her. Their surroundings were indeed more elegant and exclusive, but Ciel still experienced a bit of a chill. And it was further upwards, where he found out the truth about his duty as the Queen's Guard Dog—where he lost the last shred of patriotism that he even hinted at possessing. It was the ultimate betrayal of Ciel's trust, and now, as the elevator reached its destination and the two demons stepped off, the Watchdog felt a rush of nostalgia. It was combined with hurt and sadness, however.

The person who sent his life spiraling downward into despair, the one who caused him to suffer unimaginable torture for a ten-year-old child, and to disenfranchise the Phantomhive name, was the very person to employ the evil family. It was right here that Ciel discovered this truth. It was right here that Ciel realised that he must murder Queen Victoria. Despite the crowd and the modern additions to the tower, the feeling was fleetingly the same.

True to his word, he kept his grip on the blonde's hand, and it did help substantially to keep him tethered to reality. He followed Alois around in somewhat a daze as the blonde navigated them both through the crowd, trying to get his love away of the overwhelming sensation of being surrounded. Alois found them both a satisfactory spot where they could both look out before turning to his beau.

"You okay?" he questioned, looking to the other with concern. Ciel blinked for a moment before regaining the ability to respond.

"Yeah." The bluenette replied. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Alois prodded further, reaching up to cup the other man's cheek. "We can leave if it's too much."

"It's not too much. Besides, it would be such a waste. We stood in line for hours. We should at least look around, first." Stated Ciel, carefully examining the other's face as the light of the setting sun illuminated his features. Brilliant yellows, reds, and oranges bounced off the skin of the menace and made his hair shine vibrantly. "Really, it's fine."

"Okay…" nodded the other, still not quite believing his beau. He kept a firm grip on his love's hand in order to maintain a close watch on his status, making sure that Ciel wasn't stressed. Once he was satisfied with this, he finally looked out over the observation deck, his face lighting up as he looked out at the city.

"Ciel, look!" he excitably instructed, pointing out with one hand and tugging on Ciel's with the other. "It's so beautiful!"

"Yeah… It is…" the bluenette wistfully replied, keeping his gaze fixed on the menace as he spoke with a sigh. He didn't even turn to face the scenery as he felt butterflies in his stomach at the sight of his husband's smile. As clichéd as it sounded, it really did feel as though he had fallen in love with Alois all over again.

The blonde's smile faded and he looked toward the Watchdog worriedly as Ciel wriggled his hand out of his grip. As he opened his mouth to speak, he found the bluenette wrapping his arms around his waist with a sigh, pulling Alois close and not letting go. Gently, Alois held back, causing the Watchdog to press his lips to his temple. Confusedly, the blonde blinked at Ciel's sudden affection as he wasn't quite sure what to make of it.

"Ciel?" he let out, turning his head slightly in hopes of looking at the bluenette's face. With another sigh, Ciel simply closed his eye and stayed put for a few moments before answering.

"I'm fine." The Watchdog said softly. "I'm just having feelings again."

"Feelings will do this sort of thing to a man." Nodded the menace, placing a small kiss to the side of his love's head. "So what are you feeling, if I may ask?"

There was a moment of silence while Ciel thought. He took the opportunity to squeeze the other man a little tighter and continue to breathe Alois' scent. This moment triggered something within Ciel, and he knew what, but it was difficult to put into words. There was happiness. There was relief. Somehow, there was closure, too. Pecking Alois' flaxen locks one last time, the Watchdog opened his eye again.

" _Like we made it."_ He said, feeling the menace hold him tighter.


	193. Amoung The Floiwers

The duo took off down the road again with the blonde driving and the bluenette riding in the passenger seat. Alois tapped his finger on the steering wheel to the beat of the music from the stereo while he did his usual dance in the seat. Meanwhile, Ciel looked out the window at the scenery around them, occasionally pointing things out to the menace.

"Jim, look." He said, tapping the other man on the shoulder. "Look at all of that lavender."

The blonde lifted his sunglasses so that they rested on top of his head before turning to look for a split second, and then returning his gaze once again once he had the opportunity to check the road. A grin appeared on his face and he glanced toward the bluenette.

"Can we stop and take a picture?" he asked, slowing down so he could look at the fields of flowers lining the sides of the roads.

"Of course." Chuckled Ciel. "Just pull over off to the side."

"Alright, then." The menace answered, slowly braking before lulling to a complete stop. He then shut off the music and the pair stepped out. Immediately, he plucked his phone from his pocket and selected the camera before raising it up and focusing it. The man was taking so many pictures, that it was amazing that he hadn't already filled up the memory on the device.

"Why are there so many?" he wondered aloud.

"I don't know." Said Ciel. "I mean, I could Google it, if you want."

"Oh~! So mister trip-master doesn't know everything~?" teased the blonde, smiling over at his beau while the other man shook his head.

"The only thing I know about lavender is that it used to be used as an expression of sapphist love."

"I always wondered why the lesbian flag was purple." Noted Alois, cropping an image he took. "I feel like I need to pass this onto Amelie and Charlotte."

"Weren't you keeping Amelie updated on the trip as well?" asked Ciel.

"Yeah, but she only texts back emoticons, so I have no idea what she's thinking."

"I think that the only person who could decipher that is Charlotte."

"It's a legit skill." Alois said, placing his phone back in his pocket. He paused for a moment, stretching his arms, back, and legs with a grunt before continuing. "Should we get back on the road, then?"

"Probably." The bluenette answered, shifting his weight and stretching as well. "I need to do something first."

"Alright. I'll get in the car." Replied the menace, turning around in order to head back to the vehicle. Ciel, however, walked around to the back of the Mercedes and crouched down, reaching his hand underneath and groping around.

"There you are." He murmured, tugging until the object was free. In his hand, he now held a small box with a small, flashing red light on it. With that, he stood up and walked over to his side of the car and opened the door.

"Bretodeau left us a present." Playfully said the Watchdog, taking a seat inside. "Tracking device." He clarified before tossing the object on the ground.

"That was neighbourly of him." Chuckled Alois as his beau shut the door and fastened his seatbelt. "Just gonna ditch him?"

"Unless you think we should leave him a note." Ciel replied, smilng as the car began to move.

"Nah." Shook the menace. "He'll be okay."

The duo started traveling once again, taking off down the highway. A few minutes behind them, however, were the two French agents in pursuit. Their vehicle wasn't as luxurious as the Mercedes, but it got them where they needed to be.

"Dominique." Called the man in the passenger seat, Felician Lamar, as he gestured to the handheld device that gave away the demon's location. "It looks like they stopped."

"Where is there to even stop around here?" questioned Bretodeau.

"Maybe they were looking at the flowers? They've very beautiful, aren't they?" suggested Felician, gesturing around them. "If I were a tourist, I would want to stop and take a few pictures."

"Felician, be serious."

"I am! Look, it says they stopped just up ahead!"

"Where? I don't see them!"

"Uh…" paused Lamar, looking down at the GPS again. "Wait… What? It says they're just a few feet in front of us?"

Suddenly, the car screeched to a halt, leaving tracks on the road and causing both men to be jostled around. Poor Felician nearly let go of the tracker in the process, and when the car finally stopped, he leaned back with his hand on his chest. Taking in a few breaths while his partner unbuckled his safety belt, he looked over to the man then proceeded to hit Dominique with his fist.

"WHAT THE FUCK, DOMINIQUE?!" He demanded as the other man took the tracker away. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Despite his indignant outburst, Bretodeau ignored him, instead hopping out of the car and holding up the tracker to view.

"Where are they?!" he demanded, furrowing his brow and shaking the device. "Piece of shit!"

"Dominique." Called Felician, stepping out of the car. He leaned down and plucked a small black box off of the ground before straightening his back and holding up to view between his index finger and thumb.

"What?!" barked Bretodeau, turning to face the other, only to see the tracking device. As his partner laughed, he ground his teeth while fuming. Then, all at once, his anger sprung forth and he slammed the tracker on the ground, breaking the casing from the impact.

"What the fuck was that for?" asked his associate. "You just broke government property while throwing a tantrum over a couple of brits!"

"Not just any brits, Felician." Said Dominiqe. "The Watchdog and Lion. They are England's best. We have to keep an eye on them, but we can't even do a simple observation job."

"Okay. So we find another way to track them. It's not the end of the world." Answered Lamar. "Tantrums aren't going to solve it, though."

Bretodeau paused to think, folding his arms and tapping his foot. Every second wasted here was another second of the demons widening the gap between the two parties. After a few moments, the man began to nod, holding up a finger.

"I've got it." He said, turning to the other. "They have to stop sometime, don't they?"

"Yeah?" questioned the other, arching an eyebrow. "They're gonna need to stop for the night, probably."

"Well, I happen to know for a fact that there is only one hotel along this road." Informed Dominique. "All we have to do is get there."


	194. Motel Moproblems

When the demons arrived at their hotel, the bluenette looked around confusedly. While Alois immediately set his belongings in the corner and plopped down on the bed, his spouse seemed less comfortable in the small room, and set his belongings in the corner along with the other man's much more slowly as he examined their surroundings. In truth, he wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Not what you're used to?" teased the menace as he sat up. "Not five-star, but not too shabby, I don't think."

"It's very… compact." Noted the Watchdog, causing the other to giggle.

"Not really." Said Alois. "It's kind of fun. Have you not been to a place like this before?"

"I can't even remember the last time I did." Ciel stated.

"Then this is an adventure!" the menace declared. "It's a cute little room. It's different than the places we usually go, but that's the fun part. C'mon, have a seat!" he said, patting the spot next to him on the mattress.

"Is room service still an option?" asked Ciel, taking up the other man on his offer. "I have no idea what this sort of place offers."

"Well, we still have snacks in the car, if they don't. I don't know what they have, either. I've never been anywhere like this before."

"If I'd known that this was a possibility, I would have packed more." Lamented the bluenette as he laid back on the bed. "Snacks aren't dinner."

"Oh, you poor glutton." Alois laughed, laying down on his side next to the other man. "Maybe there's a fast food place or convenience store around here somewhere."

"I still need to make you eat frog legs."

"Why do you want me to eat frog legs so badly?"

"Because it would be funny to see you complain."

" _You_ eat them." The menace instructed.

"I will, but I want you to try them." Stated the Watchdog. "Either that or snails."

"Frog legs seem less gross."

"Then will you eat them?"

"Yeah, I'll eat them." Reluctantly said the blonde, rolling his eyes.

"Shake on it?" questioned the bluenette, holding out a hand. Shaking his head, Alois took it and sealed the deal.

"You're so fucking weird…" he laughed, amused by his beau's strangeness but finding it somewhat cute at the same time. "You're lucky that I find it endearing."

"I'm glad you do, because I have no idea how to not be weird." Ciel replied.

"It's what makes you so fun. This trip has been a blast so far. I can only look forward to what you have planned next."

"You know, I'm not usually one to be weak to flattery, but from you, I make an exception."

"I know how flattery works on you." The blonde mused. "It's one of your biggest weak spots." With that, the menace sat up, dangling his legs off of the edge of the bed for a moment before standing up.

"Should I go get those snacks, then?" he asked, turning to look at the other man.

"If you feel like it." Ciel replied, kicking off his shoes. "Do you want a key to the room, or should I just let you in?"

"Well, it would be nice of you to let me back in." Alois said, making his way toward the door.

"Or I could leave you outside for a few minutes just to mess with you."

"You don't have the heart." The menace scoffed. "If I whined enough, though, you know you'd let me back in."

"Indeed, you know all of my soft spots." Stated the bluenette, sitting up to look at the other man. "It's not fair."

"Fair or not, it is what it is." Alois replied, gripping the doorknob. "Back in a sec."

"Alright." Answered Ciel. "If it's not substantial enough, we'll try and find someplace in the morning."

"Sounds like a plan, man." Chuckled the menace before stepping out and shutting the door behind him.

He meandered outside, and immediately stopped once he saw their car. Next to it, a grey vehicle was parked, with official-looking stickers on the back. Rolling his eyes, he waltzed up next to the vehicle and peered inside. Sure enough, there was a jacket with governmental logos on it inside.

"Amateurs…" he shook, placing his hands on his hips. Looking down, he saw the car's tire and got an idea.

Crouching, he quickly untwisted the cap on the tire that kept the air inside. Then, he flicked it to the side before turning around to unlock his own vehicle. With that, he grabbed a few plastic bags before locking the door back and walking back to the hotel, knowing full-well that the French agents' tires would be flat by morning.


	195. Le fabuleaux destin d'Dominique Bretodeau

All was peaceful the following morning. The sun rose without disturbing anyone, and everyone was well-rested at this particular hotel in France. That is of course, except for a certain secret agent.

Dominique Bretodeau was wide awake. The man hadn't slept a wink that night. His mind and body were tired, and bags appeared under his eyes. It wasn't stress that kept him awake, nor was it work. It was the fact that this particular hotel had thin walls, and the Englishmen on their honeymoon next door were demons.

"How many times… is it possible for two people to go at it?" he lamented, sitting up at the small table in the corner of his and his partner's room. Dominique had thought that getting a room next to his target's would have been beneficial, but unfortunately, it was just mortifying.

"Is that why you're so exhausted?" asked his fellow agent, setting a cup of coffee in front of the other man. "I thought you just stayed up all night working again."

"You couldn't hear that?!"

"I always wear earplugs to sleep." Said Felician. "My wife snores, and you always do whatever weird shit you do at night."

"Ugh… these fucking limeys…" complained Bretodeau, putting his head in his hands.

"We've already established what they were doing, yes." Felician chuckled at his own joke, sipping his coffee while waiting for his partner's response.

"Fuck off, Lamar…"

"With who?" joked the other man. "I know you swing both ways, but I only swing one way, and it ain't toward men, I'll tell ya that."

"Felician!" barked Dominique, glaring at his partner. "…not now." He sighed, trying to calm down.

"Relax, it's not the end of the world." Said Felician. "They haven't left yet, and even if they do, we can follow them. I'll even drive so you can sleep in the car."

"That works." Bretodeau replied, sipping his drink. "When do you think they'll be leaving?"

"Who knows? I don't know them." Answered the other agent. "They could be the type of couple to lay in bed together for a while longer, or they could be the kind to get up and go immediately."

"I didn't know there were any other kinds…"

"And that's why you're single, mon ami."

"Shut the fuck up." Scowled Dominique, causing his associate to chuckle.

"Well, you've read the files, haven't you?" questioned Felician. "Nah, knowing you, you definitely did. You know their methods. How does that translate here?"

"I don't know." Admitted Bretodeau, pausing to think. "When they do things, it's usually quite messy. They get their jobs done efficiently, but they fulfill their jobs as assassins in a somewhat grizzly manner. They always have a plan, though, even if they have to change it partway through…"

"And what does that say about how they operate outside of the field?"

"It's hard to translate…"

"Maybe you're just too tired to think. You could take a nap before we leave. I'll wake you."

"No, I'm fine…"

"Bretodeau…" scolded Felician.

"Fine…" Dominique answered, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. "But pay attention to what's going on next door."

"Got it. No problem."

Meanwhile, the duo next door were preparing to leave, ducking in and out of the bathroom, packing up their toiletries, and getting dressed. Occasionally, they would stop to peck cheeks and engage in banter. Once their suitcases were packed, they loaded them up into the car. Alois sat in the driver's seat while Ciel went to the front desk and turned in their key. Once Ciel did that, he climbed into the car as well and the menace turned on the ignition.

With that, Felician nearly spat out his coffee, instead swallowing it quickly and having it fall down the wrong pipe. His coughing fit woke up Dominique, who immediately bolted up. Reaching for his glasses, he looked up at his partner.

"What's going on?!" he demanded, only to see that the other was choking. Getting up, he walked over to his comrade. "What's wrong? What're you doing?"

As he continued to cough, Felician was rendered unable to speak, but instead, he pointed at the window. This confused Bretodeau to say the least, but he eventually took the hint while Lamar recovered. Looking out the window, he saw the demonic duo backing out of their parking space.

Jaw dropping, he floundered. "Felician! Why didn't you wake me?!" he demanded, grabbing his coat.

"Wait, Dominique, we need to get our things in the car, first." Said Felician, holding his hands up. "And we need to check out, first."

Dominique wasn't listening. He bolted out the door and chased the demons out of the parking lot, but being forced to stop as he couldn't outrun the Mercedes. The man was by no means out of shape, but his lungs still hurt and so did his legs. Dominique nearly collapsed as he burnt up the small amount of energy that he had charged up during his nap, and he was forced to hunch over with his hands on his knees while he panted, his hair hanging in his face as he exhausted himself. His partner jogged up to him, watching the demons and shaking his head. Rubbing his forehead, he looked back to the motel.

"So, uh… Should I be checking out, then?" Felician asked his coworker.

"Yesssss…" Dominique sighed through his teeth. "Just… Just get us ready to leave…" While his coworker left, he stood up, straightening his back and stumbling over to their car. The man tried to open the door, only to discover that it was locked.

"Fantastique…" he grumbled, letting his hand fall to the side. Leaning his head against the door, his gaze fell downward, falling upon a flat tire. That was the final straw. Anger boiled within his breast and expelled outward from his mouth in a roar as he brought his leg back and kicked forward, striking the side of the car and denting it. Suddenly, the man leaned down and gripped his now pained foot, swearing.

* * *


	196. Don't Eat The Red Snow

The trip continued as planned, progressing relatively normally. The duo went to tourist sites and restaurants, trying new things. There was one instance where a frog leg accidentally got thrown out a hotel window, but the bluenette really shouldn't have been chasing his husband around the hotel with it since it irked him. Room service was none the wiser, and the secret agents that had been following them were baffled as to how the food got on the windshield of their car the next morning.

Bretodeau's and Lamar's game of cat and mouse with the demons proved frustrating, but no real instances of note occurred after that at the motel. The duo weren't even really trying to run from the Frenchmen. Rather, they were simply trying to ignore them as they had a wonderful time.

They continued to do so as they reached a ski resort located high in the mountains. It didn't matter that it was summer. There was still snow, and the lodge was still open. Without heavy coats, the pair almost froze, but were able to purchase some before they arrived. Alois wasn't too keen on the puffiness of the jacket and pants, but thought the bluenette was cute.

"Like an angry marshmallow!" he called him, causing the Watchdog to roll his eye.

The bluenette was attempting to teach his beau how to ski, but the menace simply wasn't having it- Or rather, _couldn't_. Alois simply could not do it. Even with his supernatural sense of balance, agility, and grace, he still slipped and fell. When he didn't, he couldn't steer and had to be redirected by the other man so that he wouldn't run into trees, other patrons, and any other hazards. Ciel, on the other hand, had gone skiing before and was more than decent despite the fact that he had his hands quite full with the fumbling fair-haired demon.

"People actually do that for fun?" asked a shivering Alois as he sat by the fireplace in the lobby of the resort with his husband. The other man held onto both of his hands, trying to warm them up in his grasp. A good amount of snow had gotten inside the poor blonde's clothes from crashing and toppling over, soaking his hair as it melted and chilling him to the bone.

"Let's go back to the room." Ciel suggested. "We'll draw you a nice, warm bath."

"Why do baths solve everything with you?" questioned the menace, shaking his head.

"Baths are relaxing." Informed his beau. He shifted his hands to covers a bit more of Alois' hands. "It'll warm you up and help your muscles. You've been thrown around a lot, today."

"I healed instantly, so that's not a problem." Alois explained. "All I need is to warm up. I can do that next to the fire. Unless, you want to volunteer."

"I could bathe with you, I suppose. The tub is big enough."

"Seriously, what is with you and bathing?" questioned the blond. "Are you just trying to get me naked again?"

"No. I just want a bath, if I'm honest. That would be a nice bonus, though."

"You pillock. Just go have a bath, then."

"I was seeing if you wanted one, though. You're the one who got snow in their trousers."

"Whose fault is that? I heard that snowboards were easier."

"I can't teach you how to snowboard. I only know how to ski." Said the bluenette.

"Not radical enough, are you?" asked the menace. "Or is it a rich fuck thing?"

"You're a rich fuck too, you know…"

"Not by blood." Quipped Alois. "It does not come naturally to me. I'm wicked. When I run into a tree, I don't bleed blue. I'm uncultured. I'm embracing that now, and it feels awesome."

"Now who's the pillock? That doesn't even make sense."

"Neither does that turtleneck." the blonde said, taking a hand away in order to point at his husband. "Why is that attractive? You look like a nerd, but it's cute. What that fuck? You took off your coat and went from 'marshmallow', to 'lovable dweeb'. That is witchcraft, sir."

"Now you're on about turtlenecks?" asked the Watchdog. "Did you hit your head too hard or something?"

"No, that's just how my train of thought works, y'know?"

"Yeah, I know. I was just teasing. Should I start wearing more of these from now on?"

"Only if you let me snuggle up to that, Pooch."

Shaking his head, the bluenette chuckled at the other Phantomhive's train of thought. "You're so weird."

"Says bath boy." Answered Alois. "Deal?"

"You were going to do it regardless."

"What if I tried to withhold it?"

"You wouldn't last a day."

"No fun at all…" grumbled the menace. He took both hands away and stood up with a shudder and a disgusted look on his face. "I need to go change."

"I told you to do that once we set foot inside, but no, you sat there with snow melting in your trousers instead."

"Kiss my frozen ass."

Before either man could exit the lobby in order to reach their hotel room, two secret agents marched their way down the stairs. They stomped their feet and made a beeline toward the demons, prompting a roll of the Lion's eyes. Bretodeau looked absolutely furious, stopping directly in front of the pair and speaking in a hushed, yet aggressive tone.

"Confess!" he ordered. "I know you two have something to do with this!"

"Toto, we have no idea what you're talking about unless you tell us at the start of the conversation." Alois replied, putting his hands up with a shrug. This only made the other man furrow his brow harder.

"Don't play dumb with me!" said Bretodeau. "A body was found on the third floor. I know that's the floor you're staying on. Confess! What did you do?!"

"Aw… Can we move our room to another floor?" the blonde asked. "I don't want to be around a murder investigation while on vacation."

"If we can, we'll request another room." Answered his beau, almost ignoring Bretodeau's demands.

"Why are they dead?!" Dominique asked again. "Tell me ! What do you two have to do with this?!"

"Nothing?" Alois said while arching an eyebrow. "We were skiing all day. Well, Ciel was skiing, and I was running into things, but you get the idea."

"Agent Bretodeau, we don't know what you're talking about." Ciel addressed. "We really were out and about all day. We only arrived this morning. After that, we put our things away and hit the slopes."

"How can I believe that?!" Dominique hissed, pointing a finger at the bluenette. "How do we know that body isn't fresh?!"

"Because there's a thing called an 'autopsy' that will tell you the time of death?" said Alois. "We've been sitting here for like, thirty minutes. The snow in my pants even melted. Look, there's a wet spot on the chair."

"What the fuck?! How do I know it's snow?!"

"What do you think it is?! It's fucking water!" the blonde loudly said back, pointing at the chair.

"I don't know you! It could be…. _urine_ for all I know!"

"It's not piss! Fucking smell it!"

"I'm not smelling your fucking chair, you English pig-dog!"

"What does that even mean?!" demanded the blonde. "We had nothing to do with that shit and that's all there is to it! Go on! Examine the fucking body!"

"That's the police's job, you blond idiot!"

"You can't even do something that simple?! What kind of agent are you?!"

"Will you keep your voice down?!" hissed Bretodeau, his blood pressure rising with every single clash of words between himself and the Menace. "What part of ' _secret agent'_ don't you understand?! At least I can get the basics down."

"Suck my _oui oui,_ cheese-eating surrender monkey!"

" _Alright, that's enough_." The bluenette butted in once tensions got too high. It was amusing at the start, but now people were staring at the group. "Jim, calm down. Bretodeau, you as well. It is very unprofessional to leap to conclusions without even bothering to collect any sort of evidence. Jim, it is rude to say such things in public."

"Like everybody here speaks English…" muttered the menace as Dominique crossed his arms. His associate sighed, placing his hands in his pockets.

"He's right, Dominique." Felician stated. "They could be telling the truth. Let's let the police handle this."

"Why doesn't the great detective handle it?" scoffed Bretodeau. "If he's not guilty, he can do it."

"No, I can't." Ciel bluntly stated, reaching for the blonde's hand again. "Not because it isn't within my capabilities, but simply because I don't want to. It's not my department, and I'm not going to work while on my honeymoon. It would be rude to my spouse."

"Isn't he a detective too?"

"Yeah, but I'm on my honeymoon, too, and again, it's not our department." The other Phantomhive replied. "Now, if you'll excuse us, I'm frozen, wet, and would quite like a bath, so if you'll excuse us…"

Alois nudged past the two Frenchmen with his husband in tow, rendering them incapable of following. The bluenette snatched their coats off of the backs of their chairs before being whisked away, soon catching up and keeping pace with the blonde, walking at his side as they made their way back to their room.

"Finally decided to go with that bath?" jokingly questioned the bluenette, smiling a bit wider as the other man huffed.

"I need to relax." Answered his beau. "I hate that guy. He's a prick."

"Yes, but he's incompetent, so he's not really a threat." Ciel informed. "We should remain unaffected by this."

"I hope so. I really don't want to deal with it." Alois admitted.

"I understand completely." The Watchdog replied. "Now, let's get you that bath…"

"Relax with me?" requested Alois. "I also want held, is multitasking an option?"

"Sure, sure." Ciel answered. "I wanted a bath too, anyway."

* * *


	197. Stretchy Fabric

The demonic duo were mildly annoyed. There were police officers on their floor, investigating the crime scene and knocking on people's doors in order to ask if anything out of the ordinary was seen. The irritating questions, the people outside the room, and the requests by police to search rooms proved most irritating for the duo, making them more inclined to go out and about, despite Alois' skiing abilities.

"Stooooooppp…" whined the menace as laid there in the snow. He had fallen one time too many, and this time, had no motivation to get back up. Unfortunately, his husband took this as an invitation to sit next to him and put snow on top of him in an attempt to bury him.

"Then you should probably get up." Ciel replied, putting another scoopful of snow on top of his beau.

"I caaaaaaaannn't…" complained the blonde further. "I don't waaaaannaaaaaaa…"

"Then I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to bury you in snow."

"Why?"

"Because it's fun."

"Noooooooooooo…" Alois answered. "It's cooooold!"

"You're lying in snow. What do you expect?" the bluenette questioned, scooping up more snow with both hands.

"It wouldn't be as cold if you didn't bury me." Huffed the fair-haired demon. "You're mean to me. How could you do this?"

"Quite easily." Ciel informed. "Watch." The blonde groaned as the Watchdog dumped more snow on top of him.

"Wanker." Alois grumbled before begrudgingly sitting up. The snow on his chest fell into his lap and he made a lame attempt to brush himself off. "Fuck this snow. Can't even make a bloody snowman out of it. What good is it?"

"It's good for skiing."

"Fuck skiing."

"I'm sorry. Is there anything else you want to do?" Ciel asked.

" _Let's go yeti hunting_." The menace answered, causing his beau to shake his head.

"You can't go yeti hunting."

"Then I'm going to roll down this hill." Alois informed, wiggling off his skis and laying back down.

"You can't roll down the hill, either."

"Watch me." The menace retorted before he flipped himself over and started to roll, leaving his husband behind to gawk at his silliness. The bluenette stood up and simply waited for the other man to finish before going after him. He even picked up Alois' skis.

Ciel didn't have to wait long before Alois stopped, lying flat on his stomach. He watched as the menace propped himself up on his elbows and looked over his shoulder before looking back up at Ciel. That was when the Watchdog got his cue.

"GODDAMMIT THERE'S SNOW IN MY PANTS AGAIN!" Alois shouted, and Ciel started making his way down the hill as well. The difference was that the bluenette did in on skis. When he arrived at the blondes side, he set down Alois' skis and couched down again, picking up another scoopful of snow and dropping it on top of the menace.

"Why would you do thaaaatttt… I am suffering enough…." Whined Alois, causing Ciel to laugh.

"We could go get some hot chocolate." The Watchdog suggested. "You'll have to get up first, though."

"No. Carry me." Ordered the other demon, flipping over on his back and raisin his arms.

"I can't carry both you and your skis." Ciel informed, causing the menace to whine again. "If you want to go inside, you have to get up."

"You're just no fun at all, are you?" Alois asked. He grunted as he stood up, finding it difficult in the snow. His feet immediately sank, taking a few inches off of his height. Without the skis, it would be more difficult to get back up the mountain.

"I dunno if I can do this." The menace bent his knees so he was steady. "Shit's deep."

"Then put your skis back on. They'll distribute your weight."

"Then give 'em here!"

"They're right in front of you."

Immediately upon trying to bend over to pick them up, the blonde lost his balance and fell face first into the snow. Bickering followed, and it lasted the entire duration of the trek back up the hill, occasionally accompanied by a pause where the blonde would sniffle. Alois' nose and lips were red, and his skin burned as cold wind lashed against it. His lungs felt as though he were inhaling shards of glass as the frozen air scraped against their insides.

Clumsily, he traveled alongside his beau until eventually they made it back to the lodge. The blonde was immediately thankful as a gust of warm air hit them both once the door opened, and the pair were treated to indoor heating. Once the pair were up the stairs, they passed the police tape on their floor and made it to their room, shutting the door behind them both.

Despite how cold he was, Alois took off his boots and coat along with the bluenette and set them aside. His eyes watched the other man as he went over to the "kitchen" area of the room and dug out some complimentary packets of hot chocolate, well aware of the menace sneaking around behind him. What he didn't expect, however, was the blonde slipping his cold hands underneath his turtleneck and pressing firmly against his skin. With a jump, Ciel let out a startled noise before steadying the mug in his hand.

"Can I help you?" he playfully asked, looking over his shoulder at the menace, who's eyes immediately snapped from the drink he set on the counter to his face.

"My hands are cold." Alois bluntly answered, requiring no further explanation. His beau simply grabbed another mug and began preparing a second drink.

"I noticed." The bluenette stated. "Is that helping."

"Yes."

"Good. You're going to have to take them out to drink your hot chocolate, however." Ciel reminded as he stirred the drink and dissolved the powder.

"But what if I don't wanna?"

"Then you don't get any."

This answer prompted a huff from the menace and a small pout. Much to Ciel's amusement, the other demon continued his antics rather than ceasing them, however, he was also a bit baffled by the silliness, despite knowing Alois' nature. Instead of removing his hands, the blonde instead lifted the edge of the Watchdog's shirt and ducked inside, stretching the fabric as he attempted to fit inside along with Ciel and wrapped his arms around him. It didn't matter, as Ciel simply continued stirring the drink until he was finished, picking both mugs up and making his way across the room with the menace behind him. He had to take babysteps with the blonde in tow, but said nothing about it until he got to a chair and set the drinks down on the table beside it, bending over at the waist with the blonde doing the same behind him. When he straightened his back again, he spoke.

"I need to sit down, now." Ciel informed, but instead of expecting the menace to actually remove himself, he raised his arms so that Alois could move to his front. Then, the watchdog proceeded to sit down, positioning the menace so that he sat sideways in his lap. Carefully picking up his mug, he blew on his drink to cool it down before sipping it. It almost spilled, however, when he felt lips against his skin.

" _PBTTHHBBLBTHBLTH!"_ Alois blew on the man's chest and startled him.

"Now, if you're going to blow raspberries, you're going to have to get out." Warned Ciel, prompting a whine.

"Aaaaaaaaw! But Cieeeeeeellll!"

"Also, you're stretching the fabric. It won't fit right anymore if you stay like that."

Somehow, that news made the menace immediately lift Ciel's shirt and duck his head out into the open. It was immensely disappointing, as Alois was warm where he was, but he had an agenda. Leaning his head against the bluenette's chest, he put a hand on the man's pectoral.

" _Mean."_ He complained, squeezing a bit.

"Should I ask why you're touching my chest like this, or…?" the bluenette trailed off.

"That shirt makes you look really good. Shows off your figure." Alois replied, reaching over to grab the man's bicep. "This is nice, too. This is also mine."

Blushing slightly, the Watchdog was honestly a bit flattered by his husband's words, even if he was being a tad silly while saying them. His free arm wrapped around his beau's shoulders, while he continued to hold his drink in the other. "I'm glad you like it."

"You look handsome." Noted the fair-haired demon, letting go of Ciel's arm in order to cup his cheek. With his thumb, he stroked the bluenette's skin as he pressed their lips together briefly, licking his lips when he pulled away. "Mmm, chocolate." He grinned.

"Well, you have an untouched mug of your own." Ciel pointed out, taking another sip of his drink. "If you don't drink it quickly, it'll get cold."

"I don't wanna move…" Alois answered, closing his eyes. "This is a nice spot. This shirt's really soft and your chest is comfy."

"You still have lots of time to sit with me like this." The bluenette said. "In fact, you have the rest of eternity."

"But I don't want to move now. I could spend the rest of the trip right here. I would, if I could. Somebody has to drive us home, unfortunately."

"Is it really that great?"

"Yeah. Nothing better." Stated the other demon. "Being here, leaning on you, smelling your smell, listening to your heartbeat and being held all lovey and warm-like… It's the best."

That was cute. Ciel was forced to set down his beverage on the table and hold the menace a bit closer. Smiling softly, he stroked the other demon's flaxen locks, pressing small kisses against his head every so often. It was no fair. How dare the menace change what was supposed to be merely sitting around and drinking hot chocolate together into a moment of physical intimacy? How did he do that? Of course, it was by being Alois, silliness and all.

"I love you." Spoke the Watchdog, caressing his spouse. "Even if you get in the way of hot chocolate."

"I'm sorry." Alois replied. "Insincerely sorry, but that's still an apology."

"That's alright. You're better than hot chocolate, anyway."

"Mmnn… Good." Hummed the menace, pressing his face further into his beau's chest. The pair engaged in banter for a while longer, this time with the menace actually drinking his beverage. Eventually, however, he fell asleep while sitting in Ciel's lap, rendering him completely stationary as to not wake him. Just a few more days until they had to return home, and both men were going to enjoy it to the fullest, even if they will continue being just as in love when they go back to Britain.

* * *


	198. Mercedes Bedz

The police had emptied out the room down the hall, gathering evidence and removing the body before it began to smell and rot further. Despite Bretodeau's suspicions, the police had gathered that the demons were clean, irritating the man immensely. Since they were free to go, they did, and they left the lodge in order to head back to the ferry that dropped them off. It was odd going somewhere without firing a single bullet, but the Phantomhives enjoyed the change of pace immensely.

It was all about to come to an end, however. The demonic duo traveled along, making stops at various tourist traps, where Alois added onto his ever-growing hoard of souvenirs while his spouse pondered as to what exactly the blonde was going to do with them. Yet, the bluenette couldn't find it in him to deny the menace.

"They're for everybody." Alois explained as he hopped back into the car and shut the door. His beau followed soon after and buckled his seatbelt. "Luka, Revy, Lizzie, and the lads..." he listed off. "Mister Bailey, the police chief in Gehenna… You can give something completely useless to Integra to annoy her, if you want."

"You've certainly got everyone covered, don't you?" chuckled the bluenette. "Have you been sending Luka pictures, still?"

"Yep. He sent me back a picture of all of them getting ice cream." The menace grinned, starting the car. "And of course he got some on himself."

"I keep telling him he should get a cup and not a cone."

"But he wants to eat it like everyone else. Can't blame him for that."

"Tell that to Sebastian. He has found so many things in Luka's pants pockets. Some of them are sticky."

"Gummy bears?"

"Gummy bears."

They went on for hours like that. They talked about this, that, the other, and nothing at all as they travelled onward on their trip back home. Occasionally, they would stop to look at things and stretch their legs, only to start up again. Eventually, however, night fell and it was time to start looking for a hotel.

Now they realised that they should have planned ahead for this. Unfortunately, one can only forsee so much. The car's headlights stared down the stretch of road, illuminating the pathway for the blonde to drive down while they searched. Nothing. There was nothing in sight.

"The GPS says it'll be a few more hours until the next hotel." The bluenette said from the passenger seat, his face lit by the soft glow of his phone. "It's gonna be a long night…"

Alois groaned, slouching in his seat. "I don't think I can stand driving much longer. My attention span is going dead."

"We could pull over and rest for a bit." The bluenette suggested. "Just find a place to park."

"We could just sleep in the car for the night." Replied Alois, scanning for a decent spot.

"Sounds alright." Ciel answered, much to the surprise of his beau. In truth, Alois hadn't thought that Ciel would seriously consider it.

"That'w what we're going to do, then?"

"Why not? It could be fun."

"Do you hear yourself talking?" questioned the blonde. "Has exhaustion started to get to you?"

"Are you suggesting that I am incapable of sleeping in the car?"

"No, I'm suggesting that it's odd for you to suggest something like that. Mister Five-star, sleeping in his car for a night! What's next? Are you going to grow chest hair, move to Canada, and become a lumberjack?"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Ciel jested, looking over to the other man and earning a giggle from the other.

"You're attractive when you're macho." Answered Alois. "You're cute when you're a total geek, too, though."

"How's that?"

"I dunno, it's just nice that you come home after catching murderers and assassinating people, and wear a sweatervest."

"Is there something wrong with sweatervests?"

"Nah, I like them." The menace stated, continuing on their route. Ciel directed him with his GPS, leading him to a campsite, in order to park their car. It lulled to a stop and the blonde turned it off before turning to his beau. A grin formed on his face as he looked to the other as his features were still illuminated by the glow of his cell phone.

"Sure you want to do this?" Alois questioned. "Still not too late to start looking again."

"Jim, you know it's way too late for that."

"Just wondering if you're still okay with it."

"I'm perfectly fine." Ciel informed. "We're just going to go to sleep, aren't we?"

"Yeah… I guess you're right about that." His husband replied, reaching over to unbuckle his seatbelt. When he looked up again, the Watchdog was still looking at him, taking in his shape in the dark.

"Unless there's something else you want to do, that is." Ciel added. The man had taken of his eyepatch off, closing his eye so that the glow of his contract didn't shine through. Pausing, the blonde scanned his lover's face.

"Well, for starters, you could look at me."

"I am. I can't see with my other eye, remember?"

"That's not what I meant. I like to see all of your face when we're alone." Alois said, reaching across the car in order to cup the bluenette's cheek.

"Is it really that special?" asked his spouse.

"It's… almost like seeing you in your natural state." the blonde tried to explain. "Not everybody gets to see that, you know?"

"So you like it when I'm snooty and when I'm disheveled?"

"Always." Alois said, his eyes glancing off to the side. "Want to jump in the backseat? To sleep, that is."

"Certainly. It's hard to sleep when we're not together." Ciel said as he opened the door of the vehicle. He then switched to the backseat and shut the door behind him, locking it.

"I mean, if stuff happens, it does, but whatever." Alois said, crawling in to the backseat with him. Awkwardly, they shuffled about, trying to get situated. Fortunately, the space was decently-sized, or else this would have been much more difficult. Ciel laid down, chuckling as his beau fumbled, eventually settling for laying on top of him with his head against the bluenette's chest.

"It's happened before." The Watchdog stated, wrapping his arms around the other man's waist. "I wouldn't be opposed this time, either."

"Could be clumsy."

"That's the fun of being in the car, isn't it?"

Alois laughed, propping himself up to grab a jacket from the front and using it as a blanket for them both. "If that's what you're into. Not exactly romantic, though, is it?"

"It could be." Ciel replied. "Open the sunroof."

"What for?"

"Just do it and see."

Rolling his eyes, the blonde sat up, straddling his spouse for a moment before leaning over to reach for the front seat. As a demon, his eyes could see the button he was reaching for, and somehow, he managed to press it. The humming noise of the sunroof cover opening startled him, causing him to jump, but then, once he was back in the backseat with his love, managing to squeeze in so that he was lying on his side between the man and the back of the seat, he was able to look up.

"Stars." He said breathlessly, looking up with his husband. Ciel pulled the coat up further so that it was covering them better.

"Mm-hm." He hummed. "Not the same as a hotel, but this has its perks."

"It's beautiful."

"You have that in common." The Watchdog answered, causing the blonde to look his way again. The menace's cheeks were stained a light shade of pink as he looked a bit surprised. However, his grin returned as the hand on Ciel's chest reached upwards and cupped his cheek, tilting it toward him.

"That was smooth." Alois laughed. "How did you manage to make this romantic?"

"I learned how from you." His beau replied. It was true, however. Ciel wouldn't have ever thought to share a view like this with anyone had he not fallen so deeply for Alois, nor would he have ever learned how to be honest about the way he feels. Alois had taught the Watchdog to think from the heart, and he was being genuine in this moment. His spouse simply smiled at him, pausing in order to caress the bluenette's face.

"The natural you…" began the menace. "I like this ' _you_ ' the best."

"I'm glad. I like being this way with you." Ciel grinned at the fair-haired demon, and continued to smile even as his husband leaned in for a kiss.


	199. England Again! It's Gone To The Dogs

Back on the ferry, the demonic duo were England-bound and bidded France farewell, waving at the two investigators following them adieu from the boat as it took off. Bretodeau looked glad they were leaving, but the demons couldn't blame him. Like them, Bretodeau was made for assassination. Tailing a couple on their honeymoon isn't usually his department. Now they were out of his hair and he could focus on bigger things.

They didn't mind, however. They had a horde of souvenirs to distribute once they got back. Luka was excited to see his brother again once he walked through the door, not just because he wanted to see what he brought with him, but because he missed the menace. Alois pulled the youngest of the Macken brothers into a hug, picking him up off the ground and holding him after setting his bags down. While he had a load of fun with his husband, the blonde menace had missed his family, too.

There was talk about what all they did and saw while on their honeymoon. The newlyweds talked about the tourist attractions they went to and odd experiences on the way. Ciel told everyone how Alois is bad at skiing, earning him a playful swat to the shoulder. They spoke of Bretodeau, and how messing with him was fun, and other misadventures. It was good to be back. France was fun, but it wasn't home to the Phantomhives.

Unfortunately, they hadn't much time to rest until Alois had to return to school. This time, Doctor Phantomhive wouldn't be joining him. Their marriage nearly got the menace in trouble, but his spouse was luckily able to avoid this by resigning voluntarily. Putting in a small bribe didn't hurt, either. It was surprisingly easy for Alois to get all of the classes he wanted, even though he registered a bit later than usual.

Still, the bluenette picked his spouse up from school every day on the motorcycle. A grin always formed on the blonde's face at the sight of the Watchdog patiently waiting on him. While the "bad boy" look suited Ciel, the menace knew just how "bad" he really was, and at the same time he knew how awkward and dorkish he could be.

Ciel would schedule things so that he could eat lunch with his partner, but sometimes, they weren't alone. The others would join them on occasion. Travis, Daniel, and Kristopherson would sometimes make it. Other times only one or two did, and at others, still: none. Today, however, Kristopherson had the privilege of being the third wheel.

"I was commissioned by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. again." The faux-blonde said. "Postmen uniforms. I didn't know Gehenna had a post office."

"Must be new." Alois pitched in. "This is the first I've heard of it. Not surprised, though. They've been building onto Gehenna like crazy."

"I hear the Supernatural Relations Department has gotten many requests for new businesses lately." Said Ciel. "They don't quite know what to do with them all because of budget. They're only accepting those who are absolutely necessary, since none of the citizens can privately fund them."

"Does H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. fund them?" Kristopherson asked, arching an eyebrow while taking a bite of his meal.

"They take out a loan." Explained the watchdog, "They pay it back as they earn more money with business at their leisure. These loans, unlike those dealt with ordinary banks and agencies, aren't designed to suffocate those who take them."

"Gehenna sounds nice." The faux-blonde said. "I don't think I could live there, though."

"Can't stand not having wi-fi?" asked Alois, arching an eyebrow. "Back in my day, wi-fi wasn't a thing that could even be fathomed!"

"Would you opt to live without it?"

"Fuck no." the menace answered with a sneer. "Never. It's too useful!"

"So you _do_ see my point." The Miles gentleman replied. "You just willfully ignore it."

"But of course! How else am I supposed to annoy you?"

"Is it nessecary?"

"Yes."

"If I may interrupt," began the Watchdog, butting in for a moment. "I'm sorry, this just occurred to me; are you going to meet with the postoffice officials about the uniforms, Kristopherson?"

"Yeah. I'm going in about a week or so to bring them my ideas. I can't exactly e-mail them, you know." Answered the faux-blonde.

"You're goin' in on your own?" questioned Alois, raising his eyebrows. "That's a bit of a dangerous neighbourhood for a human."

"I have an escort." Kristopherson answered, taking a sip of his drink while the others continued to eat. "Audrey said he'd take me. He got permission from his boss since it's for Gehenna."

"That's the only way you'd get permission to bunk off from Lieutenant Chu." Said the menace, looking over to his beau and causing the man to nod.

"Reports say that the crime rate has increased by a notch or two recently." Ciel informed. "Integra mentioned it briefly. Lieutenant Chu definitely knows. Since it's the business of the organization, it's certainly a reason to permit an escort."

"What kind of crime?" questioned Kristopherson, looking to the menace and then back to Ciel again with concern.

"It's those werewolves we let into Gehenna. Apparently, they lack manners." Said the bluenette gentleman. "They haven't quite grown accustomed to their lives as law-abiding supernaturals. Oftentimes, they forget the 'law-abiding' part altogether."

"Bunch of plonkers." Snorted the blonde Phantomhive. "They're no better than common thugs. They haven't quite figured out that being a werewolf don't change nothin'.What kind of people do you think willingly become supernatural? For what? Power? It's a farce. They're still the same sorry schmucks they've always been, and they'll always be that way for as long as they live."

"Now for exactly how long that is, is debatable." Pointed out Ciel. "H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agents have already started to crack down on them. Now all we have to do is wait until they start taking it seriously."

"What kinds of people do become werewolves willingly?" asked Kristopherson, leaning forward and resting his chin in his palm. "Some geeks who never leave their mum's basement? I heard that there were some who pretend to be 'werewolves' online and shite like that."

"There's a few of those." Answered the Watchdog, taking a sip of his own drink. The glass clattered against the table as he set it back down gently, looking back up to the human again. "They think it will give them power and make them somebody. Just like all of the others. There are ' _jock_ ' types as well, you know. You know what happens to those geeks who think they've won power and the right to trample on those who've 'wronged' them?"

"They're the same geeks they've always been. Just in a new package." Alois said, slapping his palm on the table with a bark of a laugh. "HA! Still the bottom of the totem pole. It's nobody's fault but their own! Same as usual. They're just as entitled and power-mad as the rest, and they still take out their self-pity on others, only this time, they're supernatural as well. Funny how that works, innit?"

"Not surprising in the slightest." Kristopherson said. "I bet they thought they'd be the ' _alpha_ ' wolf, right?"

"Not even real wolves have those 'pack dynamics' in real life. The original expeiriment was faulty, and even the man who originally published the findings found it false upon further investigation." The Watchdog informed. "Werewolf packs aren't a thing, either. If they are, they're made under the false impression on how wolves behave. They're using it as an excuse to go wild. They'll end up killing each other like that."

"How do you stop that?"

"Easy." Ciel replied. "You put the mongrels down."

* * *


	200. The New Kids In Town

Police drama unfolded as a few select officers gathered in the meeting room in order to discuss a new issue that has arisen. Supernatural Welfare Department staff member Roger Whinery was in attendance as well in order to spectate and pass on information to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters, as the issue affects them as well. The room was quiet as the police officers politely ceased their chattering in order to allow the man to set up his tape recorder, only to resume once given the O.K. Given that there was no police chief as of yet, the meeting was headed by an official of the Welfare Department, who had received the complaints. Forseti Sibyl, the elder sister of Officer Tegwen Sibyl, took the floor.

"Morning." She greeted, walking to the front of the room, file in hand. "Straight to business, then?" The group answered with a collection of "yes", "yeah", and similar responses conglomerating into a hum along with a few polite chuckles.

"Let's get to it." Said Forseti, taking the podium and setting her documents down on its surface. "As some of you may have already noticed, there has been a rise in hostile behaviour toward residents by a few groups of werewolves." She explained. "We know how some men who are new to the way we do things in Gehenna are, but these men are something else."

Opening the file, Forseti read off its contents. "Lewd comments, invasion of privacy, threatening gestures and remarks, aggressive behaviour, and in worst cases, there have been claims of attempts to follow women home while doing some of the previous… things." Forseti almost trailed off and lost her train of thought at pondering these actions. The others in the room looked to one another, and a lot of their eyes fell on Tegwen, who could only shrug.

Forseti Sybil was famous in Gehenna. She was known for bringing an end to sexually aggressive behaviour against women in the special zone. It was thought to be permanent, as those who are used to the way things are on the inside would teach those who are new. The werewolves, however, have no such people, and were simply running amok.

"That is the problem." The elf said. "These _'packs'_ of theirs have become a genuine concern for the citizens of Gehenna. The question is; what can't be done about it?"

"We could increase patrol." Suggested one of the officers.

"We'd have to go in groups, though." Said another. "Not all of us are built to hold off a werewolf on our own, especially unarmed."

"What about the armoury?"

"You can't just dig through the armoury and use the weapons on citizens!"

"Should H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. step in?"

"I don't know what H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. wants to do." Spoke Roger. "We'll have to wait and see if we're going to handle an investigation or not."

"Either way, we need to disband these beasts." Akira piped in, crossing her arms. "They're a menace! These _'packs'_ would be fine if they were just helping each other like the vampires do with their covens, but these are just gangs!"

"If they are, they might run into trouble with Girasol, soon." Chimed in another officer, a rather petite elf with a mohawk by the name of "Sophie".

"Tegs, has your girlfriend said anything about that?" questioned Akira, looking over to her friend as the eyes in the room trained in on her as well.

"Not my girlfriend." Tegwen replied, folding her arms. With one hand, she reached up to touch her cheek, blushing slightly at the memory it invoked. "Just friends. Anyway, Kyung-Soon hasn't said anything like that. I can probably ask, though."

"We should figure out Girasol's stance in order to figure out how to proceed." Stated Forseti. "We need to know whether or not they'll be an ally or an obstacle. Get on that."

"Just because we're on duty doesn't mean you get to act like you're the boss of me…" mumbled the younger of the Sybil sisters, folding her arms with a pout. Her sibling merely rolled her eyes with the faintest of smiles visible on her face at the sight. Police officer or not, Tegwen was still Forseti's little sister.

"Doesn't matter. We need to act fast before things get bad." The older woman replied. "Everybody on this assignment should be getting a copy of the file on their desk. Make sure they don't leave the premises. Security reasons and all that."

The woman was then met with a collection of "yeah" and variations of in response. "Good. Start brainstorming. Don't make me have to get involved." Forseti jokingly warned, clenching her fist at the group. While she was joking, the officers knew that the woman would raise hell if things turned to the worst. That was simply who she was. She was famous for it in Gehenna. That's why she's with the Welfare Department. Similarly, it is the reason why she was rejected for the police force.

After collecting her things, the older elf took her leave. "I'll leave you to it, then." She added on her way out the door.

With that, the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agent in the room turned off the tape recorder, having collected the essential pieces of data he needed in addition to his own copy of the file. Still, he stayed in order to listen to the others in the room try to come up with possible ideas. One officer, a witch, took to the whiteboard at the front of the room and began writing them down. Occasionally, she would erase those that had too many cons pointed out as they discussed their options.

This town's new pack was a public menace. Whether the werewolves meant well or not, it didn't matter. They were making Gehenna's citizens feel unsafe, and were committing public offenses in the process.

* * *


	201. Going Postal

Kristopherson had a tiring day ahead of him and he didn't get much sleep the night before. The man needed to spend the night mentally preparing himself for what he might see the next day, as he was going into unknown territory. Humans who were non-H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agents were typically not allowed to go inside the fence of Gehenna, but today, he was given a special pass, as he had worked for them multiple times while designing uniforms for them, and he was there on business.

So, he gathered everything he needed in order to discuss uniforms with the Gehenna Post Office and put it in his bag. Designs, samples, notebooks, and anything else he might need was neatly secured as he walked out the door that afternoon after saying "bye" to his flatmate. Waiting for him in front of his building was a peculiar sight. A black mustang muscle car with a purple stripe. Standing next to it was his friend since secondary school, Audrey Baines, out of uniform and back into his silly hat with a skull on it.

"I thought you needed to be a H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agent to pass?" Kristopherson asked as he walked toward the other back, adjusting the strap on his shoulder.

"Well, 'hello' to you, too, Kris." The reaper answered, straightening himself from his position leaned against the car. "I've got my I.D. on me. Besides, I figured we'd be less conspicuous this way." He opened the door, allowing Kristopherson to toss his bag inside.

"Can't some supernaturals, like, sense us?" Kristopherson asked, getting inside the vehicle and buckling his seatbelt while Audrey stepped around to the driver's seat and did the same.

"Only the elves, and they're nothing to really worry about. If worst comes to worst, I have a pistol on me. No big deal." Audrey stated, closing the door and starting up the car. "We go in, you do your thing, we get out."

"I've got a bad feeling about this…" Kristopherson sighed. "Maybe it's because the steering wheel is on the wrong side…"

"Oi, I don't make fun of your mini cooper."

"How do you drive this thing?"

"Like this." Audrey said, shifting into gear and taking off. Kristopherson let out a yelp and held onto whatever was in reach as tires squealed. The driver laughed at him, earning the reaper a punch to the shoulder.

The pair took off down the road, driving much slower now to avoid hitting some random jaywalker. Audrey wasn't a bad driver, but being on the wrong side of the car didn't help the nervousness Kristopherson felt about this situation. He wasn't a H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldier. There was no guarantee that he would be safe, but the fact that the reaper was there with a gun made him feel better. If he were in uniform as well, though, he might not be as scared, but it was too late now. The faux-blonde had an appointment.

His heart was beating quicker when the car stopped. They weren't at the checkpoint yet, but Audrey had told Kristopherson beforehand that they couldn't drive his car within the town, or else it would ruin their plans of being inconspicuous. They walked to the gate on foot.

"You can't go in there." Said the guard in the booth, holding out his hand to stop them from progressing.

"We're with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G." answered Audrey, reaching into his jacket and holding up his I.D. card. "Audrey Baines. Intelligence Department."

The man in the booth turned away for a moment to type the name into the database. Raising his eyebrows, he nodded before facing the pair again. "Checks out." He said. "What about him?"

"I'm on orders as well." Kristopherson said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a folded piece of paper. He held it out to the man, showing it to him. "I'm Kristopherson Miles. I designed the uniforms for the Police Station, here. Today I'm supposed to talk to the Post Office about theirs."

For a moment, the guard looked over the paper. "Hold on. Let me call this in to confirm that." he said, picking up the phone and dialing headquarters. Kristopherson and Audrey stood at the booth for a minute or so while the guard talked on the phone, waiting for him to hang up. When he did, he handed the piece of paper back to the faux-blonde.

"Alright, you can go through." Stated the guard, hitting the button to raise the beam that stood in their path. Once they were safely through, he hit the button again and it closed behind them. Now Kristopherson was really nervous, as he was now inside. It took some walking before they were actually in town, but once they were close to buildings, he could see the outlines of supernatural creatures.

Somehow, he wasn't as afraid of them as he thought he would be. Perhaps he was simply accustomed to this sort of thing by this point. Either way, it was a bit of a relief, but the looks he was getting from some of the elves made him uneasy, especially when they whispered to some of the other residents.

"They know." He said to his friend in a hushed tone, trying not to stare.

"It's okay. Just relax." Audrey replied at an equal volume while placing his hands in his pockets. "The more on edge you are, the more you'll stand out."

"How am I supposed to relax?"

"Focus on work. Just leave the rest to me, alright?"

Sighing, the other man had no answer. Instead, he opted to keep walking along the sidewalk, his eyes trained on the sign of the Post Office. Remarkably, things got easier, then. Thinking about everything he needed to do once there was a good distraction. Before he knew it, they were at the door, and it was time to go in. Taking a deep breath, he reached for the handle and pulled it open, stepping inside.

He was actually surprised by how normal everything seemed. The girl behind the desk, who looked to be in her late teens, seemed ordinary as well. She had a human appearance in every way, but the shape of her head was slightly odd around the forehead. Her bangs were long and covered her eyes completely, and she seemed to be the shy sort from her mannerisms, especially when she noticed the men walking in.

"C-can I help you?" she asked, being slightly taken aback by the unfamiliar faces, despite the fact that she knew that they were coming.

"I'm Kristopherson Miles." Greeted the faux-blonde, taking a few steps inside while being followed by his friend. "I'm here about the uniforms?"

"Oh!" the girl exclaimed. "I'l go the the manager, then!" Sitting up, she walked toward the door behind the counter and was just about to go through it before she stopped and faced them again. "Wait right here." She added before disappearing altogether.

Approaching the counter further, Kristopherson set a hand on its surface and watched the door. He and the reaper waited patiently, occasionally glancing at each other and exchanging shrugs and mutual confusion before the girl finally reappeared. Now, Kristopherson was nervous. Behind her came a huge man, both in height and mass. His face was round and shaped oddly, and his ears were small and pointed slightly. The man's hairline was further back, but he didn't seem old. His skin was a very slight green tint, but was mostly grey. Kristopherson didn't know what to think of him really, as he stepped sideways in order to fit through the door and approached the counter, setting his huge hands on its surface along with Kristopherson's with a smile.

"So you're the uniform designer?" he asked in a gruff voice. His tone was friendly, if low, and he didn't seem hostile in any way. "I'm the postmaster. Lewis Knaggs."

"Kristopherson Miles…" the faux blonde replied, introducing him as he reached out for the ogre's extended hand to shake it. It was so large, that he couldn't get a grip on it, and he was almost afraid that it might get crushed. Regardless, he did his best in order to not appear afraid while he looked up at the man. "I brought design ideas and fabric samples, if you want to look at them."

"Good, good! Why don't you come back here and we'll take a look." Lewis offered, raising the panel that divided the back of the desk with the rest of the room. Looking to his friend one last time, he was ushered inside by the reaper, who still followed behind him. Both of them were led to the back of the Post Office, and were set to work.

Kristopherson discussed the designs he had, jotting down sketches and notes of adjustments that needed to be made, as well as aesthetic changes requested by those who worked there. They maintained their practical design, only now were better suited for the workers' needs. The fabric reflected that, as they picked warm fabric for winter and lighter fabric for the summer.

They spent hours going over these designs, creating alternate versions as well. Kristopherson found the workers' insights both helpful and enlightening. In addition, they were pleasant and easy to work with. By the time they all realised how late it had gotten, Kristopherson was perfectly at ease around this crew, despite being the only human in the room.

"It's dark." Lewis said, looking out the window. "You two should leave soon."

"I can stay a little longer." Kristopherson replied. "I don't have anywhere to be tonight or tomorrow."

"No, no, no, it's not that." The ogre said, holding up his hand and shaking his head. "It's a full moon out tonight. You should get out of here before the Kessler boys come out."

"The _who?"_

"The Kessler boys." The man said. "Not all of them are really boys, but most of them. They're a pack of werewolves who follow around this bloke named _'Kessler'_. They're a menace, and if they see you around here, they'll probably go after ya. I hear that they've been bringing in humans after turning them into one of them, so I wouldn't be surprised."

"We should go." Said Audrey, putting his hand on his friend's shoulder. "I don't know if I can fight off _one_ werewolf by myself. Against a whole pack? There's no way."

"Shit." Kristopherson cursed, looking down at his things. "Help me get my stuff."

"I'll follow you out, if you like." Offered Lewis, holding up a large fist. "If things get bad, some extra muscle can't hurt, right?"

"Thanks, Mister Knaggs." Replied the faux-blonde with a smile as he paused from shoving things in his bag. "That'd help a lot."


	202. The Boy In The Red Tie

Lamps illuminated the streets of Gehenna as the group exited the post office, passing by a vampire who politely said "hello" to Lewis as they walked inside, but were immensely confused by the presence of the Miles and Baines gentlemen. The walk to the front gate looked further away than it actually was. It was around a corner and several blocks away, but considering the situation, that could make all of the difference. Casually but with great caution they made their way down the sidewalk, taking only the well-lit paths to avoid danger that could be lurking in the shadows.

"That's a spot they like to hang out at." Lewis whispered, pointing at a bench that lined the sidewalk. "We should be careful. They could be nearby."

"Why didn't I bring the car?" lamented Audrey while shaking his head. His plan to be inconspicuous cost them a safe vehicle to get them out of there. "That was stupid…"

"You didn't know how long we would be here. It's not your fault." Kristopherson said. "It's nobody's fault. I'm scared. I'm scared out of my mind right now, but I don't blame you for it."

"Shh." Hushed Lewis, putting a finger to his lips. "Listen."

The group grew deathly quiet at the sound of groaning and animal-like growling coming from inside one of the buildings. Cold sweat began to coat their skin as their hair stood on end at the sound. It was a transformation, and upon realizing this, the group began to walk faster. The snarling and growling got louder as they rounded the corner, as one of the houses nearby seemingly has many werewolves in it. Even the vampires in the area tried their best to slink by.

"I can see the gate." Lewis pointed out, ushering the others along with massive arms. "Just a little longer."

"Good. I don't know how much more of this I can ta-" Audrey was cut off as one of the doors behind them flew open. They didn't dare, look, so Lewis did, shielding them from view to the best of his ability.

The werewolf's clothes strained against his large frame and thick, dark fur peeked out of them. No shoes were on his feet, as they no longer fit comfortably. His nails had become claw-like and his face was that of a wolf. There was no going back, now as its eyes scanned the street while stretching its limbs and scratching as though they just woke up. Walking faster, the group did their best not to stare as they made their way down the street, not knowing whether or not they had been discovered as the wolfman looked their way.

Audrey reached into his jacket and gripped the handle of his gun, even as the beast walked inside momentarily. He was not risking it. Kristopherson saw him, and the action only made him become more fearful.

"What are you doing?!" demanded the faux-blonde in a hushed tone. "Do you _want_ them to suspect something?!"

"I'm just getting ready just in case something happens!" Audrey answered in a similar tone of quiet urgency.

"Don't— Don't just reach into your jacket like that! It makes it obvious!"

"Then what am I supposed to do?!"

"Be quiet!" Lewis warned, silencing them again. "Just stay focused! Everything will be fine as lon as you stay cal—Ah!" The ogre let out a yelp as a hand was placed on his shoulder, turning him around. His eyes stared at a man the same height as him, but much more frightening.

The werewolf stood at eye-level to the ogre, almost staring him down. Patches of greying fur were visible under the light of the streetlamps on the wolfman's face and head, giving the impression that he was older. He spoke in a grainy voice, using the entirety of his throat to bellow at the man before him.

"Postman…" the werewolf greeted without a shred of politeness. The threatening manner in which he spoke sent shivers down the spines of the outsiders.

"Kessler." Lewis said in shock, trying his best not to look away and point his eyes at Kristopherson and Audrey. "H-how are you doing this evening?"

" _Wonderful."_ The wolfman replied, taking a moment in order to look up at the sky. "Every night the moon is out is a good night. It makes me feel alive."

This was the man known as "Kessler", the leader of "The Kessler Boys". His pack had been causing trouble all over Gehenna. They followed him almost religiously, imitating his every move and following his every order, gripping onto his ideas with almost deadly force. He was a dangerous man. No, he was not quite a man. Even in his human form, everyone thought of him more as a beast.

His eyes darted downward, catching a glimpse of the two men behind the ogre's back. "And who are they, mister Postman?" he questioned while tilting his head, causing Lewis' stomach to drop.

"Them?" he asked nervously. "They're just ordinary folks. They're helping us design the new uniforms for the post office."

"They don't look supernatural…"

"Neither do you, ordinarily, if you recall." Lewis said defensively, causing the wolfman's attention to shift again.

"What are they?" Kessler asked, stepping closer to Mister Knaggs and invading his personal space. Lewis could feel the other's breath on his face, persuading him to turn his head, ever so slightly.

"Sorcerers!" answered the ogre. "What else?"

"They don't look right… Who dresses like that around here?"

"Someone who doesn't have to buy their clothes in bulk, probably." Retorted Audrey, gesturing to the strained fabric tightly hugging the werewolf's frame. The remark cost Audrey his remaining security as Kessler looked his way, leaning down a bit to look him directly in the eyes.

"What was that?" he demanded.

"Just a simple observation, mate." The reaper answered, crushing his fear. He tried his best to act like one of their other friends who might be better equipped to handle this situation. The blonde menace was the first thing to come to mind, so Bones was simply going with it. "No need to fluff your coat."

"I could tear you apart." Kessler growled, baring his teeth. "You better watch your ass before I rip you to shreds."

"We're sorry." Butted in Kristopherson, grabbing Audrey's shoulder. "Don't mind him. He's kind of an idiot."

"What are you doing?!" hissed the reaper.

"Trying to get us out of here!" Kristopherson hissed back. "Stop antagonizing him you fucking twit! What the fuck is wrong with you!?"

"You're especially odd." Pointed out the wolfman, capturing both men's attention. They stared up at him, wide-eyed as their minds scrambled for a way out.

"Wh-what?" asked Kristopherson in disbelief as the colour completely drained from his face. He continued to stare at the beast while his body tensed, completely on edge. How did he know?

"You don't look right." Kessler said. "You look even weirder than him. I haven't been here long, but you don't look like somebody who fits into this picture. Are you _really_ a sorcerer?"

Kristopherson opened his mout to reply, but he hestitated. The act he then proceeded to put on was thick and unconvincing. "What? Psh! Of course I am! Why else would I be let in here?"

"Oh, so you are a wizard, then?" asked Kessler, standing straight up. Now that he wasn't the sole thing occupying their field of vision, they noticed the wolf-like faces now pressed against the windows of the building.

"Shit…" muttered Audrey, causing the wolfman to smile. The sight of his teeth made their blood run cold.

"Show us a magic-trick then, lad." Kessler provoked, crossing his arms. "Go on, then. Show us what for."

Kristopherson's eyes darted around before eventually settling at his feet. They were wide with fear as it donned on him that he had nothing. No way to get out. No way to convince this beast. Nothing. Kristopherson was not magic. He couldn't even do any sort of sleight of hand! It was over. This is where he dies.

"Are you a fucking idiot?" Audrey butted in. "Don't you know that magic is a girl thing? Male sorcerers don't have as good of a chance inheriting the ability to use magic. Even when we do, it's weak."

This was true, thank god. Audrey had done his homework. The way that the genetics of sorcerers is set up, women are more likely to be able to use magic, and use it well. Should a man inherit the ability, they would need many rings to help focus their power in order for it to be used for something big. Audrey knew this, and it was a good thing. His friend's head shot up and a relieved smile formed on his face as it seemed as though he was in the clear.

"Then you're no better than a human." Kessler said, causing Kristopherson's smile to drop instantaneously. The faux-blonde took a step back as the wolfman put his face closer, leaning in as though he were about to whisper a secret into the human's ear. "I wonder if sorcerer's can become werewolves, too." He hissed, making Kristopherson's eyes go wide.

The Miles was completely numb as he couldn't feel his legs to run away. He was frozen in terror. It was over. This is where Kristopherson's life ends.

"Leave that shit to fuckin' scientists!" Audrey shouted as his fist collided with the side of the beast's skull, knocking him back some. Grabbing Kristopherson's wrist, he turned around and made a run for the exit. "Kris, c'mon! Let's go!"

Snapping to his senses, the faux-blonde began running, being unable to run at full speed without leaving Audrey behind. Lewis ran for a ways too, only to turn around and clock a wolf in the jaw when it got too close. He was attacked by another, and another still while the rest of the pack made a run for the two outsiders.

"Get out of here!" roared the Ogre. "I'll be fine!" he added before hurling a wolfman off of him.

Kristopherson and Audrey continued to run, taking only a moment to look over their shoulder at the pack of rabid dogs. Lights in the houses nearby turned on as the commotion woke the residents, but the pair kept running, making a beeline for the gate as fast as possible. Audrey let go of his friend's hand in order to grab the gun in his jacket. Their breath was ragged and their minds were too focused on living to notice the ache in their legs as their hearts pounded at the sound of feet hitting the pavement behind them and drawing closer. Some people in the houses came out, and the brave tackled some of the pursuers, getting them off their tails, but several wolves remained.

Feet hit hard against the pavement as they ran, running only on adrenaline at this point. "We're almost there!" said Kristopherson, only to jump in order to avoid the fangs that went for his leg. Audrey aimed his gun and sent a bullet through the beast's head, causing its body to fall with a mighty thud and disappear behind them.

"Hey!" Audrey shouted at the gaurds at the gate, now in sight. "Help us!" He waved his other arm over his head in order to alert their attention if the gunshot hadn't already. Relief began to build up from within him when he saw the men running toward them. Unfortunately, this lowered his guard and he was tackled from behind, his pistol landing on the ground several feet in front of him.

"Audrey!" Kristopherson called out, stopping his movement while Audrey held the werewolf's jaw, preventing it from biting down on him. Quickly, the faux-blonde darted for the gun, picking it up and aiming it.

His hands were shaky from fear, so the first shot missed and whizzed by the reaper and his assailant, causing another wolfman behind them to fall with a yelp. Trying to calm down, Kristopherson aimed again and pulled the trigger, this time hitting his target in the shoulder. It howled in pain, pulling back enough so that Audrey could kick it in the stomach and crawl away.

"Gimme the gun!" yelled the reaper. "Hurry!"

Kristopherson slid him the gun across the concrete, allowing it to fall into trained hands. Audrey then turned around, laying on his back, and fired just as the beast lunged again, hitting it between the eyes. It fell, its body landing on top of him.

"Fuck!" Audrey cursed as his friend frantically ran over to try and push the body off of him, dropping his bag in the process. Kristopherson tried with all of his might, and managed to lift the massive beast slightly, only to be knocked to the ground by another, screaming as fangs tore into his flesh.

"Kris!" the reaper desperately called out, trying to free himself so that he could help his friend. His muscles couldn't handle the weight and he was getting nowhere, still trapped as he was forced to listen to the screams of the faux-blonde as he was mauled. Tears stung in Audrey's eyes and the smell of blood filled his nostrils as he clawed at the ground with one hand and tried to wiggle the other one free so that he could at least use his gun.

Then, gunshots rang out and the beast on top of Kristopherson fell. A few H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers stopped to examine the faux-blonde while others pushed forward to fend off rest of the werewolves. Fortunately, the appearance of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers dissuaded the beasts from pressing onward, and instead caused them to turn around in retreat.

Audrey's eyes stayed trained on his friend, never looking away as the agents surrounded the Miles, some of them shaking their heads and covering their mouths. Bones didn't even pay any mind to the men as the pushed the dead werewolf pinning him down, and he burst forth once he was free, ignoring the aches and pains of his complaining muscles as he stumbled to his feet and ran toward his friend.

"Move!" he barked, shoving soldiers aside. "I'm with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. too! He's my friend!" Once he was finally allowed through, he froze in his tracks upon seeing the other man's broken form.

Kristopherson's body twitched and he tried with all of his might to keep breathing with his torn throat while his eyes looked up at the sky above him without focus. He was lying in a puddle in his own blood, and he didn't even know what happened to him. Everything moved too quickly. He knew he wasn't in any pain, though.

Falling to his knees, Audrey grabbed the man's hand and squeezed it tightly. "Kris…" he said, his voice cracking. "Stay with me, man… Y-you're gonna be okay…" Turning his head, he looked up to the soldiers. "Don't just stand there! Get somebody down here!" he roared.

"A helicopter is on its way." One said. "They're gonna airlift him to HQ."

Slowly, Kristopherson moved his head and eyes in order to look at his friend, wheezing harder. The sound caught the reaper's attention once more, causing tears to stream down the man's cheeks. His contacts were irritated, but he could still make out that Kristopherson was moving his lips. More blood continued to fall from them as Kristopherson tried to call out to his friend.

"Just hold on, Kris!" Audrey pleaded, his own throat closing up. "Fuck… Fuck! Don't—Don't you fucking die on me! Don't fucking do it!"

His friend was pale. Veins were visible as they continued to pump blood that would eventually make its way onto the concrete. Audrey continued to hold his freezing hand tightly as the sounds of Kristopherson's choking filled the air. The man's own grip started to relax as his eyes became glassy, rendering him unable to see Bones anymore. The choking and wheezing was getting weaker, and Kristopherson wasn't moving.

"Kris?" the reaper called, now clutching his friend's hand with both of his, trying to strengthen the faux-blonde's grip himself. But he couldn't. "Kris? Fuck… Kris? Kris! Kris, stop! Fucking… Kris! _KRISTOPHERSON!"_

* * *


	203. Fear and Lamenting

Swiftly, the demonic duo made it down the halls of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters. They jogged down the corridors of the infirmary, turning the corner to see people gathered outside of a room. Sitting in one of the chairs was their friend, Audrey, staring down at his hands in his lap as fellow operative Charlotte Garou tried to console him. Staring into the window of the room they were camped out in front of was her wife, Amelie. Her usually bored-looking face was covered in concern as she continued to stare, only looking away when the Phantomhives arrived.

"How is he?" asked Alois as the two demons slowed down to a complete halt, addressing all of them and no one in particular.

"He's alive." Said Charlotte, straightening her back in order to address the two. "He doesn't look good, though."

"Shit…" Alois swore and his gaze shifted toward the ground. His husband continued to look to the others for a moment before turning to look into the window as well.

There, Kristopherson lied on the bed hooked up to several machines. The poor man was covered in bandages. They peeked out of his gown, wrapping around his neck and arms. Patches covered his cheeks, no doubt protecting fresh stitches. He was still pale, but his cheeks were now pink as the blood he had lost was quickly being replaced. Sweat covered his forehead as his body struggled to hang on for survival. It was a miracle he was still around.

"What do you think, Amelie?" Ciel asked, keeping his gaze on his friend through the window as he put his hands behind his back. Missus Garou did the same, turning to face the faux-blonde while putting her hand on the windowsill.

"He'll pull through." She said, pausing as her eyes shifted back to the bluenette. "It's going to cost him, though."

"We don't know that, Amelie…" Charlotte butted in. "They still haven't gotten the results back to see if he's positive."

"Doesn't matter. He can't get out of that without changing." Her wife replied. "It's one or the other. You either die, or your humanity does. So far, he's leaning toward the latter."

Ciel said nothing and continued to look forward. This is why he had held off on making friends for so long. Humans are fragile, and in the world of beasts, that isn't an asset. Just how many more would be lost? How many more would lose everything? Their identity, their sense of self, their humanity—all gone. They would have to rebuild it from the ground up again, and some people are not made for such endeavors.

"Ciel?" called his spouse, placing a hand on his back and snapping him back to attention. In truth, the Watchdog could hardly imagine the sort of grim face he was making, and was glad to be pulled out of it. Placing an arm around Alois' middle, Ciel pulled him closer before looking back to their friend through the window.

"This time, we're going to do things right." The Watchdog stated with a small nod. "We're not going to let Kristopherson feel alone. He needs everyone's support."

"Yeah." Alois said sadly while leaning his head on the other demon's shoulder. He looked through the window as well and lamented the circumstances, but also felt a great sense of fear. No one knew what would happen to Kristopherson. How he would take all of this was unknown. He could turn out alright, he could blame them, he could keep them as friends, or he could walk away. The one thing that they absolutely could not allow, however, is another Preston.

Something had to be done. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. would in no doubt give out orders soon, as one of their agents was attacked, but also a civilian who was contracted by them. This pack could no longer be allowed to exist. There was no doubt that the duo would be the ones to be sent to exterminate or disband them. That was their specialty. More importantly, the organization wouldn't be able to keep them away.

"They'll pay for this." The menace said. "I don't know how, but they're not going to get away with this." His beau nodded in agreement, already formulating the steps they might need to take.

"We'll get started as soon as the orders come in." Ciel replied. "Until then, we're just going to do a little research on this 'pack'."

"They're called _'The Kessler Boys'_." Audrey butted in, surprising the group. That had been the first thing he had said since he arrived. Clenching his fists, he furrowed his brow as he continued to stare down at his hands. "We ran into their leader and couldn't get away from him. Then the rest started chasing us."

"Good to know." Ciel replied, his attention now on the reaper. "That sounds like a reasonable place to start. We'll be looking into it."

"Sounds pretty clean cut if you ask me." Said Alois, lifting his head again. "They attacked you, so they're guilty. We go in, get rid of 'em, and we're done."

"Maybe not." The bluenette answered. "We don't know how they're organised. What if their pack serves a purpose?"

"It doesn't." spoke Amelie, cutting into the conversation. "Werewolves don't form ' _packs'._ Not naturally, anyway. The closest thing to it is a group that mutually agrees to take care of each other. From what we've gathered, this is nothing more than a cult for vile men."

"You know about it?"

"I was showed the files." The wolf-girl said, leaning against the wall. "They've been on H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s radar for a while, now, so they wanted my opinion."

"They're that big of a problem, then…" contemplated Ciel, reaching up to rub his chin. "This has just taken the cake. Integra must be trying to figure out what the best way to go about this is. How would Gehenna react to an extermination?"

"Don't know."

"They _should_ be wiped out." Alois interjected. "If they can't behave in modern society, then they don't belong there. Get rid of them."

"Jim, I know you're worried about Kris…" began the bluenette, reaching up to cup the other's cheeks. He saw as the blonde attempted to blink away the wetness that began to form in his eyes. "We can't just charge into things, however. We have to be careful, or else all of your hard work may be at stake."

"What about Kris?" asked Audrey. "Murder can't solve all of his problems. What's he gonna do when he wakes up? You think he's just going to accept that he's a… a werewolf and just be on his merry way?"

"No. We'll be getting him proper care." The Watchdog stated, turning around to face his friend, letting go of his spouse momentarily. "Counselling, medical care, and the like. He will need help becoming accustomed to a new lifestyle. Amelie, do you think you can help with that?"

"My guess is that they'd order me to, anyway." Answered the wolf-girl. "Sure, I'll help. He should probably also get his hands on that book for when I'm not around."

"Thanks." Ciel replied. "We owe you." The man's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of sniffling behind him. The other Phantomhive was struggling to avoid letting any tears fall, but they threatened to spill out onto Ciel's shirt as he pulled the blonde close so that he could hide his face in his shoulder.

"It's okay." The Watchdog said, rubbing Alois' back. "Kristopherson is going to be okay. Let's just focus on making him feel better and catching these thugs, alright?"

Alois said nothing and instead continued to silently cry into his husband's coat. All of this hit him hard. Kristopherson was one of his first friends, and one of his best friends. Even though their relationship together was rocky at the start, they had come to understand and value one another in a way that was new and foreign to Alois. Kristopherson is the other blonde in the group, and had beaten him fairly in being fashion forward. Seeing the Miles like this hurt. It hurt a lot. More than anything, Alois was afraid. He wasn't sure if Kristopherson would wake up, or if he did, would he blame the demons for bringing him into this world of the supernatural in the first place? Alois didn't know. He almost didn't want to find out. The latter was the worst, however, as the thought of the faux-blonde becoming like Preston crossed his mind. He couldn't bear that again. Losing one friend like this was one too many.

"Everything will be fine." Ciel cooed, trying to comfort his beau. "You'll see. We're going to make sure Kristopherson gets better, alright? Right now, though, we need to stay focused so we can do that, okay?"

"Okay…" sniffled the menace, trying to calm himself. It was embarrassing to react this way, but Alois simply couldn't help it. He was afraid for his friend.

"We'll go talk to Integra once you've calmed down." The Watchdog softly replied. "I already have an idea of what she wants us to do."

While this was happening, the Garous simply peered through the window as Audrey turned his head in order to look down at his hands again. Is this how Kristopherson felt? When a friend got hurt while saving him?


	204. Too Little, Too Late

Orders were quickly issued to the demonic duo by the higher ups following the incident with Kristopherson and Audrey. They were to eliminate the ringleaders of the "Kessler Boys" pack, while disbanding the rest unless they resist or prove to be a threat on their own. Unsurprisingly, the demons made quick work of gathering information, interviewing residents who had submitted complaints about the group as to hints of their whereabouts. Unsurprisingly, the building that the werewolves had exited from during the attack had been abandoned. Obviously, they knew that they had done wrong.

Citizens were cooperative, both with the police and with the Phantomhives. They had had enough of this group, and wanted them gone. "That doesn't happen, here." Said one older woman they interviewed. She was a troll. Her tail twitched with irritation as she spoke, taking a break from smoking her pipe. "That might be okay to the humans, out there, but not here. They're predators. They don't belong here."

That was the general consensus in the area. The supernaturals didn't see them as one of them. They were monsters, and monsters don't belong in society. Even other werewolves didn't like this pack. Ciel and Alois had run into their former acquaintance at the general store while they were interviewing people. Grace Ethans, a victim in one of their cases was there, living her new life in Gehenna and adjusting quite well. Her children were with her; the first non-H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.-affiliated humans to be permitted to life here. She had quite a bit to say about the Kessler Boys.

"Yes, I see 'em on occasion. They're a scary bunch. I have to keep a close eye on the kids—they're always leering at them like they're…" Ethans trailed off, glancing around to make sure her children weren't listening and instead looking at something else before whispering "…something to _eat_."

After that, she continued in a normal tone of voice. "You can tell they're not sorcerers. They don't walk the same. They walk like men from London. Not to mention, they always have their logo on them, so they're pretty easy to pick out."

"Logo?" asked the bluenette. "What does it look like?"

"It's just a simple paw print." The woman said. "A circle, with three smaller circles, and then some triangles for claws. They paint it on their clothes, and a few of them have tattoos and the like."

Taking out his memopad, the Watchdog flipped to a blank page and doodled the image. "Like this?" he asked, showing Grace.

"Yep. Just like that." Said Miss Ethans, losing focus for a moment before looking down at one of her kids as he hugged her leg. Smiling at him, she turned away to address the agents again. "I'm sorry, it looks like it's almost time for me to go."

"That's alright." Ciel replied, handing the pad to his partner for him to look at. "You helped us out a lot. Thank you. Have a good day."

"You too." Smiled the woman, and with that, they parted ways again.

The duo turned in their findings to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and awaited instructions on how to proceed after giving their own respective opinions. Sir Integra would have to think about it all, but they trusted her to arrive at the best solution. If it sounded off, they would give their thoughts and try again. Alois' patience, however, was running thin.

Kristopherson had woken up and they saw him. He wasn't able to speak yet, but his expression told everything. He was afraid. He was upset. He was in despair. The duo did their best to try and comfort him. They told him that they would help him the best that they could, and how H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. intended to handle this. They would allow him to return to life as usual, on the condition that he checks in regularly. If he intends to leave town for a weekend, he must first tell them. In addition, he would be registered as a supernatural in the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. database, and he must report to headquarters by a certain time for all of his moons until the research team deemed him well enough to undergo them at home. While this was all good for him to know, it didn't cut down on Kristopherson's stress.

His face grew hot as he held it in his hands and cried. It contorted in pain as the idea that his life was over sank in. In reality, it wasn't, but he didn't know that—not with complete certainty, at least, despite the fact that he had been told that he would be alright. It didn't matter. Things were changing, and that change was frightening. What would he do? What about his friends? What about his family? Knowing what he does about lycanthropy, he would outlive them all, remaining unchanging except for the colour of his hair.

Ciel knew what this was like. The demons knew this fear. They would help him whenever they could, offering help, support, and advice whenever he needed. It was comforting to have people looking out for him, so it eased his worries just a smidge.

As time went on, he started to become concerned, wondering why he didn't physically feel any different, even though he knew the tests they had run on him found him lycanthrophy positive. In fact, after he healed up completely, his body felt fantastic. It was his mind that was a muddled mess. After calling up his "consultant", Missus Amelie Garou, she alerted him that this is perfectly normal. He asked her if it was the same for her, and she wouldn't say. Kristopherson never understood how quiet that woman was, finding her odd. Immediately after he asked, he was met with silence and a dial tone. She just dropped the conversation and hung up. That was then Kristopherson remembered the unspoken rule of former humans: never ask about the "before". He'd have to remember to apologize later.

While he felt fine the majority of the time, there were other times when he felt "off". His senses messed with him, especially his sense of smell. He had to hold his breath while walking past his flatmate's room, and while mister Westley was out, he attacked it with air-freshener, only to start coughing at the overwhelming citrus scent, forcing him to retreat to the hallway of the building. There was another instance when he was at the store and a child blew on a dog whistle behind him in the checkout line, forcing him to jump and cover his ears. He looked like a madman to everyone but the child, who looked baffled as to how he was able to hear it.

It took time for him to get used to, but it was pretty easy for him to keep up. The only thing that really worried him, physically, was keeping track of the calendar. He was dreading the moon. What Amelie had told him about the first transformation was enough for him to be very afraid. While he wouldn't turn into some ravenous beast, it would be excruciatingly painful.

He still hadn't gotten that book. Supposedly, H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. had mailed it to him, but it hadn't arrived, and Kristopherson was starting to get nervous. It was completely understandable for him to want to have full knowledge over what was happening to his body, but he couldn't get his hands on that book. He asked Travis, but Travis didn't have any copies. He had asked Ciel, and Ciel did have a copy, but wasn't able to drop it off right away. The Watchdog was in the middle of an investigation, after all. Kristopherson, however, couldn't wait until it was over and Ciel had the time.

His anxiety over the matter grew worse and worse as days went by. He paced, he fidgeted, and refused to do much of anything until he got that book. Kristopherson's flatmate saw all of this and thought he was going mad. Daniel kept his distance, not sure how exactly to deal with this.

The pair hadn't spoken to each other much after the attack, which didn't help Kristopherson at all. Daniel would hardly look at him. He even averted his gaze when he did. Daniel wasn't acting normally, either. Pondering the reason why made Kristopherson's worry grow and grow, until finally, he had to do something.

"Dan, I need your help with something." He said, walking into the living room while putting on a jacket.

"What's that?" asked the Westley gentleman, his eyes not leaving his game as he sat on the couch. The sound of button mashing didn't stop for Kristopherson to continue, so the faux-blonde continued to speak anyway.

"I need you to drive me to Gehenna." He said. Suddenly, the avatar on the screen died as Daniel lost his focus. Slowly, hesitantly, the Westley turned his head in order to look over his shoulder.

"You want me to _what?"_

"I need to go get that book, and I need you to drive me." Kristopherson answered.

"Yeah a heard that bit." Daniel replied. "Why do you need me to go?"

"I'm not asking you to go in. I just need you to sit in the car and keep the engine running."

In truth, Kristopherson didn't want to go. He desperately, desperately didn't want to go. There were werewolves there. Big ones. Bad ones. They would recognise him without a doubt, so he needed to be fast. If anything, Daniel being nearby was for moral support. All he could think about was teeth and claws.

"Dan, I'm not asking you to hold my hand or nothin'," he continued. "I just need you nearby."

"I'm not going." The other man replied, turning his gaze back to the television. "Ask Audrey."

"I _can't_ ask Audrey." Said Miles, his throat tightening as he tried to focus on the task and not on the fear. "He's working, and he'll tell me not to go."

"Then don't go?"

"I have to, Dan. I already told you!"

"What about Alois?" Daniel asked. "He could take you."

"He's busy trying to hunt down the werewolves who made be need the bloody thing in the first place!"

"Ciel?"

"Who do you think is with him?!" Now Kristopherson was getting irritated, making his upset state worse. His lips were pressed into a thin line, and his voice began to crack. "I'm not asking you to go in. You can't go in! I'm just asking you to wait outside!"

"Why?! Why do you need that?" Asked Daniel, looking to the other man again. He could clearly see that Kristopherson was upset, but he was not going anywhere near that place. He didn't want something to happen to him as well, and being alone in a car with Kristopherson made him uneasy. "You're one of _them!_ You'll be fine!"

His eyes went wide and he jumped before freezing altogether when a hand slammed down on the back of the couch. Kristopherson held up a finger in front of Daniel's face and stared him directly in the eyes. Daniel could do nothing but look back at those hazel eyes of the faux-blonde as they began to water.

"Daniel, I am asking for _one_ thing." Kristopherson hissed, unable to speak loudly as his throat began to close up entirely. " _One_ thing! It's not even a _big_ thing. I'm asking you to wait in the car. I _need_ you to wait in the car. Do you think _I_ want to go? No! Do you think I would be safer with anyone else? Yes! But you're the only one I can ask for this, so you're the only one who can help me. I _need_ you to help me, Dan. I'm scared out of my fucking mind, here, and I _need_ that book! Will you help me, or not?"

As much as he didn't want to say it, Daniel was afraid. He was afraid of Gehenna, and he was afraid of Kristophreson. That fear reached its peak when Kristopherson suddenly got into his space, petrifying him as he couldn't fathom being able to run away. The Miles, upon seeing this, stepped back in shock. It wasn't at his own actions, but rather Daniel's reaction to them. He was behaving normally—or as normally as he would in a situation like this.

"You're scared of me." Kristopherson said, mostly to himself. "I'm—I'm not a monster, Dan!"

"I know! I know." The Westley interrupted, standing up as well. "It's just—I dunno… You're _different_ …"

"' _Different'_ how?" questioned his flatmate. "I'm the same as before. I'm still me."

"Yeah, but you weren't—" Daniel paused, looking to the floor. "You weren't…"

"I wasn't _what,_ Dan?" Kristopherson pried. He knew what the other man was going to say. The elephant in the room could no longer be ignored. The faux-blonde pressed his lips into a thin line as he waited patiently for his friend's answer. It wouldn't come, however. Daniel was too busy avoiding eye contact, looking around the room while trying to think of how to phrase it. "You can say it, you know."

"You weren't… You weren't a supernatural." The other finally said with great reluctance, finally looking to the other man. "I don't… I don't know if I can handle that."

"So I'm an inconvenience to you." Nodded Kristopherson, cutting the other man off as he opened his mouth to deny it. "You only like things when they're easy. You always have."

"That's not true…"

"It is." The Miles said, pausing to shake his head. "It's been this way for a long time. As long as I've known you. You like it when people help you, and pay attention to you, but you don't like giving back. You don't give anyone your time unless it suits you. We're always doing what _you_ want to do."

"That's a lie. I do so care." Daniel objected, puffing himself up a bit, however unconvincing it was.

"Then why can't you be there for me?" asked Kristopherson, his voice wavering. "Do you think everything will just magically be okay on its own? All you need to do is sit back and watch? That's how you always handle problems until someone makes you. You just—you just don't do anything."

The Westley watched as Kristopherson spoke of him with a hopeless expression, nervously laughing and shaking his head at Daniel. There was nothing Daniel could say, either. He couldn't think of a profound and convincing argument. All he could do was deny it.

"No." said Daniel, shaking his head. "That's not true. I came to you first after the deal with the castle."

"After Alois made you." Answered the faux-blonde. "After that, you said you'd change, but you didn't. To you, that was the end of the mission. Even though I told you, that after that, I would only be with you after you closed things up with Anastasia. Do you remember what you did?"

"Not Anastasia…" shook the Westley, crossing his arms. A deep frown formed on his face at the mention of the woman as guilt gnawed at his stomach.

"You waited." Kristopherson continued. "You waited for it to fix itself. You waited so long that Ana didn't want to mess with it anymore. She thought you had abandoned her."

"What was I supposed to say? _'Sorry, I'm breaking up with you because I've found someone else? Oh, and by the way, it's your brother.'"_

" _Yes!_ That's what you're _supposed_ to do, Dan!" Kristopherson replied with exasperation. "Then you don't get _mad_ when she takes the hint and finds someone else! Someone who actually pays her notice and gives half a shit about her! I remember that, Dan. At the time, I thought it was funny. I thought it was just good 'ol Dan, being silly again!" The man paused, looking up at Daniel. "But it wasn't. I get that now. You were mad because you couldn't have her. It was like you felt cheated out of something. Like she owed you her care. You were mad because she moved on without you and gave you the same courtesy that you gave her."

"I… I didn't-!" the Westley said. "I didn't think that! I was just mad because she didn't tell me!"

"How do you think _she_ felt, you fucking idiot?!" demanded the Miles, raising his voice. "How do you think _I_ feel right now?! You _don't!_ You don't _think!_ What matters is only what you and _you_ want! Everyone always has to indulge in your stupid ideas! Fuck what everyone else wants! Fuck what _I_ want! That's how it's always been, Daniel…"

His flatmate stared at him in shock as he trailed off, looking at his feet again. Now it was Kristopherson's turn to suddenly take interest in his shoes while the other watched him, stunned into silence. What could he say? There was no argument he could make. When the faux-blonde finally looked up at him again, he continued.

"…And that's how it always will be if I keep letting you." He said, thrusting the truth further into Daniel's chest and wounding him further. He was right. How could he continue to devote his time and energy into someone who refuses to do the same for him?

Daniel didn't know. He didn't know that this was what he was doing. He didn't know how Kristopherson felt, but then again, he never bothered to ask. That was part of the problem, and it was a problem that Daniel would have to work hard to fix. Now, however, he might no longer have the chance.

Glancing downward, the Westley's posture stiffened uncomfortably as he rocked on his feet. Nervously, he touched his face and looked around while the other man waited for a response. Eventually, Daniel spoke again, his voice cracking slightly.

"So… So is that it, then?" he asked. "Are we… A-are we… y'know… over?"

"No…" Kristopherson answered, trying his best to stay firm and composed, his eyes still watering and his face burning. "We never got to start."

Turning, the faux-blonde walked away, aggressively grabbing his keys off of the table and heading toward the door. His stride was wide as he tried to get away as quickly as possible, no longer wanting to be there right then. Kristopherson did not dare look back. If he did, he might change his mind, but he knew that would be a mistake. He couldn't bear to pursue Daniel any longer; to spend emotional labour on someone who won't do the same, to wait for him to grow up.

"Kris!" Daniel called out while walking after him. Panic and worry buzzed in his brain, fogging up his thoughts. "Kris, wait! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I can change, Kris! Kris! I can! I really ca—"

"Don't." said Kristopherson once he reached the door, interrupting the other. "Don't make promises you can't keep. You tried before, remember? And still… Still things turned out like this…" In an outrageous act of bravery, the man turned around to face his flatmate with a sad smile.

"You're great as my best mate, Dan. I don't want to give that up." He continued, his voice cracking. "I just can't keep doing this. We can still be friends. I want to be friends, still… but… I just can't be with you like this."

Without anything to say, Daniel watched in silence as the faux-blonde turned back around and grabbed the doorhandle. "I'm going out." The Miles stated. "I'll be back… later."

The door opened and then closed again before the man quietly made his way down the hallway. The elevator was empty. Once inside, it was safe. Kristopherson could finally cry.

Slouching down and sitting in the floor with his knees pulled close, tears ran down his cheeks as he sobbed. Quietly at first, and then all at once. He rode the elevator up and down a few times while he got it out of his system. Several people got on and off in the meantime, some asking if he was alright, some pretending not to notice. It took a while, but once he was reasonably calm, he got out and started making his way to his car, pulling out his cellphone on the way there. His eyes were puffy, red, and irritated, making it harder to make out the small characters in his contacts, but he was able to pick out the one he wanted, as it was toward the top.

"Alois?" he asked, trying to sound semi-ordinary and alright as he held the phone up to his ear. "Are you still in Gehenna? I'm on my way there… Could you guys spare a few minutes to help me with something?"


	205. Booked

Outside of the fence that divides Gehenna and London sat a blue mini cooper with the driver sitting in it, watching the gate. He had been approached by the guards, who recognised him and allowed him to stay and wait for his friends. They gave their condolences, and while Kristopherson really wasn't in the mood for it, he politely accepted, assuring him that he was alright when he wasn't, really. Fortunately, he had time to compose himself.

Alois had agreed to let his partner handle investigation for a few minutes to walk their mutual friend in and help him get the book he needed. Alois apologized profusely for not being able to just get it and bring it to him at home, but criminal investigations took time. Moreover, they and Kristopherson both agreed that being able to talk to supernaturals and establish a place within their community would help him.

He and Alois talked about what happened with Daniel over the phone while Alois was on his way to the front gate as well. The basics of it were discussed, at least. Understandably, Kristopherson didn't want to go over every single detail of it, but Alois got the message. The menace also felt as though Kristopherson was in the right.

"I think, it regards to that, you're doing the right thing. You're thinking about yourself, and if you aren't happy with the way things're going, then you need to do what you think is best." Alois said, walking down the street with his phone against his ear. He could see the gate, and was heading that way. "I'm almost there. Do you wanna keep talking about it then?"

"Nah…" Kristopherson answered. "I don't really know what I want right now. I just… It's a lot…"

"I don't blame you, mate. I get it." The menace replied. "You can call me about it whenever you need help, okay?" He paused, stopping in front of the gate. "I'm here. I can see your car." He added, waving at the other man.

Kristopherson looked out the window and saw him, stepping out of the car and locking it. Placing his hands in his pockets, he walked over to the gate, where the man in the booth asked for his name. Being listed as "supernatural" in the computer didn't help his sense of unrest. It felt wrong and othering. It didn't seem to bother the supernatural beings he knew, so perhaps it was simply because it was new to him? He didn't ask, instead opting to duck under the beam before it raised completely in order to join his friend.

"Whoa, you look terrible." Alois stated, being one to bluntly speak his mind. The faux-blonde wasn't dressed in his usually stylish manner, instead looking quite plain. Knowing Kristopherson, that was a big indicator of his mental state, as well as the simple observation of his eyes. They were red and puffy, betraying him and being physical proof that he had cried.

"Gee, thanks…" grumbled the faux-blonde.

"I didn't mean it like that."

"I know. Neither did I."

"Come on, then." The menace said, holding out an arm. As his friend walked up to him, he put it around Kristopherson's shoulders in a comforting manner and they began walking. "Let's get you situated."

Fortunately, the Gehenna General Store wasn't far. It was on the main street just a ways. A sign branched off the side of the building so one could see it as they approached from the sidewalk in addition to the one flat on the face of the store. Both were hand-painted. Kristopherson looked through the window of the store as they neared the door, noticing that it looked a lot like a convenience store, but with more grocery items and necessities than candy. Releasing the other man, Alois grabbed the doorhandle and pulled it open, allowing the bells attached to it to chime and notifying the workers of their presence. He held it open while Kristopherson hesitantly walked inside, a little nervous about what he might find, but finding the place mostly empty, much to his relief. The only other people there were Alois and the cashier, who stood behind the counter with a smile, greeting the menace respectfully.

"Mister Lion!" the clerk said, stiffening. "It's a pleasure to have you here!"

"At ease, citizen." Alois playfully shot back, offering a salute. His joking around caused the cashier to relax a bit. He then proceeded to ask where the books were located, prompting the worker to politely give him directions with a smile.

He was an odd man. For starters, his skin was a light blue colour, and the freckles that speckled his cheeks appeared to be purple. It covered over the small, horn-like protrusions high on his forehead that were framed by his hairline. Black locks were swept out of his face and tucked behind his ears, kissing the back of his neck slightly. The man's thick eyebrows were raised as he set his sights on the faux-blonde. His eyes were red, but friendly as he waved at Kristopherson, thus hesitantly prompting the other man to wave back. Once Kristopherson and his friend were safely behind the bookshelves and out of earshot, he had to ask.

"What is he?" he questioned, causing the other man to arch an eyebrow while looking to the other books with genuine interest, turning away from them in order to look at the Miles.

"Who?"

"The cashier."

"Oh, him?" Alois clarified before looking to the books again and picking one up to look at. "He's an incubus. They're harmless."

"Aren't those, like, the monsters that sleep with people at night and steal their souls?"

"Hey, hey, hey… We don't use the m-word on people, especially strangers." Scolded the menace while pointing his finger. "If you believe the stories that humans tell, then yes. In reality, they have a very strong moral code in regards to consent. They won't even sleep with people who're in other relationships. And they're not just sex-obsessed, either. They gain energy from it, but it's only on a ' _need or don't-need'_ basis. No soul-stealing involved. Don't be rude."

"Sorry…" bashfully replied Kristpoherson, realizing he had just said something horrible. "I didn't know."

"Whelp, now you do." Said his friend with a smile. "You have to kinda approach things with an open mind. It's all kind of weird and confusing when you're new, but you get used to it."

"Sorry…"

"Don't be. You learned your lesson, right? Just think about other people's feelings before jumping to conclusions next time, alright?"

"Alright…" sighed the faux-blonde, grabbing the book he needed off the shelf. "So, do I just go up there and pay for it?"

"Yeah. Just like any other store." Alois replied. "You go ahead. I'll be right behind you. I kinda wanna look around a bit. Unless you want to leave right away. That's cool, too."

"Nah. I don't really want to go home just yet. What about your work?"

"Ciel can handle it. He's a big doggie."

"Somehow, it sounds gross…"

"Only if you're thinking about it that way." The menace stated. "Go get your shit."

"Alright, alright, I'm going." His friend said, turning to walk toward the register. The cashier took the book from him and glanced at it.

"Ah, so that's why." The cashier said. "You seemed a little out of place when you walked in."

"Am I that noticeable?" asked Kristopherson, his cheeks turning slightly pink as he averted his eyes. The blue skin was a little off-putting, so his eyes settled on the incubus' nametag, learning that his name was "Logan".

"Oh, no, not like that." Logan said, holding up a hand. "I mean, like, 'nervous'. Like you're not too comfortable being here."

"It's a lot to take in…"

"It's alright. I'm not going to bite. If it helps, I can change to look more like you." Suggested the cashier, prompting the other man to look up confusedly.

"Huh?"

"I'm an incubus." Explained Logan. "I can change my shape, if it makes you feel better."

"Oh no, no, no!" answered Kristopherson with a blush. "You're fine. It's okay."

"I know it can be a lot for new supernaturals." Said the cashier, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "New vampires come in here, too, so I know I can be a little off-putting."

"No, you're alright. It's interesting." The faux-blonde assured.

"If you say so…" smiled the other man, looking away for a moment to punch in numbers into the cash register. "I like your goatee." He added, pausing his actions for a moment to playfully stroke his own.

"Thanks. I try." Kristopherson said back, smiling for the first time since entering that store.

"How do you get it like that, anyway? I need to know."

"Oh, it's pretty easy." the faux-blonde began to explain. "First I design a pattern, then I make a stencil of it, put it on, and trim around it."

"With a razor?"

"I actually use a beard trimmer."

"They make those?" asked Logan, looking to Kristopherson again.

"Yeah. The good ones can be pretty pricey, though."

"Damn." The incubus said before raising his eyebrows and covering his mouth. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to say that!"

"It's fine. I say stuff like that all the time."

"You never know." Answered Logan. "One person might not be offended, and another might be." He paused before glancing at the total on the register. "Oh, I'm sorry. The book is three pounds."

"It's fine." The other man said, taking out his wallet.

"I got distracted." Logan said. "I actually read this book. You don't have a lot to really worry about, it looks like."

"That's what you say. I'm trying to figure out what to do with all of this silver jewelry I've got." Kristopherson said, pointing to his ears. "I can't wear my favourite earrings anymore."

"Pfft-! That sucks, mate." The cashier said, taking the faux-blonde's money and giving him his change before handing him the book. "Might want to worry about your clothes, more, though. I think the book says somewhere to take off any jewelry before the moon."

"I'll probably have to dress like this, then?" joked Kristopherson. "I don't normally dress like this. I'm having kind of a hard couple of weeks."

"Don't worry. It'll get better before you know it." Logan replied with a grin. "Just keep track of everything and take care of yourself. The book said to make a schedule and stick to it."

"That sounds way too simple."

"I hear it works. I was talking to a werewolf the other day about it. Miss. Ethans. She says that the hardest part is finding someone to watch her kids."

"I can see that." Kristopherson said. "Thanks for the help."

"No problem. It's what I do." The incubus answered. "Seriously, though, you should show me how you do your beard sometime."

"Maybe I'll come back next time I need to shave."

"Please do. I need to see what on earth a beard trimmer is."

"Later, then. I have to find the blonde thing." Kristopherson said, gesturing behind him. "The _other_ blonde thing." Turning around, he saw the menace peeking from behind one of the shelves, grinning at him. Immediately, the Miles blushed.

"Get out of here!" Kristopherson ordered, causing the other man to step out into the open and accept his playful shove.

"What? I wasn't doin' nothin'!" the Phantomhive said in mock-defiance while Kristopherson circled behind him and pushed against his back, trying to get him out the door.

"Let's gooo!" groaned his friend as the demon would not budge, only taking a few steps at a time at his leisure.

"I thought you weren't in a hurry to go home?"

"I never said that!"

"I distinctly remember that you did." Alois pointed out, grabbing the doorhandle and pushing against it, moving out of the way so Kristopherson could get past, only for the other man to nearly fall on his face. Fortunately, he was able to catch himself before he did. "Laters~!" the menace waved at the cashier, prompting the incubus to wave back. He watched as the pair continued to playfully shove each other through the window outside the shop before they began to walk away.

"What the fuck, Alois!?" demanded Kristopherson.

"' _What the fuck'_ what? I didn't do anything." Answered the menace.

"Why were you staring at us like that? It's creepy." His friend said as they walked along, putting a hand in his pocket while carrying his purchase with the other.

"You were smiling." Alois said. "You were finally starting to cheer up. It was good to see."

"Not really." Denied the other. "It looked like you were thinking something weird…"

"Like you being flirted with by an incubus?"

"He wasn't flirting, he was just being nice…"

"You never know. It could happen." The Phantomhive pointed out, pointing a finger. "I've seen weirder shit."

"Psh, yeah, I know." Kristopherson replied. "I'm just not really in the mood for that kinda thing right now. I'm still pretty down."

"Sounds reasonable." Alois said, continuing to walk alongside his friend, almost to the gate. "If you ever need to talk about it, you can call me, alright?"

"Alright." The other man said, waving to the man in the booth, who raised the bar that blocked the entrance to the village. "You should get back to Grumpy."

"Probably should. Maybe we can go do something sometime. Just you and me. For laughs."

"Sure your husband will be alright with you seeing other men?" joked the faux-blonde, causing the menace to roll his eyes.

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, but I gotta fuck with your head, somehow." Said the miles, stepping through the gate. "Hanging out sounds fun, though. Just as long as it's not on a full moon."

"Piss off and read your book." Alois said, waving off his friend who raised two fingers to the Phantomhive while he walked to his car. Grinning, the demon knew that this was a good indication that that the Miles would be alright.


	206. Big Toe

"You don't have to follow me around, you know." Said Tegwen Sybil, walking down the street while on patrol. "It's sunny out. Shouldn't you be inside and asleep?"

"I'm wearing shade gel." The Girasol vampire explained as she followed the officer. "I'm perfectly fine. I'm just making sure you are, too."

"Kyung-Soon, I'm fine on my own. Really, I am. If I wasn't, I wouldn't be a police officer."

"You'd be surprised. Most police officers aren't like you." Answered Kyung-Soon. "And most baddies aren't like the ones in here. That taser of yours might be effective against a rowdy drunk in London, but probably not a werewolf."

"Well, I don't really want to fight in the first place. I'm hoping that a police officer talking to them might do it. Nobody would attack a cop, would they?"

"Tegwen, you're a wonderful, kind-hearted person, but you're way too trusting in the good nature of others, sometimes…" sighed the other woman. "This is why I'm coming with you."

"So I can't handle myself?"

"It's not that. It's that I'm worried."

"Well, if anything happens to me, you'll send your guys after whoever's responsible, won't you?"

"I'd rather send my guys after an _attempt_ , not a successful attack." Kyung-Soon replied. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

Tegwen sighed as her cheeks grew a bit warmer. She couldn't tell what Kyung-Soon's motive behind all of this was, but she did seem genuinely concerned. Then again, she did say so herself that Tegwen was too trusting. While her mind was already busy focusing on this, work, and a plethora of other things, she also felt something coming their way. Suddenly, she stopped in the middle of the path.

"What is it?" asked Kyung-Soon, with a nervous laugh and a shrug.

"Something's coming." Tegwen replied. "I'm not really sure what."

"What does it feel like?"

"There's a few of them." The elf informed. "All of them seem dangerous, but only one seems like an actual threat."

"How's that possible?" her friend pried further, baffled as to what the other woman was talking about.

"I don't know." Answered Tegwen. "Either way, let's try to get out of sight—"

"Let's go!" called out a familiar voice from around the corner. It was the voice of Gehenna's beloved Lion. "Come on, vamanos!" They heard the sound of shoving coming from around the corner.

"What if I just ran, huh?" asked a man as he appeared into view. He faced behind him in order to address the ones who undoubtedly fastened his hands tightly behind his back. "What would you do then?"

"Well, then, we'd catch you, and probably shoot you in the knee so you can't do it again for a little while." Answered third voice as its owner rounded the corner. It was the Watchdog, soon followed by his accomplice and partner as the blonde grabbed the back collar of their captive's shirt.

"All we need now, is a nice place to interrogate you." The menace said, looking up and setting his sights on the elf and vampire. A smile formed on his face and he waved. "Officer Sybil! Miss Park!" he greeted. "On patrol?"

"U-uh. Yes, sir!" Tegwen said with a salute.

"At ease." The lion instructed, prompting the woman to relax. "Hey, we're looking for an empty building. Know where we can find one?"

"This one's got nothin' in it." Answered Kyung-Soon, gesturing to the building they were standing in front of. "It's being saved for a possible business."

"Perfect." Said the Watchdog as his partner ushered their captive toward the door. "We'll be borrowing it for a little while."

"Sir, if you're going to interrogate him, shouldn't yo take him to the station?" questioned Tegwen as the men walked inside. Ciel turned around in the doorway both to face the women and to block their entry.

"Not necessarily." He answered, casing the Girasol vampire to roll her eyes against her friend's knowledge. "For this method to work, however, I'm going to need this door to remain closed."

"Should I help?"

"No, no, no. We can handle it. I must warn you, however, that for no reason should this door be opened." Ciel warned. "No matter what you hear, no matter what you suspect, do not open this door, and don't let anyone else walk through it. Understood?"

"Yes, sir?" confusedly answered the police officer, watching dutifully as the Watchdog disappeared into the building behind him, shutting the door behind him and barred it fast so she couldn't follow. Once inside the dreary building, the Watchdog followed the sounds of struggling and swearing until he happed across his husband pointing a gun at their captive after having seated him in a chair. On the bruised and irritable man's jacket was a patch with an orange paw print on it. It was the mark of the Kessler Boys.

"Don't make this any harder than it has to be, space cowboy." The menace said, keeping his aim fixed on the man before him. "Just sit still and answer our questions, and everything will be a-okay."

"What the fuck is wrong with you!?" demanded their captive. "I didn't do anything!"

"Oh, maybe you didn't, but your _group_ has." Replied Ciel. _"'The Kessler Boys',_ yes? You're the ones who attacked our friends last month. And as you can probably guess, we're not too happy about that."

Suddenly, the man's demeanor changed dramatically, once he realised what sort of situation that he was in. The anger in his face fade as his brows raised and his eyes widened. He looked up at the two expectantly.

"Who are you?" he asked. "Who're you working for? Mafia?"

"Worse. We're with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G." said Alois, putting his gun away. "You wanna cooperate with us, or are we gonna have to get _'creative'?"_

"I ain't telling you shit."

"We could shoot one of his testicles." The menace suggested, looking to his beau.

"Jim, no—" Ciel began to reply, shaking his head.

"He's got two of 'im. We can do it twice if necessary."

"What the fuck?!" demanded the captive. "Don't shoot me balls, you stupid blonde bastard!"

"I'm warnin' you." Alois replied, pointing the man. "You irritate me, and you'll never be a father."

"Jim, we're not going to shoot him in the testicles." The Watchdog said, putting a hand up. He knew that the menace was being silly, but it wasn't helping anything. "Unless you don't cooperate. Then you may lose something."

"Yeah? What do you want to know, then?" the man asked, not taking this seriously anymore.

"What is your rank within Kessler's pack?" asked Ciel.

"Beta." The captive said. "Second in command, innit? Next question."

"Oh, impressive." The Watchdog answered, raising his eyebrows in mock-surprise. "So you must be pretty well-respected in the pack, aren't you?"

"Yeah. Second-strongest."

"And you were captured so easily." Noted Alois, pacing around the chair with his hands behind his back. "I wonder what your Alpha would say?"

"That might constitute a demotion." Added the Watchdog. "If I were an alpha, that's what I would do."

"Kessler wouldn't do that." The Beta said defensively. "You don't know nothin' about him."

"We know he's a prick." Muttered the menace, not even bothering to make an attempt to not be heard. "Hear you've got a whipping boy."

"The Omega?"

"Yeah, what's that noise about?"

"Somebody's got to do it." Said the young man, shrugging in his chair. "Relieves stress, y'know?"

"Ah, so you like picking on the weak. Explains a lot."

"What would you do?" asked the Beta. "He doesn't mind it. He likes being around us."

"Because he thinks he has nowhere else to go, most likely." Ciel stated.

"He could leave if he wanted to."

"No, he couldn't. He would be a traitor to you, and hated by everyone he meets in Gehenna for being one of you at one point." The Watchdog said. "Who else is there? What is your group like?"

"It's good." Answered the captive. "Everybody gets along and we have our laughs."

"By harassing women and terrorizing other residents?" asked Alois. _"Someone_ is either delusional, or willfully ignorant. Dishonesty isn't a desirable trait."

"It's true! We're just complimenting them!" argued the Beta, leaning forward while facing the menace. His tone and posture was defensive as he attempted to puff himself up. "How else are we supposed to meet girls? The ones in the pack belong to the Alpha!"

"What do you mean ' _belong'?"_ questioned the menace, his tone becoming grim and a quiet twinge of anger beginning to boil beneath the surface of his expression.

"They're his? Kessler's the Alpha. Alphas get dibs on all of the girls in the pack." Stated the Beta in a matter-of-fact tone. "Like with real wolves. Don't you know that?"

"Polygamy." Ciel stated to his beau. "Most likely not by choice. Rather, it's most likely borne from the environment of the pack and the desires of the leader."

"So it's rape, then…" Alois said, clenching his fists as he slowly trudged toward the Beta.

"No, no, no, no! It's not that! That's just the way it is! The girls go for Alpha-guys! That's just the way it is! Just like it was before!" The man didn't get to say much else before the menace decked him, knocking over the chair. The Beta let out guttural grunts each time he was kicked by the Lion and stomped into the dirt. Watching, the other demon allowed the blonde to continue for a few moments before speaking up.

"Jim, stop. That's enough." He said, walking over to the others as well. "We can't interrogate him if he's unconscious."

Very reluctantly, Alois ceased his actions, backing off for a moment. He kicked the man on the ground one last time before backing away and allowing the bluenette to take over. Blood splattered against the floor as their captive spat, missing a few teeth after the beating, only to find relief as the Watchdog picked him up off the floor and set the chair upright again.

"Now," began Ciel, oddly becoming the "good cop" during the exchange. "How do you think these women feel? Surely they're not all ' _omegas'_ , and are worthy of the respect of not becoming a forced concubine of your boss, yes?"

Sniffling, the Beta hesitated. "I don't know." He said, his voice cracking a bit. "They're needed for breeding. There's so few of us. We need more numbers."

"Well, that certainly would be interesting, if female werewolves were capable of having children." Answered the bluenette. "Monthly transformations don't treat unborn fetuses kindly, so they never make it. Surely Kessler told you that."

Suddenly, the Beta went pale. His eyes widened and he looked over his shoulder. "No… N-no, Kessler-! Kessler read the book! It said-!"

"It said what I just told you." Ciel interrupted. "I know more about the supernatural than Kessler ever could. I've been around for a while, you see. Now, since this is the case, what does that say about what Kessler was doing?"

"You're lying…"

"I'm not your boss." The Phantomhive replied. He gestured for the menace to leave if he wished, but Alois silently shook his head. His eyes were ablaze as the bluenette continued. "They're slaves."

"No!"

"Are there any that aren't? Any at all? We would love for you to prove us wrong. We really would. Even the suggestion of this is disturbing."

"The Alpha-female!" barked the captive. "She won't listen to the boss when he needs her! The dyke only cares about the women! She needs to just shut the fuck up and do the right thing. She doesn't get how strong of members she would make! I bet she only became Alpha to take away the girls-"

"Good." Ciel cut him off. "I hope she does. And if you tell me her name and the names of the women in your group, I would be happy to assist them."

"I'm not telling you shit!"

"You will. Eventually. I guarantee it. While you're at it, you could tell us the names of your top members and the locations where you meet."

_"Fuck you!"_

"Now that's not very polite of you." The Watchdog said as he extended his arm. Still standing behind the captive out of his line of sight, black flames began to waft from the appendage as the silver handle of a blade began to protrude from it. The threads of Ciel's demonic garb began to untangle themselves from the weapon, allowing him to pull it from its ordinarily invisible sheath. "I don't care if you are a werewolf. You're still English. Have some manners."

Turning to his partner, he held out his sword, presenting the grip to him. Alois did take it and circled around in front of the Beta while Ciel walked up behind their poor captive. Seeing the weapon, the man understandably began to thrash in his seat.

"What the fuck is that?!" he demanded, his eyes glued to Caelum as the little light in the room glinted off of its blade. "What the fuck are you doing?! Let me go!"

" _'Manners maketh the man'."_ Quoted the Watchdog, placing his hands on the Beta's shoulders and holding him still. "I like that saying. As such, we'll be showing you our hospitality for so generously agreeing to cooperate."

"I didn't agree to nothin'!" barked the hooligan, looking down in confusion as the blonde crouched down on the ground before him and unfastened one of his legs from the chair. Oddly, the menace then continued to remove the Beta's shoe, and then his sock. Once Alois picked up the blade again and placed it between his captive's toes, the werewolf realised what he was doing.

"NO!" shouted the beta, trying to thrash around again, only to be held firmly in place to his horror.

"Don't worry." Alois said. "You're a werewolf. You can regenerate. The hard part is that this is a blessed blade. In demons, it makes regeneration more difficult. In your species, though, I'm not too sure."

"Well, we'll soon find out, I supposed." Replied his partner. "Now, he is what is going to happen: I'm going to ask you a few questions. For each answer, you get to keep your toes. If you lie, or refuse, however… well… I assume you can figure that out."

"No! NO!" thrashed the werewolf, feeling the coolness of the blade against his flesh. "Let me go!"

"The first few questions are the same as the ones from before. Number one: What are the names of the females in your group?"

Hours passed, screams could be heard throughout the building. Within the first few minutes of the torture, the Watchdog informed the two girls waiting outside that they were permitted to leave, giving them a list of names and places to look into before sending them on their way. Right afterward, he went back inside and continued to ask more grueling questions. Those were the first ones where small cuts were made in the Beta's skin, offering him a last chance to save the appendage by throwing hesitancy and loyalty to his master to the wind.

"The Kessler Boys" group could accurately be described as a cult. Elaborate meetings and ceremony were held, and no one was allowed to question the Alpha male, who was considerably older than all of the other members. They would meet on full moons and transform together after some bizarre ritual, and they would wander the streets and howl. Sometimes, they would try to sneak out and transform outside the fence in order to recruit more humans. Most of the women in the group were a result of this. The males of the group believes themselves to have superior status to both supernatural beings and humans, oftentimes attempting to pick fights with vampires in particular, as a result of watching too many movies on the outside, most likely.

In truth, the duo did sincerely believe this group to be a threat to society. Therefore, they mutually agreed that the proper response was extermination. They would free those who were not there by choice, but the rest would be eliminated. This conclusion was not given a single moment of thought. It was the obvious conclusion. All at once, the screaming stopped, and the demons left the building after a single gunshot.

* * *


	207. The Hnuters And The Wolves

Information was passed onto both H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and the Gehenna Police by the demonic duo, and all parties went to seek out as many of the women in Kessler's pack as possible, giving them refuge and freedom if they wished for it, and asking for even more information if they were brave enough to give it. They would be trusted not to report back to the gang that the authorities were onto them. Even if they did, it hardly mattered. There was nowhere for the werewolves to hide. As more names were acquired, more of the Kessler Boys went either went missing, or stopped associating with the cult. It wasn't worth it. They were disillusioned by Kessler and wanted out. Those who were loyal were the ones who were never seen again.

These people became werewolves either by choice, or against their will. The "higher-ranked" members were those who wanted to be there, aside from the omegas. A desire for power and the ability to take as they pleased is what appealed to them at first. The majority of those who were there by choice were men who felt as though the world owed them. As humans, they weren't getting the wealth, the power, the fame, or the adoration that they felt entitled to. They weren't popular with coworkers, with family, or with women. Their friends were the same, only each one felt as though they would eventually become alpha. That, however, wasn't true.

Just as the duo and Kristopherson has predicted off-handedly before all of this, nothing had changed. No one outside of their pack liked them. Hardly anyone in their pack did, too. The power did not come. The wealth did not come. The freedom did not come. None of it did. The pack was merely trying to take what they felt they deserved, resorting to crime. They robbed stores and attempted to stalk women. Unfortunately, there were rules, here. It wasn't every man for himself out here. Gehenna had laws and police to enforce them. Nothing they sought was inside of this fence for their taking. Kessler assured them that it would in time as long as they continued their support, but nothing was changing. Nothing had changed, and it never would.

And yet, they couldn't bear to leave. How could they, with the thought of betraying a frightening man like Kessler? How could they, with such a smart, strong man leading them? Surely, Kessler hadn't lied. Surely, if they waited and kept moving forward, they would find everything they sought in the beginning. The women, who weren't there by choice, however, never believed.

They cooperated with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and the police at every turn. They wanted freedom. Life for them was a nightmare as things were, and they would have died that way, had help not sought them out. Some returned to tell their comrades and bring them back to the station with them. The Alpha-female, however, stayed for those who were too afraid to leave and added fuel to the fire.

She was the leader of the women of the pack and the men who were dragged there against the knowledge of the others. Together they provoked fights amoungst their enemies and weakened them, all while keeping their hands relatively clean. They were careful to use the dynamics that they could against them. They had no pity for the omegas, who were just as vile at heart as the rest. They simply looked out for each other and for a way out of this mess.

The alpha-female's name was Tera Caulfield, and she gave away all of Kessler's secrets. There was a fiery look in her eye, and she wasted no time in tearing the pack down, working as a double-agent. According to her, Kessler had several houses that he and the others used. They were the residencies of his members, including her own. They trashed the place and used up resources without the slightest care of the owner. Tera told the police where these locations were, and the typical pattern in which they cycle through them, as well as which one they were currently occupying. She told them every name that she knew along with each person's rank and duties. Out of all of the deserters, Tera was the one who gave away the most information. When H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. checked to confirm it, it was consistently accurate. Thus, she had their trust. There was nothing for her in the Kessler Boys. Freedom from them was what she and her compatriots wanted most, and therefore she would assist in getting it in any way possible.

H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. listened to the Phantomhives when they stated that an extermination would be a wiser discussion than merely disbanding them. Their argument was that statistically, these people were bound to repeat offense, and they were right. Even divided, these were still dangerously entitled people who made the village significantly more unsafe. Thus, the organization approved the demons' notion, on the condition that they would spare deserters and those who were considered "too young", but admittedly, the latter was not the priority.

Conspiring with the deserters, the demonic duo informed them when they planned to attack and how to identify themselves. Before the attack, they would need to put on orange bandanas and strips of fabric in order to differentiate themselves. The cloth was provided by the demons, and in addition, there would be a protocol in the event that a cloth comes off. They would need to put their hands up in surrender and recite a password, prompting the demons to leave them be.

"It's almost 7:30." Said the blonde as he sat with his beau in their vehicle. "They should be getting ready by now."

H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. had the entire street blocked off with the help of the Police. They were only needed to keep civilians calm and out of harm's way. Ciel and Alois would be handling the sweep. It wasn't a moon, so the werewolves would have absolutely no means to transform, as they were new enough to be unable to do so at will.

"We still need to wait until eight." Ciel replied. "We have to be certain. No going ahead of schedule."

"I want this to be over with." The other man huffed, arms crossed while tracing the outline of one of his guns through his coat with his fingers.

"I know you do. I do too." The bluenette answered. "Just a little longer. Then, we'll go in and give them what for. See? A few people are coming out already. Orange bandanas."

"Are they heading to the pick-up points?"

"Looks like it."

"Alright." Said the menace, watching the door. "So when do we go?"

"When Caulfield waves at us from the window." Answered the Watchdog, doing the same. Both of them looked up and waited, catching a glimpse of a woman with a head of short, reddish-brown hair. She looked around from the inside before opening the window and offering a wave to the men in building across the street. The duo nodded before the deserter held up six fingers and ducked back inside.

"It's go-time." Grinned the menace. "Six deserters left inside. Watch for orange."

"Roger that." Ciel replied. "Let's go."


	208. Punishment and Warning

Gathered around the coffeetable in the sitting room, the lads were engaging in banter while they threw their cards around, shouting and hollering with each person who had to forfeit their game. None of them wanted to leave, as they were having so much fun, so the knocking at the door went on for an unnecessarily long time. It was only until one of them got annoyed that they sent someone to go take care of it, peeking at his cards once he was out of the room.

Scratching the back of his head, he walking to the front of the house and peeked through the peephole, seeing two men in nice-looking but reasonably-priced suits. When he opened the door, they both smiled. Somehow, the pair made him feel uneasy.

"Hello, good sir." Greeted the blonde. "Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal saviour?"

"What?" asked the werewolf, arching his brow in confusion. He didn't get to say another word as a blade was shoved underneath his jaw and stabbed through his brain. With a gurgling sound, he was casually tossed to the side as the two men entered the house.

"Some people just don't understand quality humour." The menace lamented, reaching into his jacket and pulling out his guns. "Comedy is an art, you know."

"There will be plenty of other opportunities for laughs in a moment." Ciel said, stepping over the first body. His associate moved down the hallway and aimed his gun into the living room just as another wolfman was walking in the direction of the voices.

 _"Boo."_ Alois taunted, pulling the trigger and startling the other pack members in the room.

People were standing up from their seats in total alarm, wide-eyed as the two assassins entered the room and gunned them down. Some had the sense of mind to try and run away, while others were frozen. That said, it didn't really matter either way. The demons still had them as more stupidly walked toward the commotion from other parts of the house. Some carried knives, but bringing a knife to a sword and gunfight has never done anyone any good.

Occasionally, they would come across a deserter, recognizing the orange band on them. Whenever they encountered such persons, they let them leave, telling them which route out of the house was the least dangerous, as they had just cleaned that section of the house. Their instructions were to exit with their hands up, keeping their orange bands in sight, as there were operatives waiting outside for anyone who escaped. Even though they were scared, there were no casualties for the deserters during the sweep. The teenagers in the group were permitted to leave as well, only they were immediately brought into custody once they made it out of the house.

The cleanup crew was going to have a lot of work to do once this was over. Bodies were scattered on the floor and blood stained the carpet while splattering the walls in places. Everything was running smoothly, as the operation was simple, but there was one problem. They hadn't found Kessler yet.

According to Caulfield, the "Alpha-Female", Kessler was hiding somewhere in the house. She suggested the basement and the attic before she herself escaped outside. It was a kind gesture, although unnecessary. The duo could sense one more living person in the house, and just as she said, it was coming from the ceiling. Nodding to one another, the demons went to work retrieving him.

Alois put his guns back in their holsters before weaving his fingers together and bending his knees slightly. He cradled his partner's foot in his hands, giving the other man a boost as Ciel cocked his arm back, thrusting it through the ceiling and into the attic. The blonde took a few steps back as his beau grabbed the ankle of his target, bringing Kesller down to their level. Wood, insulation, plaster, and dust fell with the wolfman's body with a loud _crash_ , forcing a guttural grunt in pain from the beast.

Whistling a flat note, the menace looked down at the man before looking to the Watchdog. "Good thing they called us, huh?" he asked. "This place was in desperate need of exterminators. There's even animals in the ceiling!"

"Indeed, but this is no ordinary vermin." Replied his accomplice while Kessler rolled over and sat up in order to look at them. "This appears to be their king."

"Disgusting." Tsked Alois while shaking his head.

"Who're you?!" demanded the wolfman. "What do you want?!"

"Oh, it's not what we want." Began the blonde. "It's about what society needs. Then again, I do get kind of a kick out of wiping filth like you from the earth."

"You killed them!" accused Kessler, pointing a shaking finger while licking his lips nervously. "You killed my boys! And the girls!"

"No, the girls didn't want anything to do with this… what would you call it?" Alois asked, looking over to his partner.

"Self-serving, misogynistic, male-supremacist fantasy cult." Ciel chimed in.

"Ah, yes. _That."_ Alois nodded before looking back to their target. "Anyway, we let the girls go, and took the younger members into custody. As for the others… well… yeah, they're pretty dead."

"What the fuck?!" demanded Kessler, scooting backward. "Get away from me!"

"Oh, but here's the thing: we can't." spoke the Watchdog as he and his partner closed in. "You see, we have order to exterminate you, so we really can't let you go. Moreover, we get a bit of a kick out of killing monsters like you."

"M-monster?! You're the monsters! You killed my men!"

"But we didn't start a cult just to fulfill some sad, depraved, power fantasy and sexually enslave women." Ciel said, holding up his blade. The tip of the weapon kissed the wolfman's nose as Kessler's eyes crossed in order to watch it. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end and he was sweating buckets now. His heart rattled against his ribcage as his mind raced for a way out, but these were better hunters than he. Before them, he was nothing but game.

"I don't think we should do it quickly." Said Alois, his eyes darting to his spouse for a second. "He needs to pay for what he's done."

"Indeed. We'll do it slowly." Agreed Ciel, but then, the beast that they had caught tried to escape once again, getting up and bolting for the door. In a flash, the menace whipped out one of his pistols and fired twice, hitting the game in the backs of his knees.

"Nice shooting." Complimented the Watchdog.

"I _aim_ to impress." Jested the Lion, putting his gun away as Kessler writhed on the floor while attempting to clutch at his legs. He could not bend them, as it hurt to do so. The wounds sizzled and festered despite the fact that the bullet had sliced through the flesh and shattered its way past bone. "The real question is: how do we kill him?"

"I'm not sure." Ciel replied. "Do you have any ideas?"

"Hmm…" hummed the menace as he crouched down to the beast's level. "He's not in his wolf form, so not much of a pelt…"

"You're right. He won't make a very good coat as he is now."

As the pair conversed, Kessler grew more and more afraid with each suggestion. He shook violently and could no longer scream. Whimpers escaped him from grit teeth. Drool seeped from his mouth and tears streamed down his face as the horrific fact that he was going to die horribly sunk in. Kessler knew that he shouldn't have done what he did, so there was no ignorance on his part—only arrogance, narcissism, and entitlement. His spirit broke as that truth collided with him—that he wasn't "too smart" to not be caught; that he wasn't owed anything at all. Kessler knew that he had been bested. The casual manner in which the men who stood over him spoke about torturing him chilled him, and further cemented his body to the floor. There was no escape.

"He's big on the idea that people are things, right?" questioned the menace. "Maybe we should label him accordingly. See how it makes him feel."

"What do you propose?" asked the bluenette, arching an eyebrow.

"Right here." Alois stated, tapping his fingers to Kessler's forehead. "A scarlet letter."

"An ' _A_ ' for ' _adultery'?_ "

"No. An ' _R_ '." corrected the blonde. "Do you want to do it or should I?"

"I wouldn't want to impose on your idea."

"How polite."

"What do you want to do?"

"Does it matter? You're better with the sword, though. More precise."

"Very well." Answered the Watchdog, waiting for his spouse to move out of the way before he pointed his blade. "We'll mark him so the world knows what he has done. Are you sure only one will do?"

"Maybe not." Said the Lion. "Maybe a few more…"

"A lot?"

"A lot."

"Sounds reasonable." Ciel replied. "And then we kill him."

"Yes."

One could only imagine the surprise that the cleaning crew came across while collecting the bodies from the sweep upon coming across the very last one—the one they needed to make sure was definitely accounted for. The body was covered in the letter "R" carved into the flesh with bullet holes in completely unnecessary locations. They obviously weren't intended to be fatal blows. The freshest wound was the one that killed Kessler, prompting the demons to finally leave. This act of cruelty needed an explanation from the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agents, as their orders were simply to exterminate. According to the demons, he needed "punishment" in order to learn that "people are not things."


	209. That Time of the Month

Gehenna collectively let out a sigh of relief as the threat of unruly lycanthropes was quickly dispatched. Citizens felt safe in their own town and were free to walk the streets again. Almost immediately, the community went to the aid of the deserters, giving them assistance and trying to help them set their lives in order. The women were almost shocked to see how supporting the supernatural community was. It was nothing like Kessler led them to believe. At this rate, all of them would have been fine if they dispersed, but instead, they all decided to form their own "pack"—a proper one without violence. It was more like a support group. A few of them began volunteering at the Post Office in order to make amends for Kessler's gang hurting the postmaster and putting him in bandages. Some stayed to become employed there. That said, they would most likely be affected by the ordeal for the rest of their lives, even though things were picking up. Trauma had been inflicted, and the process of healing does not occur overnight.

At least those responsible were brought to justice. That brought some relief to Kristopherson as well. Goodness knows he needed it. His flat seemed emptier now—lonelier. There was a spare room as his friend had found his own place, as both of them could hardly stand being around each other anymore. Conversation was scarce and neither of them really wanted to even look at each other. One day, Daniel just up and announced that he had found his own apartment and needed help packing his things out of the blue.

It was strange. It felt like a weight had been lifted from Kristopherson's shoulders, but at the same time, there was a blow to his spirit. Did Daniel even want to be friends anymore? He didn't know. He didn't know how to ask, either. He didn't know what to do with that spare room as well.

Asking his other friends, they claimed to have talked to Daniel, although he didn't mention moving. Supposedly they called Daniel after this to confirm where he went, although they assured Kristopherson that they were on his side. Occasionally, they would come and visit Kristopherson, which did help. His apartment was very clean now, but somehow, it made him sad. Despite all of the times he harped Daniel on picking things up, now he missed it. It was lonely. The faux-blonde didn't want to spend time here, just like he did when Daniel was present.

On the bright side, Kristopherson was getting out more. He went jogging, he tried new things, he went out to explore his backyard a bit and see what London had to offer. Today, he was going shopping with Alois, just to spend the day with a friend. Both of them needed new clothes, anyway, and the two were each other's favourite person to go shopping with.

"I can't go shopping with Ciel." Said Alois as he steered the car. "He hates it. I think it makes him nervous."

"Really?" asked Kristopherson, arching an eyebrow. "Why's that?"

"I dunno. He gets really clingy and fidgety." Shrugged the menace. "He only feels comfortable in his old man stores. I think he's afraid of youthful fashion."

"Explains the sweater-vest."

"I like the sweater-vest. It's quirky." Alois defended with a grin. "It suits him somehow. He's a geek. Holding his hand helps, but it's hard to shop one-handed."

"Pfft! I didn't know he could be so immature." Snorted Kristopherson, placing a hand over his mouth to conceal his smile.

"You have no idea…" shook his friend. Apparently, the bluenette wasn't as cool or mysterious as he led on.

The whole atmosphere was refreshing to the faux-blonde. Laughing was good for him. It felt like it had been far too long since he was able to laugh this much. His chest felt light and his face hurt from grinning at times. Even though he was getting close to his first full moon, he had almost forgotten as he and the menace had fun together.

"You look unexpectedly good in red." Noted Kristopherson while his friend held up a shirt to himself while shopping.

"Problem is, I'm not sure what I'd wear it with." Replied the menace.

"Doesn't matter. You'll find something. Collared shirts are very versatile."

"I guess… Maybe I will get it… I've actually been wanting some cool T-shirts as well, but I never really know what to wear them with. I usually just get solid ones."

"Maybe look for something to go with the red shirt?"

"Sounds like a plan, man." Spoke the Phantomhive, glancing around. His eyes then fell on the Miles, watching him as he eyed something he himself fancied. "Isn't that too small for you?"

"The fabric stretches." Kristopherson said. "Besides, I don't mind if it's tight."

"Gotta show off your muscles, huh?" joked Alois, prompting his friend to flex a bit.

"I worked hard for them, you know. You bet your ass I'm gonna show them off." Answered the Miles.

"Sorry, I can't. I need my ass."

"I don't really want it."

"Good, 'cause you can't have it."

Kristopherson shook his head and rolled his eyes. Despite his posturing, he found the menace's silliness amusing as always. This is how the day panned out. To the average person, it was somewhat uneventful, but that's just what Kristopherson needed. Feeling "normal" was important to his mental health, especially when he started feeling anxious for seemingly no reason as the moon approached. The feeling would fade as quickly as it came, leaving the man confused and uneasy. According to his book, this was just a symptom of a moon getting close. Unfortunately, he started to feel a wave while they were out.

The man was in high alert, worrying about what was to come all of a sudden. His mind traveled a mile a minute thinking about all of the things he might need, should prepare for, or should watch out for. Kristopherson really wasn't keen on the idea of pain, but there really wasn't any way around it. A thin layer of sweat began to form on the faux-blonde's skin and he began to lose focus on what he was doing. It wasn't long before his friend caught on and asked him about it.

"What should I wear for the moon?" Kristopherson blurted out suddenly, as this was his train of thought at the moment. "I don't want to be, y'know, naked while H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. is watching me.

"Something large, stretchy, and cheap, I assume." Alois answered, taking his concerns seriously, but not being grim. "Now, don't hate me for this, but you probably want something you can buy in bulk." He jested.

"How dare you." Kristopherson managed to tease back, although still a bit worried. "Can we look for something? And maybe anything else I might need? I'm not feeling too good about this."

"Sure. No problem." The menace replied, patting his shoulder. "We'll get you all set up. What do you need? Some pants, some shirts, and somewhere to put them?"

"Preferably." Answered his friend. "Underwear is concerning, too. What if they're too small? Just how big to werewolves get?"

"Eh, I think if you go for some loose boxers, you'll be fine. Elastic waistbands might be your new best friends."

"Sounds lonely."

"Well, you could wear something fashionable, but I doubt it'll last too long." Said the menace. "That's probably something that will take some trial and error. What else do you think you might need?"

"Something to do, probably." Kristopherson replied. "It's gonna be a long night… I asked Amelie what she does, and she said 'sleep'. I don't think I could after something like that… Maybe once I'm back to normal, but I don't even want to know what I look like."

"Hopefully there's no mirrors in the room. If there are, throw a jacket over it before it happens."

"Uuugh, that's something I don't want to think about." Groaned Kristopherson, slowing his pace as they walked back to the car. "This is gonna suck so bad…"

"I hear it's not all bad, but that's from Amelie. Amelie has this shit kind of down, y'know?" replied the menace, putting an arm around the other's shoulders in a friendly manner. "She says she can sleep through her transformations."

"Can I just skip to that part?"

"Unfortunately, nature says _'no'_."

"Fuck nature." Kristopherson said with a frown. "Ugh… I don't want this…"

"Hey, hey, hey, mate. Don't worry about that. Worry about it when it comes." Alois answered as they walked along. "We'll get you all set up. You're going to be fine. Perfectly safe."

"I feel like this should be normal by now, but it's still hard to accept…"

"I know the feeling. Only difference is that I didn't have a duedate."

"What was it like?"

"Oh man… It was hard." Alois replied, releasing the other man. He looked up and furrowed his brows in thought as he tried to come up with the words. "I also had to, like, adjust to this century, so that was also going on. It's like you don't really feel like it's real, y'know? Like, you're hoping that it's just a really fucked up prank that someone's trying to pull on ya, but it's not. It doesn't feel nice at all at first."

"Yeah…" sighed his friend, placing his hands in his pockets. "I get that, now…"

"It gets better, though." Answered the menace, perking up a bit. "It becomes a part of you that's natural. Like, I can't imagine not being a demon anymore. It's just _me_."

"But you don't turn into a monster every month against your will."

"Neither do you. You're still you. You just look a little different sometimes. No need to use the 'm-word'."

"I know… It's just… It's scary…"

"Werewolves aren't like what you see in movies. They're people. They act like people. Some people are better than others, though. It all depends on the kind of person you are." Alois stated. "Are you the kind of person who sees it as a power to be used and abused, or is it just there?"

"It's there. I don't know what it is, though."

"You'll get there eventually. Nothing happens overnight."

"Except becoming a wolfman."

"Well… Yeah, there's that."

* * *


	210. Pink and Blue

The Gehenna General Store was quiet that day. Hardly anyone stopped by. It wasn't payday yet, however, so that could explain it. The young man behind the cash register sat while he waited for someone to stop by, cycling between staring into space and doodling on a scrap of paper. His tail wrapped around his waist in order to stay off of the floor as he sat. The incubus was unimpressed with traffic that day. There was simply nothing for Logan to do until someone walked through that door. Suddenly, however, his eyes snapped open and he immediately stood at attention when he heard the bells attached to the door, notifying him that he was not alone at last.

"Well, hello again!" the incubus greeted with a smile, recognizing the faux-blonde and his demonic friend as they entered the shop. "You're looking much better."

"I've had a bit of time to process everything." Answered Kristopherson, returning the smile. "The book helped a lot."

"I'm glad." Logan replied. "So, are you looking for anything in particular that I can help you with?"

"U-uh… Well… I was wondering if there was anything here that could help me out with… uh… Well, werewolf-ing?" the faux-blonde said, pausing for a moment before the embarrassment of what he just said hit him. The man behind the counter, however, chuckled.

"Well, I dunno. You'd have to be more specific about that." The incubus stated. "I'm not sure if there's anything else here that you can't get outside. I'd recommend loose-clothes, though."

"So that's how it is, huh…" sighed Kristopherson, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't suppose you have any wolfman-sized pants around here, do you?"

"Unfortunately not. Nobody around here sells clothes, unfortunately. We mostly rely on stuff the Wolf's Glen is able to scrounge."

"Seriously? How do you find stuff that fits? You have a tail, don't you? That can't be comfortable."

"It's not, really. We have to modify the clothes we get, and it's kind of difficult without ruining them."

"I could try to design something that works." Kristopherson suggested. "That's sort of what I do as a hobby."

"You're a designer?" asked Logan.

"A very good one." Butted in Alois. "He could probably design more than just pants for tailed supernatrals."

"Could you make a shirt to fit an ogre?"

"Have you seen an ogre?" scoffed Kristopherson. "That would be easy. It's not that complicated to make tailored clothing."

"Maybe you should start your own shop. There's more than enough people here looking for clothes." Said the incubus.

"I can't sew clothes for an entire village on my own." Spoke the faux-blonde. "I can sew a few and come up with patterns, but that's the extent of my powers."

"That's a shame." Logan replied, leaning against the counter with his elbow against its surface and his chin in his palm. "Oh, well. You should at least tell the hairdressers down the street how to do your beard."

"Oh, that?" the wolfman remembered. "It's not really that interesting."

"No way! Do you know about the elves? They love doing all sorts of things with their hair, and they would love that."

"Well, I will have plenty of hair on my face to demonstrate with later this week."

"Yeah, sorry I can't help you with that." The incubus replied. "If you need somebody to help you out with those pants, though, I'd be happy to." Logan stopped for a moment before blushing a bit.

" _Making the tail pants, that is."_ He added bashfully, standing up straight again and rubbing the back of his neck. The fact that the two blondes chuckled at his accidental innuendo didn't help his slight embarrassment.

"Sure. If you're interested." Answered the faux-blonde, playfully arching an eyebrow. His friend, however, pretended to look around the store instead of standing awkwardly as a third wheel. Alois sensed that he wasn't needed.

Thus, the menace looked around the shop, noting the differences between it and a human one. While Kristopherson chatted with the cashier, he decided that he would see if those books that he had been looking at last time were still there. A few of them looked like something that would interest his spouse, and he hated coming into this store without buying anything. Even the idea that some of these were books that one could only get in one single place in the entire world made them appealing. These were books that some of the supernaturals in the village managed to print off with an old printing press that H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. got a hold of and donated to the city.

The menace was sincerely glad to see Kristopherson starting to return to normal, even with the approaching moon. He wasn't going to spoil this moment. Even still, there was something odd about the incubus. The way he awkwardly carried himself stood out, especially since he had never acted like this at any other time he stopped in. The only comparable time was when he first came in with Kristopherson.

"Oh, so _that's_ it." Alois thought to himself before giving it no further thought. That was for Kristopherson to sort out, not him. As far as he could tell, there was no danger here, so there was also no need to intervene. Alois trusted his own senses when it came to this sort of thing, so he got what he was looking for and browsed while he waited for Kristopherson to finish talking.

"I'm afraid it's going to hurt a lot." Kristopherson admitted while he leaned on the counter. "Transforming a human body into a non-human one can't be fun."

"Yeah, I've heard that from a few werewolf customers." Answered the incubus. "Supposedly, it gets less painful over time! There _is_ good news."

"What would be better is not having to do it at all." Sighed the Miles. "I never thought I'd be part of this. I've observed from the outside for a while, but this is some next-level shit…"

"You can talk about it here, if you want. We're open every day except on weekends, and I'm usually here." Offered the other.

"Thanks. That's nice of you. I mean, I can talk about it with Ciel and Alois, but they're busy a lot." Said Kristopherson. "It don't want to be a bother to you either…"

"Nonsense! It's cool. We can talk whenever. It's really no problem." Logan replied.

"Do you have a phone? I might be better if I just give you my number."

"U-uh, sure…" the incubus answered with a dopey expression on his face. "Let me get you a piece of paper…"

"And I'll enter yours into my phone." Kristopherson added while the other man was rummaging about.

While he didn't find anything he needed that might help him prepare for his first full moon, Kristopherson did feel better upon exiting the shop. He made a new friend, at least. According to Alois, that's just how people in Gehenna are. In general, they care a lot about other people's problems, because if they don't, it's hard to survive. Somehow, it made the faux-blonde feel as though he was going to be alright. Still, he wasn't sure what to do with Logan's number.

"Bootycall?" jokingly suggested Alois as they walked back toward the front gates.

"No way! I'm not like that." Kristopherson replied, pulling his jacket closed a little bit more. The mischievous grin on his friend's face was greeted with a playful shove. "Besides, I've got way too much on my plate before I can even _think_ about my relationship status."

"Mm-hm. Sounds like a plan, man." Noted the menace, putting up the collar on his own jacket, or rather, his husband's. "It's getting colder… on the bright side, fur might be nice."

"Except it rains all the damn time." Answered his friend. "Do werewolves get wet dog smell? Probably."

"True… Good thing you don't plan on going out. Unless Gehenna does anything for Halloween."

"Oh, yeah… I didn't think about that. Do you think they do?"

"I heard something about playing horror movies on movie nights in October, but that's about it." Alois said. "I guess Trick-or-Treating would be weird for them, and if they have trouble with finding clothes, then they have trouble with finding costumes, so costume parties are out."

"Could still have parties." Suggested the wolfman.

"It's just the way they do things." Stated the Phantomhive. "It is a bit silly, though. Supernatural beings, not being active on Halloween… It's exactly the opposite of what humans think."

"Movie night sounds fun, though."

"Maybe we should go sometime."

"Sounds like a plan. Should I wear my fur coat?"

"Maybe not. Sounds exhausting."


	211. For One Reason or Another

Today was the day. A looming cloud of dread attached itself to Kristopherson as he prepared himself for what was to come. The man was stumbling around his house somewhat as he tried to get everything together. All he needed was some sweatpants and a shirt several sizes too big. Perhaps a few toiletries as well for the next morning, but Kristopherson was having trouble planning that far ahead. In fact, he was having trouble thinking in terms of minutes.

Kristopherson was a tad scatterbrained, as was a common symptom of lycanthropy just before a full moon. He was currently trying to come up with something to eat, but he couldn't decide on one thing. In one hand, he held a box of cereal, and in another, he was examining a package of bacon and debating on cooking it. Then the phone rang and he had to figure out which one to set down in order to go answer it.

"Hello?"

"Kris! Hey, how're you holding up?" asked a familiar voice on the other end. Alois was to check on him that morning in order to confirm plans for that evening, as he was going to accompany Kristopherson to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters for his first moon.

"Uh, other than a slew of weird symptoms and the fact that I am about to eat my entire kitchen; fantastic." Answered the wolfman. "I feel nauseous and I can't think straight."

"That's normal, I think." Stated the menace. "Don't worry, you're going to be okay. I'll pick you up in a few hours, and we'll be on our way."

"The less time I'm worrying about my impending doom, the better."

"You're not doomed. You're going to be okay."

"Says you. You're not the one who's gonna be going all Lon Chaney."

After calming down a bit, Kristopherson waited for the Phantomhive to arrive, even though it was torturous. There was nothing that he could think of to do to distract himself. Watching TV did nothing for him. The first channel he landed on was playing _An American Werewolf In London,_ which immediately unsettled the man. In an attempt to calm himself down, he splashed some water on his face, only to be startled by just how much hair had already started to appear. There was really no use in shaving, it seemed, so Kristopherson didn't bother. If only he could sleep until the menace arrived, that would be wonderful. Unfortunately, it was doubtful that he could.

Thank goodness that the blonde arrived early, saving him from his own thoughts. He was even so courteous as to stop and get them both food on the way to their destination. Kristopherson felt bad for ordering so much, but for some reason, he was absolutely starving. He wasn't the only one who read the book, however, and Alois simply said that he owed him a meal in return. The menace understood that the side effects and symptoms of this disease can cause this.

It was one of the longest meals either of them had to sit through, however. Kristopherson didn't want to leave too soon, and Alois didn't want to make him, so long as they weren't behind schedule. It was obvious that the faux-blonde felt better after eating, but his nerves were still shaky.

Arriving at the base was like being hit by a truck, as he didn't even want to get out of the car. He walked slowly on his way to the research department, where the researchers had prepared a room for him. It was plain to the point of almost being barren. There was a bed, a dresser, a mirror, and a door that led to a bathroom that was similarly decorated. It was uncomfortable to be there. His senses going haywire didn't help him any. His nose hurt from the sterile smell of the room mixed with the smell of chemicals wafting in from others. The most uncomfortable thing of all had to be the two-way mirror on the wall so that the researchers can monitor him throughout the night.

"That's not weird at all…" he muttered, setting his bag on the bed and starting to fish a change of clothes out to change into. "Are there any cameras in the bathroom, too?"

"Probably not." Alois answered.

"Looks like the ' _covering the mirror so I don't have to see'_ thing isn't a possibility either…"

"Yeah…" the menace said almost sadly. "I don't know what to do about that."

"I guess I was gonna have to see myself eventually…" the faux-blonde trailed off, setting the clothes on the bed before taking his bag and setting it on the floor next to the dresser. "Better sooner than later, right?"

"Not always. Sometimes, easing into things is best." Alois replied. "Especially with big stuff like this…"

"Weren't you the one saying that this wasn't going to be that big of a deal?"

"I said _eventually_ , it wouldn't. Baby steps."

"That's a luxury I don't seem to have, it looks like." Kristopherson noted, going back over to the bed to pick up his sweatpants. "How much time to I have left?"

"They told me about two hours." The menace informed. "Give or take."

"I should probably change clothes, then. You should probably get going. You husband probably misses you."

"Nah. I'll be camping out in the other room with the researchers."

"Why?" questioned the wolfman, baffled by the other man's bizarre plan.

"Because you're scared."

"You don't have to do that…"

"Oh, please…" Alois said, rolling his eyes. Playfully, he reached out to pinch Kritopherson's cheek. "That's what friends do."

"You're a better friend than I am." Shook the faux-blonde with a smile.

"It takes practice." Alois stated, patting the other man's shoulder. "You want me out of your way, then?"

"I'm going to get dressed in the bathroom, so it doesn't matter." Kristopherson replied.

"Fine, I'll wait here, then."

"I'd like to be alone for a bit, though…"

"Then I'll leave." Shrugged the demon. "No skin off my nose. Shout if you need me, alright?"

"Sounds like a plan." Answered the Miles, watching the other leave. He knew that he was simply going to join the researchers on the other side, but he wasn't feeling especially talkative, right then. His nervousness was getting worse. As time ticked by, Kristopherson felt progressively horrible.

His hands shook as he got dressed in the small bathroom, and he couldn't sit still. He tried his best to relax, laying down on the bed in the room, but he couldn't. His anxiety increased and his body began to feel sore. Kristopherson's hands, feet, lower back, and tail bone started to ache at first, followed by the bridge of his nose and jaw. The rest of him came after, and now he was tossing and turning in an attempt to get slightly more comfortable, but it was no use. The pain only got worse.

He scratched at his skin as it began to itch furiously, crawling as it started to change. He noticed that he had become slightly hairier, but that was the least of his problems. Sweat coated his skin and he breathed heavily as his mind did its best to drown out the unpleasant symptoms he was already starting to feel. The static that seemed to fill his ears as they changed as well was almost maddening, so he covered them, curling up in a ball.

The man's teeth started to hurt and feel "loose" in a bizarre way. Kristopherson grunted as he felt sharp pains here and there, but the worst was yet to come. His skin was now burning and veins protruded from his forehead as he tried to cope. He didn't want to scream, but he was close. His time was running out, and he was certainly aware of it.

"He's beginning to change." Said the head researcher, Miranda Ackerman, from behind the glass. "The thermal camera is picking up a serious change in body temperature, and his behaviour has changed."

"If only we could hook him up to check his vitals…" Dafydd trailed off. "Think of the data we could get from that!"

"Fuck your data." Grumbled Alois, staring through the glass with worry prominent on his face. With his sixth sense, he was picking up an unnatural amount of stress. The menace could hear him trying not to yell out or complain through the microphone, and it wasn't helping his own uneasiness.

"He's going to be alright, isn't he?" he asked to confirm, finally looking to the others. He sounded uncertain, but worrying often leads to doubt.

"He should be fine, according to Amelie. I'd have her down here if I could, but she's also undergoing her own transformation." Answered Miranda, her eyes trailing down to the alarm on the computer. The seconds were ticking away one by one, and it felt like an eternity before it got even close to zero.

Kristopherson had attempted to sit up, having failed to find comfort lying down. He said with his legs over the side of the bed, leaning forward with his hands on the back of his head. His bones seemingly popped countless times each time he moved, and he was significantly hairier. His arms and his legs were the first things to be almost completely covered, followed by his face. The faux-blonde would certainly have to fix his goatee after this, but that thought wouldn't occur to him until much later. Right now, he was too focused on rocking himself from side to side.

Finally, he let out his first yelp as a loud pop echoed throughout the room. The man was sweating buckets as his shoulder seemingly dislocated and relocated incorrectly. It was in its place, however. Its new one. More snapping and popping sounded off and the man shouted in pain. It started off slowly with only a few at a time, but eventually, it started happening rapidly, forcing him off the bed and onto all fours and finally on his stomach as he twisted and writhed. He could see his arm contorted and broken at an unnatural angle, mending itself before his very eyes to be longer. The skin covering it stretched uncomfortably, just as it did over the rest of him. His arms, his legs, his ribs, his spine, and even his face were breaking and reshaping themselves. Eventually, the breaking wouldn't be necessary, and they would mold to the correct shape, but now, he was relieving himself of the remainder of his human self.

Kristopherson shouted, yelped, grunted, and groaned as his body quickly changed, feeling relief only after a part mended itself, and more pain when another started. The man's skin felt as though it might tear as it tried to cover his expanding and reshaping skeleton and muscular structure. His lips could no longer cover his teeth as they stuck outward. The shape of his head was changing to be more lupine, but it was hard for everything to consistently remain proportioned evenly. Fear and agony nearly consumed the poor Miles as his disfigured form continued to break and mend. The static grew louder as his ears moved upwards with the reformation of his skull, positioning toward the top of his head as hair began to cover his face. It started from his chin, upper lip, eyebrows, and hairline before seeming to spread, matching his natural hair-colour while the hair on top of his head remained blonde.

Then, he tried to look at the researchers on the other side of the glass, but it was reflective on his side. Fortunately, he couldn't see himself the angle he was viewing from in his position from the floor, but they could see him. Alois could. Now, the menace had seen more frightening creatures, but Kristopherson—the fact that this was him caused the menace to be struck with an intense sense of grief. There was sorrow, and there was sadness, but perhaps most pervasive despite his better judgement: guilt. It felt as though he was responsible for the pain his friend was feeling—for the loss of his face. Had the demons not exposed Kristopherson to the supernatural world, none of this would be happening. Alois' face contorted with a slew of negative emotions as his friend continued to change, writhe, and cry out. There was nothing he could do to stop it, however. There was nothing anyone could do.

Finally, at long last, Kristopherson stopped and was allowed to breathe. His body was limp against the floor as dopamine flooded his system to relieve the traumatic experience he had just endured. The researchers hit the timer to discover that an hour and forty-five minutes had passed, but to the faux-blonde, it felt like years. The wolfman was exhausted, but given his size, he would no longer fit on the bed. It didn't matter anyway, as he was too tired to get up.

His breathing was deep and low as he laid there. Kristopherson was a big, brown, furry lump on the floor. The bleached hair on his head stood out, but other than that, he looked like a bonafide wolfman. Unlike in the movies, however, he still had his mind, although it was a tad foggy right then.

Hours passed before he was finally able to try and move again. Finding the motivation was one of the hardest parts, in that pursuit. Kristopherson was careful to avoid looking directly into the mirror, although he could see glimpses of himself if he merely looked down or held up his hands. It was scary. His mitts were huge and beastly. They were covered in fur, aside from his palms, and his nails were long enough to give off the appearance of claws. Hesitantly, he reached up to touch his face, and it was like petting a dog. Shaking his head, he tried his best to remove that information from his thoughts, to no actual avail. The action made him feel dizzy, so he debated on attempting to lie down on the bed, but from his new height, he wasn't sure if he would be successful.

He did try, however. His legs hung off the end of the bed, bent at the knees, and one shoulder hung off the bed slightly while the other was pressed against the wall. Kristopherson had to fold his arms and bring them as close to his torso as possible. It was more comfortable than expected, although he would assume that anything would after that experience. For the longest time, he laid there, staring at the ceiling, unable to fully register everything at once. It took him a while, but eventually, he began to cry. He was a monster. A genuine beast. How was he going to live with this for the rest of his days? This was going to affect his decisions and relationships from now on. How on earth is he supposed to talk about this?

Suddenly, the door of the chamber opened, startling the wolfman. It was odd to see such a large creature sit up so suddenly, but Alois didn't flinch as he walked into the room. Instead, the menace offered a sympathetic smile.

"Hey, mate." He said simply. "How're you feeling? Physically, I mean. I can probably assume how you're feeling, emotionally."

Kristopherson watched in confusion as the other man walked over to the bed and sat down on the floor next to it. "Lay down." Alois instructed. "Try to relax some. I know it's hard, but at least trying to take it easy is a good plan right now, I think."

The lack of fear or disgust from the menace was surprising to Kristopherson, somehow. Alois continued to speak to him normally, like he _hadn't_ just transformed into a beastman. For whatever odd reason, it made Kristopherson to feel a little better. Thus, he laid back down and sighed through his nose. That's how they stayed for the rest of the night. Neither of them got a wink of sleep, but Kristopherson would be certain to catch up on it the next day while he recovered. For one reason or another, Kristopherson felt like everything might turn out alright.


	212. Empty House

Kristopherson slept through the next day after changing back to his usual shape. He was surprised to see that it had been an entire day since transforming, but even more so by how much his sweatpants had stretched. They almost fell down when he tried to get up. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. simply allowed him to stay and continued to monitor him. He felt terrible when he finally did wake up again. His head hurt and he felt nauseous. His body was still a bit sore, so he wouldn't be doing any rigorous activity soon. Thankfully, the Phantomhives were there to give him a lift home. The bluenette had stopped by as well when his husband called him and informed him that Kristopherson was staying longer. The Miles felt a little bad for making both men wait on him, but they assured him that it was no trouble.

They saw to it that he made it back to his flat safely, but right after getting there, the man simply wanted to crawl back into bed and sleep a little longer. He felt sick. Kristopherson new the book said this was normal, but he still wasn't too pleased with it. Reaching for his phone, Kristopherson was about to set an alarm for him to get up to, only to discover that he had voicemail.

" _Fuck_ …" he grumbled, reading the name. It was that incubus from the Gehenna general store, Logan. He wasn't upset that he was contacted, but rather that he needed to call back quickly, and he still didn't trust his voice. It was scratchy and gruff, like he was ill, or had worn it out. Clearing his throat, he tried saying "hello" out loud to himself until he thought it sounded good enough to try and converse with. Then, he dialed the incubus' number.

"Hello?" asked a voice on the other end of the line. It was Logan's, causing the other man to sigh a bit in relief that the number worked.

"Hey, it's Kristopherson. You tried to call me earlier?" answered the blonde, getting straight to the point. Running his eye, he grunted as he laid back down on his side.

"Oh! Yeah, I did. I just wanted to see how you were feeling after the moon." Logan replied. His answer made the faux-blonde smile a bit. "I was afraid I wrote the number down wrong or something when you didn't call back. Did something happen?"

"I'm fine. I was out cold all of yesterday, though." The Miles informed. "That was not fun. I'm still a bit sore…"

"You do sound kinda sick." Observed the other over the line. "Do you need help with anything? I can stop by, if you do."

"You don't have to do that. I can manage, I think." Kristopherson said, pausing to think for a moment. Scrunching his face a bit. "Shit… I didn't feed my cat yesterday… The plants need water, too…"

"My offer still stands." Informed the incubus. "Though I am surprised you have a cat."

"It's not like I'm gonna start chasing him, or anything." Answered Kristopherson. "Will probably send him to live with my parents when I start doing moons at home, though. Anyway, having some extra hands would be nice. I don't really want to do anything for like, the next year or so?"

"I can't be your maid, but I can offer you a hand every so often."

"Ordinarily, one would think that inviting strange men into your home is a bad idea." Noted Kristopherson, sighing a bit.

"Is that a thing in the human world?"

"Is it not in yours?"

"No." Answered Logan. "There's not a lot of concern over that, here. I feel like this explains a lot, though. It always feels weird to go outside the fence. Everything works so differently!"

"Really? Like what?" questioned the wolfman with genuine interest. This question was all it took to make a phonecall that was supposed to last only a few minutes last over an hour. It was a very insightful conversation on both sides, as Kristopherson was genuinely curious about how things are in Gehenna, and Logan was very interested in how the world works beyond it. As educational as it was, their discussion also cheered Kristopherson up quite a bit. Distraction was his friend between the soreness of his body and the cat yowling for food in the other room.

Eventually, Kristopherson did agree to allow the other man into his home, after having learned that this behaviour was simply how things are done in Gehenna. When someone needs help, other members of the community will help them, even if it's small. After having said all of this, shortly after hanging up the phone, the man fell asleep again, much to the dismay of his pet, only to be woken up by a knock at the door.

Jerking awake, he immediately cringed. The sudden movement caused his muscles to complain, and the idea of getting up to answer the door wasn't at all appealing. Still, he forced himself, grunting and shuffling through the apartment while trying not to trip over the cat. Picking up the animal, he pressed his eye to the peephole in the door, seeing a man who looked familiar, but different. Raising a brow, he unlocked the door and opened it, holding the cat steady so it couldn't escape outside.

"Logan?" he asked, slightly put-off by how different the incubus looked. Currently, his guest was disguised as a human in order to get through the city, changing his skin colour to match what a human would most likely have, and ridding himself of his horns and his tail.

"Hello." Greeted the other, rubbing the back of his neck with a somewhat bashful smile. "I know I look weird, but I couldn't get through town, otherwise!"

"It's fine. Come on in." Kristopherson said, moving out of the way to the other could enter his apartment. Closing the door again, he turned around to see the incubus gawking at his living space. The large rooms, modern furniture, and white paint was really new. Then, Logan's eyes were set on the large window that overlooked the street outside, smiling.

"This place is incredible!" the man said. "Do all humans live like this?"

"No, not really." Answered the faux-blonde, setting the cat down. "My family is a little wealthier than most, so we can afford places like this. Feel free to make yourself at home. You can change back to normal, if you want. Nobody else is here to see it."

"Are you sure?" questioned the other. "I know I look a little weird in this part of town…"

"Like I don't? I'm a werewolf. I have no room to judge." Stated Kristopherson as he walked into the kitchen to locate a can of catfood, closely followed by both the incubus and cat. Grabbing the can and opening it, Kristopherson fed his pet while the animal tried its absolute best to get in his way. "Knock yourself out. I've seen plenty of transformations before."

I thought your first moon was only a few days ago?"

"It was, but I've been friends with a pair of demons who are magnets for trouble, and have seen them transform a few times. It's really kind of hard to be surprised by this supernatural stuff anymore."

"I guess that's true…" said Logan, returning to his usual blue pigmentation and regaining his horns. He fumbled with the back of his pants for a moment in order to make sure his tail fit. Kristpherson smiled at him, easing his slight bit of bashfulness before ruining it again.

"You're better this way." The faux-blonde stated, leaning against the counter. "It's unique."

"Y'think so?" questioned Logan, scratching the back of his head a bit while watching the other walk back into the living room. Kristopherson then crashed on the couch, grunting at all of this moving around.

"Yeah. I see about a thousand people a day walking through London, watching TV, or surfing the internet, and not one of them looks like you. In a good way. I think it's cool."

"If you say so. You're a lot better with fashion and stuff, so I'll take your word for it." Smiled Logan, observing the other man for a moment. Even disheveled and unshaven, Kristopherson didn't seem out of place in these surroundings, as visually extravagant they seemed to the incubus. "Oh! So, what do you need help with? You said you needed to water your plants?"

"Oh yeah… I'm sorry, I've been so out of it, that I forgot what you were here for!" Kristopherson said, sitting up a bit. "Yeah, the plants, and I needed to move some fabric into the sewing room. It really doesn't feel like enough for you to come over for…"

"It's no problem! So, what do you water the plants with?"

"I just grab a glass from the cupboard in get some water from the sink, usually. Nothing fancy. Sorry to disappoint."

"Pfft, I wasn't really expecting anything. That's what we do at home. The Environmental Department's gardeners are the ones that use the watering cans."

"How many departments do you even have in Gehenna?" asked the Miles while Logan started opening cupboards in the kitchen until he found the one that held cups. He then proceeded to grab a cheap, plastic one as not to waste a nicer one made of glass.

"Uh… Let's see… The Environmental Department, The Town Welfare Department, The Fire Department, The Police Department…" he trailed off while filling the cup under the faucet. "Does the post office count? Maybe… Oh! Then there's the Maintenance Department… Y'know, good stuff like that."

"Ah-ha… I was just curious. I remember the Welfare Department and the Police, but I didn't know about the others." Said the wolfman. "'cept for the Fire Department… That seems kind of obvious, now."

"Well, a lot of these departments deal with a lot of things, so really, there's a lot more to them." Informed Logan, pouring water in the pot of a tall plant located near the front door. "That can make it confusing. Every house is actually given a list of the numbers for each little section. So, if you need a plumber, you don't have to wait for the Maintenance department to connect you with their division, and you can just go straight there."

"What's the number you call for the police?"

"666." Answered Logan with a smile, grinning at the other's laughter.

"Guess 999 was already taken, huh."

"That would be weird. Then we'd get human cops trying to get into the village and being confused when armed guards block them." The incubus pointed out while dumping some water over a potted plant on the kitchen counter.

"That can never go over well."

"Are there any more plants that need water?" asked Logan, changing the subject while placing a hand on the back of the sofa to address the other better. "I got all of the ones in this room, the kitchen, and by the front door."

"Huh? Oh, yeah… There's one in my room, and also in the sewing room." Answered Kristopherson. Furrowing his brow, he raised an arm to gesture, propping it up a bit with the other. "My room is that way, and the other is through there. That's also where I need to move those bundles of fabric."

"I'll get to that in a minute." The other man said. "Back in a sec."

Kristopherson turned his head to watch the other make his way down the hall with a slight spring in his step and a swish of his tail. Sighing, the faux-blonde leaned back and rested the back of his head on the couch. "This is weird…" He said, wondering if it were possible for a person to be so nice.

Maybe it was indeed just a cultural barrier that would take getting used to, but Kristopherson was almost hesitant to believe that. Things in his world didn't work that way, after all. Part of him did feel guilty about making such a snap judgement, but caution had never done anyone harm. The more he thought about it, the more he felt a little uneasy. He didn't know Logan that well, and yet he allowed the man into his house? Kristopherson wondered if the moon and recovering from it was messing with his judgement.

"Alright, so where's the fabric and where does it go?" asked the incubus, walking back into the room. Turning his attention back to Logan, the faux-blonde explained.

"It goes in the sewing room—the door right next to the bedroom." Kristopherson said. "There should be some others just like them in there. Just set them down next to that. You can't miss it."

"On it." Replied his help for the day, giving a thumbs up and a smile before walking over to the bundles of fabric and beginning to haul them into the other room. While he was doing that, the owner of the flat took to laying down on his side. Kristopherson really wasn't sure on how to handle this.

After closing his eyes for what felt like seconds, Kristopherson was alerted by the sound of the incubus' voice again. Opening an eye, Kristopherson looked up as Logan stood over the couch, looking down at him.

"Anything else?" the man asked, prompting the faux-blonde to reluctantly sit up again.

"I suppose asking you to rub my shoulders would be weird, huh?" he jokingly asked, earning a chuckle.

"It would. I don't know you well enough for that. Sorry, mate."

"I wasn't serious." Said Kristpoherson, joining him in his laughter with a grin. "I'm sure I'll think of something as soon as you leave, though."

"Take your time thinking, I'm in no hurry."

"I should at least offer you some tea. It would be no trouble."

"Are you sure?" questioned the incubus. "You should really rest."

"No, no, it's fine. Do you want some?" Kristopherson raised an eyebrow as his inquiry was met with some hesitance. Then Logan finally said it.

"I don't know how to answer that politely." The man blurted out. "If I say ' _yes_ ', is it pushy? If I say _'no'_ , though, you might insist and the conversation will go nowhere!"

A loud snort escaped the Miles, followed by laughter. He tried to cover his mouth, but his smile was still visible, and it only stifled the noise a little. Looking up at the incubus, Kristopherson could see a purplish blush start to form on the man's cheeks. Logan was embarrassed. It occurred to him now that what he had just said may be stranger than simply answering the question.

"S-sorry, did I say something wrong?" bashfully questioned the incubus, causing the wolfman to shake his head.

"No, not at all!" Kristopherson finally managed to say while calming his cackling down to a small chuckle here and there. His grin remained however. "I just didn't see it coming. You're really honest. I would have never thought to tell the other person about that feeling, though. I feel you."

"You… _feel_ me?" asked Logan, arching an eyebrow in confusion.

"I mean ' _I understand'_." The other explained. "Don't worry about it. You're a funny guy, Logan. Just answer honestly. Do you want tea or not?"

His odd purple blush darkening, the incubus lowered his head a bit. "I would…"

"Then I'll make some tea." Stated the wolfman, grunting a bit as he stood up. "Just sit down and make yourself comfortable in the meantime."

"A-alright…" answered Logan, watching the other walk away. He then eyed the sofa carefully before shyly sitting down, making sure to sit a considerable distance away from Kristopherson's implied seat. "Was it really that funny, though?"

"It was." Answered Kristopherson from the kitchen. The other man could hear cupboards opening and dishes moving around. "I've never heard anyone say something so honest before. Usually, people just pick one or the other."

"Uh, well… I've always figured that it's best to just say how you feel up front." Logan said. "Even if it's a little embarrassing, it usually makes things go a lot faster."

"That's a good way to go about things. So you're not only honest, but you've got guts, too, huh?"

"If you want to look at it that way…"

"I'm actually surprised you can drink tea, by the way." Kristopherson thought aloud. "I had always thought that incubi and succubi were like demons, and didn't really need food."

"Having a dry throat still doesn't feel too nice." Logan stated, crossing one leg over the other. "We _can_ eat food, and it does give us some energy, but up to a certain point, it's not enough to survive on unless you're eating constantly. It's just not possible!"

"Good to know. I was worried for a minute. Like, _'did I just pressure someone who can't eat to drink tea'?_ Now _that_ would have been awkward."

"I would have just told you if that was the way it is." Answered Kristopherson, watching as he walked through the living room and down the hallway. He then returned moments later with his cell phone.

"I need to set an alarm." Kristopherson informed, answering Logan's curiosity before he could ask. Sitting down on his own side of the couch, he set the device down and turned to face the other. "So, you can eat food and shapeshift… what else can you do?"

"I dunno. I can't really think of anything special. I'm sure there's stuff, but it's kinda normal, to me, so…"

"I get it." Nodded the faux-blonde. "It's like, something that's weird to me might be normal to you, so you just don't really think about it. It's just part of you."

"Exactly." Logan stated, snapping his fingers and flicking his tail. "I guess that's sorta universal."

"It is. There's a few things like that that are." The faux-blonde said while carefully eyeing his cat as it walked up to them. The feline looked up at Logan before looking down at his tail as it flicked from side to side. He then looked up at the other again, paying attention to him as he spoke.

"I wonder what other things are. Maybe stuff like what I did earlier? Not being able to answer something because you don't wanna come across as ru-u-UOW!" yelped the incubus with a jolt. He yanked his tail from the grasp of the cat and held it tightly, trying to soothe the stinging sensation.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" Apologised Kristopherson, standing up. "I was trying to keep an eye on him, but I got distracted!"

"I-it's okay… Ow…"

"We should take care of that. Come on, let's go get it cleaned up." Suggested the wolfman, holding out a hand to the other and helping him to his feet.

Logan shuffled a bit, trying not to step on the now somewhat frightened feline on the floor. The pair stepped into Kristopherson's bathroom, where the man rummaged through the medicine cabinet for a first aid kit and turned on the water.

"You should clean it up the best you can." Kristopherson said. "Cat scratches can be nasty. I'd help you, but according to my demon friends, touching another person's tail isn't appropriate."

"It isn't…" smiled the other, but his expression soon faded as he put his tail under the faucet where it was scratched.

"Can you get infected cuts? If so, then we should spray some of this stuff on it."

"That's probably a good idea." Answered Logan, turning the water off before being handed a towel to dry the appendage off with. Once that was done, the Miles held up the small spray bottle.

"Hold it out for a second." He instructed. "This is gonna sting, so grit your teeth or do whatever you need to do to prepare for that."

"Surely it's not that bad…"

"You can chance it if you want." Warned the wolfman. "Ready? Three… two… one…"

" _WHAT THE FUCK?!"_ blurted out the incubus, clutching his tail again after the wound was covered with a spritz of disinfecting spray. Sucking in air through his teeth, he waited for the stinging to subside before continuing. "Aaahh… You weren't kidding…"

"I'm sorry for laughing, but it's fun to hear you swear." Grinned Kristopherson, setting the bottle on the counter. Sticking his hand back in kit, he pulled out an adhesive bandage and handed it over to his guest. "Here. Patch it up with this."

"If you were just gonna give me that, why spray me with that stuff?" questioned Logan, taking it regardless.

"Cats scratches can get infected easily. It was to kill the bacteria."

"Kill the bacteria, not me…" The incubus muttered, wrapping the bandage around his tail. Once he was satisfied with how it held, he let go of it and let if hang freely while the other man continued to chuckle at him.

"I'm sorry my cat thought your tail was a toy." He apologized as the alarm went off in the other room. "Maybe some tea will make you feel better?"

Agreeing to the offer, Logan made his way back to the living room, being careful to avoid having his tail in the reach of the cat, while his host disappeared into the kitchen momentarily. When he returned, they continued talking. They talked about life, they talked about their homes and the people they knew, and they talked about nothing at all. The two were laughing and having a good time to the point where both of them had forgotten the original purpose of this meeting.

Only on a few occasions was Logan able to do something here and there for the faux-blonde, as Kristopherson only thought of things that needed to be done when the conversation brought them up. Most of the time, they just sat about, socializing until the day was done. Kristopherson did feel well enough, however, to show the incubus how he groomed his goatee. The man was desperate to shave, anyway, as he felt unclean around his guest in an odd way. Once he was done, the other man clapped at the design, amazed by how simple Kristopherson had made it seem. He then was offered a design, himself, and the pair spent some time designing a pattern for Logan, and then some more time trimming it in. The trimming itself took less time, since the pattern was less complicated than Kristopherson's, but Logan was extremely pleased with it. He couldn't stop smiling and felt the need to show it off.

He would get his chance, however, as they walked into the living room and noticed that it had gotten dark outside. Neither of them expected the day to slip by like this, but assumed that this is merely what happens when having fun. At this point, however, it was mutually decided that Logan should go home.

"My family'll be getting worried." Logan said as the other escorted him to the door. "It'll be fine, though, especially when I show them this cool goatee."

"That's good." Answered the wolfman with a laugh. "Feel free to come over whenever. I had a good time."

"Me too. Do you mean for cleaning, or…?"

"Just to hang out. Unless you need an excuse to hang out, then I'm sure I could think of some trivial task for you to do."

Smiling, the incubus looked down at his shoes and then back up. "I'd like that. You're a cool guy, Kristopherson."

 _"'Kris'_ is fine." Grinned the faux-blonde. "Will you be okay getting back? I can drive you, if you want."

"Nah, it's fine. I kept you from resting enough." Logan said, his skin changing colour and his horns and tail disappearing. "At least we had fun."

"It's no trouble, but if you insist…" Kristopherson trailed off, opening the door. "Get outta my house." He jested, causing the other to roll his eyes. "Thanks for the help, though."

"No problem. I'll be happy to help whenever you need me." The incubus said, stepping outside. He turned to wave briefly. "See ya."

"Laters." Answered the wolfman, waving back politely before the other walked away. He then closed the door again and locked it, turning back to face the inside of his home. It seemed empty, now. He would have to have company over again soon.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello~! How is everyone? These notes are very far and few between, aren't they? I remembered something, though, and I thought I might share it. 
> 
> Originally, when writing the stuff with Logan, I was worried that people will have certain assumptions about him due to him being an incubus. Like, he's just here to get in Kristopherson's pants, he's promiscuous, probably kinky, etc. Turns out, that didn't really happen? I'm always worried about that whenever I introduce an incubus or a succubus character, but it never happens. Weird. I know hos fandoms often are, so I braced myself for the worst!I
> 
> Dunno... What are y'all's first impressions? I'm curious.
> 
> Until the next chapter, my duckies~!


	213. The Lovely Bones

Hey, it's Audrey. Shit's gotten kinda weird between everybody, and I can't quit thinking about it. I'm supposed to be working, but here I am, wondering If everybody's gonna be alright. Kris was bitten by a werewolf last month, and that kinda shook everybody. All of us have been talking to him pretty regularly to see how he's doing, and he seems to be handling things pretty well. I went to lunch with him and Travis earlier in the week, and he seemed fine. We were all really relieved, with everything that's been going on with him. According to Alois, he even made a friend in Gehenna and talking to him seems to help him come to terms with the whole "supernatural" thing, so by all means, he should go ahead and talk to him.

He still doesn't talk to Dan, though, and Dan won't talk to us about much. When you call him, the conversation is usually short. I dunno if he's depressed about Kris, jealous, mad, or what, but he doesn't sound too happy. All we know is where he's staying, now, and he's still going to school and stuff. He might have more stuff going on on his end, too, and we just don't know yet. That's pretty scary, actually. None of us want anything like what happened with Preston to happen again…

We're still not really sure where he is, yet. Part of my job is to figure out where Preston ran off to, at the Intel Department, but the trail is pretty cold until we can get some people overseas. Ciel says he should have gone in the direction of the Netherlands, but we don't have jurisdiction over there, so we'll probably have to cut a deal with their government to look for him— _if_ he's still there at all, that is.

I wanna know what he's doing. I dunno what I'm gonna do when I do, but I guess it's like one of those things that you just _have_ to do, y'know? Nobody thinks that it's possible to bring him back to our side again. None of us, do, and we are his friends. Well… we _were,_ anyway… It still doesn't really feel like he's gone. Like, if I go over to his place, it feels like he should be there, just chillin' and working on some geek shit like always. He's not, though. Now he's some kind of super villain… It's just so unreal…

We don't want a repeat of that. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. doesn't, but neither to the rest of us. We've been checking in on each other pretty regularly and trying to hang out as much as possible. Patricia has joined us a few times, too. I think she and Travis have a thing, but neither of them have said anything. Maybe we'll meet Kris' new friend soon, too. I hope we can talk to Daniel, soon. We're all worried about him. We don't want him to get himself into any trouble.

In other news, work has been going alright, even with all of that going on. After changing departments, I don't get to see that girl in the Research Department much anymore, unless it's for check-ups. I've seen a lot of shit, but nothing's weirder than having a cute girl you really want to talk to put a stethoscope against your chest and ask you if you're sexually active. Even worse is having to say "no". This is possibly one of the worst places to try and to talk to girls. Sometimes, we do talk about other things, though, and she really knows her supernatural stuff. She doesn't think my haunted house hunting is weird, even though she says she doesn't believe in ghosts. Ugh, I feel kinda creepy talking about all of this… She's got her life, and I've got mine, and besides, she probably doesn't see any of this that way, and I'm just being weird.

The last time I went for my check-up, though, she wasn't there. Somebody else had to do it because as head of the department, she had other things to take care of. I here there's something going on with one of the other "specimens" they're researching, but none of us know who. The Garous don't know, and neither do August or Johnny. Seras probably knows, but I can't really find the time to hunt her down, and I know she's already busy all the time, too, so I don't want to bother her. It might not be one of the living ones, though. The research department keeps all kinds of tissue samples in jars and stuff.

Things are a little crazy. I guess this is just what being a grownup is, though. Ah… I need to go get food… My fridge is almost empty… And I need to throw away this nasty milk… It's stinking up my flat… Did I pay that subscription yet? Little things with the big ones…


	214. Westley Ramblings

Fuuuuuuuuccccckkkkk this is boooooorrrrriiiiiinnnnnggggg… Ever since I moved out of Kris' place, I've been so bored. There's nothing to do, and I really don't wanna talk to anybody. My friends keep calling to ask me if I'm okay, but seriously, I don't know. I dunno how I feel about anything.

That shit with Kris is confusing as fuck. He's attractive, yeah, and I could see us together, but he says that I don't care about him? What was I supposed to do? I dunno how this shit works. I guess that's why his sister dumped me, too. Am I just a total shitstain, or what? I dunno where I went wrong… They said I don't do anything, but what am I supposed to do?

I guess I really don't do anything, since I spend most of my time either going to school or laying around at home. Maybe I'm not attractive because I'm not active? I've noticed that I have a bit more of a gut than I used to. Maybe I should get a job. I don't really need one, since between my allowance and dad's hush money, I'm financially covered. Is it weird that I don't feel bad about taking their money? I caught my dad with a prostitute—also a guy—and he's willing to pay me to not tell my mum. I feel bad for her, but at the same time, I don't. She let my brother have my room at home, which he's totally trashed. I miss Samantha, though. Sometimes, we talk on Skype and it helps me feel a bit better.

She tells me I should go out and do something, too, but I dunno what. Maybe I should join a gym? I feel like that would be embarrassing. Maybe I should start by getting me one of those home gyms. I'm afraid I'll just use it as a coatrack in the corner, though. Fuck… I'm bored. Maybe there's a club at school I can join? Doubt it. Maybe I should just quit dicking around and just call my damn friends back. For some reason I'm mad at them, though. It's like they took Kris' side instead of mine. Yeah, I know he's upset and all, but he didn't even give me a chance. I hadn't even made my move yet!

I dunno what happened. We used to be cool with each other. Then I started noticing things about him… He's attractive, but I'm not sure what to do with him, somehow? Ugh… All of this is messing with my head. If I'm not doing a good job at being with him, then what am I doing wrong? Or what _did_ I do wrong?

I need something to do. I can't just sit around wanking off all day… Yeah, I go to school, but it's all I do. That's my excitement for the day. Maybe I should call somebody and go out on the town, but I dunno who. Maybe Alois is game. Though, I hear he's been spending a lot of time with Kris, so he probably isn't too thrilled with me.

Sometimes I go for a walk for some as-fresh-as-London-gets air. I spend most of the time loitering about places. Sometimes I'm asked to leave, and sometimes I'm not. Shit… I'm acting like one of those teenagers who just hang about and give people bad vibes all day in public.

I'm a grown-ass man! I should like, go get a drink or something… I don't want to by myself, though. It's more fun with people. Maybe I could go try to pick up somebody? It would help if I actually knew how to do that. Besides, the apartment's a mess… I should clean it today… I didn't know it could get so dirty. I guess I've just always had somebody else do it for me…

Wow. I'm a prick. Maybe I should send Audrey a text or something. Or Travis. Travis always knows what to do. Those author types are really good at this shit. Yeah. That's a good idea. If Kris says I should be more proactive, I will. I'm going to get my shit together.

I'm going to text Travis and see if he wants to go do something later, cleanup, and then do some sit-ups or something. Easy. I can do this. No problem. Then, when I'm all buff, I'll find someone twice as hot as Kris. Let's do this.


	215. Talkative Travis

Writing is hard. I published my book in Gehenna, and several publishers in London are looking at it, but now I don't know what to write about. Patricia says that it's because of all of the conflict going on within our group at the moment. It's sort of depressing. Daniel refuses to talk to us, Preston is still at large—but Kristopherson is feeling better, so there is a silver lining.

With the success of _The Devil's Ballroom_ in Gehenna, I hope I can start writing again soon. I do have quite a few requests, so I could sift through them for something, I suppose. I still need to read the rest of my fanmail. I know I need to think of something good, with how excited people are with my first few books. Every time I read a fan's letter, I get a new idea just by reading about how much they enjoyed the novel, and then I read the next one, and think of another. They usually conflict with one another. One moment, I want to write about a cynocephalus, and then the next, a hippopode. I can't seem to decide on who is my main character.

I can probably decide while I'm at my parents' house. They moved to Cornwall, recently, and I'm staying there for a few days to help them get settled in. Mostly, my mum wanted me to help make sure my dad doesn't try to "help" the movers because of his back. It's been nice. I can see why mum would want to move here. It's pretty, and reminds me of a place in one of her books. She writes romance, but I'm no good at that. Patty is, and helped me a few times in The Devil's Ballroom. She's able to crank out stories like it's nothing, and then she's off to boxing practice like no one's business. She's actually a fan of mum's, and when I told her about her, mum insists that I should bring her next time. From the sounds of it, it wasn't even a request, but rather a thinly-veiled demand. I suppose it's pretty normal for parents to be curious about their kids' girlfriends, though.

Come to think of it, I haven't even told the lads about that. It just never came up. The only reason why I let it slip to my parents is because they asked. I probably should tell them. I wouldn't want to give the impression that I'm embarrassed over it, or anything. Far from it. It's actually because I just don't think it's a big deal.

She's cute, though, and showing her off a bit more would be nice. I don't know if she's into it, however. We're still new enough that we're still in the process of figuring each other out a bit. I'll have to remember to ask, later. Maybe I'll just shoot her a text in a minute. We both like bluntness because it makes things easier.

Earlier my parents and I were out and about, and mum asked if I should bring Patty back a souvenir. I should, but she's not really big on jewelry, and she can't wear the earrings mum suggested. Her ears aren't pierced, and even though she says she wants to get them, she's also afraid of it hurting. I feel like that's funny, coming from a boxer, but saying that got me punch to the shoulder. Not a serious one, though. I'd _know_ if it was. Maybe I'll get her a hoodie. She wears them a lot, and she was upset that her favourite got a hole in it, recently. Mum says that's a terrible gift for a girl, but she hasn't met _this_ girl. Dad likes the sounds of her, though, but he used to be a wrestler. I hope he doesn't request a match when she comes over. He's not as in shape as he used to be.

I'm not sure when she'd be able to come meet them, however. The next time I'll be down here is for Hanukkah, but she'll be spending Christmas with her family and doing weird Catholic stuff. She's not practising, but she does it around her family, which I completely understand. She doesn't get my family's stuff, but we both kinda have this agreement where we both do our own thing, and we respect that. Hell, we're friends with two bisexual demons in a same-sex relationship, a gay werewolf, and a half grim-reaper. You can't let tradition get in the way of everything.

Oh, so I send a text to Patricia, and get one from Dan? Alright. Dan says that he wants to hang out, but can't today because he's too sore from working out. I'm not sure if I believe him, but if I did, he probably tried to push himself too hard first thing. That's just how he does things… Maybe meeting at the gym would be a good idea… I have to tell him I'm not in town for the week. I just hope that he doesn't show up at my house looking for me. _Again._


	216. Scarlet Fairytales

I thought Britain's weather was bad… I can't stand all of this snow, and neither can the crew. After we made it to the Netherlands, we made some quick repairs to the ship, refueled, and headed further north into Norway. We would have simply made our rounds, but we didn't want to enter German waters, even though according to the demographics, there's only slightly more Catholics there than Protestants, but we don't want to risk any confrontations with the Iscariot organization. According to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; at least, they're supposedly a lot less "forgiving". We made another quick stop in Denmark for more supplies and such, but our sources indicate that there's a high concentration of supernaturals in the Scandinavian area. Our mission is to establish a network there as well, just as we have elsewhere.

We have made contacts in both the Netherlands and in Denmark, so the Order is getting more members and is starting to become international. There's plenty of places for us to hide, if H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. decides to follow us now. Some of the villages were welcoming, while others simply told us to sod off in varying degrees of politeness, and it's the same, here.

We have new faces joining us in freezing our asses off. We're now able to distribute the chain of command a bit better, so it's not just the three of us running things. Wink and Hobbs are starting to get on each other's nerves, so it's best to give them a break from each other whenever possible. Wink had to be persuaded to un-freeze Hobbs at one point because he told her to stop complaining about the cold, while he himself wore both a full coat of fur and a coat of fabric as well. She's getting better at magic, but I'm still not too happy about wasting that time out in the middle of the woods while we're all trying not to get frostbite. Thank god there was a village of elves nearby who were willing to allow us to rest for a while.

They were the first elves we had come across on this little "adventure". Most of the supernaturals we had come across had been trolls, and a few of them remained with us in hopes of getting out of their villages and branching out. It's odd how different the Elves here look. They have the light-coloured hair, but it also comes in red instead of just white and blonde, and their ears aren't nearly as pointed. It's very slight, I've noticed. They also have blue eyes. All of them. The British ones in our crew all have gold, and a few green. A few of these elves have hairy lower-halves, like a faun or something. They and this other kind that have tails are called "huldra", I think. None of my crew aside from the trolls we had met along the way had seen anything like them, before.

Anyway, we were able to rest here for a few nights in exchange for giving them food and a few other things. One of them was really weird. I still can't really believe that happened. Apparently, the Scandinavian elves consist of primarily women, even though there are a few men, simply since females are more common. A lot of us noticed this right away but didn't really pay much mind to it. They say that a long time ago, they would kidnap human men who wandered through their forest and use them to help their population, since this species of elves can't make hybrids with humans. It's like how anything combined with an incubus or succubus will make an incubus or succubus. The stopped doing this, however, but as a result, they've started dying out. We could see it while walking through the village. I'm not sure how else to phrase this, but… They also accepted men as payment?

They were very peculiar about who they'd accept, though. Only elves, sorcerers, and the few humans that were in our group. A werewolf or two was accepted as well. We all got together for one or two nights, and then they were done with us, really. They accepted being part of our network, but didn't expect any of us to follow-up on any children made to repopulate the village. They didn't seem to even _want_ us to. Some of the crew was disappointed about that, really. Part of me was, but there's no way I could have been any good for a kid.

We've been able to set up a radio network and retain contact with all of the communities we made alliances with. They even started flying scarlet flags. Every single one has a different design on them. It's almost like we're pirates or something. That sounds pretty good, actually.

It's ironic that we're gathering boats for members to spread out in across the water. I do think that we need a central base, however, but I haven't figured out where yet. I've been talking about it with Wink and Hobbs, but we can't seem to agree on anything. An island would be ideal to work as a port for all of our vessels, but there's none in this patch of ocean that we can use without being detected. If we get enough vessels, we can probably even capture more to keep running.

I've been thinking about raising some hell to draw H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. out. If they're not manning the base, we can attack it again, but this time, with actual arms. They won't be able to hurt people like us again. It's more than that, though… I know it is… I still don't understand it myself, though… I want revenge on H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. for imprisoning me and treating me like a monster, and I also want to punish the Watchdog and Lion for letting them doing it. They had plenty of chances to help me, but they knew who they were loyal to, and I learned that quickly.

Just telling the people we meet on our travels what H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. has done is enough to convince them to help. They've murdered entire families of supernaturals, and mutilated others. They took Wink's eye. Her story isn't the only one. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. has always been cruel for the sake of "helping" humanity. It's government-supported genocide disguised as a measure to better society. No amount of rebranding will ever change any of that.

The ice hurts, but it's not nearly as bad as being forced to fight and kill supernaturals. It's like they're not even people to them. Even Ciel and Alois—I mean—the Watchdog and the Lion don't feel anything for the people they kill. Since that's the case, I won't either. Once they're gone, I'll go build up more power and take on Iscariot. The Scarlet Order will support the supernaturals of Europe and help them thrive. If I have to freeze my ass off a bit to get there, so be it.

This is harder than I thought it would be, but it's rewarding at the same time. My cause is right, and the people support me. Personally, I don't like violence for many reasons, but sometimes, it's the only thing that works. When dealing with a boogeyman who supernaturals gather around the campfire at night to tell stories about, one can never be too careful. For now, we're relaxing until dawn, when we start moving again, but soon, we'll have to put everything we've built up to good use.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just gonna upload all of these chapters at once, since they're so short. I like them when I need to catch up with a character, because they're quick and easy to belt out and I can put in a lot of information at once. I don't really like them because it feels like I'm cheating everybody out of an ACTUAL chapter! Ah, well... The problem with presenting this information the usual way is that it would take a shit ton of chapters as opposed to a small handful, so I'd have to stretch EVERYTHING out and it would just be a pain. Maybe it's a mark of a crap writer. Who knows?
> 
> The next chapter should be business as usual, so until then~!


	217. On Call

All was peaceful at Phantomhive manor that morning, and those who lived there enjoyed much needed normalcy—or rather, what passed for "normal" for them. The only thing that was different from usual was the bluenette waking up before his spouse against the norm of the menace merely pretending to sleep. Alois was out cold, still, rendering the Watchdog immobile by using his chest as a pillow. Ciel didn't mind, however. He understood that the other hadn't been sleeping well, recently.

Following the full moon, the menace had difficulty falling asleep and had nightmares more often. They had gotten better over time, but right after witnessing his friend's painful transformation, he was a tad restless. Waking up to check on his spouse and having to be persuaded that Kristopherson was perfectly fine were typical behaviour for a few nights. Alois was tempted to text the faux-blonde in the wee hours of the morning in order to see how he was doing a few times. His spouse was patient, however, and didn't mind comforting him.

Ciel could only imagine what Alois had seen. Skin stretching over bones too large, almost to the point where one was afraid it would shred, the cracking of bone and the bulging of muscle disproportionate to the body, and the sounds of agony spanning from the room itself into the hallway. It was a bit much to see.

Still, both blondes were otherwise alright. The nightmares lessened with time, especially with updates on how Kristopherson was doing. Other than the transforming and grooming, the faux-blonde was even enjoying his new supernatural self a bit. He felt fit as a fiddle, and was able to explore Gehenna freely with his new friend. He even taught the local hairdresser how to trim beards like he does. It was a relief for the menace and he was able to rest easier.

Now, he slept peacefully while nestled up against his beau, who simply continued to lie there and hold him. If there was one perk about waking up first, Ciel found, it was that he was able to see the blonde's sleeping face. It was serene and beautiful, with fair skin and long lashes. His body was warm as he slept quietly, with only the sound of soft breathing audible. Running his hands through the blonde's messy hair was one of the Watchdog's favourite pastimes, so that's what he did, soothing the other man as he slept. Ciel could only hope that his spouse couldn't pick up the sound of his heart beating slightly faster at the endearing sight. Sometimes, Ciel had trouble understanding how he could find a person so adorable.

The moment was almost ruined, however, as the bluenette's phone went off. Like a flash, his arm reached out and clasped the device and muted the sound. Looking down, he witnessed Alois stir slightly, only to settle down again by nuzzling his face further into Ciel's chest with a sigh. Promptly, the Watchdog answered it, keeping his voice down as much as possible.

"Hello?"

"Phantomhive?' called a familiar voice. The Watchdog wanted to groan at hearing Detective Michael Bailey, but had to be quiet. "Why are you talking like that?"

"My husband is asleep." Ciel answered in a hushed tone. Getting straight to the point, he questioned: "What is it? Terrorists? Murderers? Your tie is stuck in the printer again?"

"How did you know about that?!"

"I'm friends with your father, now what is it?"

Clearing his throat, Bailey could almost be heard straightening himself on the other end of the line, but Ciel waited patiently nevertheless. "Mysterious deaths." He said. "We suspect foul play, but we're not entirely sure how to rule this."

"' _Mysterious'_ how, exactly?" pried the bluenette, running his hand through his spouse's hair as he seemed to stir again.

"Well… People are dying in their sleep, it looks like." Answered the Scotland Yard cronie on the other end of the line. "It started with a handful of people not being able to wake up, but then when they were admitted to the hospital, more people started suffering the same thing."

"Why do you suspect foul play?"

"After the first few, this… whatever it is seems to be confined to the hospital. Patients, nurses, and even doctors aren't able to wake up, and some of the earlier victims have died within a few days. It's like if you fall asleep, you're not guaranteed to wake up."

"That must be rough for surgeons. Even a nap can be fatal, I assume.'

"Yeah… A couple of surgeons actually have fallen under the spell."

"Think it might be supernatural?" questioned Ciel. "I mean, if you didn't, I'm not sure why you'd call me. You would just let some doctors figure it out."

"There was a sighting of something…" began Bailey. "A nurse suddenly felt drowsy for no reason, and collapsed on a hospital bed. When she woke up, she reported a… a creature sitting on her chest."

"Could be sleep paralysis, but it doesn't knock you out."

"Could you just go over there and have a look around? That place gives me the chills…"

"If you're scared of monsters, then don't become a cop." Said the Phantomhive, causing the other to grumble.

"Just go over there!" barked the detective, causing the brow of the menace to furrow. Ciel stroked the blonde's hair again to soothe him back to sleep, and pressed for further information, such as the name and location of the hospital in question. He would have to meet the detective there, eventually, even though he didn't want to wake his beau. He had to, as the Bailey was acting incredibly impatiently, and Ciel knew that he would only continue to call if he didn't show up swiftly.

"Hey, Jim?" called the Watchdog in a soft voice, putting his hand on his husband's shoulder and squeezing it lightly.

"Hmn..?" hummed the menace with a sigh.

"We have a job today, dear. Bailey called."

"Can't it wait?" sleepily mumbled Alois, reaching up to rub his eye.

"I'm afraid not. People are dying."

"Can't they do it later?"

"They don't have much say in it, I'm afraid." Ciel replied, patting his beau's shoulder. "Hop up. We need to get over there quickly."

"Why does this shit always happen in the morning?" groaned Alois, slowly sitting up with a grunt. He sighed, watching the bluenette do the same. "Murderers need to stop being so proactive."

"We're not sure if it's murder yet."

"Then what do they need us for?"

"Could be something supernatural." Pointed out the watchdog. "Come on. We need to get ready. We can take the motorcycle if you don't feel like driving, or we can hail a cab."

"The motorcycle is fun…" mumbled the blonde, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as his husband stood up.

"Then we'll take the motorcycle." Ciel smiled, placing his hands on the mattress while leaning down to peck his spouse on the lips. "Dress warm. It's supposed to be a bit nippy today."

"Alright… I'll steal one of your jackets, then…" Alois replied, causing the other man to roll his eyes before standing up again.

"That's the spirit." The bluenette said before turning around and heading toward the bathroom. "Don't you dare fall back asleep while I'm in the shower."

"I will make no such promises."


	218. Need More Than an Energy Drink

Despite their reluctance, the duo arrived at St. Raphael's Hospital. After parking their vehicle and heading inside, everything seemed normal, aside from the detective standing at the front desk waiting for them. Michael had dark circles under his eyes, like he stayed up the night before, or didn't go to bed at all. When the duo walked up to him, they did nothing to soothe his irritability.

"'Sup Juniour? Damn, you look terrible…" said the menace, blurting out his immediate thoughts. With a sigh, the Yard's detective didn't seem to have the energy to deal with him.

"Whatever. Let's just get this over with…" Bailey replied, gesturing for them to follow him as he made his way toward a large door that led to the hospital's hallways.

"Any information about these deaths?" questioned the bluenette, placing his hands in his pockets as he walked, his spouse at his side with Bailey's back to both of them.

"Not a lot, unfortunately." Said Michael. "Other than there's a lot of deaths happening for no reason, there's hardly anything. They're all happening around the same time, with no real identifiable cause of death. These are people coming in with non-deadly ailments, just, keeling over in the night."

"Sounds like a demon." Alois said, leaning in to relay the thought to his partner, who nodded. "Soul-snatching."

"That's a likely bet." The Watchdog agreed.

"Whatever it is, we need to stop it, because it's killed about six people so far." Detective Bailey said. "It's gotten patients, a doctor, a nurse or two, and it's going after… after more staff…" The man trailed off to yawn, covering his mouth with his hand as his pace slowed. Both demons were now almost at his sides while walking the same speed they started with.

"You okay?" questioned Alois, looking to the other. "Late night?"

"Hardly. This was actually one of the times I made it to bed early!" replied Micheal. "I only started feeling sleepy after I got here. Maybe the smell of medicine puts me to sleep."

"Maybe not…" speculated the bluenette. "Michael, you should probably leave. Didn't you say that one of the nurses was feeling drowsy before she saw something?"

"Yeah… All of the victims died in their sleep after not being able to wake up." Added Alois. "What if whatever this is can put people to sleep? I'm actually sensing something weird about this place… It doesn't feel like a demon, though…"

"If it's not a demon, then it isn't a big deal for you, is it?" asked Bailey. "You guys can handle it no problem, just like always."

"Maybe, once we figure out what's going on…"

"First we have to figure out what's causing this." The Watchdog said. "It has to be supernatural, as human science can't detect any cause of death. In addition, I'm picking up something as well… It seems to be contained to this hospital, though. Bringing in H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agents might not be the wisest until we can figure it out."

"Maybe we should call Miranda to see if she has any data on anything like this?" suggested Alois. "If anybody knows anything about this, it's her."

"Is this really something that your little super-club needs to be brought into?" questioned Bailey while looking over his shoulder. "It seems like everything you do these days goes back to that place…"

"Well, if something supernatural-related happens, they have the best resources to deal with it and solve the problem swiftly." Ciel informed while the detective yawned again. Bailey's pace began to slow again, and the demons could see him quickly shake his head as though he were fighting sleep.

"Seriously, Junior, you should leave. We can handle this." The menace said, appearing by the officer's side and taking a peek at his face. The Yard's detective blinked rapidly every so often, alternating between that and widening his eyes. He yawned again before answering.

"I'm good. All I have to do is stay awake. I'm a detective. It's a skill of the trade." Bailey replied. "Just get me some caffeine and I'll be…" He yawned again, dragging his feet somewhat. "I'll be… Al…right… ight…"

The two demons moved forward with arms outstretched as they saw the man stumble, catching him before he could hit the floor. Michael's head flopped around, yet he tried his best to keep it upright, but most of his energy was focused on keeping his eyes open. The detective tried to speak, but was only able to mumble nonsense.

"Michael!" called the Watchdog as his spouse shook the man slightly.

"Hey, stay awake, man! Don't pass out!" Alois said, patting Bailey's cheek in hopes of keeping him awake.

"We have to get him out of here." Stated Ciel, looking to his partner, and with a nod, Alois scooped the man up and bolted for the exit. The Watchdog followed closely and nurses called after them, but they couldn't risk stopping to explain themselves.

Bursting through the doors, they made it to the parking lot, where Alois set the detective down and crouched beside him. Grabbing his shoulders, the menace shook Michael again, demanding that he wake up. Quickly, his partner looked around, spotting a man leaning against the wall of the building watching them with a drink of some sort. The stranger would quickly go from amused to upset, as the Watchdog snatched the beverage from his hands before making his way over to Bailey, taking off the lid, and dumping it on his face.

With a yelp and a sputter as soda and ice pelted his face, Michael jerked awake, coughing before forcing himself to sit up. Thank goodness he finally learned to wear inexpensive suits while on duty, because the garment was completely ruined in the name of possibly saving his life. Wiping his eyes, he opened them, turning toward the demons.

"What the FUCK was that?!" he demanded, furrowing his brow and spitting out soft drink.

"You almost fell asleep with a deadly sleep-demon on the loose and we saved you." Calmly explained the bluenette as Alois stood up. "We need to get you checked out by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. immediately."

"I'll give them a call." Offered the menace, pulling out his cell phone.

"And just what are you going to do without me?" questioned Michael, looking up at them.

"Solve the case, of course." Ciel said, turning back to face the hospital, flashing the outraged man who had just lost his drink his badge momentarily to calm him. He then looked up at the building and considered his options. "Don't worry, we'll wait for you until your ride shows up."

Whatever insidious force had its grasp on this hospital, it wasn't just limited to those who were wide awake. It was strong enough now to _make_ one fall asleep forcefully. Whether or not the demons' own supernatural power would protect them from this magick was currently unknown, but they knew that soon, they would find out.


	219. In Limbo, There Is Only Silence

"Think Juniour will be okay?" questioned the blonde as he and his beau traversed down the hallway in search of one of those who was trapped in sleep. They had both agreed that they should probably look at what was happening to them and see if there was any disruption in a spiritual sense. The Watchdog sighed for a moment, already feeling this case weigh down on him.

"I think so, but just to be safe, we need to find out what's doing this." He said, keeping his eyes peeled for the room number that the nurse gave them.

" _Stopping_ it is going to be the tricky part…" reminded Alois. "We don't know how they're doing this, and it might not be something a few punches and bullets can fix."

"That's why we're doing our research." The bluenette stated. "I don't like going into things blindly. We need to have at least some basic idea—"

Before he could finish his sentence, the lights went out, rendering the hallway pitch black. "What was that?" asked the bluenette, turning around in order to face his beau, only for the lights to slowly flicker on again. The hallway was a little darker than before, and held a bizarre blue tint. Ordinarily, the Watchdog would think that there was just something wrong with the lights, but his thoughts were elsewhere at the moment. His partner had vanished.

"Jim?" he called. _"Jim?_ Where are you?"

Ciel couldn't sense the man anywhere. It was like he simply vanished altogether. His contract was still there, however, so he was certain that the menace was still alive. That didn't ease his panic, however. His husband was gone, and something bizarre was happening.

"Ciel!" echoed a voice accompanied by a high-pitched ringing sound coming from everywhere. Quickly, the Watchdog covered his ears as the painful noise assailed them, but it was no use. It felt as though the sound was coming from within his own head. It called him again and again. Ciel knew this voice. It was Alois'. He was looking for him.

"Jim!" he called back, keeping his eyes peeled. The hospital was lifeless, however, as though everyone had suddenly disappeared. Frantically, Ciel leaped into action, opening doors in hopes of finding someone— _anyone_ in this hospital, especially the blonde.

"Hello?!" he called. "Hello?! Jim! Where are you?!"

There was no answer. The voice stopped. The man's breath was frantic as he stood alone in the hospital corridor. It was the only thing that stood out against the deafening silence of the hospital. The entire building seemed vacant. Dead. There was no sign of life anywhere. Ciel knew there were people here before. He saw them in the lobby, in the hallway, while passing rooms; but all of that seemed to change when the lights went out.

"Is this really a demon's doing?" he thought aloud in a whisper. How this could be was anyone's guess, as one moment Ciel was walking, and the next, he was in what appeared to be another world. Was he dead? Was he merely asleep? He didn't know. Whether this was limbo or a dream, Ciel would come back to his reality. He swore by it. There was no way that he was leaving his beau behind. That thought led to another question, however: is Alois trapped here as well?

That is a mystery that needed solving before he did anything else. Was he somewhere in the hospital? Ciel couldn't sense him nearby, so most likely not. The Watchdog's feet began moving again as he made his way down the corridor once more. He needed to get moving if he was going to get things over with quickly. His pace quickened as he progressed, glancing inside rooms as he passed. This was starting to seem hopeless. He descended the stairs to the next floor and passed by a few more rooms, only to notice something very peculiar on them.

He was supposed to be on the second floor now, but the numbers on the rooms still indicated that he was on the fourth. No wonder this hallway seemed so familiar. It was the same one he started in! Ciel's eye widened at the realization and his heart dropped. Space made no sense. Time was useless. As far as he knew, he was trapped in an endless cycle. Now he had to ask himself how exactly he is supposed to break it?

Was he missing something? Surely there was a way out. If there was one thing a Phantomhive doesn't do, it's give in to despair. Now, the bluenette started going into rooms and rummaging through them. It was tedious, and didn't seem to do anything. There was nothing to be found that was out of the ordinary. The silence was starting to creep up on him. It was getting on him. Even the slightest sound that disturbed it as he shuffled through drawers and moved objects seemed loud enough to wake the dead.

It was then that he heard it and everything froze. He stood completely still with every single sense in his arsenal stood on end with him. The melody wafted toward his ears from out in the hallway, and when he peeked his head out into the corridor, it was coming from somewhere else. Without any other leads, the Watchdog was left with no other option but to follow it.

As he seemed to approach its source, the music got louder, but was still soft. Soon, it came from behind him, indicating that he had passed the source, and when he backtracked he found that it was coming from the restroom of all places. The crackling of the record player could be heard from behind the door, playing a tune that was very familiar to him.

It was an instrumental, but it still hit him just as hard as the original song did when he first heard it. It was supposed to be an uplifting piece, but he knew that it wouldn't be true for many in a time of war. Ciel could still make out the lyrics in his head even though they had been replaced with a piano.

" _We'll meet again_

_Don't know where_

_Don't know when_

_But I know we'll meet again some sunny day_

_Keep smiling through_

_Just like you always do_

_'Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away_

_So will you please say hello_

_To the folks that I know_

_Tell them I won't be long_

_They'll be happy to know_

_That as you saw me go_

_I was singing this song…"_

It was popular during the war, but Ciel never liked it. He knew that a good chunk of the men and women singing it would never come home. Even if they did, it was either in a coffin, or if they were especially unfortunate, a matchbox.

The thought chilled him, but Ciel put his hand on the door regardless, staying alert. Pushing the door open, the music got louder. Ciel couldn't figure out where it was coming from. He searched that room up and down. He checked the stalls, listened to the ventilation shafts, and still came up with nothing. What was this?

Placing his hands on his hips, he thought, trying to figure this puzzle out. In his frustration, he began to pace back and forth by the sinks, starting to grow tired of that wretched song. Looking up to examine his surroundings once again, he realized that he had been pacing in front of a wall of mirrors that were placed above the sink. The reason why he hadn't noticed before was the fact that he had no reflection.

Whipping his head to the mirror, he saw the bathroom's exit as reflected in it. There he discovered that the music was playing behind him, as there was a record player placed by the door. That is what the mirror had indicated, but he saw no such thing when entering the room, and when he turned around, there was nothing there. The space by the exit was empty.

"What the-?" he mouthed to himself, squinting and furrowing his brow. This was maddening. His eye was no longer reliable to him. Surely he was losing his mind. When he turned back to the mirror, he almost confirmed it as he let out a shout in surprise and almost jumped out of his skin.

In the mirror, there was someone standing in between the door and the record player. It was a man in a tailored grey suit with a black tie, belt, shoes, gloves, and umbrella to match. He leaned on it, staring back at Ciel in the mirror from his place by the exit, but his mere presence was certainly not the only thing that disturbed the bluenette. It was his face. It matched his own.

It was Ciel staring back at himself, with hair of a strange hue of blueish-black and sapphire eyes. The other man had two of them. No eyepatch or contract on his person. What separated the reflection from the Watchdog, however, was his expression. Ciel knew for certain he could not make such a face with a large smile on his visage, if one could call it that. It was more like he was bearing his teeth with his lips pulled back so far that his gums were exposed. The smile was seemingly petrified, as it never moved whenever the rest of the man's face did. His expression above his mouth moving without attachment to his more chilling feature. In fact, if one covered his mouth, he would have a normal expression, but alas, that was not the case.

Closing his eyes, the man in the mirror stood up straight before looking at Ciel again and turning his attention to the record player. With the tip of his umbrella, he moved the player's arm so that the needle was no longer touching the record. In that moment, the song stopped entirely, and silence returned, except for the sound of the smiling man's weight shuffling.

Looking back to Ciel, the man tucked his umbrella under his arm, and nodded to the Watchdog before turning toward the door. Ciel could hear from behind him the sound of the man's feet hitting the bathroom tile as he walked out, and the sound of the bathroom door swinging open and then shut as he left. Ciel did not let his gaze stray from that mirror until the man was completely gone. Then, his head whipped around quickly to see that neither the man nor the record player was there.

In silence, the Watchdog stood, wide-eyed at what he had just seen. His heart was pounding. A fresh coat of sweat covered his forehead and neck as his hair stood on end. Ciel had seen many things—horrible things; unspeakable things—but that was one of the most disturbing things that he had seen in a long time. The main reason was because he had no way of explaining it.

There was no waiting for him to calm down. He could not calm down after witnessing that. That smiling bastardization of himself in the mirror.

All Ciel could do was turn around the rest of the way and slowly make his way toward the door. Placing his hand on the handle, he was genuinely hesitant to turn it. He waited several moments before he mustered the courage. Pulling the door open, he let out an audible gasp.

"How can this be?!"

He was home. Ciel was back in Phantomhive manor. He recognised this hallway. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the hospital bathroom, yet too his front was his home? It was unbelievable. None of this was making sense.

Disoriented, Ciel cautiously stepped out into the hall, looking both ways as to examine his surroundings. Furrowing his brow, he tried to grasp at what was happening, only to jump as the door behind him slammed shut again. That was the final straw.

Turning around, he grit his teeth with nostrils flared and slammed his heel into the wooden surface of the door, kicking it open. Ciel's fists were clenched and he was practically itching to fight. Whatever was responsible for this, it certainly wouldn't make a fool of Sir Ciel Phantomhive! His frustration had turned to fury, only for his fire to go out all at once when he saw that instead of a hospital bathroom, he had just broken the door to his office.

What is this? Space was meaningless. Time was nothing. Eyes are deceitful. Nothing in this world was making sense.

"What is this place?" Ciel asked aloud. Even he wasn't sure if he was asking himself, or anyone who could possibly answer. "This world… is wrong."


	220. The Point of No Return

With a jolt, Alois woke up where he last remembered himself to be, but he was not thrilled about it. After his beau suddenly collapsed in the hallway, he had contacted H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. immediately before being permitted to use one of the hospital rooms to use while he waited for them to come. He had placed his beau on the bed and sat in the chair next to it, worrying his head off. No matter what he did, nothing seemed to wake the Watchdog. Not slapping, not papping, not calling his names… Even the legendary waking up with true love's kiss failed, leaving Alois to wait for the other professionals to arrive and take them both to headquarters to get to the bottom of this.

That is, until he himself started feeling drowsy. When he awoke, he was laying his head on the side of Ciel's bed, but much to his immediate alarm, Ciel was not in it. Sitting up, he scanned the room, noticing nothing out of the ordinary other than the fact that the lights were off, save for a lamp on the nightstand.

"Ciel?" he called out. "Ciel?!"

On his feet, he walked toward the door and put his hand on the handle before giving it a turn. "Ciel? Excuse me, can anyone help me find my husband—"

Suddenly, the man froze dead in his tracks. This was not right. This was not right at all! He was at the hospital, so how was he here?! A hospital room should not connect to a London street, especially one like this.

The city was vacant. Barren. There was no life in sight, and not a single light was on in any of the buildings. That wasn't the only thing that was off, however. Alois saw parts of the city that were familiar, but distinctly did not go together. Scotland Yard was certainly not across the street from this hospital, and the Getty was not supposed to be visible at the end of the block. It was as though his memory of the city had been garbled together into a nonsensical map. What on earth was this?

"I fell asleep…" the menace thought aloud. "Those people who died… They must have been sent here, too and couldn't get out…"

Alois came to the conclusion that staying here for too long would result in death. That was one answer to the hundreds of questions that were swirling around in his head. He felt his breath escape him as he peered up at the desolate and mashed together city, unsure of what to make of it. No though went through his mind as he stepped outside and onto the pavement in such sublime disbelief that he could not process it all at once.

What happened to London? If it was all a dream, then why was he dreaming of this? He knew that he needed to find a way out, somehow, so knowing that none of this was real, then where on earth would one look in a nonsensical world? The only sound he could hear was the sound of his feet hitting the concrete as he walked, aimlessly wandering while looking for something—anything at all.

The FUNTOM store was now next to the Library, and next to that was some shady shop that he recognised, but never wanted to even look at as he passed by in reality. The arrangements were random, and even minor details were swapped. In places where road should be concrete, it was cobblestone, and in places where streetlamps should be electric, they were lit by candlelight. Everything was so bizarre. It was such a clash of everything, that Alois nearly forgot what he was doing. Then, however, he saw something that made him remember.

"Hey!" he called out, waving his hand over his head as he spotted a figure just a little ways off in front of him. In retrospect, it probably wasn't a very good idea to wave the being over, but Alois had little else to go on.

Squinting, Alois could see that the person was wearing a hospital gown. It was one of the patients that succumbed to the mysterious sleep spirit that plagued the hospital! Alois was sure of it.

As soon as the stranger heard him, however, they tried to stumble off after looking over their shoulder at him. Something was wrong. The menace could feel it in his gut. With that, the blonde took off after them, keeping his hand in his husband's coat grasping the handle of his gun as he did. With a furrowed brow, Alois was in pursuit, stopping at the door of the building they had hobbled into. Upon reaching the door, he paused, and rightfully so.

"What?" he mouthed, seeing blood on the door handle. Looking down at the stoop in front of the building, droplets speckled the concrete as well. Sucking in a breath, he placed his hand on the handle and turned it, half expecting to be somewhere entirely different. It wasn't to be, however, as he merely came upon a bookstore.

Alois vaguely remembered this place as well. Perhaps it was from another case? Who knows? Maybe the memory wasn't his in the first place. Regardless, he drew his gun and tiptoed into the store, being wary of anything hiding behind shelves. Whoever he was chasing was injured, and he had no idea if they had somehow armed themselves in this mess. People, when injured, are typically not the most rational of sorts. Give them a weapon, and who knows what could happen?

Silently, the Lion crept through the store, holding his breath as he examined every nook and cranny. Then, he felt it. It was the presence of another living being. It was coming from the bathroom in at the back of the store. Tightening his grip on his weapon, the menace stood to the side of the door, gripping the knob. Abruptly he swung it open, hearing a startled gasp from within it. Revealing himself, Alois prepared himself to fire at what was inside, only to wrinkle his nose at what he found.

The patient was severely disfigured. Boils and tumour-like growths covered the skin. Blood dripped from their mouth and coated their fingernails as it appeared that the poor woman had tried to scratch the blemishes away, tearing the skin. Her eyes were foggy and she sucked in each breath with a painful wheeze as she sat on the toilet, peering out of the small room directly at the blonde.

"Help me…" coughed the patient, her voice damp and croaky. "Make… Make it stop…"

"What happened to you?" asked the menace, keeping his gun trained and senses sharp. "Why are you like this?"

"Too long… This world… Been too long…" the poor victim forced out. "Not… Not alone… They got him…"

"Who got who?"

"My… friend… another one trapped… got him… monster…" croaked the other. Pausing, she hacked up more blood, causing it to speckle the floor at Alois' feet.

"Who is your friend? Are there more people here?" asked the menace. "Did you see a man with blueish hair? Wearing an eyepatch?" His tone was much more urgent while worrying about the Watchdog, wondering if he was here as well.

"No…" croaked the other. "No one else… Just monsters…"

"What kind of ' _monsters'?_ What did they look like?"

With that question, the woman turned her head, facing the mirror. Wordlessly, the blonde followed their eyes with confusion on his face. It was only when the victim spoke that he understood.

" _Me…"_ she said, tears collecting in her eyes before falling down her coarse cheeks. "Kill… me… hurry!"

"Are you saying that the people who stay here for too long become something else?" demanded the menace. "Is what's killing people?!"

"Kill… kill me… kill… kill…" mumbled the woman. Her head flopped around limply as she tried to direct her gaze to Alois, but it seemed like the woman's strength was failing. "Kill me…"

Foggy eyes stared at icy blue, begging the menace to use the gun in his hand. They were sad. She knew this was the end. She had seen too much and had been pushed too far. There was no going back now.

Alois' lips pressed together and formed a thin line. Reaching over, he grabbed the door handle and slowly pulled the door shut with a soft click of the lock. Then, placing the barrel against its surface and heard a yelp on the other side. Alois did not look through the hole he had made. There was no reason. He knew the patient was dead, and she deserved the dignity of not dying with her body turned into a display.

" _Fuck_ …" he huffed, sucking in a deep breath. This was certainly more than either he or the bluenette had bargained for. Mercy-killing wasn't part of the plan. It didn't matter now, though. Right now, his biggest priority is moving forward rather than looking back at what could have been.

This world was strange. The next step could be hiding behind any door, so Alois decided that it was best to start looking. This shop was as good of a place to start as any. With the bathroom crossed off his list, however, there were few places in the building to look. The manager's office was empty, and so what the storage room.

"If it's in the basement, I swear to God…" the menace grimaced as he approached the door. As he tried to turn the handle, he found that it wouldn't budge. "Locked… Fortunately, my hands are the best lockpick."

Seeing as though this was a world of little consequence, the menace simply ripped the door off the hinges and tossed it to the side with a loud crash. Peering down, he rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Always the bloody basement…" he lamented, moving one foot in front of the other as he made his descent downward into seeming oblivion. The only thing visible was the staircase, being well-lit while everything else was shrouded in darkness that not even the demon could see into.

Alois gripped the handle of his gun tighter as his body tensed. He couldn't see. He had no idea what was out there, but it could see him, he was certain. For once, his demonic eyes were betraying him. He had forgotten how frightening darkness could be. The unknown was always more frightening than the known. No longer could he see the door that led him here behind him, the further downward he traveled on the seemingly endless staircase. It was too late to turn back. He had to keep moving forward, despite the fear.

Soon, as the man looked downward into the distance, there was a light. The orange glow was certainly inviting in comparison to the infernal staircase. Alois wanted to run toward it, but could only see so far ahead, so he could only continue to descend with caution, causing the staircase to complain with each step. Each sound made the blonde cringe and caused his worry of it collapsing altogether grow.

As he approached the room, the light flickered, indicating that it was lit by candles. Once he was at the end of the staircase, he could only look back to see a blackened void. He almost preferred it to what he found in the room. It was a stone chamber with more stairs to climb. The round shape made it seem like some sort of senate met here, but with the altar in the center, that observation wasn't even funny as a joke. The two cages on either side were irksome as well, but the thing that made Alois' eyes widen with terror was the symbol etched into the floor.

"No…" he uttered, his voice cracking. Slowly, he brought a hand to his mouth, covering it as he used the other to hug his own torso. It was almost instinctual, the way he moved forward, walking to that symbol at the room's center.

"It can't be… It's… This… This memory… _It's not mine."_

That was the symbol that made his love feel shame and anger. The one that marks him, and will stay with him for the rest of his days. This room was exactly how the Watchdog described it to him. This room—it was this room where Ciel became the demon master he is today, and where he began his descent into hell.

Reaching the lowest level on par with the cage and the altar, Alois stared forward at it for what seemed like hours, just marveling at it in a state of shock. It was a painful place. Even the air around it was suffocating. Fear, despair, and hatred poisoned it as it radiated from the altar, pulsing and coiling around the blonde's neck. Viciously, Alois tore his eyes away in order to look around.

"Ciel!" he called out. "CIEL! Where are you?! Please! Come out! Ciel!"

Nothing. Only silence whispered back to him, filling his head with doubt. " _Ciel…_ "

A yip called out to him from behind, and his head whipped around to face the cages. He couldn't see what was making the noise at first, but then he looked down and saw a rather strange sight. A puppy was staring at him from the floor of the cage. The poor thing... It was scrawny to the point where one could see its ribcage, and obviously couldn't see out of its left eye. Tufts of fur where missing, yet it looked hopeful while looking to the blonde. Against his better judgment, Alois stepped closer, and stuck his hands through the bars.

"It's alright, little one…" he said in a soothing voice. "I'll get ya out, now…"

The menace was able to squeeze the pup between the bars, and held it close to him in order to calm it. When he did, however, it was his turn to yelp, as the dog had turned into a black mass, swirling and churning in his grip. Abruptly, he dropped it, taking a few steps back and reaching for his gun. He kept it trained on its constantly changing shape as it grew larger. Eventually, it took the form of something more familiar. Another dog.

This dog was older than the puppy, but was definitely the same kind. It was a Doberman Pincher, muscular, healthy, and strong. Looking over to the menace again, the man could see that the hound was still missing an eye, although it looked better. Regardless, Alois wasn't going to put down his gun without a good reason.

"O _ **h**_ , Get oFf i _t_." Called a voice—or rather, a conglomerate of voices. "I'm n **o** t GoiNg to h **urt** YO _u_. In f **A** c _t_ , I su **p** _ **p**_ **OS** e I oU _ **g**_ _h_ T to tHANk y **o** u f _or_ let _ti_ nG mE o **u** t of t **H** at _cage_."

"What the fuck?" the menace spoke aloud. "Who are you? Wait, are you coming from the fucking dog?!"

"InD _e_ _ **e**_ d." Answered the voices. Listening closer, Alois could tell that he recognised some of them if he listened closely. From what he could pick out, one of them sounded like Integra, while another sounded like Detective Bailey Seniour, Elizabeth was there as well, and so was Sebastian. The voice that was at the forefront, however, was his spouses. "T **rUs** t _me_ , I dID _n'_ t ch **oo** _S_ e _the_ **fOR** m I'm _**IN,**_ B **u** _t_ _I'm ju_ **st** gOIn **g** to _h_ AVE to **wo** R _k_ **wi** th **i** _t_."

"Your mouth isn't even moving…"

"Ar **e** YoU REA _l_ **ly** **h** o _p_ iNg **for** S _ENSE_ anD re _ **as**_ _o_ n A _t this_ p **oin** t?"

"I can _hope_ , can't I?"

" **T** _r_ Ue." The dog replied before wandering off. Its claws clicked against the stone floor. "Ei _ **th**_ eR _w_ aY, **yoU** _ **m**_ **u** s _t_ co **m** E aL _ **on**_ g. T _He_ re **'s** _**s**_ _o mUCh_ t **o** d **o** , A _n_ d n **o** T _mu_ cH ti **m** e _to_ D **o it**."

"Why the fuck should I follow you?" asked Alois, watching as the canine made its way back up the steps and to the door. It looked back to the menace once there. "How do I know you're not some _thing_ that's gonna try to eat me?"

"Yo **U** T **r** uST **m** _e_." Answered the canine before hopping up and swiping at the handle with its paw. Once it was open, the dog trotted out into the pitch blackness outside before it swung shut behind it.

"Wait!" demanded the menace, chasing after it. He ran up the stairs and away from the altar, away from the cages, and away from that terrible symbol. "You can't just leave me—"

Grabbing the handle, Alois yanked open the door and stepped outside, unable to think due to the sight before his eyes. Once more, he was outside, but with a sunny sky over head.

Birds chirped and the sound of running water hit Alois' ears as he stood dumbfounded by the stream. The door closed behind him, forcing him to turn around and face the structure that he had just exited. It was a small, run-down mill with the wheel rotted and broken as he barely hung on just above the water. Alois knew this place well. He used to live here ages ago with his little brother, Luka. This is where no one would come to bother them. There were the bluebells next to the shack that they used to play with, putting them in their hair while pretending to be "girls". It even smelled like fresh water and pollen, just as he remembered. A sense of nostalgia washed over the menace, but it was accompanied by the feeling of being sick to his stomach.

"… _Alone…"_ he finally concluded, furrowing his brow as he found himself yearning to the disjointed pseudo-London again.

He knew that there was a village nearby, and he knew that whatever that dog-creature was, it wanted him here. However, the menace did not want to go to that village. It was gone, surely. Last time he saw it, it certainly was, but in this world, he somehow doubted it. It was the village of _Arachnophobia_ , and the Lion wanted absolutely no part of it. The torment he endured there set him down a diabolical path that he could not stray from no matter how hard he tries.

"There's only one direction to move, though, and that's forward…" he murmured. "But this… This feels like I'm just going backwards…"


	221. Doubt

The mansion was deathly quiet. This wretched silence antagonized the bluenette to the point of severe agitation. It was also, however, one of the ways he was able to determine that this was indeed not his house in actuality. Outside the windows, it was pitch black, almost as though the building were floating in space. This was not home. This was just strange.

Ciel wandered aimlessly in this limbo-like prison, wondering how on earth he could get out. It seemed hopeless, as portals seemed to appear in locations that were completely random, and even if he found them, there was no telling if he would be send closer to the exit or even further away. The Watchdog was not amused.

Sighing, he dragged his feet down the hallway, starting to feel a bit heavy. It was as though the hopelessness of the situation was actually starting to get to him. This was so unlike him. Why did he feel the need to simply stop and forfeit.

Fruitlessly, he walked on, squinting a bit as he stared ahead at the end of the hallway. The door at the end never seemed to get any closer. It was like he was moving in place as the hallway became longer and longer. In his mind, Ciel knew that he needed to run, but for some reason, he didn't have the strength.

His eye began playing tricks on him, he was certain. Up ahead, the air seemed to condense and thicken, warping the picture of the door at the end of the hall. With a flicker, a human-like shape appeared for just a moment, forcing the confused Watchdog to a stop. It happened again, and again, faster now, until the picture finally appeared with clarity.

"You…!" declared the Phantomhive, gazing upon his own visage in the grey suit with the umbrella and grotesque grin plastered across his face. The figure loomed for a few moments before straightening its back and raising a hand, holding it out to the other man. It was an invitation to the Watchdog, but the Watchdog took it as a challenge.

Snorting, the Phantomhive caught his second wind and charged his smiling counterpart. He had had enough of this world, and wasn't at all keen on the presence of this impostor. That grin of his seemed mocking, and the gesture only made him seem like he wanted Ciel to fight. Thus, the Phantomhive did just that. Despite the ever expanding hallway, the demon was able to outrun it as he charged headfirst like a wild beast.

Cocking back his fist, he caused the other's eyes to widen before the other man raised his umbrella. Holding it steady on both ends, the smiling man blocked the Watchdog's blow, but his feet didn't stay firm on the ground and thus both of them kept moving. The men crashed through the door behind the smiling man, ending up in the ballroom despite the house's true blueprints. That was the least of their concerns, however.

Tumbling, the men rolled before the smiling man kicked Ciel in the stomach, separating the both of them before returning to his feet. Ciel stayed low to the ground, ready to strike once more. He couldn't even tell what his counterpart was thinking. His expression made him look deranged. His smile combined with his furrowed brow gave off the intent to kill, so the Watchdog drew his gun.

"What are you?!" demanded Ciel, training the barrel on his counterpart. He snarled, trying to stare the other man down. His foe, however, was unperturbed, and merely paused to dust off his jacket. The smiling man looked back at the Watchdog before rolling his eyes at the man's antics.

Putting his arm out again so that it was parallel to the floor, he snapped his fingers before pointing of to the side like he were directing an animal. At that moment, Ciel might as well been, as his faulty mirror image instilled an almost irrational degree of anger within him. It came out again as the Phantomhive fired his weapon. Bullets pierced through the air as they propelled forward, directly at the other man's face and chest. Just as quickly, however, the smiling man pointed his umbrella at the Watchdog with one hand. It opened and he hid behind it. Ciel was forced to simply stand there in shock as he saw the bullets bounce off what was supposed to be thin surface of flimsy fabric.

Furrowing his brow and gritting his teeth, Ciel put away his gun although that wasn't the end of his rampage. From his hand emerged black fire, roaring and groaning as the blade that was woven into the fabric of his demonic garb appeared from his palm. Thread snapped as the Watchdog's sword materialized, and with a swift movement, the handle was free and in its owner's grasp. Pointing it at the other, Ciel noticed that the eyes of his mirror image widened again, and he frowned deeper as the smiling man raised his umbrella as a weapon.

Ordinarily, this blade of the Watchdog's could cut through steel, but since the other's umbrella blocked anti-freak bullets with no effort, he wasn't entirely sure how he would fare. His opponent was refusing to make the first move, making it impossible to have the upperhand in that regard. If Ciel knew where to go, he would consider making a run for it, but then again, he hated the way his mirror self was looking at him.

In an instant, they both clashed, unsure as to who exactly moved first. Just as Ciel suspected, the umbrella held fast, blocking his blow, but then, his opponent shoved his blade to the side before bashing him in the cheek with the handle of his "weapon". As the bluenette recoiled, the other tried to step back in order to create some distance between them, only to have the demon recover and attack him again. Blocking the Watchdog, the other's eyes widened as Ciel drew his gun, pointing it with the barrel directly against the smiling man's chest before pulling the trigger.

Leaping back, the Phantomhive stood upright and continued to fire at his opponent while the man was open. With each that embedded itself in the chest of the smiling man, he stepped back, but never fell. His smile was still intact. When the barrage finally ended, he opened his eyes, causing the Watchdog's mouth to fall agape with shock. Ciel had shot this thing in the heart. He was sure of it! Yet the smiling man righted himself, standing up completely straight. Not one drop of blood stained his grey suit jacket.

Fear replaced anger as the Watchdog's stomach dropped. This was too unreal. How on earth was he supposed to defeat an invincible monster?

"What do you want?!" he demanded, his voice booming. "What _are_ you?!"

Alas, the smiling man could not speak. Wordlessly, he answered Ciel with a simple gesture. It was the same one he made at the start of this. The man stretched his arm out to his side so that it was parallel to the floor. With a snap of his fingers, he pointed to a door on the other side of the room. Following his finger, Ciel stared at it, wondering what exactly he was supposed to do with that information. Was he supposed to go through the door? Was it a trap? What was beyond that door?

Ciel turned to the smiling man in hopes of receiving some further information, but he was nowhere in sight. For a moment, Ciel thought that the smiling man had disappeared again, but that was before he felt a pair of hands grab him from behind, lifting him into the air. Trash as he might, he couldn't break free. In an instant, the room seemed to distort itself, bringing the door closer to him before he was set down again in front of it with a loud gasp.

Now the Watchdog was sweating bullets. His skin felt cold as his mind tried to wrap itself around what was happening to him, yet no matter how hard he tried, it was no use. Whipping his head around, he saw and empty room. He could even see where he was standing before.

Traveling down to the doorknob, his eye locked onto the object, swallowing hard as he debated the consequences of actually opening it. The uncertainty of what was going to happen next was unbearable to the Phantomhive. He was always in control, or could always see far enough ahead that he had a grasp on what was going to happen. Now, he was sailing blind. There was no way for him to know what was going to happen if he actually did push forward. If he didn't, however, how would he ever find his beau and escape? Hesitantly, he reached out a hand and gripped the doorhandle, taking a deep breath to prepare himself for what was to come.

"Master?" called a familiar voice, causing the man's eye to widen. Immediately, he disregarded his current train of thought before turning to face his guardian.

Sebastian stood in the center of the room before quickly making his way over to the bluenette. His master couldn't believe what he was seeing. This shouldn't be happening. None of it made sense. None of it!

"Master, are you alright?" asked the butler, placing his hands on the younger demon's shoulders and tilting his head in order to inspect the bluenette. "Are you injured? How are you feeling?"

"Sebastian..?" Ciel answered, shaking his head with a furrowed brow. "What..? How are you here?"

"I got a call from H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G." the butler explained. "Come, we musn't stay here. We must find a way out, quickly."

"What about this door?"

"I was there earlier." Sebastian insisted, walking away while the master followed, walking away from the entryway. A sense of unease welled up inside of Ciel as he stared at the man's back as he led him away. It was nauseating. Something was not right, Ciel was certain, but nothing seemed right in this world. What Sebastian had said was the most logical thing in here, and yet the Watchdog still felt hesitant.

Looking over his shoulder, the Phantomhive saw that the door was still there. Now it seemed as though it were calling out to him. Ciel shook away the thought before turning his gaze to his butler's back again.

"This way, sir." Sebastian instructed, putting his hand on a doorknob and gesturing toward it. His master's unrest only grew, however. Come to think of it, Sebastian was acting strange. He was very matter-of-fact and wasn't nearly as playful as usual. He also walked in front of his master, rather than behind him.

"Sebastian…" Ciel began shaking his head. "…I…"

The Watchdog's gaze shifted to looking past the man in the black suit and focused instead on the wall behind him. The picture, in particular, caught his attention. He could see his reflection in the glass with a glint, only, something was "off" there, too. His likeness was standing behind Sebastian instead of in front, being faced by him. His reflection was hiding behind the butler's back, only, it wasn't the bluenette's reflection. Eye widening, Ciel's gaze immediately snapped back to Sebastian as soon as he saw that smile.

"Sebastian, look out!" he shouted, causing the older demon to quickly look over his shoulder. The next thing anyone heard was the shattering of glass and the splattering of blood against the marble floor.


	222. Burning Bridges

Dread loomed over the blonde menace as he begrudgingly made his way toward the village on foot. He didn't want to go. If this place was indeed made up of his and his husband's memories, Alois knew that nothing good was waiting for him there. Even this road was unappealing, as he knew that junior highwaymen prowled it. The reason he did was because he was one of them. He mugged women and the elderly so that he and his brother could survive. In the end, neither of them did, but fortunately, the Mackens are either terrible at staying dead, or very proficient at staying alive.

If only his memories would die. Alois loved life. The way things are now, he wouldn't give it up for the world. What made him into the person he is, however—the events that would eventually mold him into a proficient thief, conman, and killer with emotional stability that was somewhat questionable at times are things that he would like to stay in the past. And yet here he is, en route to the village of Arachnophobia.

It looked as though it were still standing, which was more than he could say for the last time he saw it. From what he could see, he couldn't tell if there was anyone actually in it, yet. He thought he saw vague figures, but it sincerely could have been his imagination. All Alois really wanted to do was find the next door to lead him out of there. Hopefully, there were better places in store. Alas, it wasn't the time.

With a huff, he put up his collar before shoving his hands in the pockets of his husband's coat. The scent of his spouse still on it helped quell his unrest, even if it was only a little bit. It helped him reaffirm that his life as still "real" in a sense while reality was falling apart and rearranging itself around him. He wanted nothing more than to go home with the bluenette and relax, so he hoped that this would be over soon.

There was hesitance as he reached the sign that sat outside the village, unable to bring himself to set foot across its border right away. The expression on his face was quietly sombre. His visage was blank aside from the subtle sadness that graced his features. It was painful and his breath felt heavy. He was worried not about the village itself, but of the agonizing images that he might recall once he moves forward into the past.

Even now, his emotions were swirling around inside of him just seeing the inside of the village. There were people he swore he recognised at some point, even if he couldn't remember their names. They merely scurried about and went about their day. None of them even seemed to notice Alois, and that was in truth the way that he would like to keep it. Unfotunately for him, he needed to press on and take his first step inside the village.

His stomach dropped as the scenery suddenly changed with his foot hitting the ground inside the border. The sky grew dark with only the light of the moon overhead to light the way, and night gripped over the village. Only a handful of the houses had lights on in the windows. They were oil lamps, no doubt. The worst realization, however, was the appearances of the villagers. Now they hobbled and trudged about the area aimlessly like ghouls. Perhaps they _were_ ghouls. Alois didn't want to find out, but he could no longer turn back. Thus, he took the next step into the village, and the next, and the next.

"Fuuuuuccckk!" he grimaced, trying to search the place without being seen. How on earth was he going to find the way out?

Alois did a strange walking-while-crouching movement in order to remain undetected, ducking behind buildings and taking the long way around when he was getting close to the creatures. Once he was able to really observe them, he came to the conclusion that they were not human, nor were they any civil supernatural. Ghouls. Ghouls who wander aimlessly and attack the living with the intent to devour their flesh. Alois didn't want to engage, but the thought that emptying the village would make it easier to explore it. It wasn't a viable option, but Alois figured that it was acceptable to dream.

Peeking into the windows of a house, he snooped around to see if anyone was hiding inside. He could see again, so the contents of the dark house were still visible to him. After deciding that the premise was reasonably empty, he made his way around to the back door. Since it was unlocked, he simply tip-toed inside, worried about the creaking of the floorboards beneath his feet.

No one was in his immediate field of vision, so he assumed that it was safe. Alois wasn't necessarily afraid of engaging in combat with a single or handful of ghouls, however. What he was afraid of was the noise attracting the entire village. The man crept through the door and into the next room, opening door after door until he decided that the one he was looking for wasn't in this house.

His next decision was a mistake. Coming out the way he came in was no longer an option, as he heard the door open. Quickly, he ducked down into the shadows, watching out for any figures creeping about and recalculating his next action.

There was no time. The villager stepped into view, illuminated from behind as they hobbled into the hallway. It was obvious that they were not human, with glowing purple eyes with no pupils and grey skin covered in sores and rot. Their mouth hung open and their yellow teeth were bared as they walked aimlessly with no direction or goal. It was certainly a ghoul without any doubt.

Unfortunately, this ghoul was almost right on top of the menace, and he needed to get away quickly before the entire village realizes that he's there. Now Alois had a choice. Both would require precision. Crouching, the lion eyed the ghoul, waiting for it to turn its back. Once it did, he pounced, swiftly grabbing onto the ghoul's head before twisting it until t's neck snapped with a loud _CRACK_.

It was quick and it was effortless. The body fell to the floor with ease, but it came to Alois' attention that something was wrong. Quickly, he jumped, moving his feet out of the way of the creature's jaws as the head was still kicking.

" _Oh, come on_ …" he grumbled, rolling his eyes. Then he raised his foot before bringing it down on top of the ghoul's head, crushing the skull and destroying the brain. Unfortunately, it was messier than he would have liked, as blood and grey matter splattered his shoe and pant leg as well as the floor. Feebly attempting to shake the gore off of his foot, the man wrinkled his nose in disgust, but the creature was dead.

"Wonderful…" the man said, reaching down in order to grab onto the ghoul's shoulders. Since the creatures weren't that bright, hiding the body was only a matter of stuffing it into a trunk and putting a rug over the blood on the floor. Then he slipped out the backdoor once again and disappeared into the darkness, moving onto the next house.

It felt as though he had been walking around for hours, slinking into houses and stealthily killing the ghouls. He grew angry that he could no longer smell the comforting scent of his beau on the coat, and instead smelled the blood he was now covered in. Like clockwork, he was hiding, searching, killing; hiding, searching, killing; hiding, searching, and killing with no end in sight. Alois' heart was pounding and sweat coated his skin—not as he grew tired, but as he grew more and more uneasy. There was so much blood—so much death, that it almost didn't matter if he hid bodies anymore. It became instinctual. It was as though he, himself, was becoming a mindless ghoul. His ears rang, his body grew hot, and his mind became fuzzy. Lurking in the dark, he was now preoccupied with killing the ghouls, and had forgotten what he came there to do.

Closer, he crept to a ghoul, making sure he was still out of sight. He didn't register any sound. As far as he was concerned, it was silent, despite the sounds of crickets and other nighttime sounds in the background. The man's eyes flared crimson as he drew closer, practically right on top of his prey. Then, a dog's barking tore through the static in his head, snapping him back to his senses. Blinking, he watched as the small ghoul perked up and looked in the direction the dog came from before running off. It was a child. The ghoul that he was about to kill was a child no younger than he was when he lived here.

Bringing up a hand, he was about to cover his mouth in shock, only to realise that they were completely covered in blood. The burning of his skin was gone as his stomach dropped, his eyes going wide. His blood ran cold. His eyes stung as salty water collected in them and threatened to pour out. Frozen, he stood there, staring at his hands as he realised what he had almost done.

Gasping, the Phantomhive's head whipped around as the dog barked again, flaxen locks bouncing with it. He knew he needed to get to cover fast. So, he ran. He ran, and ran, and ran with tears streaming down his cheeks and staining the area around his eyes pink. Sniffling, he hiccupped as he tried to hold in his sobs, his face heating up but his hands as cold as ice. They felt weighted.

By the time he found an appropriate hiding place, he was almost tripping of his own feet as he slowly stumbled. It was a barn that belonged to a local man who used to threaten Alois and his brother with tools. He wasn't concerned. He didn't notice. He was too horrified by his own doings to think about the doings of others.

Now, it had just dawned on him just how horrifying this world was. Madness had its hold on the people trapped within its boundaries and turned them into beasts. First, it was subtle, and then it was all at once. Soon, he would grow blisters and growths and become a bona-fide beast if he stayed here, wouldn't he? He was trapped.

Alois struggled to breathe as he stepped inside, jumping and gasping at the mutilated animals. He should have expected it, knowing ghouls, but he still wasn't prepared, especially in his current mental state. Suddenly, his legs buckled and he fell into a pile of hay, momentarily forgetting the situation he was in while simultaneously drowning in the thought. How on earth was he going to find his spouse? How on earth was he going to escape? What if he becomes consumed? What if Ciel does? With each horrific scenario he came up with, he came up with ten more.

Grasping at his flaxen locks, the man tugged at them, curling up with his knees against his chest. He tried to be quiet and pull himself together, but he couldn't. His emotions were wild and untamed. They were being used against him.

Then there was a noise, startling the menace. Alois' eyes grew wide as he wasn't able to sense what was coming, but could certainly hear it. It was the sound of light pieces of metal clinking together as whatever it was trotted up to the barn. Then it hit him.

"A dog?" he mouthed, recalling the animal, his body tense. He prepared himself to run in case one of the ghouls was there with it. Then, the canine waddled into the barn, looking for him. It was a bulldog, slobbering and snorting as it sought out the menace. When the dog did find him, it sat down in front of him, staring up at him as his tears began to slow down.

" _Crying, kiddo?"_ a voice called from the animal. It was familiar and comforting, despite its rough, grainy texture and gruff manner of speaking.

"P-pops?" hiccupped the blonde, recognizing the voice of detective Bailey senior, one of his most trusted associates.

"Well, not exactly." The bulldog answered, causing Alois to shake his head with a painful chuckle.

"I figured." He sobbed. "Nothing is right, here."

"It's a nightmare. What did you expect?"

"Are you like that dog from before?" questioned Alois, sniffling. He wiped his nose on his sleeve before continuing.

"Oh, so you recognise me!" mused the animal. "Good job. I wasn't expecting that, given that I look a bit different now."

"What are you?" inquired the menace, shaking his head. "What do you want? What do any of you want? What is the point of this place? Why are like that? Why do you have Pop's voice? Just—what's going on?"

" _You're_ the one who spent an afternoon deciding what dogs your friends and loved ones look like. Not me." Answered the bulldog with a snort. "I'm only going based on you, so no complaining, alright? You could say that I'm like a spiritual guardian or something. Basically, I'm here to help you."

"Why? Wouldn't you rather; oh, I dunno… try to eat me?"

"Not really. If you die, _I_ die, since I'm all in your head. I don't want that. That's just how things work around here."

"And ' _here'_ is where?" inquired the menace with a crack remaining in his voice.

"Well… They don't really have a name, but you're basically in your own head." Explained the dog. "Your body is on the outside, fast asleep like all the others. Also just like the others, you're all connected inside the same dream."

"So random strangers are in my head?"

"Basically. Your husband is too."

"Fan-fucking-tastic…" grimaced Alois, furrowing his brow. "I suppose you can't tell me what's doing this? And perhaps how to get out."

"Indeed I can. Some of it, anyway." The bulldog informed. "The first person who contracted the 'sickness' got himself a mare attached to him, and when he came to the hospital, he just brought it with him. The fact that it was able to get a couple of demons trapped too, means that it's gotten pretty tough. That's what happens when it eats as many souls as it did all at once."

"Wait, wait, wait… a _mare?_ " questioned the Phantomhive. "Are you saying a fucking _horse_ is responsible for this shit? Brilliant. That's just swell. ' _I'm sorry to tell you this, Luka, but your big brother and his husband died as a result of being eaten in dreamland by my little pony'!"_

"No, no… a mare. It's a supernatural being that steals souls while people are dreaming!" snorted the canine, standing up again on its stubby legs. "It's not a demon, but its close, so you better watch your ass."

"I'm aware of the conditions of my ass, thank you. Now how do I kill it?"

"First, you need to get out of here. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I can only show you the way from time to time. That _thing_ is trying to prevent me from working. It's not used to dealing with my kind. Only a strong-willed demon could summon something like me in here."

"Super helpful…" huffed the menace, sobering up a bit from his emotional turmoil. He shifted where he sat, stretching his legs out and no longer holding his knees. "So what am I supposed to do? Where do I go now?"

"You'll have to follow me for that." The bulldog said, turning its head toward the exit of the building before looking to the blonde again. "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to trust me on this."

"I'm not sure if I do." Alois replied, standing up regardless. He stared down at the dog, eager to go home. He wanted nothing more than a bath, some clean clothes, and his husband's affections at that moment. Unfortunately for him, it was going to be a while. "I don't think I have much choice though, do I?"

"That's how the world works, sometimes."

"This isn't the same world, though. I'll follow you for now, but if I even get the slightest hint that you're up to no good, I'm gonna put you down, y'hear me?"

"Yes, your highness." The bulldog said. "The next door won't be easy, though. This place is too important to you to just let the door show up willy-nilly. First, you gotta look deep inside of yourself, and decide what to do with this memory. I gotta warn you, though. This place is significant to you. It's part of who you are as a person right now. So… what do you want?"

"What do you mean ' _what do I want'?_ I want to go home. I want to see my family." Said the menace, shaking his head with a baffled expression. He towered over the dog, speaking to it like a lunatic with his arms crossed. "I'd like to think that I've moved on from this place. I've _been_ here. I don't need to do it again. It's pretty obvious what I want. I just want to move on from this place."

Exasperation fell from his lips as his voice was true. This place was dead. There was nothing left for him here. To this, the dog sat down where it stood and nodded.

"Now that, I believe." The gruff voice said as the animal stared off into the distance.

Alois heard the click of what sounded like a lighter and looked over his shoulder. Suddenly, his eyes grew wide as he saw the pile of hay he was sitting on before now on fire. Turning around completely, he saw the fire spread. Yelping, he stepped back a few paces.

" _What the fuck?!"_

"Calm down. It's only an illusion." The dog calmly informed. "Pay attention. Is it hot?"

Furrowing his brow in confusion, the menace hesitantly held out his hand closer to the flames. "N-no?" he answered confusedly. "It's not?"

"See? What did I tell you?" questioned the canine. "Just close your eyes and count to ten. It'll disappear quickly."

"There's a fucking fire!"

"Didn't you say you trusted me?"

"No, I said I'd follow you until you fucked up. This is fucking up!"

"Just do it." Said the voice of his detective friend, coming from the dog. Somehow, it was calming. "Close your eyes, and count to ten."

Pressing his lips into a thin line, the menace stared at the inferno and it began to ravage the barn. His muscles were tense and he wanted to run away, but he couldn't. He couldn't bear the thought all the same. Clenching his fists, Alois took in a deep breath, filling his lungs with the scent of fire. He knew that even if the barn was on fire for certain, he could survive it, but he didn't want to if he didn't have to. Finally, he closed his eyes, bracing for the feeling of his flesh burning.

"One… Two… Three… Four…" he stopped, jolting and letting out a whimper as he heard clattering. Something had fallen over or collapsed. "F-f-five… S-six…" The fire sounded as though it hit something flammable and flared right next to him. "S-seven… Eight… N-nine… Ten!"

Silence. There was nothing but silence. Opening his eyes again, he squinted, furrowing his brow at the light. The barn was gone, and as his eyes adjusted, he heard chattering. The room was monochrome, as were the people inside, conversing without mouths and chuckling without faces. They were blank faces at what appeared to be a ball. Despite his appearance, no one paid any mind to the Phantomhive, despite being filthy and splattered in blood. This was the home of Aleister Chambers, the Viscount Druitt. He remembered it, as he had been here on multiple occasions, having acted as the man's "cousin" for several years. Looking around, he saw that the turnout was large, but the dog that had lead him there was nowhere in sight.

"Damn dog…" he grumbled. "Should I have trusted you?"


	223. Monochrome Butler

Blood dripped onto the marble floor as the man clad in black stared back at his master's smiling look-alike. The grinning doppelganger's umbrella protruded from the butler's side as he gripped it, having swiftly redirected it so that his heart was saved. Ciel looked on in horror as his counterpart glared at Sebastian with firey eyes. The sad twinge to them was gone and replaced with the ferocity of a wild animal.

Hearing a squelch, Ciel's eye darted down to the butler's wound. The blood spurting on the floor turned black and stuck together in globs. Looking toward the butler again, something was off. Ciel squinted, but couldn't decide what.

Tightening his grip on the umbrella, the butler smirked, pulling the weapon out of his body and forcing more of the gnarly black liquid on the floor. The smiling man pushed back, trying to keep it in place. His face contorted as he tried to press forward, but his arms began to push toward himself. Eventually, Sebastian managed to force it back completely, jabbing the look-alike in the gut with the handle of the umbrella before using it to hurl him across the room. The smiling man hit the wall hard, knocking off decorations before hitting the floor with a loud _thud_.

"Pesky fellow, isn't he?" observed the butler, gripping his side. His gloves were stained black as the liquid seeped from between his fingers. "We should go before he recovers. Come, master. Onto the next stage."

"I…" Ciel hesitated, looking up at the other man with a baffled expression on his visage. Much to the butler's surprise, he slowly took a step back. Then another, and another, all while shaking his head. "I… I don't take orders from you." The bluenette said. "The way you're talking to me… It's not like you…"

Surprise was prominent on the butler's face before it became a grimace. His brow furrowed and his lips formed a frown. Sweat trickled down the back of the Phantomhive's neck as Sebastian took an imposing step toward him. Eye widening, what he had suspected somewhere in the back of his mind had come to the forefront and he realised what was happening.

"You're not Sebastian…" he said breathlessly. "What… What are you?"

"Let's just say, I'm simply one hell of a bad dream." The man quipped. The colour drained from his visage, rendering him black and white. With a flick of his wrist, his signature utensils appeared between his fingers. Casually, he began to walk toward the bluenette, practically gliding along the floor.

This prompted the Phantomhive to turn tail and head toward the door that his own counterpart had pointed out to him before. Panting, he shoved his hand forward, gripping the door handle as the monochrome bastardization of his own servant clicked its tongue in disapproval. Shaking its head, the monochrome butler spoke.

"Ah, ah, ah…" it tsked, raising its arm. "Can't have you going that way, now." With that, the knives in its hands propelled forward toward the Phantomhive.

One stuck deeply into the wooden door, but the rest fell to the grounds with a clatter. Whipping his head around, Ciel saw the smiling man. He stood between the Phantomhive and the nightmare with his umbrella open, acting as a shield. Ciel's grip on the door handle loosened as he stared at the figure in astonishment. The knives had bounced off the shield and rendered the Watchdog completely unharmed. Closing the umbrella, the smiling man peered over his own shoulder, their eyes meeting. Now, the doppelganger's bared teeth no longer frightened the Phantomhive, but rather, confused him.

"Why must you make things so difficult?" questioned the nightmare. "Just give up. Give in. There's no escaping this place. You're in _my_ world now."

Wordlessly, the smiling man pointed past Ciel, and at the door. He paid no mind to the man clad in black behind them, and failed to even bat an eyelash. Then, the faux-watchdog flicked his wrist, as though he were saying to the Phantomhive: " _Go, I'll handle this_."

Understandably, Ciel was not sure what to think of this. There was no way he could trust the man just yet, especially after what he had seen. Eyes could not be trusted. The question was: What exactly could one put their faith in while in this world? Perception was faulty and logic was meaningless. The smiling man did not look trustworthy, and gave the Watchdog a deep-set sense of unease, yet he had no choice.

Opening the door, he almost stepped through, only to stop dead in his tracks, as he almost stepped out into a void of pitch blackness. The only thing visible was the door, and Ciel didn't dare step out into the abyss, as when he tried to put out his foot and touch floor, there was nothing. There was nothing at all beyond this door, and Ciel could not go out there.

He stood there, looking down and tried to see any sign of there being a bottom, but there was nothing. He held the doorframe with a deathgrip as he kept himself steady. He couldn't move forward. He couldn't move back.

"I can't go!" he shouted, hearing the sounds of combat behind him. A thunderous roar erupted, shattering glass and shaking the building. The noise forced Ciel to let go of the doorframe and cover his ears, scrunching his face in pain.

Then, he felt a foot strike him in the back. He opened his eyes, and began to fall, screaming as he cursed anyone and everyone involved. Looking over his shoulder, he could see the smiling man grinning down at him as he fell before shutting the door.

There was nothing but the feeling of weightlessness as the watchdog fell, reaching out for anything— _anything_ at all that could save him. Nothing.

Even in Ciel's head, there was nothing. His brain was trying to pick everything up and process what exactly was happening, but everything was happening so fast, that he couldn't. He was spinning as he fell, becoming nauseous and adding to his disoriented state of mind.

Suddenly, there was something. Some brown was appearing from within the black, as were greys and other colours mixed into an ugly conglomerate. As he continued to fall, they became clearer, and clearer before his foot finally hit something, forcing him to spin further. His head was knocking against the wall as he tumbled. It felt as though he was being drawn toward its cold, hard surface.

Soon he was just rolling along it like a log rolling down a hill before smacking against the ground with a loud cracking noise. He then fell again, however, this time against the wall, and he stuck. Opening his eyes, he had to wait for the world to stop spinning for him to process anything at all. He made an attempt to get up, rolling over and trying to put his feet on the ground, but he stayed attached to the wall. His attempts to stand on the wall when much better, although the dizziness caused him to fall to his knees. As his eyes focused, however, he found himself sitting in the floor of a large, ornate hallway.

" _Which way is 'up' again?"_ he asked aloud to no one in particular. He could have sworn that the floor was too his right just now, but that appears to be a wall, and what he is sitting on is the floor. Looking to his left, he should have been able to see the black abyss he had fallen from, but it was just an empty, adjacent hallway. There were hardly any lights on aside from a few dim electric lamps that were fastened to the walls.

This was certainly not the Phantomhive estate with its tacky red wallpaper and gold trimmings and knick-knacks. Since that was the case, where exactly was it? Ciel squinted, trying to adjust and figure things out, but he was a tad uneasy, still. After sitting in the hallway floor for what felt like ages, the bluenette was finally able to stand, picking up his eyepatch off of the floor and tying it back around his head as he did. It was a hasty knot, but it would have to do, as Ciel needed to figure out where he was.

"What's that smell?" he wretched, wrinkling his nose. It smelled like filth, perfume, and old cigars all at once. What kind of place was this that it had this kind of stench?

With no other choice but to wander, he did just that. After following the hallway that he stumbled upon initially, he eventually made his way to what appeared to be a foyer. The sapphire eye of the Watchdog scoured the area for a coat of arms that might give him further information as to where on earth he was. He checked above the doorway first, making a revolted face at what he found.

"What kind of mansion allows spiders to live in them?" inquired the man as he stared up at the spider's web. As he stared at it, his look of disgust fell into one of horror as a possibility presented itself.

Whipping his head around, his eyes fell to the floor. On it, was a family coat of arms with a spider. A diabolical seal for a diabolical family. The Trancy's. Shock became anger as the Phantomhive stared at it.

"No…" the man said. "Not this…"

* * *


	224. Blue Belle of the Ball

Alois' brow hurt from being furrowed for so long as he waded through the crowd of faceless guests in the ballroom. The black and white colours of everything in the room was starting to hurt his eyes, and he craved just a splash of colour. The man didn't like this. None of the faceless figures seemed to pay him any mind and instead, they simply continue to chatter incoherent garble that couldn't be distinguished even if the man listened closely.

The man hated this. He traveled along the wall in search of a door, but he was locked in. Surely there was another way. Turning around again to face the crowd, he stood on his tip-toes in an attempt to see over their heads for an alternative route, even resorting to hopping in place in vain. There wasn't a way out, but there was something that caught his eye.

Raising his eyebrows, a surprised expression graced his face as he spotted a blotch of pink amongst the crowd. Without even thinking, his legs propelled him forward and his body maneuvered him through the crowd in hopes of discovering what the speck was. Never before had he been so hopeful in Aleistor's ballroom.

"Excuse me," he said, trying to push his way through, "hey! Hello?"

Admittedly, Alois had no idea what to expect when he spotted the elaborate pink dress with white roses sewn in. As he got closer, he saw that there were roses on a pink top-like hat on top of the woman's head. Peeking out from underneath it, he could see long hair pulled up into a bun. It was a peculiar hue of blueish black, which somehow drew him in even more. As he called out to her, she looked back at him from over her shoulder before turning around altogether.

A pair of sapphire orbs widened in surprise at him as confusion graced her soft features. With long lashes and pale skin with a tinge of blush appearing on her cheeks, matching her attire, the lion found himself unable to say anything once he had her attention. Against his wishes, a small blush of his own appeared on his visage, as he stood with his mouth slightly agape at her appearance. She was beautiful, although he knew he shouldn't think that. He was married, after all.

"U-uhm…" he floundered, trying to figure out what exactly to say. "Are you stuck here, too?"

"You could say that." The woman answered with a small smile, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. Her voice was soft and held an odd calming effect. It seemed familiar, but the menace couldn't seem to place it. "Quite the dull party. No one to talk to and no faces to meet."

"Yeah, I noticed that." Awkwardly replied Alois. "I'd like to leave, but I'm afraid I can't find an exit."

"Likewise. They're all locked, and I'm not quite sure how much longer I can stand to be here." The lady in pink replied. "How long ago did you try to open them?"

"Just a moment ago."

"Drat." She huffed. "I suppose we're stuck for the time being. Hopefully, it'll be more pleasant with someone to talk to."

"Maybe, but I don't plan on staying for long." Stated the lion. "I have places to be."

"Ooh, mysteirious, are we? That would certainly explain the blood." Retorted the other, pointing at the man's attire. Glancing down quickly, he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I uh… Ran into some trouble on my way over here." Alois replied with a chuckle.

"It's fine. This world is a bit chaotic, so it's not surprising."

"What about you? Were you wearing that dress when you came here?"

"Hmm?" hummed the woman in pink. "Oh, this? I woke up here like this. I don't know why."

"Makes about as much sense as anything else, here." Grumbled the blonde.

Chuckling, the bluenette shook her head. "So, do you have any idea where ' _here_ ' is?"

"I think this place has to do with people's memories." He explained. "There's more than one person in here, so they're all kinda jumbled together. This place is mine, probably. It's my… cousin Aleistor's ballroom." There was hesitation as he addressed the Viscount, but he wasn't quite sure what else to call the man.

"Can you remember another way out?"

"No… I haven't been here in years, and even when I was here, I never really looked around."

"That's unfortunate…" sighed the bluenette. "So what do we do in the meantime?"

"I have no idea…"

Softly, music started to filter into the room, and while Alois didn't notice it right away, he noticed the other "guests" shuffling about, clearing an open area. Confusedly, he looked around, trying to figure out what was happening, but then the music grew louder and he understood. At that point, a few of the faceless guests paired off and began to dance. He wasn't sure what to do with the observation.

"Well, ordinarily in this situation, you'd ask a girl to dance." The woman said. "To take the edge off a bit."

"We should be looking for a way out." Alois scolded as the other took his hand and started dragging him along.

"Oh, come on. It's not like we've found anything so far. We might as well take this opportunity."

"I shouldn't."

"Please?" asked the lady in pink, placing her hands on his shoulders as they stood on the dance floor. The music had picked up now and they stood out even more than they did. "I've never been able to dance like this before. I've been wandering around here for ages, and I'm tired of searching. Just this one dance? We'll go back to looking once it's over."

Alois did his best to conceal his groan at the suggestion, making sure it was only internal. He really didn't want to indulge this strange woman when he should be searching for his spouse. Indeed, she was pretty, but she was not the Watchdog. Regardless, he assumed the starting position, placing his hand on the woman's back and taking the other in his own.

Admittedly, the start was a tad rocky, as he was not accustomed to taking the lead, but he was decent. The woman noticed, chuckling at him. Oddly, he wasn't offended and instead brushed it off as he found his rhythm. Icey blue stared back at sapphire before the blonde was forced to avert his gaze. The woman seemed to see right through him, and the familiarity with which she did it unnerved him.

"I didn't take you for the bashful sort." She mused. "It's a nice surprise. It's not often you meet such a dashing man who's also sensitive."

"I'm not, really." Denied Alois. "There's better."

"Really? I'd say that you're the full package."

"How could you know? You've just met me!"

"Have I?" the woman asked, holding Alois' hand tighter. "There's something familiar about you. You feel it too, don't you?"

Furrowing his brow, Alois looked over her face. Despite how hard he tried to recognise where exactly he knew the woman from, he couldn't seem to place it. She was indeed familiar, and he felt as though he was supposed to know her well. Yet, nothing came to mind.

"I know that you're strong." She continued. "I can tell that just from your clothes. A fighter. You've got a look in your eyes that says that you don't give up no matter what. Yet these big hands of yours are so gentle…"

Blinking, Alois blushed slightly as it registered just how small the woman's hands were in comparison to his. Is this something that Ciel felt often with him? It was nice. Sometimes, he would imagine what it would be like, but it could never compare.

"Do you flatter every man covered in blood you see?" asked the menace, puffing out his chest slightly.

"Funny, too!" grinned his dance partner as she twirled with him. "A good sense of humour with a handsome face is a hard find."

"H- _handsome?"_

"Indeed. You're a very dashing young man, Jim. Anyone would be lucky to have you."

His name rang in his ears as she said it. It felt sickly sweet, but he didn't dislike it like he knew that he should. Come to think of it, did he ever introduce himself? He must have. Surely the action simply slipped his mind. The curl of her lips and the way she looked at him made him feel a bizarre sense of familiarity with her. There was a twinge of loneliness and longing as well, but he suppressed that to the best of his ability. His wedding band, concealed by black leather gloves, felt as though it were a heavy weight. It wasn't uncomfortable or unpleasant, however. It felt like a friendly reminder of something.

"You flatter me." Replied the Phantomhive. "I'm sure my husband thinks the same thing."

"Oh? You're gay?"

"Bisexual, actually."

"So that means that I still have a chance." The woman chuckled. "Still, it must be odd."

"What do you mean?"

"Who takes care of the other?"

"Both of us." Alois stated flatly. "We take care of each other."

"He must be jealous." Grinned the other. "Being with someone as handsome as you must be a blow to the ego."

"Actually, he tells me I'm beautiful, but I don't think he's jealous."

 _"'Beautiful'?"_ she questioned. "That's not right. You have too much of a manly flair for that. Too much fire. ' _Handsome_ ' is a better fit. Does he always do that?"

"Do what?" questioned Alois.

"Sell you off short like that and treat you like a woman." The woman clarified. "Doesn't it get old? Certainly you would like to be in charge for once."

"There doesn't need to be anybody in charge." The man said with a blush.

Certainly, it had crossed his mind once or twice that being the big spoon more often would be nice, but he sincerely was happy. He liked holding his spouse delicately, but he was usually the one surrounded by the Watchdog's arms. It was nothing about dominance, but rather about feeling as though he was able to support Ciel.

"Then how can you protect him?" questioned the woman. "You're strong, but he doesn't allow you to help."

"That's in the past."

"Is it? There's no way to be certain. Can you predict the future?"

"Can _you?"_

"Well, no…" answered the bluenette. Taking her hand out of the others and using it to cup the man's cheek, causing him to raise his brow. His blush darkened as her thumb stroked his skin and his eyes were wide as he stared down at her. The man's heart fluttered a bit at the concerned look she gave him. He had seen it before. He was sure of it!

"Doesn't it bother you that you can't hold him in your arms because he's too big?" she asked. "That you have to stand on your toes to kiss him if he doesn't bend down? For his shoulders to be more broad? For him to be seen as more capable and menacing? Doesn't it hurt your work?"

"I-I don't…" stuttered Alois, unable to look away from those sapphire eyes.

"Don't you wish you were bigger than him sometimes?" she asked, her face closer. "That you could be on top more in your relationship? That you were treated like a husband, and not his wife?"

The woman's face was almost unbearably close. He could smell her perfume, and it felt as though it was drawing him in. His stomach felt uneasy and his heart was racing as if it might burst. At the same time, he couldn't move, even as she drew in. The woman's eyes closed and broke their gaze.

In that moment, his free hand instinctively shot itself upward and his fingertips gently pressed against her lips, causing her eyes to snap open wide. She stood there while staring up at him with shocked confusion written on her face and waited for an explanation. Looking into those two deep blue eyes once more, Alois found that there was something missing.

"Sorry." He said, a cocky grin appearing on his face. "Like I said, I'm happily married, and to be honest, you just don't do it for me."

With that, he let go of the woman and backed away from her, continuing. "A half-baked lady-version of him won't do, no matter how pretty you are. Just what do you take me for? I ain't that kinda lad. I'm outta here, and I'm not taking you with me."

His smile held fast even as the woman's brow furrowed. Her fists clenched and the music stopped. It had come to his attention that for the first time since he had been there, he had been noticed by the other guests. In fact, he had been noticed by all of them, as he was now center stage. Their blank faces directed their attention right at him, causing his grin to waver. Turning his attention back to the woman, he found that her pink dress had faded to grey, and she lost the blueish tiny in her hair. She, like the rest of the room, was now monochrome.

"You should have come quietly when you had the chance." She hissed. "No matter. You'll end up like all of the others, soon enough."

Suddenly, the crowd began to inch closer, stretching their arms out and exposing their palms. Looking around, the menace attempted to find a path for escape. Once he did, he smirked.

"Nah. I think you were right, though. I think I might try the balcony again!" he quipped before leaping into action.

Jumping over the heads of the crowd was no major feat and his foot stomped their craniums and used them as leverage when he began to descend too soon. Evading their grasp, he hurled himself straight for the balcony's glass door, blocking himself with his arms. With a loud crash, it shattered, cutting into the skin of his hands and getting stuck in his suit. A gash appeared on his cheek, causing blood to trickle down, but he was undeterred as he tucked and rolled against the balcony floor. He stayed in constant moving and picked himself up, continuing to run forward without care of what was behind him before leaping over the railing into the unknown. The lion disappeared into the brush below, leaving the guests behind him to peer down after him.

Despite his impressive feat, he hit the ground hard, almost stumbling. He had no idea how high up he was when he jumped, but there weren't many other options at the time. His legs ached as he stood up, but he managed.

After his eyes adjusted, he realized that he was stuck in a bush and had to wrestle his way out. As if the shards of glass and blood splatters weren't enough, the branches of the shrubbery caught his suit and tore his jacket. Today was certainly not his day.

"Fuck…" he grumbled, furrowing his brow. Fortunately, even in his dreams, his wounds healed exceptionally quickly, making things not as bad as they could have been. The aching died quickly as he made his way through the bush, only for it to dawn on him where exactly he was.

The navy and gold banners were a dead giveaway, and familiar buildings welcomed the blonde. A wave of nostalgia washed over him, causing him to smile unconsciously. It was Warwick Academy, the crème de la crème of academia.


	225. The Man Who Laughs

Ciel nearly held his breath as he slowly walked through the mansion as though it were filled with a toxic smog. The air inside was heavy enough for that to be the case. The bluenette could feel the unbearable sense of being trapped while in this wretched place. A foul smell seeped from the wallpaper, making the mansion smell like sickness and death. Ciel knew evil and knew it well. That was this place. Trancy manor. It was the home of one of the greatest foes he and his spouse had ever faced, if not from the scars he had inflicted on the former Macken in his past.

Quickly, the Watchdog needed to find a way out, lest he run out of air. The halls of the mansion were big and imposing. Even the furniture looked larger than it should be. It was as though the bluenette was looking at it through the eyes of a—no, he didn't want to complete that thought, so he shook it away. As long as the Phantomhive didn't think about how vile this place was, he could focus on finding the next door.

Rounding the corner, Ciel felt his foot start to slip on the hard floor, and made an attempt to steady himself, placing another foot in front of himself. That foot did the same, only he wasn't slipping. His whole body was being quickly propelled forward. It was so fast, that his feet left the ground all together! His toes skidded along the floor and he let out a sound of surprise as a supernatural force took its hold. Gritting his teeth, he braced for impact, putting his hands out in front of him as a barrier between himself and the wall opposite of where he started. His hips hit the small table at the end of the hall, knocking over the vase on top of it with a loud crash, causing him to wince.

His forearms stung for a moment, and so did his pelvic bone, but the pain soon faded. Ciel was more interested in turning around to find out what in blazes had just happened! His eye scanned the hallway, looking for anything out of the ordinary, only to find nothing. It was completely empty! It would appear that gravity just stopped working properly for a moment. This wasn't at all an outrageous thought, after what he had seen thus far.

Righting himself properly, the Watchdog decided to test this theory. Cautiously, he stepped forward again, preparing to catch himself once he was hurled backwards. The only problem was that this moment never came, as he was instead propelled forward once again. The violent force lifted him from the ground, but unfortunately, he couldn't get his hands out in front of him in time, so he turned, and hit the wall with his shoulder hard enough to leave a mark on both.

Grunting, he grasped at the injury and hissed in pain as it began to heal. The man took a moment to stretch the muscle again before returning his attention back to the hallway. There was something here. Ciel could not move on until he found out once.

Again, he moved forward, this time knowing that he was going to move in the direction he was facing and caught himself correctly. He could have explored the rest of the manor from here, but this was too interesting. What could possibly be here?

As he turned around, he glanced down the connecting hallway, only to jump. The smiling man was standing right there, staring at the Watchdog with a bored look in his eyes. Ciel tensed up and prepared for combat, only to recall the last time they met.

"Just what are you up to?" questioned the Watchdog. "Why did you help me?"

Looking closer, the attire of the smiling man was completely spotless. He didn't have the appearance of someone who had just fought toe to toe with the world's deadliest butler. The smiling man simply sighed though his nose and leaned on his umbrella. He pointed to his mouth before making a gesture with his hand like a mouth talking. Then he offered a shrug while shaking his head. Ciel watched him for a moment, blinking as he tried to understand.

"Oh, you can't speak…" he said, causing the other to nod. The man's eyes were smiling a bit now, matching his mouth a bit better. He seemed glad that the Watchdog was able to make this connection. Ciel, however, placed his hands on his hips and tilted his head.

"Yes or no questions are my best bet, hmm?" he asked aloud, rubbing his chin. "If only I knew sign language… Alright, so aren't with the creature that tried to force me into another door. He tried to stab me when I didn't, so I assume that he was a threat. Were you trying to help me?"

The other nodded at his question, prompting the Watchdog to ask: "But are you a threat? That's a more important question. Then again, if you were a threat, I doubt you'd tell me that." Shrugging, the smiling man nodded again.

"So there's no way for me to determine if I should kill you on the spot." Ciel sighed. "If you aren't a threat, maybe you can help me. You've led me on a semi-safe path thus far, after all. My problem is: this hallway is rather strange. You saw what it did. Every time I try to walk through it, I am propelled to the other end, completely bypassing it. Why?"

Silently, the smiling man peeked around the corner, inspecting the hallway. Then, there was an odd change. The excited look in his eyes died and was replaced with one that was more solemn—disgusted, even. Straightening his back, the smiling man faced his counterpart while rubbing his chin with a gloved finger. His eyebrows were knitted together as he thought; most likely about how to explain something.

"Sorry, I forgot." Ciel interrupted. "Yes or no ques—"

Suddenly, the Watchdog was cut off by his counterpart holding up a finger to his face. After a long pause, the man raised his eyebrows like he was onto something. His actions were strange as he let go of his weapon, carefully propping the umbrella up against the wall that it wouldn't fall over. He then held up his hands before putting them on his head.

He was running his fingers through his hair, to be more accurate. He shifted it one way, and then another, effectively styling it. He isolated strands and carefully placed them before taking his hands away. Ciel recognised the style, but needed another hint. The smiling man pointed down at the Phantomhive's left hand before raising his own. Then with his right, he pointed to the ring finger. It was then that the Watchdog pieced it together.

"Jim?" he asked, realizing that his counterpart was imitating his spouse's style. It looked ridiculous on him, but that was not his biggest concern at the moment, as the smiling man nodded. "Jim is involved? Is his memory affecting the hallway?"

His counterpart continued to nod before raising his arm. The man's eyes were dead-set on a certain door as he pointed. Following his gaze, the Phantomhive became only more confused.

"That room? What is it with that room?" questioned Ciel before turning to see that his counterpart now had his thumb pointed downward, facing the floor. It was a negative gesture. That door was bad.

"Jim has a bad memory in this hallway…" the Phantomhive pondered aloud. "And it has to do with… that… room…"

With that thought, all of the colour drained from Ciel's face as it occurred to him what lied beyond that door. Instinctively, his hand raised to cup his agape mouth as horror was written across his visage. He wanted to vomit. He could taste sickness on his tongue as his blood ran cold. His mind buzzed as he processed it all.

 _"O-oh god…"_ he shuddered, his gaze falling to the ground.

This was the mansion before Jim assumed the role as family head. This was when that beast poorly masquerading as a human was mortal. Araneus Trancy. That monster. Disgusting. Repugnant. _Vile._ _Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile. Vile._

_ **VILE.** _

What had been done here was unforgivable, and it was the place that Alois did not want his husband to see above all others. Regardless, Ciel still loved Alois like nothing else in this world, and the thought of this sparked such sorrow in the Watchdog's heart that it was too much for him to bear. That horror and despair, however, quickly turned to anger and hatred. The Phantomhive wanted to destroy every inch of this place and erase it completely from this earth.

With a roar, the Phantomhive swung his arm backwards, striking the wall behind him and creating a large hole and knocking over his counterpart's umbrella. The Smiling man simply looked on as the Watchdog snarled with his eye dead-set on that door. He simply let the man fume for a few moments as he picked up his umbrella. Then, he tapped the man on the shoulder, prompting his attention.

" _What?"_ Ciel snapped, watching as the smiling man pointed down the connecting hallway. "We need to go that way?" questioned the Watchdog, earning a nod.

Now was not the time to be angry about the past, although the Phantomhive would love nothing more than to rampage. The man on whose behalf he was angry was looking for him. Reuniting with Jim took the priority. Thus, Ciel was able to take in a deep breath and sigh in an attempt to calm himself.

" _Fine."_ He said. "Take me to Jim."

His counterpart offered a playful salute before turning and walking down the hallway, keeping his pace slow for the Watchdog to follow. When Ciel caught up, his pace quickened. Both of them swiftly made their way down the corridor, even though the Watchdog was skeptical in collaborating with his counterpart. In his experience, fakes were never good, but this one didn't even pretend to be like the original. In fact, the smiling man seemed to have his own consciousness, while it did seem to stem from Ciel somewhat. How else could he had known about Jim? In addition, he knew about Ciel's time during the war, as the music in the bathroom indicated. He defied what appeared to be one of this world's authorities, and he aided the Phantomhive. The smiling man was not clearly an ally, but he was not entirely an "enemy" yet.

Silently, the smiling man led him through hallways. Ciel couldn't wrap his head around how fast the man was able to maneuver everything. All at once, however, he stopped, holding out his arm to the side in order to stop the other from moving past. Blinking, the Watchdog looked to his counterpart confusedly. They stood at the end of the hallway, facing a large room with stairs on the wall opposite to them, just a tad to the left. Stepping forward, the smiling man crouched down and examined the floor. Black and white tiles covered the expanse of the ground, but they seemed to give the man a bad feeling.

"Is it a puzzle?" Ciel questioned, causing the other to look back at him from over his shoulder. With a shrug, the smiling man seemed to answer "maybe."

Taking out his umbrella, he tapped a black tile. Then, when nothing happened, he tapped the white one next to it. Lo and behold, the large tile vanished, revealing a deep pit.

"Step on the black ones, then." The Watchdog said, as his counterpart stood upright again. "Easy."

Too soon. Way too soon. As the Phantomhive said this, the tiles began to change. Some tiles began to switch colour in some spots, and in others, they remained static one moment, and changed the next. The smiling man's grin remained, while his eyes looked to the Watchdog impatiently.

"I didn't know, okay?" Ciel answered defensively. Looking back to the room, he continued. "Surely there's a pattern. We just need to figure it out. Unless you can use that umbrella of yours and Mary Poppins us to the other side."

Rolling his eyes, the smiling man jumped, landing on a black tile. He then waited a moment before stepping to the next. He was making good time and the Watchdog needed to catch up. Now Ciel had wished he paid more attention to the Macken brother's videogames.

After much hesitance, the Phantomhive jumped, landing on a black tile, and continued to jump again and again without thinking. A title gave way as he was jumping, but he was able to save himself. It only made him increase his pace. His heart was beating rapidly as he was nearly panicking. He didn't know how exactly the puzzle worked, and was going based on dumb luck. Eventually, he was able to catch up to his counterpart a bit more, increasing his confidence, but then a tile he had jumped toward had turned white before he landed. Once he did, it vanished, and the changing halted. All tiles that were black stayed black, and all tiles that were white disappeared.

The smiling man looked back to the Watchdog, only to see him fall into the pit. Eyes widening, he leapt into action and dived in after him. In that moment, however, the tiles returned in a solid black pattern, blocking him. As the Watchdog continued to fall beneath him, the smiling man heard a laugh echo throughout the room, causing him to furrow his brow.

Ciel fell and fell and fell, plunging into pitch blackness once again. This time, there didn't seem to be a bottom. Holding his breath, he must have closed his eyes despite not remembering it, because with that, he woke up.


	226. Guilt

Warwick Academy, the finest private school in the entirety of the United Kingdom. Navy and Gold banners adorned the pristine academy's magnificent walls, despite the fact that the sky looked as though it might shed tears. Even under the threat of foul weather, the school looked just as impressive as it did when Alois attended it himself! The path he walked on was swept and devoid of debris, and the water that streamed from the fountains was clear. The griffin statue in the middle of the campus was just as well-kept as ever. Alois couldn't help but smile at it.

He was fond of this place, despite the rambunctious behaviour he exhibited during his time here. It was the most "normal" he had ever felt. Going to school, making friends, and even becoming reasonably popular! It was like a dream. His delinquent behaviour somewhat embarrassed him now, but he knew he simply needed to do some growing up at the time. Warwick was a whole new world to him when he was new, after all. There were so many people in fancy clothes with flair like he had never seen before, and now he was suddenly their equal with no catch. There were no lies or special conditions. Even though he wasn't human, he was just like every other student there. The feeling made the menace want to act out and be the class clown. He loved the attention, and knows that this is all it was now.

This is why he felt nostalgic for this place. It made him feel "ordinary". Simultaneously, it resurfaced memories of "better" times. There were seven members of the sensational seven, and there was no falling out or internal conflict. There was a boy named "Preston Omid" who was timid, but kind, and he had a marvelous smile. He was excited about science fiction and gadgets, and wouldn't hurt a fly. He was always the first to be the voice of reason for a course of action, now driven mad by isolation, illness, and maltreatment. How such a teen could grow up into an angry man like this is beyond Alois.

Then there was the other one, Daniel Westley. His contact with the group has been minimal since his falling out with their mutual friend, Kristopherson. Always the life of the party, now slowly fading away. Last Alois heard, the Westley had been making new friends at uni, which is a normal thing, one could suppose, but it still hurt all the same. The remaining few wondered if they'll ever know what exactly happened in his head to drive him away.

Here, however, time stood still as Alois wandered the campus with his hands in his pockets. He shuddered at the cold, but still looked around at the buildings and recalled fond memories. The inside wasn't much better. The heat wasn't on, and the memories just kept coming. There in the commons area was the large chair where Audrey would sit and dispense information for the right price. He did that for a living, now. There was the ramp that kids would push each other down in rolling chairs from the computer lab. They were meant for wheelchairs, but that never stopped anyone. The science lab where his sweetheart and he had to dissect frogs. There was the counselor's office, where he drove that poor woman mad with his obvious lies about his past. There was the library where he made his first contract. All of it was there.

Alois almost forgot he was in a world of dreams and nightmares for a moment as he got swept up in it for a moment. Then, all of a sudden, he heard the sound of jingling behind him. Having an idea of who it was, he turned around and wasn't surprised. Another dog. This time, a greyhound.

"Why are you just wandering about?" it asked, its voice that of a woman's this time. The blonde was actually surprised for a moment and blinked at the sound of it. This time it was Integra's voice. "Don't let this place distract you with nostalgia."

"Ah. You changed again." Alois said aloud, recognizing the guide. "What's wrong with that, though? I kinda wanna see the place."

"This place hasn't changed since you left. It's made up of your memories." The dog warned. "Like I said, don't get distracted. Nostalgia is a liar."

"At least I finally have something to be nostalgic about." Retorted the blonde. "So, how do I get out this time? Do I click my heels together three times?"

"Hardly." Answered the canine. "This isn't going to be easy. Haven't you been paying attention? It's not going to be a pleasant trip down memory lane, if that's what you were hoping for. While there are certainly things here that you're fond of, you must also admit that there are memories that are painful, yes?"

"Like the time I jumped out of the window in math class?"

"Not quite. Think harder."

Furrowing his brow, the menace folded his arms and concentrated, trying to recall things that were upsetting from his days at Warwick. At most, he could only think of things that are only embarrassing now. The hijinks he pulled were in the past, however. He's a much more well-rounded adult than he was a teen.

"All I can think of is stuff relating to now." Stated the menace. "Like… Like Preston and Daniel… Even Kristopherson. There's stuff I feel guilty about… That's not pleasant at all…"

"Is that what you think about while here?" questioned the greyhound.

"Well, I think about how simpler things were. Then we all grew up and… Things happened…" Alois said, looking down while he crossed his arms. "Everyone got along and there wasn't any of this complicated crap. Nobody thought that Dan would be a jerk or Preston would be… so angry… and violent… It wasn't possible back then…"

"Sure it was, but things do happen in life, don't they? You still have your memories of them, don't you? Do you feel guilty?"

"Of course I do… If it wasn't for me and all of this supernatural shit, they everybody might still be together…" The menace said, looking up. "Kris and Preston would still be human, and Daniel would still hang out with us!"

"Is looking back going to fix it, though?" inquired the dog, looking up at the man, causing him to blink. He paused to think for a moment before answering.

"Probably not…"

"Then go on." Spoke the canine. "Go find something that moved you forward!"

"That move me forward?"

"You or someone else."

Furrowing his brow and closing his eyes, Alois thought and thought hard. Something that moved them forward? An object? A moment? What was that? If there was something that moved him forward, what was it?

Opening his eyes again, he looked around, plotting his next move. "I think I know where to go." He said, turning his head back toward the dog. "It's this wa—"

The dog was gone, as it did before. The animal seemed to have a nasty habit of disappearing. Shaking his head and placing his hands on his hips, the man shrugged.

"Do I need to get you a leash?" Alois asked the air with a roll of his eyes. "I hate that weird, creepy, cryptic shit."

Regardless, he carried on, following what he thought might be a lead. One time, he yelled at a friend through the bathroom door before breaking it off of its hinges. The lad was being bullied for his choice in attire, but that boy was and still is the most fashion-savvy person he knows. He later got in trouble for that. At the time, Kristopherson had a bit of a crush on him. It was the first time he had confessed to someone, and he was turned down. Now, they're the best of friends, and the feeling no longer persists. Still, it was the first time he and the lad had a "moment" together. All it took was the breaking of a door and a payment for damages.

He made his way to the right building and to the right bathroom. He walked quickly, but he made it. Reaching for the handle, the jitters made him hesitate. A tremor ran through the blonde's hand, forcing it to shake against his will as cold sweat collected at his brow. Naturally, he was worried about what he would find. Sucking in a deep breath, the man took a moment in order to build up his courage, and with that, he gripped the handle, turned it, opened the door, and stepped inside the bathroom.

Everything seemed in order. It was certainly a bathroom of a private school. There was graffiti on the walls, but it merely looked as though it hadn't been scrubbed away yet. It was reasonably clean, however. It wasn't a complete pigsty. All of the cubicles were open and in working order, except for one, and that's where Alois' blood ran cold.

Crying. He could hear crying. It was the sniffling of a boy, or at least he hoped so, since it was the boys' bathroom. Quietly, he reached back and opened the entrance to the bathroom again and closed it loudly, giving the impression that he had left. Then Alois proceeded to tip-toe closer to the locked door, keeping his pace slow but sure. In absolute silence, he stopped and listened closely. The sobbing grew louder as opposed to the stifled attempts from before. It was as though the boy thought he was now alone.

Alois listened hard, trying to remember what exactly Kristopherson's voice sounded like back then. The other's voice had deepened over the years, and his manner of speaking had changed slightly as well. Was this Kristopherson? Or was it someone else? He got his answer as the door swung open.

With a violent jolt, Alois' attention was immediately directed upward as a deafening roar rang in his ears. The man's eyes were wide and he took several steps back at the imposing and horrific figure. It certainly was Kristopherson, but he was distorted and warped in a way that was in no doubt painful. Parts of his body were disproportionate with each other and the skin strained to cover the muscle and bone. A good two-thirds of his face was warped as well and his hair was a mess. He looked lupine in the way his mouth protruded. His teeth stuck out in an ugly manner as his lips were stretched at their fully capacity, unable to conceal them. Veins protruded from his skin and patches of fur appeared on his person, particularly in natural human fashions, but also in others. It was uneven; thick in some places, sparse in others, and nonexistent in the rest. Kristopherson's eyes were aflame with a bright red. They were vacant like they were coloured headlights. Drool dribbled down his chin as he stood there, staring down at Alois with tears streaming down his cheeks. He looked sad. He was obviously hurt and in pain. At the same time, however, he looked absolutely enraged. Kristopherson looked as though he was in the middle of a transformation when it suddenly stopped, trapping him in this grotesque form.

Alois didn't have time to think as he was grabbed by the throat and hoisted into the air. The back of his head and shoulders hit the ceiling and now he was forced to look down at his friend. His friend was trying to strangle the life out of him and crush his windpipe.

"Y-you're…" Alois gasped. "Not real!"

A speck of spit landed on his cheek as the beast roared again. This time, Kristopherson sounded more human. There was despair in that voice. Anger. Sadness. Suffering. Tears collected in Alois' eyes now, and he scrunched them shut, not wishing to see any more.

 _"_ I-I'm _… I'm sorry…"_ he choked, a tear rolling down his cheek and onto the beast's hand. And then, Alois woke up.

* * *


	227. Leave It To Chuck

Gasping, the bluenette bolted upwards out of bed, the blankets still concealing his legs and his skin covered in a thin coat of sweat. He gripped the sheets tightly and looked at his surroundings. It was just the master bedroom of the Phantomhive estate. Everything was there, accept for his clothes, it seemed. His shirt, pants, and coat was in the floor, which wasn't exactly an unusual occurrence. Blood rushed to his cheeks as he felt weight shift next to him.

His eyes darted to the side and looked down, seeing the menace in a similar state of dress, flipping over to face him. After yawning, the blonde sighed through his nose and reached out to gently clasp his hand over the Watchdog's in a sleepy fashion.

"What's wrong, baby?" Alois questioned. "Bad dream?" Blinking, the other took in a breath and relaxed just a bit.

"Yeah… I… I think so…" he answered, still shaken. That dream felt so real. It was certainly by far the most bizarre one he's had in a long while. Ciel stared straight ahead with a serious expression on his face as he tried to figure out if this was indeed reality.

"You're okay…" the other cooed, sitting up as well. The blonde leaned against Ciel's shoulder and rubbed his back soothingly. "There's nothing to be afraid of."

"I suppose…" Ciel said, looking down at his hands as the other pecked his cheek. "I just… uh…"

Pausing, the bluenette scrunched his face and tried to remember how he got here. Rubbing his forehead, he was afraid that he couldn't. Ciel had no idea how he got to bed, as he couldn't remember the night before.

"Uh…. Did something happen last night?" he questioned, looking to his spouse. Alois hummed and maintained his ministrations.

"Well, we got back from the hospital, had dinner, got ready for bed, and… well… relieved some stress." Answered the blonde. "Then we cleaned up and went to sleep."

"What happened at the hospital?" asked Ciel, perking up. "Did we find out what was causing the deaths?"

"Yeah. It was a mare. Y'know, some kind of supernatural. It also eats souls, but it traps people in sleep. We got caught, but we woke up and beat it before going home."

"How did we beat it?"

"I dunno, really."

"So the death of the creature wasn't confirmed?"

"Well… I…"

Wordlessly, the bluenette threw off the covers and threw his legs over the side of the bed. Still in his underwear, he bent down and picked up his clothes off the floor before putting them back on. The blonde watched with a concerned expression as the man hurriedly got dressed in his old clothes.

"Ciel?" he called out, only to be ignored. Ciel was thinking. He was putting the other's story together in order to verify the details. Unfortunately, they didn't add up.

He didn't remember any of that. That was wrong within itself. There was no mention of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. arriving as well, especially since they were notified of supernatural activity. They should have briefed the soldiers upon their arrival. The details didn't match up to either protocol or to facts. Moreover, why wouldn't they confirm the death of the creature? That wasn't a mere mistake. That was failure to correctly do their job. Alois was far more competent than that. Superb at his job, there was no way that Jim "Alois" Phantomhive would fail to do something so basic. Furthermore, they never engaged in intercourse directly after a mission, as they were always drained. Either Alois was lying, or worse.

"I'm going to check with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G." Ciel declared. "We need a mission debriefing."

"Can't we do it later?"

"No. It needs to be now." The distant nature with which he spoke caught the other off guard. The blonde had no choice but to watch as the other walked toward the door. Quickly, he tried to make his way out of bed after him.

"Wait for me! I'll go too!" he said, almost falling.

"I'm going ahead. You can follow me in the Mercedes."

"Wait, Cie—" called the blonde, but the bluenette was already out the door.

Ciel grabbed his keys and hopped on the motorcycle, being careful to avoid the butler and anyone else in the house. The trip to headquarters was shorter than he remembered, and the bike seemed to know which way to travel before he did, but Ciel was not surprised. He parked it quickly and made his way inside. The lobby had fewer people than usual.

Ordinarily, the lobby was packed, with soldiers sitting on couches and people from all departments hauling carts and running about. Ciel was displeased to find that there were copies of people as well. The dream was trying to fill in space, so some people had the same face and uniform. Ciel really hadn't woken up after all. The confirmation of this caused him to sigh.

Bypassing the front desk, he flashed his badge briefly so that he wouldn't be stopped as he made a beeline for Integra's office. He wasn't in the mood for any of this. The Phantomhive just wanted to go home—his _real_ home, with his _real_ husband. "Annoyed" is an understatement of what he was feeling on his way to the head office. He was done with this nonsense.

"Integra!" he called out, bursting through the door. The woman sat calmly at her desk, puffing on her cigar. She took her time responding, nonchalantly turning her head and blinking at him.

"Yes?" she finally asked, her manner of speaking irritating him further.

"What happened at the hospital?" demanded the demon. "I don't remember any of it."

"You defeated the mare, of course." Spoke the woman. "Why don't you recall? Perhaps you're still having trouble waking up. You were out for quite a while, after all. Go back downstairs and stop by the infirmary."

"I will do no such thing." Ciel defiantly stated. "I am tired of these games of yours. Stop toying with me and show yourself!"

"Whatever do you mean?" confusedly asked the woman. "You really have lost it, haven't yo—"

Her eye widened at the sight of the barrel of her employee's gun pointed at her face. Then her brow furrowed. "Are you threatening me?"

"Yes. I am. Enough of this farce. I want to go home." The Watchdog said, keeping his weapon trained on the woman.

Sighing, Integra said: "I'm not sure what to tell you. You are home. Do you really want to shoot me? If you really aren't dreaming, you will have killed a relative."

"I am still dreaming." Ciel insisted. "Nothing is right, here. None of the stories make sense. People don't act normally. Even the scenery is wrong!"

The Phantomhive was then alerted to the sound of footsteps behind him. There, stood Seras Victoria, along with Amelie and Charlotte Garou. Accompanying them is was BRAVO team members Bruce Brasher and Captain Debra Harland, all armed to the teeth. This development wasn't at all pleasing to the Phantomhive.

"Sir! Please stop!" pleaded Seras. "We don't want to fight you!"

"Stop lying. No more lies." Growled the man. "This world is maddening. Stop wearing their faces! Bastards… Get out of my head!"

"What are you talking about?!" asked Charlotte. "Please, Mister Phantomhive!"

For a moment, Ciel almost doubted it. He didn't want to fight them. He wanted to be home more than anything. He wanted to believe them, but reality got in the way. Facts were indisputable. Even if it was a world of dreams, logic still rendered it meaningless.

Looking over his shoulder, he peered at their pleading faces again. They were almost perfect. The one behind all of this had done a good job making duplicates. That said, there was one thing that stood out.

"Harland…" he said, staring at the woman. "Your arm…?"

At that, the group turned to Captain Harland, training their gaze on her arm, or lack thereof. Her left arm was missing, and instead replaced with static. Upon noticing it she tried to conceal it, only for the rest of her to distort for a split second. It was as though the transmission of data was interrupted somehow.

"What's on your arm…" Ciel thought aloud, pondering the connection. He though hard, trying to remember. "Your tattoo…"

Suddenly, he heard a click behind him. The Integra copy had a gun to his head as his was now pointed at her heart. "That's far enough." She said. "Drop your weapons, and go with them to the infirmary."

Ignoring her orders, Ciel continued to think. Remember Harland. She always had that tattoo of the rook chesspiece on her right arm. He knew, because it was the rook from the Hellsing family crest. But what was the other arm? He knew it was some strange symbol. Did it mean something? Of course! Tattoos on H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. staff to defend against different supernatural forces were common. If he could find out what that symbol was, that could very well be his ticket out of here! First, however, he needed to find his husband.

"I will tell you only one more time, Ciel." Warned Integra. "Put down your weapons, and go wit—"

_BANG!_

Ciel ducked and pulled the trigger, dodging the fake's bullet while lodging one of his own in her chest. The woman's bullet struck Seras in the eye, forcing the others to leap into action. Ciel thought quick and leapt over the desk and out the window, shattering the glass. Landing on his feet, he kept running, not trusting the motorcycle.

Now with a lead on how to escape this world, Ciel's next objective was to find his spouse. Once they were together, he was certain that they would be able to escape. He was cautiously hopeful, but hopeful, all the same. Even as the scenery disappeared and the world went black.

He could still see his hand in front of his face. It was like a spotlight was on him in the darkness. The bluenette kept running, and running, with no real direction. Soon he started whipping his head around, looking for any sign of the smiling man.

"Chuckles!" he called out, not sure what to call the man. "Smiley! Where are you?! Tell me where to go!"

Then, another spotlight appeared, this time on a trap door. It opened and the smiling man peeked out, having found the Phantomhive again. Waving him over, he shut the door behind Ciel once he was inside. Ciel grew nervous as the knowledge of what this place was began to dawn on him. It was a small tunnel leading out to an alley. Smiley kicked open a grate and crawled out, helping Ciel get out as well. The two dusted their clothes off before looking at each other. Ciel smiled, while the other's eyes did.

"Good to see you again." Said the Watchdog. "I see you made it out alright. You always know the way, don't you? I need to find my husband, Jim. Can you help me?"

Holding out his hand to the other, he waited for the other to shake. The other man looked down at the offering and glanced back up. Nodding, he took the hand and shook it in an animated fashion. It was a partnership.

Letting go, he immediately started walking toward the street and peeked out between the two buildings. The Watchdog followed and watched him curiously. Looking out with him, he saw that the streets were familiar, but didn't look the way he had left it last. It was Paris, but it was an older Paris. Now his nervousness escalated.

"We have to get out of here." He said in a hushed tone. "This is in the forties. This is not a good time to be in Paris."

Smiley nodded and looked around quickly before grabbing the other man's wrist. Swiftly, he led the Watchdog down the street and into another alley, and then again, and again. They did this until they came across a somewhat narrow street near a bar. Ciel recognised this place, and was eager to leave.

Upon stepping out into view, the Phantomhive nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of gunfire and bullets whizzing past him. There was shouting in German, and Ciel's first instinct was to escape into the bar _before_ he was shot in the schwanz this time. The gunshots died out soon after, disappearing as quickly as they came.

Ciel gripped his chest as his heart rattled against his ribcage. He was actually frightened by that, and was a bit ashamed that he ran instead of fought, but he wished to move forward and find his spouse quickly. As soon as he was met with that thought, however, he heard a clattering of metal coming from deeper inside the building.

Swallowing, he readied his gun. His accomplice followed suit, preparing his umbrella for battle as they traversed further into the bar. The sound came from the kitchen. Inside, there were pots and pans on the floor, obviously having been knocked over. As Ciel examined them, he caught movement in the corner of his eye, and swiftly turned and pointed the gun at its source, only to have another shoved in his face as well.

"Jim..?" he questioned, eye widening at the sight of the blonde. He was dirty and blood splattered his clothes, but otherwise, he seemed unharmed.

"Ciel…" the blonde called back, his look of astonishment morphing into a smile. "Oh, thank god… Ciel! I've been looking for you everywhere!"

A smile formed on the bluenette's face as well, and he lowered the gun slightly. "Oh, Jim, I—"

Then, Ciel's grin vanished in an instant. The reunion was cut short as the smiling man pointed the umbrella at Alois' face, brow furrowed and angry.

* * *


	228. What Slipped Through One's Fingers

Gasping, Alois filled his lungs with musky air, rebooting his system. It took him a few moments to wake up completely, but he awoke with a fright, his heart racing as his eyes adjusted. Now where was he? It looked as though he was in one of the round table's meeting rooms, only this time, it felt like a trial. The circular table seemed smaller than usual, and he was now inside of its hollow center. Then, he realised he was restrained.

Frantically, he tried to free himself from the chair, but his arms and legs were bound fast. He couldn't even move his shoulders, as his torso was strapped to the back of the chair. It felt as though he was fastened in with leather straps, but he should have been able to break them!

The room was silent aside from his panicked breathing, and empty, too. The only ones there was himself and the partially transformed nightmare-Kristopherson, sitting slightly off to the side from being directly in front of him. The beast appeared to be patiently waiting for something.

"What the fuck?" demanded the menace, his voice hoarse. "What's going on? Untie me! Now!"

No matter how the lion roared, the wolfman refused to hear him. Instead, Alois was forced to sit there, snarling while trying to figure out how to escape. The fear, however, was making it difficult. Alois thrashed about and flexed his muscles, trying to snap the straps and free himself. His breathing was rapid as he struggled, yowling like a wild animal that was stuck in a trap. Soon, however, he wore himself out, and was left panting. Now he had to use his brain despite the fact that it was foggy.

He didn't get the chance. Alois screamed out as he felt a pair of hands rest on his shoulders. Turning his head, he was able to see them. They were hard and shiny like polished, black, stone that was carved into a pair of beautifully grotesque hands. Long fingernails gently dug into the blonde's jacket while another pair of hands ran through his hair. Their owner was apparently amused by Alois' reaction to this, as the man heard a chuckle coming from behind him. Then, when the hands let him go, the one behind him bent over so that they were looking right into each other's eyes. Icy blue stared into warm gold, albeit distracted by how the whites of the man's eyes were blackened just like the armour that covered most of his body.

" _Boo."_ Preston said teasingly with a chuckle. He then stepped out into view, looking much different than he did during their last encounter. The black growth that protruded from the wound on his torso had spread, covering most of his front, but it also seemed that he had covered himself deliberately in places. His shoulders were covered and so was his neck. His lower jaw and the sides and back of his head were covered, too, with intricate designs covering the armour. It looked as though he was wearing masks on the sides of his head, as faces covered where his ears should be. The man's arms were concealed similarly, with two other pairs protruding from his back just like when he fought against the Watchdog. His hair was visible from the top and front, as was most of his face. The expression he wore seemed less angry and more amused. Preston was monsterous.

He continued to laugh as he leapt over the table and took a the next seat over from Kristopherson's nightmare-duplicate, folding two sets of arms and placing the hands of the third being his head as he leaned back. His grin and stare made the blonde's blood run cold. Just his appearance was shocking enough, but the way he was presented made the menace shake.

"Preston…" Alois said aloud, starting at the other man with wide eyes and a horror-stricken face. Then, he shook his head and furrowed his brow, regaining some sense of determination.

"No," he said, "you're not Preston. You're not real."

"I'm real enough." The nightmare said. "You feel enough guilt to allow me to manifest."

"Get the fuck out of my head…" the menace growled. "That's none of your goddamn business…"

"It is, now." Replied Preston, leaning forward and pacing his primary set of hands on the table while keeping the others folded. "Whether you know it or not, it's you who made us manifest. You're afraid of what will happen next. You're afraid of what you couldn't do, and that you won't be able to do anything again."

"Shut up!" barked Alois.

"You couldn't save me." Continued the man. "You couldn't save me from loneliness. You were just too busy to help, weren't you? While your friend was suffering. How selfish!"

"I didn't know! How was I supposed to know?! I had to do my job first!"

"Ah, yes… Your job… That job which 'saves lives' by killing supernatural beings."

"We've reformed since then!" argued the menace. "We're redoing the policy."

"That's not good enough." Said Preston. "While you're doing that, more people are being killed because they're not human. It's genocide of the supernatural and you know it."

"You think I don't care? Of course I do. That's why you're picking at it." Alois accused. "You wouldn't be talking about it if you weren't! Stop trying to rile me up already! It's not going to work!"

"You seem pretty riled up to me." The nightmare replied. "You can't save everyone, you know. You can't stop it."

"Neither can _you_." Growled the blonde. "Don't give me that self-righteous bullshit. It doesn't work outside of me, and it won't work inside my head, neither. Get the fuck out of my face!"

"I know how guilty you are! I wouldn't be here if you weren't! Neither would he!" shouted the nightmare in return, pointing to the wolfman. Kristpherson's likeness looked at the Phantomhive sadly before looking down at the table again. Alois watched this and his expression faltered. The other smirked as the guilt showed on the menace's face, even though it was just for a moment. Tsking, the blonde looked down as well, furrowing his brow and gritting his teeth.

"You could have saved him if you hadn't decided that you needed to be working on that investigation instead. Surely you could have taken the time." Said Preston, standing up slightly. "What were you really doing, exactly? Chatting idly with your husband while only working on the case a little bit? That's _some_ important work, there! Certainly worth allowing your friend to venture into Gehenna with only a half-reaper as a bodyguard on a full-moon. You knew it was dangerous werewolf territory, too, didn't you?"

"I didn't know he was going to be out that late…" Alois hissed. "He was supposed to be in and out in no time… That's what he said…"

"Blaming the victim now, are we? Typical. Nothing's ever your fault, is it? Always someone elses'."

"Shut the fuck up!" the lion roared, the intensity and anger behind his words actually startling the beasts for a moment. He breathed heavily, trying to calm down enough to say what he needed to. When he did, his icy blue eyes were on fire as he stared back at the nightmares, baring his teeth.

"At least stay consistent." He said. "First you say I blame myself, and then you say I don't. Which is it? Bastards. You claim to know everything, but you can't even keep your own damn lies straight. Try harder or fuck off!" Pausing, the blonde looked down for a brief moment, collecting his thoughts once more.

"Of course I blamed myself for what happened." Alois continued somberly. "Part of me still _does_ , even though I know that there was no way I could have possibly known. Even if I did, how could I be sure I could stop it?" Then, he looked up with that same intensity once more, only this time, it was advancing twofold! "It's not my fault! It's nobody's fault! I've been trying and trying with everything I have to see that! I'm not going to let you push be back again! Get the fuck out of my face, and get the fuck out of my head!"

The beasts looked back at him with wide eyes. They were shocked at the determination of the blonde menace. They hadn't counted on it. Suddenly, their eyes fell on the restraints that held the menace to the chair. The straps were beginning to complain. Alois was regaining his strength. Quickly, the nightmare needed to adapt.

"What about _him?"_ asked Preston, gesturing behind Alois. The menace turned his head to glance over his shoulder, straining his eyes as he tried to see more. Alois' eyes struggled to see the outline of the Westley, but the brunet eventually stepped into view. He was dressed sloppily with stubble on his chin. His hair wasn't parted, and he looked like a mess.

"Have you even talked to Daniel recently? How do you know he isn't suffering?" the nightmare inquired.

"You're reaching." Alois answered. "Travis talked to him a couple days ago. He's doing fine. We're trying to arrange for all of us to hang out together soon. Try harder." The corners of the blonde's mouth turned upwards just a tad as he observed hesitance on the impostor's faces. "Quit wasting my time."

His haughty smile shook the resolve of his captors, causing them to recoil in astonishment. Then the two in front of him furrowed their brows, as did the one behind him that he could not see at that moment. Their frustration only made the man more confident, and they knew it. Taking a deep breath, the golden-eyed nightmare stood up, frowning deeply.

"You had your chance to give up…" he said. "We gave you _so many_ chances…"

Alois' expression faltered as the beasts directed their attention toward the door. He squinted, trying to figure out what was going on, and waited patiently as the door slowly opened. Then, his brow furrowed. Through the door came a very familiar face.

The sight of the Watchdog made the blonde's cockiness vanish, and it was instead replaced with searing anger. Ciel walked into the room, perfectly alright and looking even better than he did when he was at the hospital. He wore a dark blue suit, black dress shirt, and white tie with his hair slicked back. It annoyed the menace that he actually found the man attractive.

" _Jim."_ The man greeted, his low voice reverberating in the blonde's ears. The bluenette then turned to the others with a confused expression on his face. "Why is he still tied up?" he asked.

"We can't convince him to stay." Preston answered. "No matter what we try, nothing's been working."

Alois looked down at his lap, hiding his face from the Watchdog. His spouse simply watched him for a moment, puzzling over his reaction. He then advanced toward him, jumping over the table in order to make his way to the chair. The menace refused to look at him, instead keeping his gaze down.

"Jim…" the watchdog began. "What's wrong? Why don't you want to stay here?"

"It's not real… There's no point in it…" answered the blonde. "It's not living."

"Sure it is. It's just as real as the outside world." Reaching out, the bluenette delicately touched Alois' hand. "I can still touch you. We can still be together here. We won't have to work for H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. anymore. We can just be together all of the time and not have to worry about anything."

"Stop…"

"Jim, I can finally stop being stressed and can just be with you." Ciel said, reaching up to tilt the other's chin up in order to look at him. Once he did, he saw the swirling storm of emotions that Alois was feeling. There was sadness, longing, temptation, and a few others. There was one that bubbled beneath the surface that Ciel couldn't quite recognise as tears streamed down the blonde's cheeks. "Jim, it's going to be okay… Nothing bad is going to happen to you…"

Alois clenched his fists as his tears fell, unable to look directly at the other. How dare he? How dare he use that voice, that face, those hands? How dare he toy with the menace so? The absolute worst thing was how it all affected Alois. That made him angry.

His brow furrowed and his teeth grit. He closed his eyes altogether, scrunching his face. The Watchdog was too close. Suddenly, Alois tilted his head back, causing the other to raise his eyebrows in confusion. Then, just as abruptly, he thrust his head forward and downward, striking the bluenette directly on the nose.

The Watchdog yelped in surprise and clasped his face. Blood dripped between his fingers and off of the blonde's forehead. He watched in astonishment as the menace simply sat there in the same place, still looking down while his shoulders shook.

"You piece of shit…" he growled. Steam escaped from between his teeth as he seethed. His breath was coming out rapidly and the air around him distorted. Black sparks began to flicker off of his body as he looked up. His eyes stared straight through the bluenette. They were as crimson as the blood that stained the man's face.

" _Bastard_ …" the menace fumed. The leather restraints complained much louder now, and seemed to be slacking somewhat. "Using that face… that voice… even the feeling of the hand is the same… Piece of shit… _How dare you use Ciel's likeness like that? I'll kill you_."

Veins protruded from the lion's forehead as more flame dusted his shoulders. He began to stand. The leather straps strained, being stretched to their maximum capacity before finally giving way. The nightmares took a few steps back from the man as his presence filled the entire room with dread. Even the one of the Watchdog cowered before him.

"I'll kill you!" he roared, baring his fangs. "Get out of my way!"

"Jim, please, I-!" The impostor couldn't get another word out before the blonde swung his arm, sending him flying across the room. He hit the doorway with incredible force, and didn't get up again. The others, however, sprang into action, despite their hesitance. Kristopherson's likeness pounced, extending his arm forward to grab the Phantomhive's neck again, only to have the man dodge and aid him in his falling to the floor. The heel of the menace's foot came down hard on the nightmare's spine, causing it to cry out in pain at the sound of a gut-wrenching _snap_.

Preston watched on in horror at the scene. Alois was strong. He was strong enough to cause nightmares to feel fear. Without another word, the menace propelled forward and cocked back his fist. There was no time for Preston to dodge. He could only block. He put all six arms out in front of him to cushion the blow, but two of them didn't make it. They cracked and crumbled before shattering from the force. Eyes widening, the nightmare was stunned. He should be in control of this world, not Alois! Alas, the demon was too much for him to handle.

" _Don't use their faces!"_ Alois roared, swinging again. This time, the other tried to dodge, having his armour scratched as he was slightly nipped. Alois was far beyond his control, grabbing his wrist with one hand and striking upwards with the other, hitting the nightmare's elbow. Preston cried out, scrunching his face in pain as the arm broke off at the joint, and he was struck over the head with the limb. The armoured piece shattered over his head as the Phantomhive relentlessly attacked.

"How dare you?! You bastard! Piece of shit! Just die!" Somehow, Alois felt as though he was fighting for his friends' honour and integrity. Part of him was fighting for himself and what he knew to be true. He was fighting to accept reality, rather than the harsh whispers of his own doubt. Alois did not like lies. He did not want to give into them. He wouldn't allow himself to.

Grabbing the sides of the nightmare's head, he saw the impostor's eyes go wide before he brought his face downward and struck his teeth with his knee. There was no concern or remorse for felt by the blonde. Even the pain from the nightmare's teeth cutting his knee was drowned out to him as his toes tapped the ground before his knee was brought up again.

" _Guh!"_ the nightmare let out, followed by the Daniel impostor taking a few steps forward. Alois couldn't see him. He was far too busy dispatching Preston. He didn't notice Daniel at all until he heard the screaming of the man accompanied by barking. Quickly, the menace whipped his head around to see a massive dog attacking the nightmare—a pitch-black great dane with red eyes. Suddenly, the animal looked toward Alois.

" _Go!"_ it barked, the voice sounding like a certain butler. "Head through the doors! Quickly!"

Alois stared blankly after the animal for a moment longer, attempting to process everything. Once he realized it, he nodded. "Thanks, Fido!" he called, turning heel and darting toward the door. Busting it open, he had to shield his eyes as he was met with an almost blinding light. The doors closed behind him, and he was now alone again.


	229. Though Your Heart Is Aching

"Ciel..?" called the blonde, swallowing hard as he stared at the smiling man with wide eyes. "Who is that?"

The Watchdog's eyes darted to his counterpart. "I told you to lead me to him! Not kill hi-!"

He was cut off when the smiling man pointed off to the side. Following his finger, there was a door. Furrowing his brow, Ciel thought for a few moments, and tried to feel the air. No matter how hard Ciel tried, he couldn't pick up Alois' signature with sixth sense. Suddenly he looked back to the menace.

"You're a fake…" he said. "Aren't you?"

"C-Ciel?" whimpered the blonde. "I-I'm not! Ciel, please!"

"You don't even act like him…" accused the Watchdog. "If you were Jim, you wouldn't be standing there, groveling. He's not a coward…"

"Ciel!" called the other, his voice breaking. Tears streamed down his cheeks, but Ciel looked to him with nothing but contempt. "Please!"

"He's beyond that door, isn't he, Chuck?" questioned the Phantomhive, prompting his counterpart to nod. "Can I leave this to you, then?"

The blonde's head whipped around to lock eyes with the smiling man once again, only for Smiley to raise his eyebrows and widen his eyes. He recoiled a bit at the sight of the man crying, which did not go unnoticed. There was a slight flicker in the blonde's eye as he focused on the umbrella-wielding gent, but he still continued to cry.

"Ciel…" he sobbed. "Please… You can't… I… I thought…" Smiley's eye twitched while the other bluenette stayed stern.

"You thought what?" Ciel asked, prompting the blonde to lower his gaze.

"I… I…" the man hiccupped, staining his suit with fresh tears. "I thought… I thought you… Th-that you l-l-loved m-me…"

Then, the corner of the smiling man's seemingly permanent grin twitched. It was the first time his mouth had moved. It was now the Watchdog's turn to be surprised, taking his eye off of the blonde momentarily in order to find out what was wrong with his counterpart just long enough for the blonde to look up again. Turning his attention back to the blonde again, however, he immediately reached into his coat and pulled out his gun, realizing that the man was up to no good.

"Be quiet!" Ciel commanded, pointing the gun at the menace and causing him to take a few steps back and yelp. The blonde held up his hands defensively and cowered. Once again, this caused the smiling man to hesitate. Once again, his smile began to falter.

The corners of his mouth twitched again before falling slightly. His smile was now less painful-looking, but his eyes made it appear to be less genuine. There was sadness in them, and they wouldn't stray from the blonde. Seeing him upset was somehow getting to him.

"Smiley, don't listen to him!" ordered the Phantomhive. "He's not real! Even I can tell!"

Just then, his counterpart looked as him with solemn eyes. It appeared as though water was collecting in them. Rather than his usual game of charades, he decided to communicate with Ciel without gesture—silently, motionlessly, with only his eyes, saying: " _But what if he isn't?"_

The smiling man expressed doubt to Ciel, worriedly wondering if the blonde was telling the truth. Smiley, who knew things about this world that Ciel did not, was experiencing doubt. The world was now fooling his guide, or rather, his guide's weakness had been found. The blonde, unfortunately, had seemed to notice as well.

Quickly, the blonde darted past Smiley's umbrella and hid behind him away from the gun, surprising both bluenettes. With the new proximity, the smiling man's lips began to crack as his smile fell further. As the bluenette struggled to continue smiling now, widening it by force and causing the cracks spread further and part more harshly. Ciel looked on with his gun trained on the blonde. The Watchdog had to move from his original spot in order to not hit his counterpart. His eye was wide at what was happening to the other bluenette, shocked by how the immovable expression was now crumbling away.

"Get away from him!" he barked at the blonde, but his order fell on deaf ears as the others continued to lock eyes. His command, however, caused the other to jump and utter a yelp once again. The cracks on Smiley's face reached his cheeks and reached toward his cheekbones as a result. His eyes, however, stayed locked on the blonde's..

" _Smiley!"_ Ciel called out, trying to snap his counterpart back to his senses to no avail. The blonde stepped closer, ruining Ciel's shot. The smiling man was now at risk to be used as a shield. "Smiley! Wake up!"

The blonde extended his hand and reached out to the frozen Smiley. Slowly, he made the gesture, but the bluenette's eyes didn't stray once, but his smile fell almost completely. Then the blonde pressed his finger against the man's lower lip, gently touching a large crack in his visage. With that simple gesture came horror as the Watchdog witnessed the lower half of his counterpart's face shatter completely like glass.

Shards of Smiley's face fell to the floor, pitter-pattering against its surface as the grip on his umbrella loosened. The weapon fell to the floor as he fell back and soon joined it with a loud, hollow thud on the shiny, sharpened pieces of his own face. His eyes were still open, but there was no spark inside. Everything below them was gone. It had broken off, leaving the inside of his head exposed. It was reflective, just like the inside of each piece of it, but it was not smooth. It was scratched and smudged, but Ciel could still see his own reflection as he looked inside.

Sweat trickled down the back of his neck as he stared at his counterpart before looking to the copy of his beau. He felt sadness. He felt loss. He felt shame. That soon turned to anger, however, as he peered up at the nightmare, becoming enraged at the sight of that smug grin the creature was wearing. That grin with that face? Unforgivable!

"What? Are you mad?" asked the nightmare in a mocking tone. "Don't tell me you got attached to the thing… Useless creature… It wasn't even supposed to exist! But you… You and that other one… You demons are quite the handful, aren't you?"

Without answering, the Phantomhive merely pulled the trigger of his weapon, firing several shots into the nightmare's chest. It took a step back with each hit, but it did not fall. It merely smiled while wearing the lion's face and cackled. It cackled a nasty, distorted cackle as the colour drained from its visage. The only hue visible was its crimson eyes, the whites of which were now coated with inky black.

" _Cute_." The creature said, its voice piercing. "But I won't be beaten. I already made the mistake of underestimating the other one, and I won't make that mistake twice."

"Jim?" Ciel questioned, his voice shocked for a moment before his anger returned. "What did you do to him?" he demanded in a low growl.

"He'll get his soon enough." The nightmare said, stretching. Its limbs popped loudly in a grotesque fashion. "But I'm afraid you'll have to go on without him."

The creature's limbs continued to pop and snap, causing the beast to twitch, slightly. With the ugly sound, its limbs elongated and so did the creature's face. Parts of it grew while others sunk in, like its eyes and nose. The suit that it had been wearing had changed, turning into feathers that formed a long cloak, and long antlers began to protrude from its head on either side as pale hair fell out in clumps. Skin peeled away, leaving only bone like the skull of a deer. The only sign of life on its face was the two small, red, lights that served for eyes, glowing brightly from deep within the sockets. Slowly, it parted the feather cloak and reached out a long, grey, hand covered in callouses. The arm was concealed with the tattered sleeve of a shirt.

"Now come quietly, and be with your lover forever." It beckoned, hoping that the bluenette would oblige.

Ciel stared at the monstrosity for a few moments before his frown deepened. "He is not my lover." He stated harshly. "He is my _husband_ , and we were going be together forever long before you arrived!"

Firing off a few more shots while knowing that they would do him no real good, he was able to distract the beast for a few moments in order to duck behind some cover. Now was time for a plan. As the creature recoiled before snapping back to its senses, it taunted him.

"It didn't work last time, so what makes you think it will now?" it asked. "Come out! I will find you… I know you're still here…"

Stifling his breathing, the Watchdog stayed hidden, thinking of a plan. He knew that the symbol tattooed on Captain Harland's arm was the key, but he wasn't sure how to implement that, or if he even remembered what the symbol looked like correctly. It was somewhere deep within his mind, but he couldn't bring it to the surface. Pulling the small memopad he always kept with him out of his pocket, he quickly tried to sketch the basic outline of what he remembered, hoping to jog his memory, even in it wasn't the time for it. As far as he was concerned, there weren't any other options.

"Is that you scratching?" called the nightmare, listening closely to the sound of the Phantomhive's pen scribbling against the paper. Slowly, it crept closer. Ciel could hear the sound of its talon-like feet hitting the floor and inching closer and closer to where he was hiding.

" _AH-HAH!"_ barked the beast, locking eyes with the demon. Holding out its arms, it pounced at the man, only to recoil and gasp as it glanced at the incomplete drawing. Ciel held it up to its view, holding the pen to the paper, threatening to finish the symbol despite not knowing the rest. Still, it was enough to buy him some time.

He stood up and backed away from the nightmare, never moving his secret weapon as he heading toward the door. Standing next to it, he moved the hand with the pen in it to grasp the handle and began to turn it, pausing to glance at his fallen counterpart one last time. It was strange. Ciel only knew the creature for a short while, and they never spoke, but he felt a bit sad that he was gone. He had just started to like Smiley a bit.

Then, his gaze returned to the nightmare as it seemed to be recalculating its options. Quickly, Ciel then flung the door open and stepped through it. Immediately, it shut behind him as he found himself blinded by the sudden entry into bright light.


	230. Duck and Cover

Alois raised a hand to shield his eyes, squinting as he waited for them to adjust to the sudden brightness. Slowly, he lowers his hand again, realizing that he knew this place. Sunlight shined brightly through the tall windows of the Gehenna church as he found himself up at the front of the room. He knew this spot well, as it was embedded in his memory. It was here where Ciel revealed himself to the residents of Gehenna, and it was here where Alois became his spouse.

Looking around the large room, he found it to be completely empty. There wasn't a single soul in sight. His canine friend hadn't passed through the door with him, and he wondered if he was supposed to wait or not. Where on earth he was supposed to go from here, he had no idea, and venturing off alone was a scary thought, given what has happened thus far.

Desperately, Alois wanted to go home. It showed on his face and in his posture. He leaned with one hand on the podium at the front of the church, trying to collect himself and regain the courage. His anger had subsided for now, so he lost some of his drive. He would not give up, however. If there was one thing that Jim Phantomhive did not know how to do, it was give up.

The feeling of the cold wood against his fingertips was soothing, somehow. It was then that he realised just how much he was sweating. This wasn't surprising, given what he just violently escaped. Part of him was horrified of what he did to those clones. They wore the faces of his friends and his spouse. Part of him felt as though it shouldn't have been that easy to fight them. It seemed like the sort of thing a monster would do.

With that sombre thought, Alois let out a sigh before slowly slinking to the floor. He rested for a moment with his back against the podium. There were plenty of pews to sit at, but the floor was Justas good. Besides, it was never wise to have one's back to the door in a potentially dangerous area. That was one of the first things Ciel taught him when they started working together, and Alois has found that Ciel never does so even in mundane situations.

Alois closed his eyes at the thought of the bluenette, absent-mindedly tracing the outline of his wedding band through his blood-soaked gloves. He was worried. If he was having a hard time fighting the nightmare realm, how much difficulty was his spouse facing? Ciel is strong, so Alois was confident in him.

He could still sense the bluenette with his contract, so he knew he was still alive. In fact, he felt him strongly. Alois' eyes suddenly snapped open, because for the first time since the ordeal, he could sense Ciel clearly. Sixth sense indicated that he was straight ahead, coming closer, and closer, and closer.

Shuffling to his feet, Alois reached into his coat and gripped the handle of one of his pistols as his eyes trained on the door in front of him. His brows furrowed, and he stood on edge as the presence approached. While it was Ciel's signature, he had become expectant of trickery in this world. When the door did open, however, none of that mattered.

Ciel clumsily stumbled out into the room, putting his hands in front of him in order to shield his eye from the sudden bright light. He squinted as he registered a figure at the front of the room, but then his senses caught on. Alois perked up at the sight of the other and relaxed his grip on the weapon. When his beau's gaze adjusted and the Watchdog and transfixed on him, he let go completely. He didn't think before his legs started moving. Neither did Ciel's.

The bluenette went from dumbfounded to ecstatic in mere seconds, prompting him to move forward as well. Both men ran to one another from opposite ends of the aisle and crashed into one another in the center in a firm embrace. They didn't second guess that their beau was real—not for a moment. Their arms wrapped around one another securely, not giving room for the other to escape. Fortunately, neither of them wanted to. It was obvious from the way they held each other so tenderly, caressing one another with gentle care as they placed light kisses on their cheeks. They did all of this without words, as words were unnecessary. All they needed was each other.

"Thank god…" Alois finally said, breaking the silence as he squeezed the other's middle a bit tighter. "You're okay… I was so worried…"

"I'm glad to see you, too." The bluenette replied, pausing to place a kiss to his beau's temple. "When you disappeared, I didn't know what to do…"

"You collapsed in the hallway." Explained the Lion. "You scared the shit outta me in the process. The nurses took you to a room and I watched over you for a while, but then I fell asleep, too… I never saw what did it…"

"It doesn't matter right now. What's done is done. Fortunately, I think I've found a lead on how to get out of here." Ciel informed, pulling back from the other in order to look at his face more thoroughly. Surprise washed over his face suddenly as he finally noticed his husband's attire.

"Is that blood?" he asked, grasping the man's chin for a moment and inspecting him worriedly. "Are you hurt? We need to get out of here right away—"

"Don't worry, it isn't mine." Interrupted the blonde, wearing a reassuring smile. That was just like his beau to be concerned like this. Stoic as he may be, Ciel always was a bit of a worrywart when it came to his menace. "I'm okay. I just had to knock a few heads on the way here."

"Oh…" answered the bluenette, releasing his spouse with a relieved expression. "Of course it is… My mistake."

"You're such a silly dog." Alois teased, tilting his head upward in order to peck the other on the lips with a grin. The Watchdog smiled in return, elated to see his spouse again. Both of them now felt as though the journey was almost over. However, there was still the matter of actually making their escape.

"I know." Ciel replied. "But, I did managed to sniff out a clue." He said, reaching into his coat to retrieve his memopad again and held the drawing up to his spouse's gaze.

"That's… It looks like Harland's tattoo?" the menace said inquisitively. "Why's it important?"

"Because I saw Harland." Informed the Watchdog. "However, it wasn't the real 'Harland', of course, but a copy. The only thing is, the copy couldn't replicate her entirely. It couldn't replicate her arm at all."

"The arm with the tattoo?"

"The same."

"And since H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. does those supernatural sigil tattoos… It really could be used to ward off this creature!" pieced together Alois, prompted his spouse to nod.

"Precisely. The creature already felt aversion to this incomplete version, so I'm on the right track." Ciel replied. "Problem is, I can't remember the rest of the pattern…"

"Let me see…" The blonde took the memopad and examined it closely, furrowing his brow. "You got a pen?"

Taking the writing instrument from the Watchdog, Alois began to scribble in a few details. Judging from the air around the paper, he was close. With each line, the symbol distorted the air around it like it was emitting heatwaves, causing the duo to look to one another, flashing hopeful smiles. Still, it was not complete.

"That's all I can remember based on this." Alois stated. "I don't know the rest…"

"That's alright. We've got something, at least." His beau reassured. "We should try to hurry, though. We don't know how much time we have left until the next bizarre thing happens…" Ciel trailed off as he absent-mindedly glanced to the side and froze. His expression suddenly changed to one of astonishment, but it was not frightful.

"Hand me a few pieces of paper, and I'll sketch a few versions." The menace suggested in an attempt to help with the plan. His gaze suddenly fell on his husband's however, and he was suddenly concerned again.

"What is it?" he questioned, unaware as to whether or not there was a threat in the room. Following the Watchdog's eye, he saw someone sitting in the pews.

It was another man of similar stature and likeness to Ciel's, but in a grey suit with a black tie, black shoes, and black gloves. In the seat next to him was an umbrella of a similar shade, and in his lap there was a bulldog, panting happily. The man's face was calm as he looked down at the animal and gently scratched its head, but as soon as he felt the demons' gaze upon him, he looked up. On his face spread a warm, gentle, genuine smile as he locked eyes with the pair, prompting him to offer a friendly wave.

"Smiley..?" Ciel questioned allowed, followed by Alois' own observation.

"He's got Fido!" The blonde said, pointing as the dog barked.

"Let me guess, the dog is the one who led you around?" asked the Watchdog. "And 'Fido'? That's not a very unique name, coming from you."

"Well, Fido has a man's voice some of the time, and a woman's at others, so I couldn't figure out if it needed a boy's name or a girl's." Alois explained. "It started off as a joke, but it kinda stuck along the way, so 'Fido'. I gotta say, though, 'Smiley' seems to suit your tastes."

"His name is Chuckles Smiley, also known as 'Chuck'." Ciel stated, causing the blonde to giggle.

"You're so stupid…" his beau said, playfully punching him in the arm.

Their attention was soon captured once again by Smiley as he stood up from his seat, canine still in arm. His expression changed, although it was only slightly, as he pointed to the building's exit. Even now, Smiley was still directing the Watchdog, and the man now trusted him.

"We should go." Ciel said, turning to his beau. "If he's telling us to go somewhere, it must be important."

"So I take it your guide was more helpful than mine?" inquired the menace as he reached down to intertwine their fingers. "Just don't let go of my hand. I don't wanna have to find you again."

" _Deal."_ The bluendette replied, placing the notepad back in his coat with his free hand.

With that, the duo were off yet again, making their way toward the front door swiftly as they ran down the aisle and passed their respective guides. It was then, however, that something unexpected happened. Ciel almost froze in his tracks when he heard it, and had to look over his shoulder to make sure what he thought happened actually did.

" _Have a safe journey home."_ The smiling man had said to him, in a voice that almost sounded like a child's. Turning around to meet the Watchdog's gaze, he waved at him again.

" _Goodbye."_ Smiley added before the doors opened. That was the first and last time Ciel had ever heard his counterpart speak.

"CIEL!" the Lion shouted in alarm, and it was like all of the sound in their surroundings hit Ciel at once.

Crashing, booming, crackling, and whistling. Ciel turned around to face forward, only to see London on fire. The familiar smell of soot and ash filled his nostrils, and the sight of the blaze made his blood run cold. Up toward the heavens, he could see the outline of zeppelins in the sky. By the time his eye was fully focused, his blonde was screaming as a massive object was dropped from overhead. Instinctively, Ciel wrapped his arms around Alois and acted as a shield, holding him as tight as he could as the bomb hit and everything exploded into white.

The world of blackness had changed into an endless landscape of white surrounding them as they fell into its expanses in a freefall. They had this falling dream many times before during this ordeal, but this time, they were together. Their grips on each other never wavered.

"Don't let go!" pleaded Alois, gripping his beau around the waist for dear life. The wind whipped past them as they made their descent, flailing their coats and ruffling through their hair. Alois' eyes were scrunched shut, as were Ciel's.

"I won't!" Ciel shouted in reply. "I promise! I won't ever let go of you!"

They fell, and they fell, and they fell, until not even the sound of their voices could reach each other. Deafening silence. A white abyss. Even the direction they were falling wasn't clear anymore, as they were the only things that remained.


	231. Grogginess Is A Small Price To Pay

The landscape was desolate, with only the sight of dead trees lining the black horizon. The ground was covered with a mix of snow and ash as the mixture continued to fall from the sky, coating the earth and the shoulders of the two lone figures who walked through the lonely scenery. Their footprints were immediately filled in after each step, leaving not a single trace of them behind.

Two boys, differing in height slightly but not in dignity walked together without words. Ash covered the shoulders and backs of their black caplets, as the snow had melted away. The shorter one with hair of an odd shade of blueish black wore a tophat, while the other, a blonde boy, wore a bowler in order to protect their heads from the mixture, but it still got on their hair and skin, regardless. Neither of them knew exactly how long they had trekked onward, but it had seemed like ages.

"Hey, Jim?" spoke up the bluenette teen, mist escaping his mouth as he did. "Do you remember?" he questioned as the two carried on. Silence followed as the boy paused and the other failed to answer.

"Do you remember how it all started? I hated you. I really did, with all of my heart. When do you think that changed? I honestly don't know. I can't imagine not being together with you anymore. Sometimes, I question ever hating you at all, even though history indicates that I did. I know it. Hating someone and loving someone… how far apart is it? They aren't opposites at all. The opposite of hate is indifference. So it the opposite of love. They aren't the same, though. One is disgust and the other is longing. How can someone who I was revolted by now bring me such happiness? I don't know. I don't care, either."

The two trudged through the snow with a little more difficulty now as they walked uphill, now. It was the only thing they came across in ages, and the effort it took forced them to take in more of the freezing air. It felt as though they were breathing in razorblades, while their noses were occasionally tickled by specks of ash that wafted their way.

"I never hated you." Replied the blonde. "I hated what you had, even though I wasn't really aware of it. I tried to turn that into hatred of you, but in the end, finding out was what killed me."

"Do you regret it?" questioned the other. "Do you wish we settled our differences back then?"

"Do _you?"_

"Truthfully, I don't think so." Stated the bluenette, grunting as his legs grew tired. "I know it's selfish, but I don't think I would change a single thing. It's horrible, I know, but what came out of it all in the end… It's a brighter world, I think. I'm not sure it would be the same if we fixed things back then."

"The world was dark." Spoke the taller one. "It felt like there was nothing but darkness that would devour you until there was nothing left. No matter how hard I fought, I could never escape it. That's what I thought. I hated you. I hated you for having even a sliver of light more than me. That alone was enough of a reason to kill you, in my book."

"But you didn't."

"I couldn't. Fate had other plans for me. Even now, it keeps throwing us together. I don't think I could ever escape you if I wanted to."

"I don't know how I feel about fate." Said the bluenette. "It has taken so much. It has hurt so much. We have been put through trials that would break most, and cripple others. And for what? What did we do?"

"Nothing." The fair-haired boy answered. "It was seemingly on a whim."

"Is there such a thing as fate?"

"I'm not sure. I'm not sure if I want there to be."

"We have seen so much… And there's still so much more to see…" Pausing, the two continued their march as the snow began to melt away toward the top of the hill, leaving blackened grass in its stead.

"Hey, do you remember?" questioned the blonde. "The day we met again? I was afraid of you. I was afraid of this world. I hated this world with all of my heart. I didn't want to go back into the darkness. Do you know when that changed? I don't. I don't really care, either. Now I can't imagine ever being afraid. What do you think happened? How can someone go from being fearful of someone, to longing for them?" The boy paused for a moment, taking in the warmer air and the smell of salt. The ash and snow had stopped falling, now.

"They're not really similar at all." Said the lad. "They have nothing in common. It's amazing, though, how I could go from wanting to run away and hide from you, to loving you more than anything. It should be impossible, but I guess we're all about ' _impossible_ ', huh?"

Keeping his gaze forward, white covered their feet up to their ankles now, and light shined upwards, casting shadows on their faces. The flowers beneath their feet glowed vibrantly as they bloomed, and the two stopped at the very top of the hill. Silence hung in the air as they took it all in, but it wasn't a poisonous smog. It was a refreshing breeze, as the two felt completely calm and content where they were. Then, for the first time, the bluenette turned to look at the other, analyzing the blonde's profile carefully. For a few moments, he just took in the sight of the lad among the flowers, until finally he spoke again.

"Do you regret it?" he asked again. "Our lives have been full of tragedy and anguish since we were small. If you could go back and fix that…" Pausing, the bluenette looked down before hesitantly returning his gaze to the blonde. "Would you?"

The other lad paused to think, staring straight ahead in silence. Furrowing his brow in concentration, he left the bluenette in suspense. Finally, the taller of the two turned toward his companion.

"That would mean that I wouldn't have met you." Spoke the blonde. "I don't think I want that."

"Surely you wouldn't endure that for me." The bluenette replied.

"I don't know if I would, but it's behind me, now. Sure, it still affects me, but… I don't know if I would be happier if I made things 'right'." Looking forward again, the other boy continued. "That's a silly question. Nobody can change the past. The only direction I move is forward. That's where our focus should be. That, and in the present."

Nodding, the shorter of the two joined his companion in staring out into the field of flowers. "Of course." He said. "That's one of the most important lessons that you've taught me." Sighing, he took in the sight before him. It was like they were standing on the surface of the moon.

"Jim?" the bluenette called again.

"Yeah, Ciel?" answered the other.

"Will you stay with me? Forever?" questioned the Watchdog. Slowly, he opened his hand at his side, and extended toward the blonde. Silently, the other took it and intertwined their fingers.

"You've asked me that before, and the answer is still the same." Alois replied, the corners of his mouth turning upwards. "Always." He said, causing an uncontrollable smile to appear on his face.

" _Always."_ Ciel reiterated. He squeezed the other lad's hand tighter, only to have the gesture returned.

With that, mighty wind blew past them, disturbing the flowers and causing their petals to come off, still glowing, even in the breeze. They danced and twirled in the wind, accumulating there until they covered everything with white, but the duo could still feel one another's hand, and held on tight. Even as their bodies felt heavy and a sudden grogginess overcame them, they made sure never to let go.

Next, when they opened their eyes, they were blinded by light. Inhaling sharply, they smelled the scent of cleaning supplies and medicine. It took them a few moments to realise that they were lying down. Looking over, they saw blurred figures ducking in and out of the room while others stood over them. As the demons' gaze came into focus, they realised that they were H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers. Their voices echoed in their ears, hurting them a bit as they tried to decipher what they were saying.

"They're awake!" the soldier directly next to Ciel called, the loud noise causing him to wince and grumble. He then realised that the soldier had one hand on his wrist, and that his forearm was exposed. The coolness of ink was felt against his skin as he saw the marker in the soldier's other hand. When he felt movement on his other side, his gaze shifted to the blonde, who was looking at his own arm, still holding hands with the bluenette. Both of them looked to one another as they recognised the symbol drawn.

"The mare…" Ciel said in a raspy voice. "Where is it?"

"We need to wake everyone else up before it can appear, sir." One of the soldiers informed. "Are you alright?"

"I'm not dead, am I?" the Phantomhive retorted, sitting up. "I take it that H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. is already aware of the situation?"

"Yes, sir. Right now, we're putting symbols on the other patients, and everyone else in the building to be sure."

"Good." Ciel stated. "Let me know when you're about to mark the last person. I want to take care of that piece of shit personally…"

The sudden swearing of the Watchdog made the soldier stiffen, before standing straight up. "Would you like me to go check on the status of things, sir?"

"That would be appreciated." The bluenette replied, rubbing his head. As the soldiers left the room, the demons were alone again.

Their hospital beds were close enough together that they could still hold hands as they slept. The menace wondered if he had ever let go from the start. That must have made things difficult for those moving them. Still, the men were glad to still be together, even if their fingers were stiff from being still in the same position for so long.

Leaning a bit closer, the blonde brought the other's gloved hand to his lips, kissing his fingers. Looking to his spouse, he smiled. Ciel could see the relief on his face.

"Morning, sunshine." Alois said. "God, it's good to be back in the real world…"

Smiling slightly in return, the bluenette swung his legs over the side of the bed and leaned forward as well. Closing his eye, he pressed their lips together, lingering and moving with the pleasantly surprised menace. Alois cupped his spouse's cheek in order to hold him in position for a while longer before the Watchdog hummed into the kiss and pulled away.

"Indeed. This _is_ the real world." Ciel said with a smile.

" _That's_ your method of testing it?" snidely inquired the menace.

"Hmm… Yes and no." the Watchdog answered. "Mostly I just wanted to kiss you for real and not in a dream."

"True. I'd give you more kisses, but our mission is technically not over yet."

"Shame." Ciel stated, standing up. He wobbled a bit, prompting the menace to stand on his knees on the bed and support him.

"Easy, there, pooch. You're still waking up." He said.

"I'll be fine. And thanks, by the way." The Watchdog paused to peck the other's temple. "What say you and I exterminate a mare?"

"Hell yeah." Alois excitedly replied. " _My Little Pony's_ gonna get iced."


	232. Bagged

"Four more left, sir!" spoke a soldier, offering a salute to the Watchdog and Lion. In response, the blonde nodded, and his spouse answered.

"Very well. Tell us when the last patient is about to be marked, and we will surround the mare." The bluenette said.

"Yes, sir!"

It was a quick exchange, but informative, nonetheless. The duo was fortunately feeling less groggy and were completely awake. They remained close, however, holding hands and occasionally switching up to hook their arms with one another's. They chatted to eat other and with other experienced agents, confirming the protocol for handling a mare.

Apparently, once it without a host, it will mateirialise into a physical form and be able to be killed. They discussed multiple ways to kill the creature, discovering that it's quite weak on its own. They couldn't use guns, as this was a hospital, and the sound could frighten patients, nor could they kill the creature in the room that the last patient was in for the same reason. The team would have to capture it and move it to another separate room and kill it with quiet means, as they cannot simply remove it from the premises. If they did, they would risk having it find a new host whose consciousness it can slip into. In the end, the bluenette decided that his sword was the best method, and H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. had arranged for a room.

When the time came, agents were ready with nets and snarepoles, causing them to wonder just how big this creature was. From Ciel's memory, it was far too large to be captured with these tools, so he didn't see the point of them. He did, however, once the tattoo was drawn on the last patient, prompting the thirty year old man trapped in his slumber to finally awaken.

Theink of the tattoo on the man's arm began to bubble before hissing out a cloud of black smoke. It was surprising that the even didn't wake the man. The agents began to close in as the cloud sunk to the floor and started to thicken and form a shape.

The creature was small—about the size of a cat, with a long tail and pudgy belly. Its eyes still glowed red through the mist, and it had ears in the shape of a deer, but proportionally too large. As the smoke continued to seep into the creature's body, the image became clearer, revealing its face in the shape of an exposed animal skull, and its ashy coloured, soft-looking, almost feather-like hide. Clumsily, it stood up on both legs, using its hands to prop itself up before wobbling on its hind legs.

It was fully visible as the patient regained consciousness, and as the agents closed in, the creature noticed them. The lights it had for eyes grew larger and its ears stood on end before it attempted to take off. Fortunately, the agents had it cornered, and quickly herded it into a net as it screeched. The duo simply looked on in disbelief.

"That's the son of a bitch that trapped this entire hospital in the fucking shadow realm?" asked Alois, pointing at the net as the creature thrashed about inside. "The little shit's a fucking pokemon!"

"Take it to the other room." Ciel instructed. "Someone get the patient under control."

Doctors tried to keep the patient oblivious to what had just occurred while everyone else filed out of the room. The demonic duo followed as the agent carrying the creature struggled as it tried to wrestle its way out of the net. The duo and the carrier then went into the empty room, scoping it out before they finally commenced. They wanted to make sure the area was secured, and once that door was locked, the net was set on the ground with the creature still trapped inside.

Without a word—without a single warning, Ciel unraveled the threads of his demonic garb, revealing his sword. Drawing it, he prepared his strike, knowing what must be done. His spouse looked away as the tip of the blade pierced the net, causing the creature to cry out even louder.

Black liquid seeped from the net and onto the floor. It even coated the blunette's blade as he pulled it back out. It was short lived, however, as Ciel quickly stabbed the mare again with the blessed weapon, trying to hit a vital organ. He stabbed again and again in a calmly manner. It was almost cold. Each time, it shrieked louder and louder. Each time, it made the blonde cringe slightly.

Finally, the creature stopped thrashing and screeching altogether. The demons could no longer sense a living being. The creature was confirmed to be dead.

"Get the cleanup crew." The Watchdog instructed to a nearby soldier. "And get me something to wipe my sword with."

With a quick "yes sir", the operative left the room, leaving the demons and the soldier still holding the net securely. Alois finally looked back to the heap and saw a massive puddle seeping from beneath it. He wrinkled his nose at the sight.

"You killed Pikachu…" observed the blonde. "I know it needed to be done, but… fucker was kinda cute."

"All the reason why it's more dangerous." Ciel replied. "Let's make sure this thing makes it back to headquarters, then let's go home and sit for a moment."

"Sounds like a plan, man." Alois said. "I ain't takin' no naps, though."


	233. The Natural Skill of Being a Dweeb

The hospital was thrilled to have the creature gone. Their patients were awake and alright. Many staff members didn't believe H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agents who explained to them. Others did. Regardless, the organization's operatives painted inconspicuous sigils around the doorways of the building so that no other mares could get in or out. A few staff members wanted to learn about the miracle "cure" for the sleep. In the months following this, there would be quite a few applications for positions amoung H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s ranks.

Upon arriving home, the duo wanted to lie down. They weren't physically tired by any means, but were emotionally drained. Yet they were persistent in maintaining contact. After changing out of their work clothes, they merely laid down together on one of the sofas in their shared office. They hardly spoke, but they enjoyed each other's presence all the same. They needed it after what they had endured.

Occasionally, they would talk about what happened. They swapped a few stories about the things they saw and spared only a few details. Ciel did not tell his spouse about the Trancy estate and Alois didn't tell his about the sacrificial ceremony room. It was decided on their own that personal details about each other would not be discussed unless brought up.

"You saw a clone of me?" questioned the blonde, laying his head against his beau's chest.

"Two, actually." Corrected the bluenette. "The first one didn't fool me for a second. The second one almost did. I think I was just hopeful, at that point."

"Did you forget about sixth sense or something?"

"Yeah, and I just really wanted to see you. My judgement lapsed for a second. I'm sorry…"

"As long as you're still faithful, ya blue bastard." Alois said, poking the man's chest with his index finger.

"I wouldn't do anything unless I was completely certain. At the time, however, I wasn't in the slightest." Answered the Watchdog. "I'm sorry, love."

"I forgive you." The menace replied. "I'm no better. I saw a few clones of you as well. It was weird. They didn't look like you do normally."

"Oh yeah? What did they look like?"

"Okay, but you have to promise not to laugh or be weirded out." Spoke the menace, tilting his chin upward so that he could see the other's face.

"I can make no such promises." the bluenette warned, prompting his spouse to roll his eyes.

"Well, one of them was basically you, but dressed like a mobster." Alois began to explain.

"That's not unusual. You like it when I'm like that, don't you?"

"Well, tha- wait, how'd you know that?!" Suddenly, the blonde shot up and propped himself on his arm. His cheeks were red like a grave secret had just been revealed, when the very idea of screcy on this matter made the Watchdog to chuckle. Sitting up with him, the bluenette put his arms around the man's waist.

"I know you." he deviously grinned, flashing his fangs with a highly amused expression on his face. "Knowing your weaknesses is part of my duty as your husband!"

"You're a jerk." the other pouted.

"I know. Fortunately for me, you find that appealing."

"Keep it up, and I'll never tell about the second one..."

"Alright, alright. I'll stop..." Ciel answered. "For now, at least."

"Oh my god." sighed the menace, laying back down, regardless. He took a moment to get comfortable again, resting with his head on his beau's chest as the other man squeezed around his middle.

"That was the second one I saw." Alois finally said. "The first one was the weird one. It was like… Uh… There's not really any good way to say this, but it was like… you, but as a woman?"

"What?" gawked the bluenette, astonished.

"I said don't get weirded out, love." his beau said, cheeks slightly pink. "It was some weird shit, though. I honestly don't know how I feel about that."

"As long as you only have eyes for me..."

"I do. Don't worry. You're still the only one for me. I mean, we almost kissed, but..."

"Wait, _what?"_

"Not of my will! There was weird hypnosis shit goin' on. Not what I wanted. I still pushed her away in the end."

"Jim..." the other man said in a warning tone. Ciel was obviously miffed. While the Watchdog was a rational man, he could still get jealous.

"Relax. I don't want to be with anyone else but you." Alois replied. "I'm not going to have an affair with some pretty little thing in a dress. Besides, the only reason I found her even remotely attractive was because she was my type."

"And that is..?"

"Grumpy, mysterious, but still a total nerd, blueish hair, blue eyes, doesn't take any shit… Y'know. Traits that _everyone_ has."

Ciel scoffed momentarily as he was only slightly more convinced. Indeed, he did trust his husband, and obviously so. He simply needed to have his ego reassured. His spouse shook his head.

"Don't worry. I'm not gonna leave you for a woman." Alois said. "I can't imagine myself with anyone else other than you, equipment and all." Propping himself up on his elbows, he smiled at the other man. "I don't even look at anybody else, especially girls. I don't even know what I would do with one." Pausing, the blonde furrowed his brow and thought, looking away from the bluenette for a moment.

"Wait… Am I _gay?_ " he questioned aloud, prompting the other to snort.

"Jim… You're married to a man..."

"No, like, _GAY._ Bisexuality is completely different, even while in a relationship with someone of the same sex. Do I even like women? I mean, boobs look like they'd be fun to play with, but I kinda like dick..."

Now full-on laughing, Ciel sat up and wrapped his arms around the pondering menace. "Well, whatever you are, I don't mind as long as you only want _me_."

"I do. I mean, there's people who are cute, but I haven't seen anybody whose even close to your level."

"Good. I don't like being jealous." the bluenette stated. "The thought of you running off with someone else is downright painful."

"Would you try to stop me?"

"No? If you don't want to be with me, then you don't want to be with me? Naturally, I would be devastated, but if that's what made you happy, then I wouldn't fight it."

"You would really do that?" questioned the menace, arching an eyebrow. His cheeks were slightly pink, but not as pink as his spouse's. The Watchdog floundered a bit as he seemed taken aback by the other's confusion.

"Well… Uhm… ahem… Yes. Of course." he reiterated. "I know that it's more acceptable to go after the person that one loves, but if it's at the expense of their happiness, I'm not sure if I can call that 'love'. That's merely holding someone against their will. I couldn't do that to you."

Slowly, a grin flooded the menace's face as he leaned against the other again. His expression was warm, and was all of the reassurance that the bluenette needed. With a sigh, he made his reply.

"You're sweet." Alois said. "I'm not sure if I deserve you..." Closing his eyes, he paused for a moment to reflect, but then his smile began to fade. It was sudden and unwelcome. A twinge of doubt was now present on the blonde's visage as the other Phantomhive held him.

"Uhm… Ciel?" he called, prompting his husband's attention. The calm on the older demon's face was replaced with worry as well. Looking down, he was not pleased with the disappearance of the blonde's content expression.

"Yes?"

"There was… There was another thing that bothered me with that clone, though, but it wasn't the clone itself..." the menace began to explain. The Watchdog waited patiently for the man to continue, and was more than happy to give him time to collect his thoughts. "It said things..."

"What sort of things?" Ciel asked. "You can tell me. If something is bothering you, I want to know. I learned a thing or two since Rio."

Letting out a nervous chuckle, the blonde attempted to conceal his embarrassment. "It's not really that bad. It's kinda stupid, actually..."

"If it was significant enough to manifest in your nightmare, then it may not be." the other replied. "Even if it isn't, if it bothers you, it's still important."

"And why's that?"

"I'm an assassin. And as such, I will _eliminate_ your concerns."

An abrupt and loud snort escaped Alois at the lame attempt at a joke and the absolute seriousness with which the blueblood Phantomhive said it. There was an attempt made by the blonde to muffle the sound with his hand, but it didn't take, causing the bluenette to smile.

"That was so bad..."

"You like it when I'm bad, though." Ciel pointed out, inviting the menace to shake his head with a grin.

"Jesus fucking Christ..."

"I thought we clarified that you weren't interested in any other men?"

"Oh my god, stop." the blonde laughed aloud, throwing his head back for a moment before righting himself again. "Be serious again for a second."

"I'm sorry. I was trying to cheer you up." Ciel said, placing a kiss to the other man's cheek.

"Well, it worked." Alois answered, calming back down to the point of a small smile. His beau, however, didn't want to let him think that he could no longer discuss what ailed him.

"So what has been bothering you?" questioned the bluenette. "Let's fix it together." With that, however, the blonde's smile vanished altogether.

His lips pressed together in a thin line and he looked down, staring absentmindedly at the other man's chest. Taking a deep breath, he looked up to see the other staring back at him expectantly. The undivided attention almost caused him to falter, but he held fast in his mission, knowing that honesty was the best way.

"Well, I know she was probably just messing with me and trying to get me to give up, but..." Alois began, looking down again briefly before looking back up. "You see me as a man, right? I know 'manliness' isn't really just for men and all- I mean, look at most of the girls we know… But, I dunno… Do you see me as… well… _tough_ and stuff? I mean, you tell me I'm 'beautiful' all the time and all, and I'm not complaining about that, but… Uh… I dunno…"

As he spoke, the menace fidgeted where he sat and his eyes wandered the room. He seemed to ramble and not give the bluenette his full attention, but he felt silly, asking for an ego boost. The more he spoke, the more ridiculous he felt, but fortunately for him, the other understood this feeling well, and smiled at him warmly.

"Jim, you're one of the scariest and most dangerous people I know." Ciel bluntly said. "You go into calls about murder cases and prep for supernatural raids like it's just another day at the office."

"Well, given what we do, it kind of is..."

"There it is. Right there. There are men who are twice your size who could not do what you do with anywhere near the same degree of nonchalance. Most would panic."

"I've been trained to do this, though."

"Not a lot." the Watchdog continued to insist. "People are not trained to get stabbed in the chest, have chunks of their heart torn out, and fall from a building only to think: ' _Bah, this isn't much of a big deal. I'll just sleep it off._ ' You did that once, Jim."

Blushing, the menace looked surprised, but then the memory sank in. With a bashful smile, he chuckled. "I guess so, huh?" he said sheepishly.

"A lot of your toughness is just you." continued the other. "You may not look it at a glance, but you're just as bad as I am. When you start working, though, it becomes plainly obvious. I'll admit, seeing it sometimes gives me a small case of butterflies..."

"Really?" asked Alois, perking up a bit more.

"Well… by 'sometimes', I actually mean... 'a lot of the time'." Ciel answered, clearing his throat as his cheeks turned slightly pink again. "It's part of your appeal… I think all Phantomhives should at least be able to hold a gun, and the fact that you could probably beat me if you put your mind to it is both practical and… well…"

Alois grinned up at his spouse as the man trailed off. "You think it's kinda hot, don't you?"

"Well… Yes." the bluenette answered, clearing his throat. "It's very attractive to me."

"Is that your marital advice? ' _Remember kids, marry someone who could kick your ass. That's the key to a happy marriage.'"_

"It is when you're from a long line of assassins and criminals."

"I can't make you an heir, though, so I'm not sure what good that does."

"We're demons. We live forever. I don't think the line is dying out any time soon." Ciel stated. "Even if it was, I'd still rather have you than a woman."

"What if I was a woman?" Alois questioned.

"Then I'd have a wife, wouldn't I? Not much difference."

"I'm not sure whether to feel insulted or not..."

"You shouldn't. Phantomhive women are bold. A lot of them are more powerful than the men. If women headed families instead of men, we would probably be ruling Britain by now. Alas, we have been thwarted by patriarchy."

Snickering, the menace nuzzled into the crook of his husband's neck. He paused for a few moments to compose himself, all the while his spouse stroked his hair soothingly. The sensation was calming, and almost made him want to fall asleep.

"So what you're saying is, you'd love me either way?" he asked, feeling the bluenette nod. "And you still think I'm tough?"

"Yes and yes." Ciel answered. "I love you. You're one of the most brutal men I know, and if I ever need help on a mission, I know you've got my back every time. You're pretty dashing, you know. Cute and handsome."

"So in order to woo you, killing people helps?"

"Sometimes. Though, you're the full package, so all you have to really do is just _exist_."

Laughing, the blonde traced the outline of Ciel's collarbone with his finger. The bluenette was good at telling him things he wanted to hear, whether he knew it or not.

"The same goes for you, you know." he said. "You do stuff that's really attractive and cute all the time. You just don't notice."

"Really? Like what?"

"Exist." the blonde said bluntly. "Even just little mannerisms and stuff. How dare you."

"Quite easily." Ciel answered. With a chuckle, the conversation died down for a while, and the two men simply went back to basking in each other's presence.


	234. Sharing Is Caring

It was another average day at Phantomhive manor, with both the head of the household and his spouse sitting in their shared office going about their business. Jim was working on a paper that he had due at the end of the week, and he was making an attempt to get a head start on it for once, sitting on one of the sofas with his laptop sitting in his lap while the bluenette occasionally looked his way. Ciel, on the other hand, was working on his own business, but he was not committed to it at that point in time.

Instead, he watched the menace with much curiosity, observing how he typed with such seriousness. The man shifted in his seat so that his leg would catch the laptop as it began to slide in its place a bit. Alois eventually ended up putting the machine on the coffee table to work and hunched over so that he could reach. It was at this point, however, that the blonde also noticed his spouse. He looked up with a curious expression on his face as he felt the other's gaze.

"What?" he asked, unsure as to why he was being stared at. Ciel simply rested his chin in his palm and leaned over the desk, observing him for a moment more before saying what was on his mind.

"Wouldn't you rather work at a desk?" the bluenette questioned. "It must be a pain to work like that."

"Well, if you're willing to loan out yours, then sure." answered the menace. "If it gets really bad, though, I can just go downstairs to the dining room."

"Huh… Alright." Ciel said plainly. "I was just wondering. I feel like you should have a desk, too. This is our office, after all. We both do work in here."

"Can we even fit two desks in here?" asked his husband. "Also I dunno if they even make desks like that one anymore. I doubt it would look really good in here."

"That is a problem..." the Watchdog pondered, rubbing his chin. "I suppose we could buy a couple that match, though I do like this one."

"It's just as poncy as you are." grinned the other, turning away for a moment to save his paper. He closed his laptop and leaned back in his seat, resting his arms over the back of the couch. "Something that ornate might go for a lot of money, and you won't be able to find it just anywhere."

"We could go custom. Perhaps a joint desk that works as two?"

"You gettin' deep with me, Pooch?"

"It would fit in the room better that way and still be the focal point."

"True. Though, the room is pretty big..." the blonde trailed off, looking around.

Humming, the other furrowed his brow in thought and stood up from his seat. Walking around to the other side of the desk, he stood on the other side of the room and stared at it for a moment, folding his arms. The Watchdog pondered some possibilities from there, wondering how they would get it to work and still be aesthetically pleasing.

"If both sides were big enough, we could do it." he finally said. "And if we have a section down the middle kind of like a 'T', we would even have a place to put the phone and the printer."

"I think I see what you're saying." the blonde answered, following his eye. "I think that could work."

"Yes, but the problem remains that not even I know where to find someone who can do that…"

"Google? I'm sure _somebody_ in London can." Alois replied, watching as his husband nodded in agreeance and returned to his seat. The bluenette clicked around on his own computer and pulled up the search engine as the blonde continued to think, but while he was typing something in, the other man's face lit up as a thought occurred to him.

"Oh! The craftsmen in Gehenna do really great woodwork!" remembered the lion, snapping his fingers. "Remember those benches? They were really pretty."

"That's true." Ciel answered, raising his eyebrows and nodding. "Maybe we should try contacting them first?"

"Go for it, mate. Does that place have a number, though?"

"I have the number of the Welfare Department. They have the numbers for the local businesses."

"Sounds like a plan, man." grinned the menace. "What are you going to do with _this_ desk, though?"

"Probably give it to the Police Department. They still need things for the chief of police's office."

"Have they picked someone for that position yet?"

"They really want officer Sybil to do it, but she seems to think that she's not cut out for it."

"That woman is ballsy, yet the kind who is hard to corrupt." Alois stated. "She would probably be the perfect candidate. I see what you mean, though. She's also way too modest. Needs to realise that she can take charge just fine."

"It's hard to convince those kinds of people of that, however. They always doubt." his beau replied, flipping through the business cards in his organiser. "I don't think she's ready yet. That said, they do need a chief. There was discussion on Charlotte taking on the role temporarily. We're not sure if the officers would be alright with that."

"Charlotte's a good choice." nodded the blonde. "Kind, rational, considerate, but not a pushover. You'd have to not be, to be married to Amelie, I guess."

"You'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" the bluenette jested with a small smirk.

"Shut the fuck up." his spouse scolded. "Prick… Anyway, the problem with her is that she's not loyal to Gehenna, so yeah, I can only see her not staying."

"Somebody has to fill the shoes, at least for a little while." Pausing, the bluenette plucked the card for the Welfare Department and placed it next to the phone on his desk to call in a moment. Before that, he would continue to converse with his husband for a while longer. He leaned forward, indicating his interest and rested his chin in his palm as he watched the other man.

"Speaking of disloyalty to Gehenna, how is Kristopherson?" he questioned. "Are we still meeting up with him and the others this coming weekend?"

"Yeah. Last I checked, everybody was still going." Alois replied, adjusting on the horrendously uncomfortable sofa before crossing one leg over the other. "Even Dan said he was coming. I dunno how he's faring, but Travis said he's seen him hanging out with some people at school. As for Kristopherson, he's doing more than fine, and is downright chipper! He made a new friend. A supernatural. He's the guy who works at the general store."

"The big guy?"

"No, the blue one. The incubus. He's alright. I'm glad Kris is getting into our world a bit more."

"It's his world now, too." Ciel reminded, causing his husband to nod. "He's got to get used to it at some point."

"He's actually been getting kind of involved in it? Last time I talked to him, he was designing simple patterns for trousers that accommodate tails."

"That's good. Perhaps he should open his own shop. He does still want to be a designer, doesn't he?"

"Supernatural high-fashion. I like it." Alois said, flashing his teeth in a wide smile. "Oh, and Travis said that his girlfriend might be coming along."

"That's fine by me. Doesn't hurt my feelings any." answered the bluenette. "What about Kristopherson's new friend?"

"Mmmmm..." Pausing, Alois hummed, pressing his lips into a thin line and looked up with an uncertain face. "I told Kris that it might be a bad idea. Y'know, 'cause Dan's kinda… Well, still a bit easy to provoke? We both agreed that it might cause some unnecessary drama."

"They're just friends, aren't they? Why is that a problem?"

"Dan is Dan, and I kind of have a feeling about those two. Y'know. Sixth sense shit."

Ciel rolled his eye and leaned back in his chair again. He was somewhat skeptical, but then again, Kristopherson did find it easier to start new relationships than the rest of them ever did. It was possible, but like with most things, Ciel wanted proof.

He did, however, understand Daniel. The man could blow anything out of proportion when upset, stressed, or even bored. It was entirely likely that he would make a mistake and do something rash. That's was his specialty, after all. Ciel only hoped that he didn't bring any of his "new friends" along, as he wasn't interested in meeting anyone new. The Watchdog simply wanted to spend time with familiar faces. Patricia's presence was fine, as he had met the woman on several occasions and discussed her with Travis when talking on the phone. Ciel had read her commishioned work for H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; and was quite fond of it. Overall, his opinion was positive thuse far.

From the way Daniel was acting, however, Ciel did not trust any new acquaintances he could make. No one really knew what Daniel was up to, but Revy was able to get some information from the younger Westley child. According to Samantha, he had been hanging around with some shady characters who she didn't want to be around, even when her brother was there with them. Humans can have keen "gut-feelings" as well after all, even if they seldom listen. Daniel was visiting her less and less, which was odd, as she used to be invited over at least once every other weekend. They were close, but they were drifting apart, it seemed. Daniel never stopped by the Westley household at all anymore. He stopped when he got into an argument with their father over things that Samantha could not figure out, and he hasn't returned since. The eldest of the Westley children, Nathan, had also tried to talk to him, but Daniel would have refused even if nothing was wrong at all. Daniel had essentially vanished from everyone's lives. One of Mister Westley's personal assistants was supposed to be checking on him soon.

Ciel wasn't sure if it would do any good. People drift apart. Friends, family, loved ones; it could happen with any of them, if the relationships aren't maintained and cared for properly. The sensational seven had learned this once before already, as a certain international crimminal with black armour was still on the run. This is exactly why the group was trying to connect with each other, however, Daniel included.

The call was made to arrange a meeting about the building of the duo's new desk before the Watchdog hung up and stood from his seat. He walked around the older desk, running his fingertips along its surface as he made his way over to the other man. Placing his hand on the back of the couch, he leaned over so he could press his lips against his husband's; an action that was appreciated and enthusiastically returned as the pair both smiled into their connection. Once they separated, the bluenette sat down beside Alois and rested his head on the blonde's shoulder with the menace's arm around him.

"I have an idea." suddenly declared the Watchdog, prompting the other's attention.

"I'm listening." Alois said.

"What if we rounded up the others and went out to eat tonight?" the older demon suggested. "Have a family night."

"I think that sounds wonderful." smiled the menace. "I bet Sebastian will appreciate the night off."

"Then will you go round up Luka?" Ciel questioned, lifting his head and tilting his chin upward so that he was looking up at the blonde.

"Certainly." Alois replied. "If you give me one more kiss, that is." he jested, but the other did smile in return, followed by the pair connecting their lips together in a loving kiss.

* * *


	235. Mad World

At the end of the week, there was to be a reunion of the remaining members of the sensational seven. Baines, Sullivan, Miles, Westley, Phantomhive and Phantomhive were all going to be there. With the current state of affairs, however, several were nervous about how events were going to unfold. All of them were still shaken about the Scarlet Order incident, and in addition, there was concern over Daniel Westley. He and Kristopherson were still not on good terms, after all. They hadn't spoken since Daniel moved out of the apartment.

The Westley hadn't spoken to anyone since agreeing to meet with the group, either. None of them had any idea of what he was up to, and weren't loyal to the idea of him showing up at all. His sister had no news of him, as he hadn't been home in a while, either. He hadn't called his family. No one knew if he was alright, and the group was worried. According to the man's father, however, he was perfectly fine, as he has his assistant regularly check up on him. The others, however, were not so sure.

The Phantomhives had done a little investigating, and found that the assistant had been recently admitted to St. Raphael's hospital. Moreover, he was also one of the victims who were trapped by the mare. He had to undergo psychiatric therapy ever since, like many others under the same circumstance. They also found out which days he is supposed to check on Daniel, and the days that he has appointments. Times, too. The only thing that the duo were not able to get were the evaluations of the visits. He needed to commit a crime for that. They could have asked the man directly, but they didn't want to alert the assistant's employer that they were snooping about without the Council's permission. Unfortunately, they couldn't investigate their concern without getting in trouble. As memory serves, perhaps it's a good payoff, however.

It didn't matter. Daniel would turn up soon enough. He wasn't in the best of shape, but he would show his face. There is no graceful way to say that he and his friends had gone bar-hopping. Their intention was to hit on girls, but they only got sloshed and ended up stumbling home with nothing, thank goodness. The group was loud, disruptive, and vulgar, growing increasingly so after each drink. Finally, the place they finally ended up at booted them out the door and they decided to call it quits. Some of them went on home, and some of them decided that they would hang out for a while longer at their own homes. Daniel didn't, however. He wanted wasn't feeling well.

He wanted to forget his troubles. That's what hanging around this crew was about in the beginning. He was lonely, and was convinced that he wouldn't be able to show his face to the seven after his falling out with Kristopherson. After the group contacted him, however, his feelings were mixed. He wanted desperately to meet up with them again, but was afraid to. Kristopherson would be there, and he wasn't sure if he had it in him to face him, especially since he hadn't been keeping his promises to himself.

Daniel hadn't kept up with working out. In fact, he felt as though he gained some weight rather than lost it. He wanted more muscle mass, but that didn't happen. He was still single as well. The Westley wasn't even able to pull off a casual encounter. Male or female, it didn't matter. He had no luck with either one. It was harder than he thought, especially since his new posse didn't know about his interest in the same sex. He was completely on his own in that department, and he had realised just how bad he was at it.

Being with Anastasia was easy. They were in secondary school, and that was what one was "supposed" to do, even if it didn't mean anything. Kristopherson was simple to gain as well, seeing as though he had a crush on the Westley for ages. They were difficult to keep, however, as Daniel wouldn't give them what they needed in a relationship. He was just along for the ride. Part of him wondered if Kristopherson was having any luck. Knowing the Miles, he would. The faux-blonde never really had trouble finding dates. Daniel wondered if he still had a chance with the man, or at the very least, be his friend again. They had fun in the past, and he didn't want their friendship to be over. Neither of them did, in truth, but Daniel didn't know that. Sometimes, he wished he could just stop by the man's flat and talk about it. He wanted to fix it, but didn't know how.

While he thought drinking would ease his head, it did the opposite. The Westley couldn't stop thinking about it now. Wobbling down the sidewalk, he furrowed his brow and tried to concentrate his efforts on getting home instead. His face stung from the cold and he sniffled. Freezing and drunk was not a good combination. He swayed as he walked, occasionally stalling as he tried not to lose his balance. At this rate, he would be frozen solid long before he got home.

Reaching into his pocket, he tried to fish out his cellphone, but the battery was dead. This is what he gets for blasting random songs at the bar, he supposed, but he still wasn't at all pleased. He was even less pleased as he tried to look for his wallet so he could pay for a cab. It was gone. The man just stood still in the middle of the sidewalk for a moment and looked down, trying to remember where it could have gone. He then remembered having given it to one of the men he was with momentarily so that they could pay for drinks.

"Son of a bitch..." he mumbled, his face contorting into a snarl. Daniel's body tensed and tensed until he finally let all of it loose by kicking a mailbox. Rather, he attempted to and missed, causing him to lose balance and fall to the ground and hit his head. He was angry. He was so angry. Rolling over, he pounded his fist against the concrete, getting pebbles embedded in his skin and turning his skin red. Wobbling as he tried to sit up, he struck the mailbox with his fist while he was at it.

"Fuuuuckkk!" Daniel cursed, leaning forward so that his forehead touched the side of the mailbox. How pathetic did he look right then? He was drunk, sitting in the middle of sidewalk while trying not to cry. His "friends" had left him, having taken his wallet, and he had no way of calling anyone. Even if he asked to borrow someone's phone, no one in their right mind would lend it to him. He was drunk as a skunk and looked emotionally unstable.

Granted, he was, but it still made him feel worse. Nothing was going his way. He was unhappy. He always heard that breakups were rough, but he never believed it until it seemed that his life was falling apart. He lost his friends, his new "friends", and his wallet with all of his cards. He would have to cancel all of them _if_ he got home. His family life was falling apart as well with the discovery of his father's revolting activities, and he didn't want to see him ever again. He hated his brother, too, so there was no reason for him to spend time with his family aside from Samantha, but he was losing contact with her as well. Friends and family were slipping away from him, and there was nothing that Daniel could do about it. Tears streamed down his cheeks as everything crashed down over him. There was nothing he could do. There was nothing he could do at all.

He sat there for a good long while, causing his body temperature to drop by the minute. People whispered as they walked by, but he didn't register them. He didn't register anything beyond his own thoughts. Daniel Westley was just another drunkard on the sidewalk. Someone would probably call the police to take care of him eventually. Fortunately, they never came, however. Instead, someone else offered him a hand.

_"Hey, you alright, mate?"_

Slowly, Daniel looked up at the stranger, seeing a hand being held out to him. While the Westley wasn't sure if he wanted to take it, he certainly appreciated the sentiment. The other man wasn't hard to look at, either, which made it easier on him. The stranger had black hair that was swiped over to his left side, thick eyebrows, and freckles that were dark enough to stand out against his light brown skin. With the goatee trimmed into a very odd yet precise pattern, the man reminded him of Kristopherson, but he brushed it off as everything reminding him of Kristopherson lately.

"Not really..." Daniel answered in a quiet voice. It was almost raspy. He was cold and he felt sick.

"Do you need help?" the other asked. "Do you have any way to get home?"

Grouchily, the Westley replied. "How do you know I'm not just some tramp, drunk on the side of the street?" he said. "What makes you think I need help?"

"The fact that you're sitting on the sidewalk crying, probably." the stranger said. "You're clothes are way too nice to be a tramp, so I figured you just needed help up."

"I kinda do..." Daniel admitted. "My 'friends' stole my money and my phone's dead. I'm stuck."

"Lemme help you up real quick." the other man said, pulling the other up as he thought. He made sure that Daniel was steady on his feet before continuing. When he did, he tried his best to be helpful.

"Uuuuuhhh… I was on my way to my friend's place, and he's got a phone." he suggested. "You know the number of somebody who can come get you, right?"

"Yeah, I guess..." the Westley said. "You're not like, a serial killer or anything, though, are you? It's kinda weird, mate. People don't just offer people to come into random houses."

"I'm not from around here, so I dunno how people in London are." shrugged the stranger. "You don't have to come, but there might be a cup of tea in it for you."

Sighing, Daniel weighed his options. In truth, nothing looked good. All of the options seemed horrible. He could either stay outside and freeze to death or he could trust this random stranger to not murder him and go into his home. The odds were not good. They weren't good at all. He was drunk with no way of calling for help if something happened to him. How did he know that this man wasn't lying? Picking drunk people off of the street and offering them a way home sounds like a good tactic for some crazed murderer. Perhaps the thought processes of the Phantomhives had rubbed off on him a bit over the years.

"It's okay if you don't want to." the other said. "I know it's kinda weird, so I understand. If there's anything else I can do, I'd be happy to help."

"I don't really have much choice, unfortunately..." Daniel tried his best to articulate his words, but slurred a little. "If you do kill me, though, make it better than freezing to death out here."

"Haha, that won't be a thing to worry about." replied the stranger. "It's that building over there. It's only a block or so." he said, pointing. Following the man's finger, the Westley's eyes widened as he recognised the building. It was the building where Kristopherson's flat was.

"O-okay..." Daniel stuttered out. He wasn't going anywhere near Kristopherson, so it should be safe. The chances of running into the man are still pretty low.

"Alright. Let's go, then." said the other man, putting his hands in his coat pockets as he began to walk. "My name's Logan, by the way. Logan Kendrick."

"I'm Daniel Westley." said the brunet. "Y'know, it's kinda funny… I used to live in that building..."

"Oh, really?" asked Logan. "Small world."


	236. Good Sounds But No Good Vibes

Slowly, Daniel followed the other man to the building, wobbling and almost falling on occasion. He was still hesitant, so he found it difficult to accept help from Logan any more than absolutely necessary. The Westley wanted to be in the building, do what he needed to do, and be out in a flash. Every moment he was there was a moment where he was likely to be seen by Kristopherson.

As the two men stepped into the elevator, Daniel's face paled as the other pushed the button for the eight floor. That was the floor that Miles lived on. Nervously, he looked over to the other, who was oblivious to his distress. Logan simply stared upwards, watching the numbers change as they got closer and closer to eight.

It was agonising. Daniel knew that this wasn't good. He needed to escape, but he was trapped on an elevator. What could he do? It would also be strange if he backed out now, but then again, he didn't know this man and was found sitting on the sidewalk while drunkenly crying. He was still a bit sloshed, which contributed to his panic more. How was he going to get away?

Too late! Floor seven had passed and they were now on floor eight! The doors had opened and Logan stepped out, pausing for a moment for the Westley to follow.

"Need help?" he asked, noticing Daniel falter. Shaking his head, it took Daniel a few moments to finally exit the elevator despite the fact that he hadn't quite built up the courage to do so.

"I used to live on this floor." the Westley explained. "It was on the left up here..."

"Weird..." replied the other, eying the left side of the corridor. At first Daniel thought that he was looking for his old flat, but he was looking too long for that to be right.

The brunet started to wonder if the friend's place was on the same side as well, and his heart began to race. It beat faster and faster with every step toward Kristopherson's door. He wondered if the man was home. He didn't know if he was. There was no way to tell. Regardless, he had to be cautious. If that door opened, Daniel would have some explaining to do. In his current state, he didn't think he could, especially since he wasn't that great at forming words under stress when he was sober.

A rush of relief washed over the Westley as they passed the Miles' door. He could breathe again. It was only then that he realised that he had been sweating, despite having just been outside in the cold. When the man in front of him stopped, he thought this was it, but suddenly, Logan turned around, looking past Daniel.

"Sorry, I passed it." the man said, his words punching the man in the chest. He watched in horror as Logan walked past him and looked for the right door, stopping in front of the one he dreaded most.

In a flash, Daniel thought of every single excuse he could use in order to escape, but it was too late. Logan already raised his hand to knock on the door. The only way he could escape now is if he ran like a manic back to the elevator, but in his intoxicated state, he knew he wouldn't get far before falling. Regardless, he made an attempt.

His legs started moving, and as expected, he didn't get far. He had barely passed the door before tripping over his own feet and eating floor. Quickly, Logan turned around, baffled by the Westley's actions as he crouched down and grabbed the man's arms. Understandably, he was concerned as he tried to help the man stand back up. Daniel wasn't sure what to do from there, so he simply let the other help him. There wasn't much he could do but listen to the sound of the door opening. When that happened, every muscle in his body tensed up, making it difficult for Logan to lift him. The Westley was completely on edge as he waited for the sound of Kristopherson's voice, too afraid to look up at him.

The faux-blonde just stood there in the doorway, confused as to what he was seeing. He arched an eyebrow and was tempted to just go back inside, but he couldn't leave Logan outside with Daniel. Kristopherson couldn't even begin to fathom what Daniel could possibly be doing there, but from the looks of his fellow supernatural, the incubus had an explanation.

"He was outside on the sidewalk." Logan began, struggling to get the other to his feet. Daniel's head was spinning. The fall did not help his condition. "He's drunk and had his wallet stolen, so I brought him here so he can call somebody to come get him. I'm sorry, I don't have a cellphone, so I couldn't tell you beforehand..."

Kristopherson just stood there momentarily, gauging the situation. Yes, he was not happy about seeing Daniel, nor was he happy about him being in his house, however, he could not leave the man out in the cold. Putting his hands on his hips, he sighed and shook his head.

"Alright, then. Come on in, we'll get it sorted." he finally said, surprising the brunet. He expected something less inviting.

Wobbling to his feet, he managed to make it through the door with Logan following suit and shutting the it behind them. The Westley was nervous, and somewhat sad that Kristopherson hadn't acknowledge him. He didn't acknowledge the fact that he knew Daniel at all. It was like they were strangers, yet when the Westley walked through that door, he recognised the flat. It hadn't changed a bit since he had left. The only thing that did was that it was cleaner. It smelled better. When Daniel looked, his room, however, was not empty. It was filled with sewing equipment and materials. The Westley shook his head at that. He had been replaced with sewing supplies. He had to scoff, but he didn't know why. Daniel knew that it was probably for the best, but it still irritated him that it seemed so easy for Kristopherson, when he, himself, was suffering.

The Miles raised an eyebrow at the sound, but said nothing of it. Instead, he went straight to business. "The phone's in there. Same place as always."

"'Kay..." answered the brunet with a sigh, prompting Logan to raise a brow.

"You two know each other?" he questioned, looking to the faux-blonde. Kristopherson folded his arms.

"I'll tell you later." the Miles said, leaning against the counter that connected the living room to the kitchen. Daniel, however, had other plans.

"I'm his ex." he said aloud, causing the other to scoff.

"Hardly. We never officially got together."

"I thought it was implied!"

"Don't start this up again." Kristopherson hissed. "Just call your dad's assistant and go home."

"What, so you don't even want to talk?" indignantly questioned Daniel as he took a step toward the other. "Are you too good for me, now? Is that it?"

"I've moved on." replied the other. "It's old news. Let it go. It's not even worth talking about anymore."

"It's not, is it?! Maybe to you, but it is to me!" Daniel drunkenly barked, taking another step forward, only to be cut off by Logan as he put an arm between the two men.

"Alright, let's just calm down." the incubus said. "We don't need to be combative. This can be talked about."

"And who the fuck are you?" asked the Westley, furrowing his brow at the man. "I've never seen you before. What the fuck are you doing at Kris' house?"

"I'm his friend."

"The fuck you are. I've never seen you!"

"Dan, I met Logan while getting stuff from Gehenna for a full moon." butted in Kristopherson with every ounce of intolerance. "I met him after you left. You'd know this if you called."

"So he's a supernatural?" asked Daniel before turning to Logan again. "You're a supernatural? What the fuck are you? Jacob Black?"

"I'm… uh… no… I'm an incubus." Logan corrected, knowing that it wouldn't go over well but also knowing that lying would solve nothing. In response, Daniel just gawked at the man before turning back to the Miles.

"Oh, so _that's_ what this is." the Westley said, pointing. "Ain't that a fuck-demon? So you break up with me, and then immediately start seeing a fuck-demon? And I thought I went downhill. Wooow!"

"What the fuck, Dan?!" demanded Kristopherson as his friend recoiled as Daniel's accusations. While it was true that incubi and succubi survive on sexual energy, there were strict rules as to how they would go about it, and they didn't merely sleep with anyone who comes up to them. Kristopherson knew this, having known Logan for a while. He had no problems with his friend's personal life, but it was extremely insulting and derogatory to refer to the incubus in such a way.

"It is, isn't it?!" Daniel accused further before turning back to Logan. "You're in human form now, aren't you?! Go on! Turn back! Let's see your real, slutty, form!"

"I-I… I don't..." Logan trailed off.

"'I don't' what?! Go on! Do it!" ordered the brunet, stepping forward, prompting the incubus to hold up his hands in defense.

"I don't want to..." he said sheepishly, taking a step back.

"Oh, so now you don't want to?! You had no problem fucking him earlier, huh?! That's what you were gonna do after I left, too, weren't you?! Or better yet, while I'm here!"

"Daniel, shut the fuck up!" Kristopherson said, stepping toward them and trying to get in between the two others. "It's not like that! We're just friends! Quit making an ass of yourself, you drunk piece of shit!"

The Miles' instructions fell on deaf ears as Daniel continued to attempt to charge the incubus, despite his slurring speech and wobbling stature. In fact, Kristopherson's words only riled him up further. He clenched his fists and barred his teeth, trying to intimidate Logan.

"It's true!" the incubus said. "I haven't laid a finger on him! I just came over to watch Netflix!"

"Yeah, Netflix and chill, huh?!" prodded the Westley. Things took a turn when he thrust his arms forward and attempted to shove Logan against the wall, but Kristopherson was not having it.

"Daniel, stop!" shouted the faux-blonde, putting an arm between him and shoving Daniel in return. He had underestimated his strength and made the human fall to the floor hard, emitting a loud "oof" as he did. Unfortunately, the man hit his head, and the word seemed to spin even worse than before. Rolling onto his side, he tried to get up, grunting and putting on a pathetic display.

Certainly, Kristopherson felt bad. He felt horrible. He didn't mean to hurt the man, but he himself was starting to get violent to an unwilling participant. All he could do, however, was stare down at the Westley, mouth slightly agape as he surprised all three of them. There were many things on his mind. Mostly, he was concerned as to whether the man was alright, but he knew that he couldn't let his actions slide.

"You can't just come into people's houses when they're trying to help you and insult them!" Kristopherson declared. "You're talking like a conservative homophobe! A racist, too! You can't just glance at someone and decide that they're some disgusting animal without even getting to know them! That's fucked up, Dan!"

Silence. There was a long, agonising pause as the brunet thought about what he was going to say. Kristopherson looked on in anticipation while Logan was frightened by what he had been caught in the middle of. Kristopherson had told him that he had cut off ties with someone, but the incubus wasn't aware of just how bad it was! A big portion of him wanted to slink away, but he knew better. He needed to help Kristopherson get rid of the brunet. Unfortunately, he didn't know what was his place to say.

"I'm just telling it like it is..." Daniel grumbled, his head spinning and his eyes losing focus. "You just… haven't got it figured out..."

"Yeah, like I'm taking life advice from you, of all people." replied the faux-blonde, putting his hands on his hips."You're not making a very good impression. If you wanted to talk things out and try to fix things, you've kinda fucked that up. It's not my fault that you hate supernaturals."

"I don't hate them! I've been friends with them forever!"

"And yet you still say horribly insensitive things. Cut the crap, Dan."

"I'm just trying to protect you..." insisted the Westley, causing the other to shake his head.

"From what? Making a new friend? Moving on from you? You're not making any sense."

"What if he does something to you?!" barked Daniel, attempting to stand up. He did it too fast, however, and lost balance again. He wasn't very convincing as he fell on his rear. "You don't know what those people are like!"

"What people?" asked Kristopherson. "Who's ' _those people'_? Supernaturals? You think supernaturals are dangerous?"

"From past experience, _yes._ " nodded the other. He was confident, looking up at the faux-blonde with a determined smile, only for it to fade into fear as Krstopherson stared down at him with disgust and hatred. The Miles puffed up a bit as he loomed over the Westley—the human being. Kristopherson clenched his fists and bared his teeth at the brunet, causing him to shrink.

"You do know that most of your friends are supernatural, right?" he asked in a gruff voice. He nearly growled as he addressed the other man, terrifying him. "Ciel, Alois, Audrey, and even me! I'm supernatural too, Daniel. That's why you didn't want me."

Daniel stared up at the werewolf, wide-eyed and dumbfounded. He was unable to speak until he looked away, averting his gaze to the side. "I _did_ want you..."

"Well, you sure fooled me, then." Kristopherson said. "You wouldn't even look at me. You won't look at me now. You're afraid of me. You're afraid of all of us. That's not _our_ problem. It's _yours,_ Dan. I don't need you to protect me from my friend on the basis of his race."

Stumbling, Daniel made another attempt to stand, trying to keep himself steady. Somehow, he managed before looking back to the other. He didn't have an argument, but he didn't want to back down, either. While Kristopherson had a compelling argument, Daniel didn't want to believe it or listen.

"Whatever…" he said, not having anything relevant to say. He folded his arms, despite falling back a bit. "Don't come crying to me when things don't work out."

"Why would I? You wouldn't support me anyway." the lycanthrope answered, folding his arms in return. The air was becoming progressively thicker and hard to breathe, and Logan was caught in the crossfire, unsure of what to do. The incubus didn't want to just stand there, but he wasn't sure about what to do. In the end, he decided to try and set things back on track.

"So, uh, Daniel..." he began. "Shouldn't you call your assistant? It's getting pretty late..."

"Then you should, too." the Westley hissed with a scowl. "Interesting, how you showed up so late at night..."

"Now, Daniel, I'm not about that sort of thing." Logan insisted. "If you're suggesting that I would show up to try to better coax Kris into something, I would never. That specifically goes against my species' ethical code of conduct. You can get disowned for that."

"Right, and I'm just supposed to believe that?"

"Yes? I'm pretty sure I know more about my culture than you do?"

"What culture? You're a supernatural. Do you even _have_ any culture?"

To this, Logan visibly recoiled. His brow furrowed and he frowned in a thin line as he stared down the other. Ordinarily, the man was friendly and beyond patient and reasonable. In fact, this was the first time that Kristopherson even seen him posture in a way that is remotely threatening. It was unusual for him, and even he knew it. He just wanted to get something off of his chest for once. It was the same thing that bothered many supernatural like him.

"More than you do, obviously." Logan said, taking a step forward. "Do you really think a people who have been killed off and shunned by your society wouldn't develop it's own set of customs and norms? One thing I've noticed about a lot of humans is that they project a lot onto us; like we're violent monsters who terrorise, pillage, and destroy, when it's always been you. There hasn't been a single documented major war amoung supernaturals, but there are more than anyone can count amoung humans, not to mention the massive amounts of genocide that humans commit amoung yourselves and against other species." He pointed a finger as he spoke, giving the impression that he was accusing Daniel directly.

"You glorify violence and war. How can we expect you to act civil? You can't even accept each other for little things like skin colour or sex, so you kill each other! We aren't surprised that you hate us, too." he continued, speaking with the anger of himself and those like him that had built up over years. "You accuse us of being sexually deviant? There hasn't been any instance of assault in Gehenna until people from your world came into ours! You think _we_ are the monsters? Humans are barbaric, death-worshiping, savages, and always have been. Even now, you come in here after being offered help and immediately start acting hostile! When will you people stop accusing us of doing things that _you_ do? It's _sick._ "

The Westley stumbled back a bit, catching himself with his feet as the other got closer. All he could do was look on with wide-eyes as the other ranted, unable to come up with any kind of coherent argument at all. The more he thought about it, the more Logan was right, but Daniel didn't want that. He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to acknowledge it. Therefore, he did not. Instead, he leaned forward and put one foot in front of the other, lunging at the incubus. Ironically, he only proved the man right.

Putting his hands out in front of him, Logan tried to grab the other's wrists, managing to get one of them, but missing the other by a hair. Daniel took his hand away before bringing it back to the other again, only to be blocked with Logan's free hand. Kristopherson gawked at the display, realising that the only way to resolve this was to somehow manage to restrain Daniel. Thus, he ran into the kitchen and retrieved a dishtowel while his friend continued to fight.

Now, Logan wasn't good at fighting. He had never swung a punch in his life, and it was his first time receiving them as well. His skin began to pale and change into a blueish tint as he continued to receive blows, losing concentration on his shape. Now Daniel had the incubus' wrist and attempted to slam it into the wall, but the other resisted. He intensely looked at the other's face as Logan began to panic, however, Daniel began to have the same feeling as the incubus' skin changed colours and large bumps began to form on his forehead.

Points began to form on the bumps as they sprouted further out and bent upwards, startling the human. Daniel wasn't sure how to respond and almost forgot that he was fighting for a moment as he observed the bizarre display. It was a brief observation, however, as the incubus tilted his head back before hurling it forward, striking the human's forehead with his horns. It didn't hurt Logan in the slightest, but Daniel, who's head lacked any protection whatsoever, fell backwards onto his back and reached up to clutch at the pained area. Needless to say, he was going to have some bruising the next day.

While he was down, however, Kristopherson lunged with his dishtowel, turning the man over on his stomach and using it to tie his hands behinds his back. Fortunately, the Westley wasn't in much of a condition to protest. All he could utter was a small groan, and he could not fight back.

After deciding that the binds were tight enough, Kristopherson stood up, looking apologetically to his friend. "I'm sorry about all of that." he said sincerely. "I know that's not when you bargained for when you helped him. He used to be a pleasant person."

Sighing in relief, the other paused for a moment in order to take it all in. He most certainly did not expect any of this, but it could not be helped. "It's alright." he answered, his hue transitioning completely to blue and evening out the patchiness of colour. "What I'm worried about is what are we gonna do with him, now?"

Thinking for a moment, the faux-blonde shook his head. "I hate to bother the Phantomhives this late, but I'm not sure what else to do… I'm going to have to ask Ciel to give me the number of Mister Westley's assistant."

"Will he help you with that?"

"Yeah. They're pretty cool, so I doubt they'll mind. Mostly, they're probably going to worry about Daniel. He used to be pretty cool, too..." Kristopherson looked down at the ground, obviously disappointed in the Westley's actions.

While Logan did not like the man, he could not help but be sympathetic toward Kristopherson. He didn't doubt that they were close at some point, but now, the man was acting, in a word, _badly_. He was acting horrible and there was no way around that. There was no way to justify his actions or his words, but the incubus did want to believe that there was good in him somewhere. It was probably down very deep.

"It'll be okay." Logan said, putting a hand on the werewolf's shoulder. "You both have a lot going on. People don't act rationally when that happens. It's an explanation, not a justification, but it is what it is. Maybe he'll be better tomorrow."

"I hope so..." sighed the other. "Just when I thought we could patch things up… Dammit, Dan..."

"Let's go call your friend and get this sorted out." said the incubus. "Then we can talk about it."

"Alright… That sounds good..."


	237. The Blackwood Parable

Somewhere within the city of London, an ordinary man was about to turn in for the night. He was a normal man with a normal house and a normal car, and lived an almost completely normal life. Like most people, he took a shower, put on night clothes, brushed his teeth, and headed off to bed, but alas, his job was not "normal", and he received a call in the middle of the night from his employer.

Unfortunately, this man worked for Matthew Westley, a member of the secretive Round Table conference as an assistant, and his employer was not particularly pleased with him. While on the job, the assistant obtained a hairline fracture in his wrist and was admitted to the hospital, where a most unusual event occurred. He fell asleep and could not wake up, experiencing nightmares and wandering through a hell-scape in order to survive. Fortunately for him, he woke up, but he hadn't quite been the same since then.

He put off going to sleep for days it seemed, but on this night, although it was a bit early for it, he had no choice as he was about to collapse. He was stressed, his head and eyes ached, and he was terrified of the dark. The man saw shadows moving out of the corner of his eye, and felt irrationally nervous at times. It was a most unusual condition to be in.

His work began to suffer, and he was essentially tasked with being at the son of his employer's beck and call, which is what happened to him on this particular night, just as he was about to go to sleep. Needless to say, he was less than thrilled, being unimpressed with the Westley's already. Hearing his cellphone vibrate, he reached over to the nightstand and answered it.

"Hello?" he grumbled as he laid on his side. To his surprise, he was met with a voice he did not know.

"Hello?" the voice answered. "Is this Paul Blackwood?"

"Yes, that's me." the assistant groggily said. "Who's speaking?"

"My name is Kristopherson Miles. I'm a… friend of Daniel's." informed the voice on the other line. "Daniel has gotten into a bit of trouble. He went drinking out with a couple of 'friends' from his school, and it would appear that they stole his wallet."

"Of course..." sighed Paul, sitting up and rubbing his forehead. He was well-acquainted with the Westley's wretched "friends", and would love for them to be gone. "Let me guess… He needs a ride home..."

"It would seem so." Kristopherson said with a touch of understanding in his tone. "His phone is dead, but he managed to make it to my apartment. It was nearby. He's out of it, so I had to call Phantomhive for your number."

"Fantastic..." Blackwood replied, reaching over to the nightstand again for his glasses. Placing them on his face, he got up and searched the room for a pen and paper. "Give me the address and I'll be right there to get him… I'm sorry about what mister Westley has put you through..."

"Likewise. I'm really sorry about this." said the Miles before giving him the address.

After the assistant got it written down, both men said there goodbyes, and Blackwood hung up. With another sigh, he stretched for a moment before finding something to wear. Because of his job, he had to dress somewhat professionally, but he wasn't going to wear a tie for a drunk, bratty, college student. It just wasn't happening. He wasn't even going to fix his hair. All he did was vaguely sweep it into a semi-appealing position before grabbing his keys and trudging out the front door.

Paul was not thrilled about driving through London late at night. In fact, he would have taken public transport if he hadn't been picking up a drunk n'er-do-well, but this was the predicament he was in. He put the address into the GPS on his dashboard and took off, grumbling the entire way there in order to keep himself awake.

Fear did him just fine. He was completely on edge at being surrounded by darkness, regardless of how well-lit the area was. Blackwood was absolutely convinced that something was going to latch onto his car, so he drove quickly. It was as though he was still in the nightmare, as places he drove were places in the dream. There were some places he took detours around, making the trip longer, but it helped quell his anxiety somewhat.

Every muscle in his body was on edge as he drove, completely unaware of how fast he was going. Needless to say, Paul was speeding. It was an ordinary offense for an ordinary man. Many people did it, if not most on a daily basis. However, on this particular night, Paul did something that most people frown upon, and ran a stop light right in front of the nose of the London Metropolitan Police. The sight of the flashing blue lights behind him nearly made him jump out of his skin , jerking the wheel before quickly correcting it.

Blackwood slowed his speed, finding a place to stop as his eyes kept darting to the rear-view mirror at the blinding blue lights, sweat accumulating at his brow and neck. Once he stopped, the police car pulled in behind him and the officer stepped out, shivering as he left the warmth of the heated cruiser. As he approached, Paul rolled down the window so that they could converse, and to his surprise, Blackwood almost seemed relieved to see him, despite the fact that a citation was imminent.

The man in the car was blonde, with his hair parted on the left, contrasting his darker eyes that looked up at the officer as he waited to see what the man had to say. Other than that, he looked fairly ordinary for a man in his late twenties, aside from his cleft chin and angular jaw, although he also looked like the sort of man who would snap at work if his boss complained about him getting him the wrong kind of coffee. The officer wasn't far off in this assumption, as Paul hated his job more and more each day. Alas, it was not the policeman's place to speak on such manners, therefore he got straight to business.

"Evening, sir." said the officer, tipping his hat. "Do you know why I pulled you over?"

"Uh… Speeding?" Questioned Paul, but judging by the officer's expression, his answer was incorrect.

"You didn't hear those cars honking at you back there?" the officer questioned. "You ran a red light. It's amazing that no one hit you, to be honest."

"Oh..." answered the assistant. "Right..." Now that it was mentioned, he did hear honking, but the information didn't seem to be processed right then and there.

"Can I see your license, registration, and proof of insurance, sir?" asked to cop, prompting the other to lean over and reach for the glove compartment on the other side of the vehicle.

"Uhm, yes… Just a moment." Blackwood replied, opening the glovebox and retrieving his papers. As he leaned over, hair got in his right eye, forcing him to close it momentarily until he had the hands to fix it. Shutting the box, he sat up again before turning back to the officer.

"Here they ar—AAAH!" Violently, the man recoiled as he saw the officer through his left eye, much to the other man's confusion. Actually, both men were confused, but Paul was horrified, as the policeman no longer looked human. Instead, he looked like a large wolfman in a police getup, peering through his car window. Quickly, Blackwood swept his hair out of his eye and rubbed it before opening it, but now, the officer was completely back to normal. He blinked for a few moments and stared, baffled as to what just happened.

"Sir, are you alright?" the officer questioned, arching an eyebrow.

"Huh? O-oh, yeah. Hair got in my eye and startled me..." the man explained, concocting a fib. "There was a spider in here earlier..."

"I see..." the other said. "I still need to see your liscence."

"Oh..." Quickly, Paul dug in his pockets for it and presented the policeman with his identification .Once everything checked out, he received his ticket and was sent on his merry way, leaving him to ponder what had just occurred.

He held the wheel in a death-grip as he made his way down the road. He was fully awake now. There would be no sleep for him that night after all. The poor man couldn't get the sight of the wolfman out of his mind. It looked so real, but there was no way it could be real. Surely, it was only a hallucination. If that was the case, however, was he losing his mind? Along with canceling all of the young Westley's credit cards tomorrow, it would appear that he would need to arrange a doctor's appointment for himself. This could not persist.

The voice of the GPS startled him as it spoke up again, causing him to jump. The building was close. Once he got there, he didn't want to get out right away, especially out into the empty parking garage. Goodness knows what could be lurking in the shadows beyond the safe confines of his vehicle. Paul sat there for a good three minutes before finally taking a deep breath and making a mad dash toward the elevator.

Now came the part where the man had to find Kristopherson's flat and retrieve his annoying boss' annoying son. The man wanted nothing more than to go home where things were relatively comfortable. He wanted to sleep, but he was too scared. Perhaps the lack of sleep was the cause of that hallucination from before? Probably. Yes, Blackwood could accept this conclusion.

Nodding for a moment, he closed his eyes to rest them, but they became heavy. It was fleeting, but he felt comfortable, even though he was standing up in an elevator. Unfortunately, he reached the floor he needed before he could nap, and he was forced to get out.

After searching for the right door, he found one that looked correct and knocked on it. Paul waited momentarily as someone came to answer it, and was greeted by a slightly muscular man with a beard which colour didn't match the hair on his head. Clearing his throat, he opened his mouth to speak, only to be intercepted.

"Mister Blackwood?" the strange blond questioned, prompting a nod.

"Yes. I take it that you're Mister Miles?"

"Yes. Daniel is inside laying on the couch…" Kristopherson said, stepping back inside. "Come on in. He's asleep, I think. Yeah. And his hands are still tied..."

"Tied?" asked Paul, raising a brow.

"He was getting violent." the other explained as the two stepped into the living room. There, Blackwood saw another man sitting in a chair next to the sofa that Daniel was laying on. The man was looking after him as he slept, and sure enough, Daniel's hands were also tied with a dishtowel. Paul couldn't help but rub his forehead and sigh.

"I'm really sorry about all of this..." he said, but the owner of the flat gave off an understanding smile.

"Don't worry about it. At least he has someone who can take him home." Kristopherson answered. "We can help you take him back to your car if he won't get up, if you need us to."

"Hopefully, that won't be necessary." Paul replied, walking over to the Westley and putting a hand on his shoulder. Shaking lightly, he attempted to wake him.

"Mister Westley, it's me, Paul." he said. "I'm here to take you home now. Mister Westley. Mister Westley?"

Slowly, Daniel began to regain consciousness, albeit with great reluctance. The brunet mumbled and scrunched his face in protest, but ultimately opened his eyes, only feel like they were being stabbed by the light in the room. His head ached and felt as though his brains would leak out of his ears at any moment. He didn't want to get up.

"Paul?" he weakly asked, trying to rub his eyes with his bound hands. "Where am I?"

"You're at your friends' house. I'm here to take you home." answered Blackwood. His voice gave the impression of comfort, but his face was stone cold.

Daniel didn't pick up on this, however, and focused on his hands. Grunting, the Westley turned over on his stomach and tried to free himself, only to be aided by Blackwood. It didn't help that he was wiggling so much. Once he was free, he sat up and stretched haphazardly, inadvertently smacking the assistant in the face with his hand and forcing the older man to scrunch his face. While the brunet wobbled and tried to right himself, the other had to take off his glasses and clean the smudge the Westley made by wiping the lens with his shirt, holding his right eye shut, as an eyelash had found its way inside.

"Need help?" asked Kristopherson, prompting Blackwood's attention.

"No, I'll be out of your hair in a minute..." he trailed off as he turned around, making out some odd blurry shapes. One was large and brown and the other had an odd light-blue tint. They were humanoid in shape, but without his glasses, Paul couldn't make anything of them, so he quickly rubbed his eye and put on his glasses, only to find that the other two men, Kristopherson and Logan, were in place of the figures. Once again, the assistant found himself baffled.

"I'll get him out of your hair, then." he said, abruptly changing his own train of thought. He couldn't shake the feeling, however, so as he helped Daniel steady himself and walk toward the door, he decided to perform a little experiment and look over his left shoulder with his right eye closed. In that moment, he almost dropped Daniel altogether and ran.

Two creatures stood in the Miles' living room. One was a wolfman with dark brown fur, and the other looked like a devil with blue skin. The devil looked a lot like Logan, while the wolfman was wearing Kristopherson's clothes. As the wolfman caught Blackwood struggling, however, it spoke.

"Sure you don't want help?" he offered in Kristopherson's voice, prompting the assistant to open both eyes and look at him. Suddenly, all was normal and humans stood in the correct spaces. Needless to say, Blackwood was horrified at his discovery.

"No, no, no! I'm fine..." he insisted as sweat poured down his neck. He quickly ushered Westley out the door, trying to escape before either of the others fully registered that something was severely wrong with him. "I'll the taking him home, then. Thank you for your help!"

And the door was closed, leaving Logan and Kristopherson to simply stare at each other and shrug. Meanwhile, down the hallway, Blackwood was frantically trying to make it to the elevator, Westley in tow. He didn't know what he was seeing or why, but he didn't like it. He didn't like it one single bit. Did he need a doctor? Who knows; Blackwood certainly couldn't think about finding one right there and then. He was far too busy trying to get away. Daniel had no idea what was going on, and was far too groggy to register it. The brunet simply allowed the man to drag him to the elevator, although the movement of the box made him feel sick.

Fortunately, they made it to the car, and the assistant managed to get Daniel inside and buckled in his seat. He then got in himself and locked the doors, panting as sweat trickled down his face and neck. When he tried to buckle his seatbelt, the quickness of his movements made him miss the clasp several times, and when he was finally done, he was left to sit in silence with his hands clenching the steering wheel as tight as humanly possible. His knuckles were white as he stared straight ahead, eyes wide open but not seeing anything. Teeth grit, every muscle on edge, Blackwood sat without uttering a single word. He was frozen, wanting to run away but stuck in a trance.

"Paul?" called the Westley in the passenger seat. "Paul!"

The assistant jumped, head turning to face the brunet as he snapped awake. Blackwood looked down at the slightly younger man, trying to regain his senses and composure. Breathing heavily for a few moments, he was able to speak again.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?" Daniel asked, which was an odd thing to ask, considering his own condition.

The assistant paused for a long while, trying to assess the situation. Then a horrifying thought entered his head. What would happen if he looked upon the Westley with only his left eye. It had changed people before, so why could it not again?

Slowly, the man reached up with his right hand and slipped it between his face and his glasses, covering his right eye. And then, nothing. Nothing happened at all. Daniel still looked the same, albeit incredibly confused and slightly concerned.

"What are you doing?" the younger man asked, capturing Paul's attention. The assistant put both hands on the wheel.

"Nothing..." he said. "Nothing at all… Let's get you home..."

Silence loomed in the air about the vehicle for the longest time after that. There wasn't much to say. Each man had a lot on their mind, and there was no mood for small talk. Still, Blackwood felt somewhat safer to have the other around, which was new. Ordinarily, it was the opposite. It was a shame that he would have to go back to his own home by himself after this.

"Hey, Paul?" Daniel spoke up, tearing the other's attention away from the road for a moment.

"Yes?" asked the other, waiting for what the Westley needed to say. Daniel hesitated, however, so it took a few moments.

"Do you think I'm a horrible person?" he questioned, genuinely surprising the assistant. It was an uncomfortable subject, to be frank, so the man stiffened somewhat.

"What do you mean?"

"I feel like shit..." Daniel said. "I'm loud, I'm obnoxious, and I'm insensitive. Worst of all, I'm selfish." He paused for a moment, nodding while staring straight ahead.

"I'm _selfish."_ he reiterated. "I'll do anything to get my way, even if I stomp other people into the dirt. What the fuck is _wrong_ with me?" When the other man didn't answer, he looked up at him briefly before returning his gaze to it's previous position, scoffing to himself and shaking his head with a weak smile.

"Maybe I'm just my dad's kid." Daniel continued, causing the other man to perk up a bit. With a sad laugh, the Westley continued. "I know you hate him. We all do. He's a selfish bastard who never had time for his kids or anyone else. Doesn't do a goddamn thing for anyone else but himself. Gets into all kinds of shit and expects everyone to turn a blind eye. Must've rubbed off on me, though. Or maybe it's genetic. Who knows…"

He was looking out the window now, hiding his face from the other as his eyes began to water. "What I really wanna know, though, is if there's any way to stop it..."

Blackwood simply listened in silence, hearing the brunet cry. Part of him felt bad. Part of him didn't. That second part was the part of him that didn't believe a word the man was saying about changing. He wasn't sure if a Westley was capable of it.

"Are those the friends you were supposed to meet up with this weekend?" questioned Paul, keeping his eyes on the road. Meekly, the other answered.

"Yeah..." he said with a break in his voice. "I've fucked that up now, though..."

"You could just go, you know." Blackwood replied. "Use it as your chance to apologise. From the sounds of things, it could be your last for a while."

"I know..." Daniel stated. Now it was really obvious that he was crying. He sobbed in the passenger seat, pretending to look out the window at the cityscape that passed them. After what seemed like an eternity, Blackwood cut through the sound of quietness and tears.

"Between you and your Dad, if I had to pick one to deal with, it would probably be you." he said, and it was not a lie. He hated Mister Westley. Loathed him. He dreaded going to work in the morning because of him. Most of his staff did, if not all. "You're not that bad."

He felt as though that didn't do much, as he was met with silence from the other for the duration of the trip. It was a while before they made it to Westley's building, and every second of it was agonising for Blackwood. He couldn't wait to go home. When he parked, he waited a moment before unbuckling and getting out. While he knew Daniel was ordinarily capable of doing it himself, he walked over to the other side of the car and opened the door to help the other man out. He was still tipsy, and almost fell as he attempted to stand. The plight to his flat was treacherous due to the man's lack of balance. Thank goodness the elevator was still working, or else they might have never made it at all.

"Alright, Daniel, here we are..." Blackwood said, almost carrying the other by this point. He huffed and puffed as he approached the door with the Westley weakly following along. "Get your keys out."

Daniel handed them to Paul, sing he really didn't trust in his abilities to put the key in the lock. Once inside, Daniel managed to stand by himself for a bit, although he was leaning against a wall. The place wasn't at all tidy. Empty cans adorned the coffeetable and dishes filled the sink. The state of the place had deteriorated further, and the assistant was about to the point of hiring a housekeeper.

"Is there anything else you need?" he asked, keen on leaving soon. "I'll be taking care of your wallet situation tomorrow, so you don't need to worry about that right now.

"What if those guys are out there using it tonight?" Daniel questioned.

"Then I'll take care of it." Blackwood said. "Anything else?"

_"Why?"_

The question actually startled the man for a moment. Blinking, Blackwater asked: "Why what?" The younger one simply scoffed.

"Why do you keep doing this job? Surely you can find work someplace else."

"I don't want to deal with it…" Paul replied.

"But you deal with everything else. Every single silly request… What's the matter with you? Look at you! You're working yourself to death!"

Daniel was right, actually. He was working himself to death. He wasn't eating, he wasn't sleeping- it was all because of that accident. It was a stupid accident that occurred when Blackwater couldn't see where he was going from all the things he was carrying down the stairs. Who had asked him to move those boxes? Mister Westley had, and while he was at the hospital, he was graciously informed that those particular boxes actually did not need moving and that it was a mistake on Mister Westley's part. Despite not eating, or sleeping, and being afraid of his own shadow after leaving the hospital, Mister Westley had him running about as always, working him to the bone. It showed. The man was unhealthy, with bags underneath his eyes and a pale complexion. He could not stop it, however. No, he did not have the nerve to up and quit working for such a powerful man, no matter how badly he would have liked to.

"It's complicated..." Blackwood stated, causing the brunet to nod.

"I bet." Daniel answered, his voice softer now. With a pause, he asked: "What you said in the car, though… Did you mean it?"

"Did I mean what?" questioned Blackwood.

"That you'd rather deal with me than my dad?"

Paul simply chuckled. "Definitely. I'll probably die within fifteen minutes of going into work tomorrow, if he keeps working me like this."

"Then don't go." Daniel grinned.

"I can't not go. He'll have my ass for that."

"He wishes." the Westley said, wobbling to his feet. "I'm probably gonna be really fucked up tomorrow, so I'll probably need some taking care of. Why don't you just stay here?"

Blackwood arched an eyebrow at the suggestion. Certainly, the place was questionable in cleanliness, but he wasn't alone, here, so it wasn't as frightening as his own empty house. He did feel safer than on his own, but he wasn't sure of what the other was proposing.

"What?" he asked. "Do you mean stay the night?"

"On the couch, yeah." answered Daniel. "Only if you want to, though. If not, I'll just call you tomorrow."

Indeed, this was a tempting offer. If he refrained from returning to work, he would not have to be subjected to his boss' absurd demands and inappropriate conduct. It was all too appealing. All he would have to do is make sure that Daniel was resting off a hangover, and that would be child's play in comparison.

"Alright." Blackwood said. "I'll do it."

"Good." the Westley said. "Extra blankets and stuff are in the hall closet. If you need me, I'll be asleep."

And that was that. It wasn't at all ideal by any means, but it wasn't unpleasant. While Paul did have to clean off the sofa and the surrounding area, it was still the best sleep the man had gotten in weeks.

* * *


	238. Mad Father

News of what happened at Kristopherson's flat spread to the others quickly. Ciel was called first about Daniel, since the Miles needed the number to phone the man's assistant to come remove him from the premises. Then, Ciel told Alois. Of course he did, seeing as though the blonde is his spouse and Kristopherson is his close friend. After this discovery, the menace called his friend later sometime after Daniel had left in order to check and see if the faux-blonde was alright.

What exactly Daniel did had come into light, and the menace was furious. He was furious for Kristopherson's feelings, and he was furious for himself as well. Alois, too, was supernatural. It was a part of himself that he could no longer live without. Yet Daniel had the audacity to treat supernatural beings like ravenous beasts! They are the same to humans. There are good and there are bad. Some of the worst people that Alois had ever met, however, were human! He, like Kristopherson and Logan, was deeply offended by the brunet's actions. The demon was still fuming about it the nezt day.

"I don't want to see him ever again." the menace said as he paced. "He had better not show up Saturday. I'll throttle 'im!"

"Jim, come sit down." his husband said, sitting on the sofa with a magazine in hand. He patted the space next to him, but his spouse was reluctant.

"Why?!"

"You're pacing." Ciel informed, as the blonde had obviously not noticed. Once he did, however, he huffed and walked over to the bluenette, ranting and fuming all the way.

"He's been friends with us for years, and suddenly, we're too scary for him? We're not people anymore?!" the menace raved, plopping down in his seat with folded arms and a scowl. "Fucker."

Looking up from his magazine, Ciel put an arm around the other's shoulders and rested his elbow on the back of the couch while he ran his hand through his husband's hair. He could see that the blonde was genuinely hurt by this. Ciel was as well, but had honestly not counted on Daniel making a comeback like Alois had. The bluenette had expected him to fade away like some friends do.

"Come now, it's alright, dear." he said, setting his magazine on the table. He managed to take one of his spouse's hands in his own. "Judging by the situation, there are more elements at play than what can be seen on the surface."

"Like what?" questioned the blonde. "That Daniel is actually a prick?"

"Well, he always has been somewhat, but that's no the point." the Watchdog replied. "He lost his best friend recently, and I think he really did fancy Kristopherson, but he just wasn't mature enough for a relationship yet."

"So you're saying he said that shit because he was stressed?"

"Possibly. Not everyone can be as lucky as me." Ciel smiled softly before pausing to press his lips to the back of his husband's hand, causing the man to finally grin and utter a giggle.

"I can see that..." Alois conceded. "That doesn't justify what he said."

"No, not at all. I agree with you. That was just a last-ditch effort to push the blame away from himself and avoid the problem. It didn't work, either."

"But what if he actually meant it?" Alois inquired. "What if he sees us as… _freaks._ "

Ciel didn't have an answer right away. In fact, he didn't really have an answer at all. He didn't know what Daniel's intentions were, nor could he read his heart. He had no way of telling how the Westley really felt, and he wouldn't lie to the menace.

"Then that's his loss." the Watchdog replied.

"Yeah… I'm just… Sad..."

"That's alright. It's perfectly acceptable to feel upset in a situation like this."

"I know… I just feel silly, y'know?" said Alois. "I want to cry over somebody that might not even deserve it. Isn't that silly?"

"No, it's not silly at all. You feel like you've lost a friend you've had for years. It's perfectly reasonable to feel upset."

"You don't seem all that flustered..."

"I wasn't as close to Daniel as you were, and… Well… It sort of feels like I've faded away from the other's since school…"

"You're still really good friends with Travis, Audrey, and Kristopherson, aren't you?" questioned the menace.

"Well… Yes." nodded the Watchdog, seeming to be surprised at the idea. "Yes. I suppose I am."

"You didn't think that you were still friends?"

"Well… It isn't as though we spend lots of time together on a non-professional basis."

"Do you want to?"

"I think it would be nice on occasion, maybe."

"Then why don't you arrange it?"

Ciel thought for a moment. It really was that simple, but he really didn't know how to arrange a meeting that was not formal. Usually, he has a script in his head that he must follow for arranging meetings, which he ends as soon as the conversation turns to smalltalk. He is a business-oriented fellow, and was still ignorant to many forms of social conduct. Learning how to ask friends if they would like to hang out together was a skill he had yet to learn. Admitting to that, however, was a difficult task as well.

"I..." began the Watchdog, struggling to find a way to explain his problem in the least embarrassing way possible. "How do you even do that without sounding awkward?" he asked. " _'Hello, it's Ciel. Would you like to hang out this weekend? Fantastic. See you there._ ' It sounds weird."

"That's exactly how you do it, though." chuckled the menace, delighted that he was graced with the sight of Ciel's socially awkward tendencies. "How else would you do it?"

"I don't know..." Ciel replied. "I thought you would know. It sounds better when you do it."

"Why's that? I only do what you just said!"

"Because you're you and I'm me." stated the bluenette. "It would sound strange for someone as… well, stiff as me to ask someone on an adult playdate."

"Why? You do that with me pretty regularly!" grinned the blonde.

"You're different."

"Talk to your friends, Ciel." Alois stated. "They won't bite. The most you'll get is a _'oh, that day doesn't work for me, how about this day instead?'_ or, worst case scenario: _'I don't really feel like it right now.'_ It's not a big deal."

"What if the reason is that I'm too boring, though? I'm not the most exciting of people..."

"Ciel, you are a secret agent who works for a shadow government in order to combat terrorists and supernatural threats. It's impossible for you to be _'boring'_."

"But I don't really do anything outside of that… I'm always just waiting for the next mission."

"Well… Maybe you need to find a hobby? I'm sure that you're good at something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. You could take up painting, or build a model, or… Come to think of it… I kind of do the same thing..."

"Are we boring?" questioned Ciel.

"I don't think so." answered his beau. "I think our personalities make up for it. I mean, who has time for going and doing things when there's always some fucker killing people? I'm a college student. I know it's difficult to take a class when you're on call."

"I can usually take care of it if you're busy, though."

"Yeah, but do you know how cool it feels to be called out of class for _'official business'?_ It's a delight."

"So you're lazy, then."

"I spent an entire month trying to find and resue your ass when you got kidnapped before. I think I deserve a little credit."

"You're never gonna let that go, are you?" the Watchdog inquired with a grin. He already knew the answer, but liked seeing the menace acting so proud.

"Nope." Alois bluntly stated. "Not until you rescue me, and if things go well, that won't happen."

"What about the BlackJack incident?"

"Fuck you, I saved myself. You just helped." the menace quipped, causing the other to laugh. "I'm a full-time badass. I deserve a little time for some Netflix and chill."

There was a moment where the bluenette was quiet. The look on his face changed, giving the impression that he was quite impressed with whatever it was his mind had concocted. Without missing a beat, he replied.

"Of course. Otherwise all you would ever do is Netflix and kill."

Indeed, Ciel was more than pleased with the expression on his husband's face. It was a mixture of shock, awe, amusement, and disgust. Most of all, however, he was upset with himself for not coming up with the joke first, but the fact that it was the stoic Ciel who said it tickled him too much for him to dwell on it. Regardless, he playfully pushed on the other's shoulder as retaliation.

"You shithead!" he declared, almost offended by his beau's jest.

"What?" Ciel innocently questioned, almost batting his eyelashes as he grinned from ear to ear. "Did that upset you?"

"I am disgusted." playfully answered the blonde. "How dare you make me hear that with my own ears?"

"Because I knew that you would love it." laughed the Watchdog, leaning forward to kiss the other's cheeks while the man desperately tried not to giggle to further his facade.

"I hate you."

"I love you too, darling."

With a huff, the blonde realised that he didn't have a comeback, so he simply sat with the bluenette while pouting. He did lean on the other man and read the magazine he was looking at with him, occasionally uttering an "I wasn't done" or a "what's that?" The pair sat like this for a while until the menace decided that he wanted to find something for himself, so he instead got up and began looking at the books on the many shelves of the study.

It was were all of the semi-accurate supernatural books were kept and books relating to detective work and solving ciphers were as well. He eventually found his friend Travis' book on werewolves and was about to reread it, but the phone rang, forcing him to put his plans on hold. Fortunately, he found the drama that came next a lot more interesting.

"Phantomhives' office, this is Alois." he answered, smiling a bit as he recognised the voice. "Oh, hello Mister Westley~! How are you this fine day?"

Mister Westley, however, was not as amused as Alois was, and was certainly not in the mood to be messed with. Alas, that is what would happen when talking to a Phantomhive demon.

"Where is the other one?" demanded Westley.

"Other what?"

"The other demon!" barked the politician.

"Which one? There's like, three over here, not counting myself." Alois helpful replied, but the man on the other end of the line did not think so.

"The blue blood." Westley hissed as the blonde tried not to laugh.

"Well, I'm not sure what that means, since most blood is blue until it hits the air, but I can let you talk to my partner, if you want. He has blue hair."

_"_ _Give him the phone!"_

Alois held the phone away from his ear and giggled with his hand over his mouth. He could still hear the older man roar on the other end of the line despite the distance he made. Mister Westley must be very peeved if it was that easy to set him off. Ordinarily, Alois would have gotten to play with him much longer than this. Alas, the man was left with no choice but to hand over the phone to his spouse.

"It's for you." he grinned at the bluenette, who had been staring at him confusedly throughout the exchange. Ciel assumed that it was someone who Alois wasn't fond of, but that could be any number of people. Standing up, the Watchdog walked over to his husband and took the phone, watching as his beau sat down in the chair behind his desk, leaving him standing.

"Phantomhive." Ciel answered, suddenly realising why the blonde was so eager to annoy once he heard the voice on the other end of the phone.

"It's Westley." the politician said, prompting the Phantomhive to roll his eye. "I've been told that you went looking for the number of one of my assistants last night."

"Yes." replied the bluenette. "Is there an issue?"

"I want to know why."

"Your son was in a bit of a pickle last night, and he needed someone to go get him." Ciel bluntly explained. "He was drunk, his phone died, and his wallet was stolen. Not to mention, he caused a bit of trouble with some anti-supernatural remarks before passing out. We called a mister… Blackwater? Blackwood? Blackwood. We called a mister Blackwood to take care of him."

"How did you really acquire that number?" mister Westley pried. "I get a call informing me that someone has been digging around my files, and then I find out that you're pilfering phone numbers? What are you really up to?"

"Files?" the Watchdog echoed, knowing full well what the man meant. Indeed, Ciel had been digging through Westley's information in order to gain some sort of intel on Daniel's wellbeing. In the end, the politician's data proved useless in this pursuit, so the Phantomhive left everything where it was. Still, it was possible for his staff to detect him snooping. Regardless of this truth, the Watchdog would admit to nothing.

"I don't have any use for your files." Ciel told the truth. That was, however, the extent of his truth-telling. "I don't know who would want them, either. A competitor, maybe? I'm not sure why me asking a staff member of yours that I needed a phone number so your son could get home somehow means that I'm up to something nefarious."

"You're always up to something nefarious! That's what demons do, isn't it?!" Barked Mister Westley, not buying it for a single second.

"No. Not always. I was just having a nice, quiet day in until you called." answered the bluenette. "I haven't been given a job yet, so there's really no need for me to do anything shady. Until then, I'm just an ordinary business and family man."

"Who just so happens to be working for Satan, right?"

"That's not a very nice thing to call the Round Table. There's some really nice people amoung you. If you don't like the job, however, I can certainly inform your coworkers."

"You wouldn't dare..."

"I might mention it. Two of my distant cousins are on the council, after all. We're quite close."

Mister Westley cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable with the sequence of events, much to the amusement of the demons. He was easy to rile up, but he was just as easy to shut down, at the same time. Quickly, he tried to change the subject, going back to his original concerns.

"So you did not go through my files, you're saying?" he questioned, unable to see the devil's grin.

"I solemnly swear." replied the Watchdog with all finality. "Is that all you needed from me?"

"Well..." No, that wasn't the case, but now the other man was hesitant to ask. "You wouldn't happen to know what happened to that assistant, would you?" Needless to say, the question caught the bluenette off guard.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"He's not here." Mister Westley explained. "He's supposed to be at work right now, but he isn't. He hasn't answered his phone, and no one really knows where he is."

"I'm afraid I don't know."

That was concerning. Did something happen to Blackwood? If that was the case, the where was Daniel? If he was in Blackwood's custody, and Blackwood vanished, then did Daniel go with him? As a homicide detective, all of these questions appeared in the Phantomhive's thoughts at the news, prompting him to want to investigate.

"Oh..." Mister Westley sounded disappointed. The news of his son getting into trouble didn't seem to phase him, but a simple assistant did? That was strange. It wasn't Ciel's concern, however. "I guess I'll just keep trying to reach him. Goodbye."

"Goodbye." With that, Ciel hung up and looked to his spouse, who had been listening in the entire time. "Did you get all of that?"

"Part of it." replied the blonde, twiddling his thumbs. "Assistant guy is missing?"

"Yeah..."

"Think Daniel might be with him?"

"It's possible..."

"Wanna know how you know?" asked the menace, piquing the other's interest. "You call Daniel's house instead. That way, you know if he made it home okay. That is, unless he's to hungover to get to the phone."

"Good plan." Ciel replied. "I don't want to be the one to call, however."

"Neither to I. Wanna know how we settle this?"

"How?"

"Rock, paper, scissors."


	239. The Gates Of Hell

Groggily, Blackwood awoke on his own accord, much to his own surprise. He had slept well, despite the situation. It had been a long time since he woke up without an alarm. That, however, worried him immensely. Once he woke up enough to register that, Blackwood shot up from his place on Daniel's couch and nearly dived for the cellphone on the cleared off coffee table. When he tried to turn on the screen, however, it would not respond. His phone was dead. He had no alarm.

Checking his watch, however, he was horrified to discover that it was almost two in the afternoon. He had'nt slept that late since he was in college. That had been years ago. Now he was always awake to get ready and clock in by nine every morning. He wasn't just late for work. He had almost missed work entirely. Dropping the device on the table, he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees before burying his face in his hands. Mister Westley was going to be furious.

Sombrely, he wallowed in what he knew was sure to come, hardly registering that his boss' son was talking on the phone with somebody. It took him a while to notice, but when he did, he realised that the younger man was talking about him. He only intended to listen in for a moment, but found himself increasingly curious as the conversation went on.

Daniel was talking to someone about the assistant's absence at work. From the sounds of things, it wasn't the young man's father, but he wasn't sure if it was a coworker, either. Seeing as though Daniel was friends with the Watchdog at some point, he could have been talking to one of them. That could have been awful within itself, as Paul knew that the Phantomhives were people that his boss hated and said were troublesome, although the assistant had never met them. All he knew was that they were sometimes at those "Round Table" meetings that the politician sometimes went to, but he never shared any information about them beyond that.

Still, they were not the kind if people that Blackwood would like to associate with. He had already had enough upperclass nonsense to last him a lifetime. He did wonder, however, what this meant for him.

When Daniel hung up, he looked a bit upset. It wasn't in a shocked sort of way, or an angry or hurt, way. He almost seemed relieved, and he was. The Westley had to take a moment to collect himself, sniffling and wiping his eyes before he turned around. He faltered when he noticed the Paul was awake, and wiped his eyes one last time.

"Your boss was wondering where you were." he explained. "He called Ciel, so Ciel called. He should be telling my dad after this."

"Is that why you're upset?" questioned Blackwood.

"No..." Daniel said, sniffling and wiping his nose on his sleeve. "I'm not upset…"

In truth, he was just glad that someone called and asked if he was alright after getting home. Kristopherson didn't, and the Westley honestly couldn't blame him after the things he said. He was surprised that the Watchdog called him, even though he definitely knew what happened. There was no way that Kristopherson didn't tell Alois, or that Alois didn't tell Ciel. Daniel knew how that chain of communication went.

He was happy, though. Someone in his former friend-group still seemed to care about him. Perhaps he really could mend this like Blackwood said. Even if he and the bluenette were never really the best of friends, it still felt good to hear from him.

"He said that he would tell your boss that I'm borrowing you for the day." Daniel continued, pleased to see the relief on the other man's face. "Also, the bank called and said they spotted some weird activity on my card, so I told them it was stolen. That's sorted out, even though I need to run by eventually and pick up a new card."

"That's good..." Blackwater replied, standing up and stretching. That was one less thing he had to worry about, and now he practically had the day off, except that he needed to keep an eye on the Westley lad.

"I need to charge my phone, somewhere." he said. "I also need to change clothes. I should probably run by my house and change."

"True. I don't think you'll fit into any of my stuff. I could loan you a charger, though. iPhone?"

"No, android."

"Huh..." the Westley answered, looking at the other as if he were confused by the man's choice in mobile phones. "I guess I can't help you, then."

"I can charge it in the car on my way there and back." Blackwater said. "I'll be fast. Is there anything specific that you'd like me to do?"

"Hire a maid, probably." answered Daniel, looking around the dirty house. He was right. A housekeeper would do the man good, but no one in their right mind would agree to maintain a house this far gone.

"I should probably clean, then..." sighed Paul. His degree in political science hadn't done him much good. Never would he have ever imagined that he would essentially be a housekeeper and an adult version of a babysitter.

"I can help." the younger man offered, but Blackwood had to decline. He didn't want the task to take any longer than he had to, and if Daniel got involved, who knows how long it would take?

With haste, the assistant excused himself, both since he felt filthy being in the clothes he slept in around his employer, and because he felt naked without his cellphone at the same time. That was the first thing he did once he got to his car. He plugged in the device before even shutting the door, and when he did, he started the car and immediately checked his screen to see what was happening. IT was charging, much to his releif, but now he needed to get home and make himself presentable enough to do general housekeeping. Was it even worth it to shower? Probably not, but he also had to undergo other hygiene necessities that were non-negotiable.

Right after getting through the door, the thought crossed his mind to not go back, but he knew that he would be in trouble if the younger man complained to his father, so Paul was left with no choice. He showered, he brushed his teeth, he put on deodorant, and went through all other parts of his routine before getting dressed. It took him much longer than expected, as Blackwood found it difficult to leave the warmth and comfort of his shower, but knew better. Once again, logic and obligation had gotten in his way. Thus is the story of his life.

He didn't want to drive back to Daniel's house, however. No, it was far quicker to take public transport and additionally, he simply did not want to drive if he did not have to. It would also be quicker for him to grab something to eat on his way to the metro station. It would take five minutes, at least. Hopefully, fate would be in his favour just this once.

It was not. There was a line at his favourite coffeeshop despite the time of day. He prayed that they wouldn't be out of bagels, so he didn't have to wait longer for them to prepare more. Five minutes became fifteen at what felt like a snail's pace, and the man was left anxiously waiting in line, looking around at anything and everything in hopes of distracting him from the fear of Daniel calling him to see where he was.

The shop on it's own wasn't interesting. There were just people sitting around, drinking coffee and eating pastries. Some of them worked on laptops or read newspapers while other's simply chatted. There was a kiosk that sold papers right outside, so that's how most people were distracting themselves from the world around them, unless they preferred their smartphones.

How could Blackwood make the world around him seem interesting? It was the same as always. Ordinary humans went about their ordinary lives without thinking much about it. They didn't feel what he felt. They didn't feel the ever-present black cloud of dread that loomed over him indefinitely. He gained it from being in the hospital. Blackwood wasn't sure how, nor was he sure why, but that's not all he gained. He gained an ability that allowed him to see the world in a way that no one else could. It was almost like an alternate reality. Now, Blackwood was not in any way sure if that's what it was, but that's what it felt like. He had no idea what it meant, and he was afraid to find out.

Still, he was curious. So, when the line didn't seem to be moving again for a while, he took his hand and covered his left eye, peering around the restaurant in order to see if there was anything out of the ordinary. Almost ashamedly, there was not, leaving the man disappointed and slightly embarrassed. Perhaps he really was imagining things. Maybe the lack of sleep was starting to get to him at the time, or perhaps it was another sign of his deteriorating mental state. Paul began to think he really needed to see someone about his bizarre symptoms.

Then, there was something that caught his eye. It was a woman who stood outside the restaurant.. She was slightly blurry, like the air around her was so heavy that it was distorting her form. It was especially thick around her right hand. When Blackwood took his hand away, he could see that she was wearing a ring on her index finger where the heatwaves began to focus.

She was plain-looking with dark brown hair and round glasses. She didn't stand out, although her behaviour was odd. The woman was buying stacks of different types of newspapers, seeming to know which ones specifically she wanted and avoiding papers like The Sun. After she had made her purchase, she carefully set her messenger bag on the ground and tried to fit them in alongside other heaps of newspapers. Blackwater wondered if she was just strange, but when he looked at her through just his left eye again, she was still distorted. It was most peculiar.

"Sir." called a voice, not quite able to break him from his trance at first. "Sir… _Sir!_ "

"Sorry?" Paul finally replied, turning around to see that it was finally his turn to order.

"You're holding up the line, sir." the barista said. "Do you know what you would like to order?"

"Uuuuhhh..." Blackwood trailed off, completely forgetting what it was he wanted. He thought for a moment, glancing back over to the woman outside the window to see that she was leaving. Before he even knew what he was doing, he stepped out of line.

"I'm sorry! I have to catch someone!" he said, much to the puzzlement of everyone else in the store. Quickly, he ran out and stepped onto the sidewalk, only to see the woman starting to disappear in the crowd. For some reason, Blackwood did not want that to happen.

Maybe he thought that she might know something. Under what circumstances would that be a realistic idea is in retrospect, unfathomable. However, he still tried to wriggle his way through the crowd, not letting her out of his sight, but still remaining at a safe distance so that he wouldn't be noticed. It was only when he got onto the same train as the woman that he seemed to realise what he was doing.

Good God, how perverse and downright creepy did he seem? He was stalking this woman all because she caught his eye! He needed to get off of this train right away. He needed to go back to what he was doing. Daniel was waiting, and he knew the boy wouldn't last much longer before calling him. The Westley was too needy at the moment to not do so. Things were getting out of control. Blackwood needed to let go, and walk away right then and there.

The only problem was that he wasn't sure if he could. Just when he thought that he could get off at the next stop, someone else came on and lit up as he saw the woman, and the woman did the same in return. It was a masculine-looking woman with very short, dark hair, a flask poking out of her back pocket, and a strange pendant around her neck. She had a few grocery bags in hand, but first one with the glasses offered to take a few in the seat next to her. After taking the offer, the short-haired woman stood in front of the first and appeared to be communicating in sign language. She didn't appear to be deaf, as the woman sitting down replied vocally, and the other appeared to understand, but the entire situation was odd. Now there were two odd individuals, and Blackwood didn't know if he would be able to resist looking again.

He knew better. Paul knew that he shouldn't have looked, but he couldn't help himself. He was in too deep already with no way out in sight. Covering his right eye, Blackwood looked with his left and suddenly, all of blood drained from his face as he saw the pair's alternate forms. The first woman was still blurry, just as she was before. Nothing had changed about her. He could still see that. What terrified him was the form of the second woman, as her appearance had changed drastically to the point where he was genuinely concerned that no one else could see it.

The woman now had considerable amounts of bodyhair covering her arms, the backs of her hands and a few digits on each finger, as well as the back of her neck and chin. Her face was, by Blackwood's standards, grotesque. Her mouth and nose were elongated like a dog's snout, and her eyes were bigger and further apart. When she smiled, her teeth were still human-like, but that didn't make Paul feel any better. He was still afraid.

Quickly, he took his hand away and his vision returned to normal, but he was still sweating and looked ill. He had no idea what he was going to do now. Common sense was telling him to walk away. He should leave on the next stop and go back to work and never think of this moment ever again. Regardless of what logic and reason told him, however, he knew that he couldn't. Paul wanted to know what this was. He _needed_ to know. There was no way that he could merely "forget". It was something that would haunt him for a long time to come. What was that nightmare from the hospital? Why is he seeing people as monsters when he covers his right eye? Why was it only certain ones, and why did no one else notice? Was he really going mad? It seemed so. Nothing he was doing made sense, nor did anything he was seeing or experiencing. His senses had gone haywire, and he wasn't sure what he could do. What Blackwood did know, however, was that once he kept going, he couldn't go back. He was already too far down the rabbit hole to return to his ordinary life as an ordinary person.

So, when those two stepped off the train, he had a decision to make. It probably wasn't the right decision. It probably wasn't even a good one. Regardless, he made it, and got off at their stop. It was far off course from where he was initially going. In the end, it would take him twice as long to get back, and that didn't count the time he spent following the two women like some sort of depraved lunatic.

He followed from a safe distance, hiding amoung the crowd on the street, but as the crowd thinned and the streets changed, he started to panic. Here he was, following these women, and now the were most likely going to notice. Blackwood was afraid to move forward, and he was afraid to move back. Thus, he hung back even further, almost coming to a halt in order to build some more distance between them. The assistant could still see the two women, especially since they could become more conspicuous with just a closing of his eye. It wasn't to last, though. Soon, the street was bare, leaving himself and the two women in what looked like the beginnings of a ghost town. Then, his worst fear came true.

They noticed. The more masculine woman looked over her shoulder and spotted him before nudging her acquaintance's arm with her elbow and motioning behind them with her head. The bespectacled woman's eyes widened and she said something to the other that was inaudible to the man's ears from his distance. To his surprise, they didn't seem too concerned, and only quickened their pace slightly. Once they rounded the corner, he saw why.

There was a big gate conspicuously placed between buildings in a way that made no logical sense. It appeared to be a permanent feature that blocked the entire road when closed, especially given the guardstation that was built off to the side. Again, neither of these things looked like they should ever belong in a city anywhere, London included. Paul continued to walk forward, his neck bending backwards as he stopped looking where he was going altogether in order to gaze upward at it. It was so surreal. It was like something out of a dystopian novel.

When Blackwood's neck couldn't bend any further, he righted himself and looked forward, seeing the two women present some sort of I.D. card and enter some kind of pin. What concerned the assistant, however, was the two armed guards. One stood at the window of the station while another one sat in a smaller structure on the other side of the gate. Now, Paul had seen guns on television before, but he had never seen one in person. Even still, he could tell that these guards were wielding military-grade weaponry. They were armed to kill, if necessary, and their green military uniforms and red berets did nothing to boost Blackwood's confidence in this venture. If anything, it died then and there.

Suddenly, a loud groan was heard and the gate began to open. It only opened slightly, being room for only a few people to squeeze through one at a time by the time the two women got there. If he rushed it, he probably wouldn't be able to make it. The thought barely had the chance to surface in his mind, however, as he noticed a guard walking toward him.

His natural instinct was to freeze, as is most people's when they are approached by a large man carrying an assault rifle, so he agonisingly waited for the gentleman to say something to him. It didn't matter what it was, because it would come across as frightening, regardless. Thankfully, the guard was polite at first, and asked him some routine questions.

"'Scuse me, sir." the guard began, his gruff voice causing the man to jump. "Is there something we can help you with?"

Thank goodness, he seemed to be a patient man, bless his heart, as Paul did not answer for a long time. He had no answer. He had no idea who these people were, so he had no idea what they could possibly do for him.

"U-uh… uuuhhh..." was all the poor assistant could manage to get out at first. After mustering up an ungodly amount of courage, the man asked what he wanted to know.

"What is… this?" he asked, quite innocently, as he had no inclination as to what this place was. "What is all of this… stuff?"

Pausing, the guard looked to his coworkers briefly before answering. "Sir, I don't think you're supposed to be here. I think you should leave."

"But what is this?" asked Paul. "I need to know! What is... _this_ doing in the middle of London?"

"Sir, you need to go, right now." the guard said, holding out an arm to kind of guide the other man in the direction he needed to go. But the assistant was emboldened by his need to understand what was happening. He needed to know what was happening to him, and what was this strange place he had been lead to. He needed to understand what it all meant! Yanking his arm away, he snapped at the guard.

"Tell me what this place is!" he barked. "I need to know! What is this place and what does it mean?!"

Quietly, the two women tried to slink away between the gates, escorted by another guard who acted as a barrier between them and the assistant. Blackwood struggled to argue with the guard who had confronted him, but when he saw those two trying to get away, he made perhaps the worst decision he had made thus far. That horrible, stupid decision was to make a break for the gate.

"Stop!" he called out as he ran, prompting the women to try and escape faster. He reached out as though he would somehow be able to stop them as the gate closed behind them.

"I need to know!" the man roared as he hit the gates, holding one of the bars as he reached the other through. "What are you!? Tell me! I need to know!What are you?! _What_ _ **are**_ _you?!_ _What are y-_ "

Suddenly, he was rendered silent with a blow to the back of the head with the butt of the nearest guard's weapon, forcing him to the ground. Blackwood's whole world was spinning as he tried to get back up, watching two figures getting away just on the other side of the bars. The guards were yelling at both him and each other, but he couldn't figure out what they were saying. With a shaky hand, he reached up and covered his right eye. While his vision began to blur, he stared after the pair through his left eye.

_"_ _What are you?"_


	240. Assisted Development

Blackwood woke up in an entirely new place. It was some medical ward, which made him extremely uncomfortable. He didn't know if he was in a hospital or not, which made him extremely uncomfortable. He was terrified for a multitude of reasons. For starters, he had abandoned his post and stalked two women because he was seeing things. Then he came across a place in London that should not exist and was knocked out by guards with large guns. He had no idea what came over him. There was nothing but regret for his actions, but he couldn't take them back. There was no fixing this. The assistant was done for.

The smell of medicine made him sick to his stomach from anxiety. He didn't want to leave out of fear that he was still dreaming and was stuck in a nightmare again. Yet, when asked to, he obediently sat in the wheelchair that he was instructed to sit in an allowed himself to be bound to it and blindfolded. He accepted his fate. There was nothing more he could do.

In reality, however, he was being escorted through H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters. The blindfold was so that he wouldn't see anything a civilian shouldn't see. Already, they knew who he was, where he lives, who he works for, and what he was supposed to be doing that day. That only took approximately an hour to come up with. They already knew that he worked for a member of the Round Table Conference.

He was led to an interrogation room and instructed to stay put for questioning. He wasn't told what kind of facility he was in. He wasn't told anything other than what to do. That was fine. He didn't want to think anymore. He didn't want to know anymore. Blackwood had resigned himself to the idea that his life was now over. The poor man was in a state of shock over it. The man spent the entire duration of the time he waited on the person interrogating him with his head on the table. Fortunately, it felt as though time passed quickly as he didn't want them to come.

Two men approached the room, discussing the case. They were somewhat excited to be back at work on an actual mission and not a nightmare. Ciel and Alois would be the ones to interrogate the poor man, since they knew of him and what he does. That said, their thoughts were less than savory.

"We could easily place the blame of someone going through Westley's files on him." suggested the bluenette in a hushed tone as they traversed the hallways. "It would make the annoying bastard shut up."

"True, true, and ordinarily, I might agree with you." replied Alois. "He is perfect, but he's also taking care of Daniel. I'm not sure if I want to take him away from that."

"I thought you hated Daniel?" questioned Ciel.

"I am still mad, but somebody needs to kind of keep him in line." the other stated, trying his best to look peeved, still. "We need a replacement before we use up a card in our hand."

"You're soft." the Watchdog said with a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I like that about you, however. It's a good trait to have."

"Even in this line of work?"

 _"_ _Especially_ in this line of work. Otherwise, what else is keeping _me_ in line?" playfully questioned the bluenette, smiling as he prompted a laugh from his spouse.

"You're a big softie, too." Alois claimed. "Total sweetheart. The only time you're not is when working."

"You're good cop, and I'm bad cop."

"Seems legit." snickered the menace as they finally reached the door to the interrogation room. He reached out to grip the handle and opened it, allowing his husband to step inside first before he followed behind the man and shut the door again.

Both men were confused to see the assistant in such a state. They had never met the man before, but they were expecting someone a bit more professional-looking. This man was laying down with his head on the table. His hair was a mess, and he wasn't wearing a tie. When he finally lifted his head, the man looked as though he had gone long periods of time without sleeping, judging from the bags underneath his eyes. He certainly didn't look like a man who worked for a politician. Rather, he looked like a man who had just been fired from his job several days before. The Phantomhives looked to one another, silently agreeing that they couldn't pin the file snooping on this man.

"Afternoon." Greeted Alois, taking a seat on the other side of the table. "I'm agent Phantomhive, and this is my partner, agent Phantomhive." The introduction seemed to spark some life into Blackwood, as his face shifted to indicate confusion.

"Both of you?" Paul asked.

"We're related by marriage." Ciel answered, taking out his memopad and a pen. Then, true to his nature, he hopped straight into busienss. "Have you been informed about why you have been detained, Mister Blackwood?"

"No..." replied the assistant. "I have no idea what's going on..."

"You have been detained for attempting to enter government property." informed the bluenette. "For what reason did you make this attempt?"

"I… I didn't know what it was..." Paul stated, sitting up in his chair and folding his hands on top of the desk. "If I knew, I would probably have stayed away… It looked weird, so I wanted to know what it was. It didn't look like something that belonged in London..."

"The guards who captured you said that they were informed by two women who work on the property that you followed them there." said Alois as he leaned over to glance at his partner's notes. "Care to explain?"

"I'm not..." Blackwood began, his voice laboured "I didn't mean to… I-I'm not like that… There was just… Something weird about them. I… Oh God..." The man lifted his hands off the table and rested his hands in them. His face contorted in his hands as his eyes wetted his palms. The assistant whimpered before letting out a pitiful sob. Clearly, something was bothering this man, and the duo had a vague idea as to what it could be.

"Mister Blackwood," started the blonde. "Our reports say that you were also involved in an outbreak of sudden death while sleeping. You were one of those who survived the ordeal, yes?"

"Yes…" Blackwood answered meekly. "The nightmares won't stop… Then… Then my eyes… This _damn_ eye… Every time I look with it… _Every time!_ Something is there… Just this eye..." he rambled, taking his hands away and pointing at the offending orb on his left side. "Just this one..."

Naturally, the duo were taken aback by this. Looking at Blackwood's medical history, there were no reports of hallucinations. The only real cause for concern from his doctor was excess of stress. The man had never brought up this condition before.

"Just to be clear, mister Blackwood, you say that you're seeing things?" questioned the bluenette. "In just one eye? What kinds of things are you seeing."

"You think I'm crazy..." the assistant said sadly. "I am crazy… I'm going mad… No one would ever believe it. Who would? No sane person would believe in that stuff..."

"Mister Blackwood, what _kind_ of ' _stuff'?_ " Alois pried.

At first Paul refused to answer. How could he? He was vulnerable and knew what would happen if he talked about it. He would surely be thrown in an institution and lose everything he had worked so hard for. Then again, it would appear as though he had lost all of that anyway. It happened when he got himself arrested and trapped in a government facility. At this point, he assumed, things couldn't get much worse.

"When… When I cover my right eye, and look through my left, I see things..." he began to explain. "It started after I woke up from that weird coma. It's like the nightmare followed me! Now I'm seeing wolfmen and blue devils, among other things… It's crazy… I'm crazy… I just want it to stop..."

Once again, the two demons had to look to one another with confusion written across their face. "Wolfmen" and "blue devils" sounded familiar. They knew that the man had seen Kristopherson and Logan's supernatural forms, but that was an impossibility, the night the assistant picked up Daniel wasn't a full moon night. That was strange. Some werewolves could change shape at will, however, so it may not have been Kristopherson. Amelie has this ability and uses it at her convenience, so someone else possibly could. If that was the case, there was a potential breach somewhere, or someone was not following proper code of conduct. This was something that the intel department would certainly have o look into.

"Where have you been seeing these things, Mister Blackwood?" asked the Watchdog, folding his hands on the table in front of him, resting his elbows on it as well. "You say that this started after you were released after the hospital?"

"Yes..." answered the distraught man. "But I only started seeing things only a few nights ago. I was picking up my employer's son from his friend's house. I'm a personal assistant, so it's my job, I guess… I saw the first one after I got pulled over for running a red light on my way there. I… I leaned over to grab my information out of the glovebox, and my hair got in my right eye… When I looked up again, with my left eye, the policeman was gone, and there was a wolfman wearing his clothes! Then! When I looked again with both eyes, he was back to normal! Isn't that crazy! That was only the first, though! Then! I saw another wolfman at Daniel's friend's house! The blonde one turned into a wolfman when I saw him through my left eye! The other one looked like a blue demon! Isn't that insane?! Something's wrong with me! No one in their right mind would see those things! No one! You'd have to be crazy! Right?!"

The man's volume raised as he spoke, and by the time he was almost done speaking, he was yelling. He held his head in his hands and shook it in disbelief. He knew. He knew how mad he sounded, but there was nothing that Blackwood could do. All he wanted was for this to end. He did not want to see any longer. He no longer wanted to see if he could not understand!

"Take it easy. You're gonna be fine." Alois said in an attempt to calm the other blond. "Mister Westley is working you to the bone, isn't he? He was the reason you had to go to the hospital, too, wasn't he? I think we should make him give you a little vacation. Paid, of course."

"People can only handle so much stress until they start to go mad." the other demon chimed in. "That combined with the incident at the hospital cannot do anything but cause one to do all kinds of negative things. Your body can't handle it all."

"Maybe…" Paul answered. His head was throbbing and he felt dizzy. He had worked himself up to the point where he was feeling physically ill. Perhaps the two men where right. Perhaps he did need time to recover.

"We'll have Westley arrange it." the menace informed. Naturally, both demons were lying. They simply told the man what he wanted to hear, just as demons do. It was a talent of theirs.

Still, they would have Mister Westley give the man a vacation in order to keep him clueless. They had many things to do and investigate, for now. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. needed to double-check if there was indeed a registered lycanthrope working as a police officer in London, and the research department would be keen to find out what exactly is happening to Blackwood. He could see what shouldn't be seen, stripping bare whatever disguises a supernatural may wear. It was, to say the least, a unique ability.

"I take it that you followed those women because you saw something along the same lines, yes?" Ciel questioned, earning a nod from the man across the table.

"Yes…" Paul answered. "I knew it was wrong, but… I just wanted to know what was happening to me..."

Pausing for a moment, the bluenette looked to his associate and nodded, indicating that he had heard all that he needed to. With that, the blonde returned the gesture before standing, placing his hands on the table as he rose.

"You'll figure it out." Alois reassured as the Watchdog stood as well. "In the meantime, we need to tell our people what we learned here so we can figure out what to do with you. I wouldn't worry too much, though. I don't think you had any ill intentions, right?"

"Right..." the other blond replied, looking down again. Despite the menace's words, he was still far from confident. He knew he was way too far in over his head, and he couldn't see any way out. The demons could not sway him, and they knew. Thus, they simply turned to walk out the door.

"Hope you figure things out." the menace said, opening the door for his spouse. Before they left, though, Blackwood felt a strange impulse.

Paul felt as though he could trust the pair. They were very good at rationalising things, after all. Still, there was more than an inkling of doubt within him, but there was a small little gleam of curiosity as well. So, as the two of them left, the man winked, shutting his right eye and gazing upon him with his left.

He knew it. They weren't human either. They were something else, with horns and monkey-like tails. Their eyes were red and they wore strange clothing. They too, were monsters, but the assistant strangely felt no fear. Instead, he felt something else that he couldn't quite place. It was like he understood something on some level, but he wasn't sure what just yet. Either way, he no longer felt as though he could trust the pair. For once, Mister Westley was right about something: those two were hiding something sinister, and were definitely up to no good. Should he make it outside any time in the near future, Blackwood decided that he would definitely find out what.


	241. The Distribution of Power

Much to his surprise, H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. decided to let mister Blackwood go, however, they did insist that he have regular checkups with them to evaluate his health. In reality, they simply wanted to monitor this so called "ability" of his, but it still eased his thoughts to know that he was going to get some help for his condition. It seemed to come to him as well, which was an additional pleasant surprise. In light of things, he actually began to feel a bit better despite knowing that something was amiss with the two Phantomhives.

He could see their faces- their real ones. He could see horns and tails and that didn't make him feel better about the situation, although it seemed to refocus his thoughts. Perhaps there really was something wrong with him, but it wasn't all that bad. Perhaps he was seeing within people's hearts, or something along those lines, or so he thought. Paul still had some thinking to do about the matter. Everything was going too well.

This organization has something within an abandoned part of the city and captured him for getting close to it. Then, they simply tried to convince him that stress was getting to him, and then let him go while forcing him to promise to check in on occasion. It was all to suspicious. Never in his life did Blackwood suspect that he would become the conspiracy theorist type, but here he was. It was hard not to think that way, given what he's seen thus far. Something was wrong. It was _very_ wrong, and much larger than himself.

Still, he didn't know what to do with that quite yet. Life still went on around him as if nothing had happened. No one else could see. No one else knew. He couldn't talk about it to anyone without them thinking he was deranged. Even he still suspected that of himself, but not as prominently as before. Now he felt like it was something else. There was more to this world than he suspected, and now he could see it. He wanted to see more. He wanted to see everything.

With patience, however, he would eventually. For now, however, he had things to do. Blackwood went straight home after his release and tried to unwind, despite his swirling thoughts. Everything around his apartment seemed new and fresh all of a sudden. It was as though Paul had never really looked at it before. His home was now an adventure. With all kinds of surprises in store! All he had to do was look, see, touch, feel, and smell. Was there always a scratch on that table? Was the counter always this smooth? He simply had never noticed, but now, he was noticing everything.

It didn't come without cost, though. Eventually, he picked up his phone from its place on the charger to thoroughly examine. He had never noticed all of the scuffs on it's exterior. Perhaps it was time to buy a case. What his mistake was is that he turned it on as it had finally charged, only to find a slew of voicemails and missed calls from Daniel.

Drat. Blackwood had forgotten about the boy. He would certainly have to deal with him later. There was no way that he could keep the son of his employer waiting forever, especially when the younger man respected him somewhat, even if he could be a spoiled brat at times. Alas, he simply didn't have the attention span or emotional energy for it right at that moment. He still needed to shower and get ready for bed, where he would hopefully get some minute amount of sleep.

Unfortunately for the assistant, his mind was still buzzing, and his thoughts continued on that route into the wee hours of the morning. Blackwood laid in bed for the longest time, tossing and turning while thinking of everything he had seen thus far, and everything he had learned from doing so. He also feared for what would come the next day when he came into work. Surely Mister Westley had already been informed of the situation, and if he had been, he was certainly not going to be pleased. Still, these thoughts were far more welcome than the worry of death he had been facing previously. Thus, he was at least able to get some sleep that night, and it went a long way. It got rid of at least one of his concerns the following morning, but hardly put a dent in his anxiety.

Blackwood got up the next day and prepared to go to work. He underwent his usual routine, brushing his teeth, showering, getting dressed and fixing his hair. He jumped to it quite earlier than usual, so he had quite a bit of time to spare. Unfortunately, he didn't want to sit around and twiddle his thumbs for an hour. Additionally, he didn't whether or not there would be any delays, so he made his way to the metro station and hopped on his train. This time, he didn't take any detours and stayed on the right course until he made it to the end of his journey.

The man did hesitate on going in for a good while, trying to mentally prepare himself for what was to come. He didn't know if his boss was inside, as he didn't go through the parking garage to the building and instead went through the front door. Paul could only assume that his employer was here, given the state of things. He would be astonished if he wasn't, in truth.

Taking a deep breath, the assistant made his way inside and traversed up the elevator to the floor of the Westley offices. It suddenly felt foreign. The elevator was like an ascending coffin and the hallway too the office seemed to elongate as he approached, giving the corridor a feeling that was unworldly. Once he finally got there, he swiftly tried to make his way to his cubicle without being seen, but alas, for once, the boss was watching closely.

 _"_ _Blackwood!"_ barked the Westley, causing the assistant to cringe. That was never a good sign. He was all on his own as well, given that his coworkers were desperately trying to ignore the scene. With great reluctance, Paul turned around to see his boss standing on the other side of the room with his eyes trained on him.

The man wore a dark blue suit with a red tie. It was almost disturbing how much Daniel looked like the fifty-something year old, only much, much more friendly. The man's brown hair was greying and wrinkles formed on his face, and the poor worker who's cubicle was next to his was doing her best not to gag as he smoked despite being inside an office building. One hand held his cigarette, while the other rested on his hips, distracting themselves while their owner's eyes glared at his employee.

"My office! _Now!_ " mister Westley ordered, forcing a shudder to run through the assistant as his blood ran cold.

Meekly, the blond slinked to his boss' office, briefly acknowledging the sympathetic glances he was granted on the way. Everyone hated Mister Westley and it was no secret amoung the staff. The only one who was oblivious to this fact was Mister Westley himself, so it was obvious that no one said anything in his presence. Once he had vanished however, Blackwood was given the occasional "good luck" as he mad the long walk to the boss' office.

Once there, the first thing said to him was simply: "Shut the door and have a seat." Being the good employee that he was, Paul did as he was told and shut the door even though he was afraid of being trapped alone in a room with the other man. All of his employees were, especially if they were female or particularly pretty men. Needless to say, these sorts of employees did not continue to work for Westley for long until quitting. Another thing that was no secret amoung the staff was that Mister Westley often paid former employees hefty sums for not going public with things that transpire at his offices.

Even Blackwood had his fair share of embarrassing and humiliating situations, especially when he was only a young intern. As Paul's memory serves, he was no older than the man's middle child, Daniel is now, at the time. The thought disgusted him to no end, but he had no idea where he would go should he not have this job. It was his everything. He had dedicated so much to it, as he had worked here for years since he was young an impressionable to the older man's flattery. Now, he was not popular with Mister Westley any longer, as he had grown less dainty with time. Regardless, that was no promise that he was safe.

"Y-yes, Mister Westley?" he finally asked after being eyed by his employer for an immensely uncomfortable amount of time. It hadn't been long, but it was certainly long enough!

Westley, however, was less than friendly. "Do you have any idea what you have done?" the brunet asked. "You're costing me a fortune! You don't do your job… not to mention that hospital expense after I told you not to move those boxes! Are you doing this on purpose?!"

"But sir," Paul impulsively protested, "You did tell me to move those boxes! You just changed your mind after I had already fell..."

"So it's _my_ fault?!" demanded Westley, eyes wide with rage. "Then I suppose you abandoning my son and getting arrested is _my_ fault, too?!"

"No sir..." shrank Blackwood, making himself smaller in his seat. "Sorry, sir."

"You're lucky I'm being forced to give you a vacation." the other scoffed. " _Paid_ , I might add! You don't do anything but cause trouble, and yet they think you deserve a vacation! If they weren't watching, I'd fire you. You hear me?!"

"Y-ye-yes, sir!"

"So you _do_ have ears that work! What a surprise!" Mathew took a drag of his cigarette and practically blew it in the other's face. Poor Blackwood's eyes watered as he tried not to cough or make a face in the presence of his boss.

"Now, you listen here..." the older man continued, leaning forward. "I don't want you anywhere near this office for three weeks. Got it? Don't phone it, don't walk near it, hell, don't even look at the building. Understand?"

"Yes, sir." replied the blond, hoping this would be over soon. Silently, he almost prayed that he could soon flee, his muscles begging him to allow them to carry him out the door.

"Good. We'll call you when we want you back." Westley instructed as he leaned back again, resting comfortably in his chair. "In the meantime, just stay out of the way."

"Yes, sir..." Blackwood said for what felt like the thousandth time. There was nothing else he could say, as it was the only thing that the older man wanted to hear from him. If he said anything else, he might actually be fired.

"You're dismissed." his boss said. "Go home."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir..." the assistant said, standing from his seat while keeping his eyes trained on the floor.

He couldn't bear to move them or look at the Westley. He couldn't stand the thought of looking at the man, that horrible, disgusting man. Blackwood suffered much indignity each time he came to work, but this had really taken the cake. Solemnly, he exited the office before making his way toward the exit. From the look of him, his coworkers wondered if he had been laid off, but as far as Paul was concerned, he wasn't sure if that wasn't a better alternative, with how Mister Westley was going to treat him when he got back.

Naturally, Blackwood was angry and upset. He was enraged at Westley, but also disappointed in himself. Surely, he should have said something back to defend himself, he thought, but the reality of the situation was still present in his mind. He knew that he was powerless in comparison to his boss. All Blackwood was is a drone that does the work that Westley himself does not want to. He is perfectly replaceable. All that would happen is that he would be exchanged for a younger, doe-eyed version who hopes to live their dream as an important assistant to a powerful politician. What a laugh. Truly, it was pathetic. It simply wasn't fair.

But there was nothing Blackwood could do. He was not as influential or as wealthy as Westley. There was no action that he could possibly take to hurt him. That is of course, without hurting his own career. Paul could certainly tell the press all of the things that Westley had gotten into, but there was no garuntee that doing so wouldn't sabotage his own career in politics. He could shoot himself in the foot, even if he had proof! There was no guarantee that Westley would suffer any permanent loss, either. Mathew Westley was in every way completely untouchable to Mister Blackwood, and Mister Westley had Paul Blackwood completely trapped. There was no where he could go. There was too much security in this job, even if it was horrible. Mister Westley was, in a word, unbeatable.

Blackwood furrowed his brow, squeezing the rail of the train tighter as he thought about it. His commute back home was quick, but he really wasn't sure what he was going to do while there. He had nothing. Beyond his job, he was nothing. All he could do was sit in his chair and wait for his vacation to end before getting back to work and facing the cruel tyrant again.

So, that's what he did. When he got home, Paul took off his coat, letting it fall to the floor wherever and plopped down in his chair. For the longest time, he did nothing but stair ahead at the television set. It wasn't turned on. It was simply in line with where Blackwood's face was pointing. He did not move, nor did he think anymore. He simply sat there as tears began to collect in his eyes.

Blackwood didn't know what he was feeling. He was sad, angry, frightened, and stressed all at once, but there wasn't a word for that yet. His pride suffered, and so did his mental state. There was no form of divine punishment that could help him, and although he could see things that most humans couldn't, he couldn't find a solution. Merely seeing creatures was useless, especially when the devil wore a suit, sat on stacks of money, and was named Mathew Westley! Sight could not help him. Nothing could. All he could do was accept fate and do as he was instructed.

The phone was ringing. The phone was ringing. The phone was ringing. The phone was ringing. The phone was ringing but Blackwood did not hear it. He knew it was there, but couldn't register it. He was too lost in his own problems to see who it was. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Everything was completely pointless. Blackwood had given up.

Slowly, he began to wake up a bit and finally heard the phone. It took him a moment, but he was able to get up and answer it eventually. His body felt heavy and ached as he moved, trudging his over to the phone and raising it to his ear.

"Hello?" he answered, his voice tired as he lazily leaned against the table.

"Paul?" questioned the voice on the other end. Immediately, the man recognised who it was and fought to hold back a groan. He had completely forgotten about Daniel. It wasn't like Blackwood to fail to call someone back, especially when they tried to reach him time and time again. He knew that. Daniel knew that too. That's why the Westley felt a tad concerned at the sound of the other's voice. "It's Daniel."

"Yes… Hi, Daniel..." Paul replied, reaching up and rubbing his forehead. "I'm sorry I sort of abandoned you. Things happened and I got a bit tied up."

"Ciel told me what happened." the younger informed. "Is it true that you can see things? You can see supernaturals when they're not in human form?"

Now that took the assistant aback. What in blazes was the young Westley talking about? He sounded mad! Then again, the whole concept of what he was seeing was mad within itself. Blackwood decided that it couldn't hurt to ask.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, furrowing his brow. "Supernaturals? I can see things, but… supernaturals?"

"What? I thought he told you." Daniel said. "You found the Special Zone and said you could see creatures… It sounded like the things that live there…"

"Special Zone…" That must have meant the fenced off area that those soldiers were guarding! The mention of creatures, however, was still unbelievable. But then again, Mister Blackwood debated as to whether or not it was wise to doubt in the existence of such things. His world had changed. It was as though he had found out that the world he knew before was a lie. Reality itself is up for debate.

"Yeah." answered the younger man. "You didn't know? I thought my dad would have told you? You're his favourite assistant, aren't you? Then again, that isn't the greatest job in the world..."

"He knows about it?"

"Of course. It's his job. No one told you about it? Oh man… You're in for a wild ride..."

At this, Paul's look of confusion worsened. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it's not an easy thing to explain. Most people wouldn't believe it even if they heard the entire story. I guess that's understandable. There's a whole organisation dedicated to it." Pausing, it appeared as though Daniel stopped to think.

"Over the phone probably isn't the best place to be talking about it." He continued. "You should come over. I'll give you a run down of the essentials. It'll make everyone's life easier if you know."

Now this was something that Blackwood had to give some serious thought about. It was true that since Daniel was both Mister Westley's son and friends with those two shady agents from before, it was very possible that he knew something. On the other hand, however, it was extremely inappropriate for him to accept. If his boss found out about the meeting, he would be absolutely furious, but it was also this idea that helped encourage and embolden Blackwood.

Disobedience would hurt Mister Westley. Additionally, since the man was under orders from his superiors, there was no way that he could fire Paul. Moreover, the older Westley's son had him at his mercy, as Daniel did indeed know his share of secrets about the family. Some of which, the father would very much like to keep hidden. He even went to the extent of paying his son hush money so that he wouldn't tell a soul! Yes! This was the perfect rebellion. For the first time in what felt like ages, the corners of Blackwood's mouth slightly turned upward.

"Alright." answered the blond. "I'll be there shortly."


	242. Nothing

The train ride to Daniel's house was short. It was much shorter than the previous attempt, thank goodness, and Blackwood was there very quickly. He wanted to know more about what it was the younger man was talking about. He wanted to know what on earth H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. is, and what he was seeing. He had no clue. Daniel did. The younger Westley was also tolerable and wore his heart on his sleeve. While H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. would lie, Daniel would not. That made things simple.

Daniel, unlike his father, welcomed the assistant into his home without intimidating him in the slightest. To Paul's surprise, it was a lot cleaner than last time, although the smell of air freshener was a bit strong. Needless to say, however, it was a massive improvement. There was no trash on the floor, and it seemed as though there was at least an attempt to vacuum.

"You've cleaned up." Paul said as his eyes wandered around the room. Daniel looked over his shoulder as he headed to the kitchen.

"Huh? Oh, yeah… I got kinda tired of the place being a total dump. Now it's only _a bit_ dumpy." the Westley replied. "You wanna beer? I'm sorry, I'd offer you tea, but honestly, it would taste better if you drank a cup of water with some grass in it."

"Beer is fine." Blackwood said, stopping in front of the sofa and taking a seat. Awkwardly, he waited on the other to return, almost failing to catch the drink that was tossed at him. Clumsily, he caught the beverage and set it on the table. He certainly wasn't going to open it after it had been shaken. Meanwhile, Daniel just plopped down next to him, taking a drink before setting his own beer on the table.

"So… H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; yeah?" the younger man asked. "What do you know so far?"

"Not much. I didn't even know the name of the place until you told me." answered the other. "I had no idea what was going on. All I know is that the government has something in an abandoned part of the city that they don't want ordinary people seeing. And then there's… my 'condition'..."

Daniel nodded along, watching as the other finally opened his drink after feeling as though he had waited long enough. The mood was stiff and awkward. Neither of them really new how to start, as the subject matter was obviously taboo. Thus, in his usual ungraceful manner, the Westley leapt into things.

"Well, H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. is a group that's an offset of the Round Table Conference. Their leader is the chairman of the council."

"Ah yes, the _mysterious_ Round Table..." Paul mused. "Mister Westley was proud of being on that. He seemed upset that he wasn't allowed to brag about it, though."

"It's supposed to be a secret." the brunet said. "You can't ever tell anyone."

"Why's that?"

"Unlike the regular government, they actually do believe in the death penalty. They can make it like you never existed."

"Sounds unreal… I guess I'm in no position to question, though." Blackwood took a sip of his drink for the sake of being polite, but found himself enjoying it a lot more than he thought he would. It had been a while since he had alcohol of any kind, and he had to admit to himself that he somewhat missed it.

"Definitely, if you're seein' what they think you're seein'." Daniel retorted. "It's no joke. Anyway, H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. deals with the kinda shit you're seeing. They keep it hidden from normal people, but somehow, you're able to see it anyway. I know the supernaturals have their own ways of making themselves look human, but I guess it's no match for that eye of yours."

"You've said 'supernaturals' before, but what are you talking about?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. Vampires and werewolves and elves and all that. They're out there. A lot of them live in that fenced off area you got arrested at."

"You're joking..." Paul accused, looking at the other with an expression that went beyond skepticism.

"Nope. I've seen them, too." Daniel insisted. "In the flesh. I didn't need a fancy eye or anything. I've been seeing them ever since I met Ciel and Alois, and I probably won't stop any soon."

"Then how are you able to see them if you don't have an eye like mine?"

"Easy. They're not in disguise all the time."

"Good god… My boss' son is bonkers..."

"It's true!" The Westley declared, looking to the other with absolute seriousness.

It was very unusual for the brunet to appear this stern, and it took the other by surprise. Blackwood raised his eyebrows as the other furrowed them. He was shocked that Daniel could be serious, and even more so over how much the younger man looked like his father. He wasn't sure if that persuaded him, or made him more resistant, and would certainly need more persuasion.

"Do you have proof?"

"Don't need it. You've already seen everything." Daniel replied, setting down his now empty can. "What do you think those things were? Go on. Quiz me. I'll tell you what they look like."

"Okay..." began the other, arching an eyebrow. "What does a demon look like?"

"Depends on the demon." answered the Westley. "Most have black horns, but they aren't always the same shape. Ciel's bend backwards, while Alois' go forwards. Both of them have these monkey-like tails, and red eyes. What did _you_ see?"

Now this startled the assistant. Never in his life did he suspect that Daniel of all people would be able to make his blood run cold at his words. He did, though, and Paul did not know how to respond. He had seen it. When Blackwood looked at the two Phantomhive men with his left eye, he had seen just as Daniel had described. While he was still in denial, he could not argue, at the very least. The dumbfounded expression on his face said it all, and the fact that he looked away and refocused on his drink said more. At the gesture, the Westley smiled as he was quite pleased with himself.

"I'm right, aren't I?" he asked before reaching out and grabbing is can. "I may not be the smartest, but I can figure that much." the man added as he got up to throw the can away and get another drink.

He continued to talk while walking. "I know it's hard to accept that. I didn't take too kindly at it at first either. Even after you've accepted it, it can be weird. Once you think it's normal again, something will happen to shake that."

"So I'm seeing monsters, you're saying…" Blackwood trailed off, staring into space. That's just what he thought all along, but he didn't expect anyone to actually agree with that. Part of him hoped he was right, while the other still hoped he was crazy. If what Daniel was saying was true, that would mean that the world as he knew it was wrong and always was. For some, that is a burden that is simply too much to bear.

Then, the other sat down again, breaking his trance. "No. They don't like being called that." Daniel informed, opening his second can while the other had finished his first. "They prefer 'supernatural'… I got reminded of that the hard way, recently..." Blinking, Paul turned to face him.

"What happened?" the blonde asked, earning a sigh from the Westley.

"I said some stuff I didn't mean to Kris before you picked me up the other day." Daniel said. "He's supernatural. Werewolf. I said some pretty insensitive stuff while I was over there."

A werewolf? That's what Blackwood saw while he was there. It was even standing in Kristopherson's place! This was too much. It was all adding up too well.

"You're upset about hurting a werewolf's feelings?" he asked.

"Of course. He was my friend! And… At one point… We kind of had a thing going..." the younger man bashfully admitted, but in all honesty, the assisstant wasn't surprised. "Don't tell my dad. If you do, I'll kill you."

"I won't, I won't…" reassured Blackwood. "If you get me another beer, that is." he jested with a small smile. The expression was then returned by the brunet, knowing that he could trust Paul to lie to his father for him.

"Fine…" Daniel replied, getting up. After a few moments, however, he was back. "I couldn't do it, though! I can't handle having a werewolf boyfriend! Not everyone can!"

"I can imagine." Paul replied, opening his second can. "Sounds like a nightmare… So… You really believe in it?"

"Duh. That's what I've been saying."

"Sorry, I'm just still wondering if this is a prank. I'm still convinced that I'm crazy."

"If you're crazy, then so am I and more of the people I know." the Westley said, leaning back and getting comfortable, a sigh escaping his lips. "It's hard to accept, I know. It's like the world just ended. Suddenly, you realise that you're surrounded by these people, and you can't look at a street the same ever again. It's fucked up for a while. It's still kinda fucked up. And I can't even see them."

"Is it the fact that you can't tell that scares you?"

"Part of it. Part of it's just knowing they can kill you in a heartbeat. Flick of the wrist. All it takes."

"Have you had a bad run-in with them before?"

Daniel scoffed, laughing slightly. It was almost a sad laugh, mixed with fear. "A few. I saw one of my friends almost die. Instead, they really did become a monster. They still haven't caught him. I hear he's around Denmark, but that was months ago."

"Hmmm..." Naturally, Blackwood didn't know how to reply to that. It was too deep. It wasn't his place to comment or make judgment, he felt. Moreover, he was a bit stunned by how widespread this was. This was an international case. It wasn't limited to just London. Was London even safe? Was anywhere? What was the likelihood that something else would happen to him next? How many times has something happened to other people before him and it never coming to public attention?

"How many..." he muttered, surprising the other.

"How many what?" asked the younger man, arching an eyebrow.

"How many people have been effected by these… things?" Paul answered with a question. "And how many has… that H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. place covered up?"

The question made the Westley a tad uncomfortable. That was something that he didn't really want to think about. He didn't want know know what went on at the organization, nor did he really want to know about their operations. Knowing might be too much for him. He was still far too soft to adjust to life knowing such things.

"I don't know..." Daniel responded. "They've been around for at least a hundred years, I think.."

"So they could have been affecting history that long..." the assistant answered with a slight scowl as he finished his drink. "It's infuriating… How much as the government been hiding?"

"They did it to protect people." the Westley interjected. "They basically put an end to all that witch-hunting and mass hysteria. That's something, isn't it?"

"I guess..." Paul wasn't certain. "Honestly, I think I'd like to know about that."

"Well… Now you do." Daniel said. "What you do with that is up to you."

"I don't know what I'll do with it." stated Blackwood, leaning backwards and resting his head on the back of the sofa. He stared up at the ceiling as he tried to process everything. His body felt heavy and he felt lethargy seep into his limbs. A deep sigh escaped him through his nose as he lamented it all. It was depressing, to say the very least. "There's nothing I really can do. What _can_ you do with that knowledge? Let it sit while you go about things like a normal person?"

"Pretty much." Daniel stated. "It's not so bad. It kind of becomes normal-ish after while. You'll probably just start to get used to it."

"I don't really _want_ to get used to it." Paul replied. "I want to do something with it. I don't know what, but _something._ I don't just want to sit idly by and watch this stuff happen."

Sighing again, the man closed his eyes and shook his head. "That's what I do with pretty much everything else, though. I don't really have control over anything. I just do what I'm told and never really do anything on my own. What kind of existence is that?"

"Dad's got you bummed?"

"Only always."

"He does that to people."

"I don't need this supernatural garbage on top of that."

"Well, you are on vacation, I hear." Daniel reminded, leaning forward and tilting his head slightly so he could look at the assistant's face. "Just relax for a bit. Let all of that go for now. Deal with it later."

"I'm not good at that..." the other huffed.

"Then have another drink until you can." jested Westley with a grin, and slowly, the other smiled back before nodding. That sparked several conversations that lasted hours, even as speech started to slur.

It was the first time in ages that Blackwood felt at ease. At last, it seemed as though he finally escaped his troubles as he enjoyed laughter and casual company. Even if Daniel was certainly not his first choice in companions, he was still having a wonderful time. He was certainly not going to complain as the nightmares were gone and he wasn't seeing creatures. Even the thought of the Westley's father and his boss didn't cross his thoughts for the longest time. The assistant was free from worries of work as a result. It was welcome. It was refreshing. It was delightful for the both of them, as Daniel was no longer pondering thoughts that ailed him as well.

Woes with Kristopherson and losing his newfound schoolmates did not enter his head. Being ignored and abandoned for refusing to be used by punks at college did not worry him. That damn father of his didn't, either. Even fussing over meeting with the rest of the seven at the end of the week and crashing their get together didn't bother him. He knew it in his heart and soul that he could pull it off. Surely, they would welcome him with open arms. That's what the can was whispering to him, at least.

Two stressed individuals were finally free of all that troubled them for at least a moment, and they were ecstatic. Nothing could ruin this accept the sun rising and returning them to reality. Until then, they would not concern themselves with that, however.

"So, dad can't even drive himself?" cackled the Westley as the other snickered along. "I feel like that explains a lot of things. Not sure what, but just a lot."

"Yeah. He always calls one of us." answered Blackwood. His words were clumsy and running together. His face was flushed and his glasses fell down his nose as their owner didn't bother to nudge them back into place. The assistant was a mess, to be blunt, but most healthy people are not pristine the entirety of the time. "It's like he thinks we're his cab service. He can hire a driver, but says that we're cheaper. We can't really say no, either. He threatens to fire us if we 'don't like doing our job'."

"What a fucking dick." Daniel replied. "I can't stand him, and I'm family. Dunno how you lot can."

"If he didn't pay us, we wouldn't, to be honest. None of us would. Everyone hates him. We'll all be celebrating, the day he gets out of politics."

"I can see that." the younger man said. "I know he's my dad and all, but it doesn't feel like it. He was never around. Too busy for his kids. Dunno why he even had us. It's obvious that he doesn't love us."

"I'm not sure he can love anybody, Dan..." answered the other with a sigh.

"I know. Not his kids, not his wife… The only one he loves is himself… I hope that bites him in the ass one day… One of you needs to get the balls to let everything he's done go public."

"Most of us have thought about it." Paul replied. "We just can't. Other politicians won't hire you if they think you'll let out their scandals, and whoever does sure as hell won't stay hired by Westley."

"Yeah, I guess…" Daniel sadly said, setting his empty can on the table covered with empty cans after spotting him a nice spot for it. He was going to be completely out of alcohol tomorrow, but the man didn't care. He was going to let things go, for now. "Shame… What all do you know about him? You know about the hookers?"

"The young, male, prostitutes he sees? Of course. Who do you think hands them the cheque so they don't talk?"

"Oh, so that's you?"

"Me or someone else in the office, unfortunately… One of us who's left..."

"He doesn't keep you long, does he?"

"Hardly ever. I think I'm the person who's been there the longest?"

"How long is that?"

"About five years." Answered Blackwood with a touch of bitterness in his tone. His statement, however, led to a follow up inquiry as the other raised his brow.

"How old are you, Paul?" Daniel questioned further with great curiousity. He had known the man for years, but hardly knew a personal thing about him. His age was just one of many! He didn't know about his hobbies or his interests, nor did he know about his family or history, or even his favourite colour. To his surprise, the assistant answered him without a thought.

"Twenty-seven, this year." Blackwood stated, finishing his drink. "Started as an intern when I was twenty, then I went off when the program finished and searched for a real job for a year before I got an offer from your dad. I've been wasting my life there ever since."

"Why did you take the job? Couldn't you have kept looking?"

"It wasn't awful when I was an intern." the assistant said. "Mister Westley was _real_ nice when I was twenty and cute. Now I know how creepy he was. I don't even have to look back on it. I can see it whenever we get new people. He's disgusting… I was stupid to come back. I thought he was nice, but… I guess I just wasn't good at seeing what people really were back then."

The more he spoke, the deeper he scowled. Rather, he tried to, but hurt was present on his face and twisted it in a different way. Blackwood was angry. He was angry with Westley, angry with his ways and sickness, but even more than that, he was angry at himself for not seeing it sooner. The assistant was so naive and trusting when he was younger, but now he was almost like a machine. He did as instructed no matter what. It didn't matter how he felt or what else was happening. He would follow orders, even at his own expense.

"I'm such a fucking idiot..." he choked, his voice straining to come out as he shut his eyes and placed his palm on his forehead as he shook slightly. No matter how hard he tried to keep his eyes closed, water still managed to escape through the gap between his eyelids. "Why do I keep doing this? I can leave. I can leave like the others do. It's just… I've put in so much… Surely there's something I can get out of this..."

Daniel looked on with sad eyes as he watched the other man sob. Mister Blackwood was always so composed and well-put together. He always seemed to have his life in order, but little did Daniel know that this was a farce. Now he knew. He didn't know what to do with it, however. All he could do was be blunt with the blond.

"You won't..." the Westley said, shaking his head. "My dad never gives… He'll only use you until he can't anymore… That's what he does."

Paul knew that was true. He just didn't want to accept it. It was too painful. Just how much had he sacrificed for this wretched man? How many connections and opportunities was he forced to ignore in order to appease him? It would never be enough for Mister Westley. The man was going to wring Mister Blackwood dry of everything he was worth, and there was nothing Paul could do but leave and accept that it was a long, wasted venture. It wasn't fair.

Why was he allowed to get away with that? Power. It was because he had power. Money and prestige went a long way. It went further than ordinary people like Blackwood could bear to wrap their heads around. But Blackwood did not want to accept that. No, he wanted Westley to suffer. What could make him hurt?

He would have to strip him of his power. That damn, horrible man. The sadness that Blackwood felt slowly began to die, leaving only hot, burning anger in it's place. How dare this man?! He worked Paul to the bone day in and day out, even on weekends, expecting him to drop absolutely everything he was doing and tend to him. It didn't matter if it was morning, noon, or night. It didn't matter if Blackwood had clocked out for the day and was now off duty! No matter what, he had to tend to Mister Westley's wishes, no matter how trivial, meager, or downright ridiculous. It didn't even matter if Westley hadn't even given him instructions! He was supposed to know, as if he were supposed to be able to read minds. That wasn't in the job description! Hardly anything Mister Blackwood did was! Day in, day out, over and over and over and over and over and over again! Damn him! Damn Westley!

This is what Paul had been doing all of these years. He was slowly killing himself, as much as he worked. It simply wasn't fair. He was almost twenty-seven, and where had his life gone? He was trapped in a job that he hated and only stayed out of pride. He wasn't married. No girlfriend either. Boyfriend, too. He had nobody. He had missed his sister's wedding for Mister Westley. He had to skip out on seeing his family on Christmas of last year! Just how much had Blackwood sacrificed? What else had he to give? What more did Westley want from him? His blood? He had it. Paul had been injured countless times fulfilling his boss' whims. His sanity? That was slipping away as well due to his boss' actions! Did he want his soul? Perhaps. It was the only thing he didn't have so far. Everything else was gone. There was nowhere for Blackwood to go.

Could he have simply left? Certainly. But that wasn't good enough for Paul Blackwood. That would never be good for him. Mister overachiever. He had to go out with a bang. If he threw in the towel, he was going to take Mathew Westley down with him!

The more he thought, the angrier and angrier the assistant became. He was seething in his seat, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. Daniel looked on with concern as he saw the man fume. Blood vessels protruded from the assistant's forehead as he stared down at the floor, eyes open but seeing nothing but red. The younger Westley didn't know what to do. He had never seen Paul so angry or emotional before.

"Paul?" he called finally, seemingly snapping he blond from his daze. Blackwood looked up finally, and turned his face to see the younger man. Dammit. The man looked just like his father, but much, much younger. The madness did not fade.

"Are you okay?" the brunet asked, his speech a bit slurred, although he was able to tell that something was immensely wrong.

His concern was not taken well by the other, however. It was irrational, but all Blackwood could see was his boss! It seemed patronising, although reason told Paul otherwise. He could see Daniel. He could tell it was Daniel. But the idea of Mathew loomed over him, so "Daniel" simply became "Mister Westley's son" in his mind.

"I'm fine..." Paul finally answered, blinking. "I'm sorry… I just… A lot is happening..."

"I can see that..." Daniel replied. "You've got a million things going on… And I thought I had it bad..."

"Like with Kristopherson and the others?"

"Well… yeah. Stuff like that..." Immediately upon remembering the details of his own predicament, Daniel shrunk slightly. His outgoing nature vanished momentarily as doubt sunk in. He had his own problems to tend to. If he thought they were bad, then surely there was no way he could handle Blackwood's! That was how the brunet thought.

He felt so stupid. It was just a falling out amoung friends. Surely it only just felt like more. That was an optimistic spin on things, as was the man's nature. In truth, he suspected more, however. Daniel knew that there was more.

There was heartbreak. While he tried to see Kristopherson as a friend, he knew he was still seeing him as something else. It was something else that he wasn't, and probably could never be. Kristopherson wanted nothing to do with him in that sense, and he honestly found that understandable. He knew he didn't give the faux-blonde what he needed and in truth, he didn't know if he ever could. The Westley was hardly mature enough to handle a human Kristopherson. He certainly lacked enough of it to handle a partner who was a supernatural. Daniel knew that this is the way that things must be, but that doesn't mean that it hurt any less.

Seeing Kristopherson invite people over whom he had never met before hurt, and listening to them talk with such familiarity hurt as well. He jumped to conclusions and made things worse. Now he wasn't certain if he could salvage a _friendship_ with Kristopherson, and his standing with their mutual friends had seemed to have fallen as well. Daniel had no idea if he could repair it. He would try, but he was afraid. He wanted things to simply mend themselves, but he had made that mistake already, and he didn't want to make it again. That would be sad. Simply pathetic.

Failure was not an option. Yet, Daniel knew he lacked in grace. He was scared to move forward, but unable to move back. He didn't want to stay in place, as where he was was the worst of all. He was tired of trying to run away and making himself feel miserable as a result. He wanted to take control. He wanted to move past this and continue being friends with the seven.

Listing out his wishes, they seemed simple to achieve, but he wasn't certain. There was still doubt. Any guarantee that the others would accept him with open arms did not exist. They might, they might not. It all depended on them. It as only natural that he was afraid. It was nerve-wrecking. Stressful. He wanted a way out, but he would have to get himself there on his own. That was scary.

Blackwood could see that. It was written across the younger man's face quite clearly. He could sympathize with that as well. It was nice to have gotten away from those thoughts for a few hours, wasn't it? He didn't like that they had to come back so soon. Then again, part of Paul gained a bizarre sense of amusement from the Westley's expression due to how similar he looked to his father. It was wrong of him, and yet that's how he felt. His anger and sadness won over decency for a moment.

"You've tried finding someone before, haven't you? No luck?" the assistant questioned, prompting the other to shake his head.

"No… Not at all." Daniel answered. "Can't even find someone casually. I didn't think it would be this hard… Anastasia was easy to win over, and so was Kristopherson. Kristopherson can get a date without even trying. He makes it look so easy."

"Well, you're not Kristopherson." Blackwood said. "Maybe you shouldn't try so hard, and just let things happen naturally."

That made a rather curious question appear in the Westley's head. Arching an eyebrow he asked: "Are you seeing anyone, Paul?" It was a rather innocent question, as the younger man was curious to know more about the assistant. Never until this night had he really made inquiries about Blackwood's personal life, and he was curious. That curiosity, however, did not spark anything good in the other man.

"No." answered Paul, looking straight ahead. "Not in several years. It's hard to keep up relationships, with my job. It's just another price to pay."

Indeed. His last few partners had left him because of his dedication to the job. One of them was even a coworker at one point, but she left Westley's office, and when Paul refused to follow, she left him too. Mister Westley didn't seem too concerned. He talked badly about her for weeks in Blackwood's presence, but the blond took it in silence like a good, obedient worker. Indeed, obeying the orders of Mathew Westley, no matter how ridiculous they were, would cost one their entire life until they finally abandoned him.

Blackwood should do the same, but not without making his mark. No, he needed to wait until he had the perfect idea and the perfect opportunity. Unfortunately, that would never come, so the man needed to simply take the first one he could find. If he didn't, he would be stuck in sadness, stress, and loneliness until he had nothing left for Mister Westley to take. The though caused a bitter chuckle to erupt from Paul's throat as he reached up and rubbed his eyes, slipping his fingers underneath his glasses. It was an attempt to dry them in the most casual way possible, but it's success in that venture was hardly debatable.

"I'm sorry..." Daniel finally replied, grasping the other's attention again. "If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know… alright?"

Taking his fingers away from the left eye, and focusing on his right, Blackwood opened it and peered over at the brunet, taking in his sympathetic expression. His eye narrowed as he took again, somehow becoming angrier as he stared. Daniel looked like his father. He looked like a younger, kinder, more vulnerable version of that horrible, selfish, repulsive man. It certainly wasn't the brunet's fault and Blackwood did not hold him responsible for that by any means, but the fact did nothing to quell the growing storm inside of the assistant that was brewing. It festered, it growled, and it threatened to spill out into the open. Why Blackwood? Why did all of this have to happen to him?

He was an ordinary man. He was ordinary, but upon further inspection, his life was not. His work made his live a living hell, sapping up everything he had to offer. It took his relationships, his time, his effort, his health, and his sanity. Then he had his eye. His left eye that added monsters into his hell, giving it a new depth of madness that took away anything that was left. And finally, even with all of that, it was revealed to him that the world as he knew it is a lie. The people who run this world have kept it that way, hiding things that would alarm the public away from it's view. Blackwood could see it, though. He could see it all, now. No one would believe him though. He is simply an ordinary man who has become mad, as ordinary people cannot handle what he has endured and knowing what he now knows. What could he possibly do with it, though? What would any ordinary person who has become abnormal do? The answer is not definite, but Blackwood knew what he wanted. He would do as he told Daniel and stop being passive and just go through life waiting on others to change things for him. Blackwood would be a part of the game, but he would no longer be a pawn for someone else to use. He wanted to become a contender.

"I guess we're in the same boat, then..." Paul said, taking his hand away from his face and leaning back.

His expression changed in a way that made Daniel nervous, but he wasn't sure if it was in a way that was good or bad. Blackwood sat smiling softly while seemingly staring right through him. It made him feel vulnerable to the assistant. All the brunet could do was stare back at him as he continued to speak.

"I think I know how we can fix it." Blackwood said, getting closer. His words were a tad slurred and his face was flushed, but so was Daniel's. It wasn't just from the alcohol, however. The younger man found himself paralysed as he watched the other close in the blond kept eye contact with him all the while, causing his heart to flutter.

There was hesitance. It was only natural, as Daniel had never considered this possibility, nor would he have ever on his own. Black wood was certainly handsome, but Daniel did not think that he was the man's type, nor did he ever see himself behaving this way with a man like Blackwood. In truth he didn't even suspect that men were a viable option for the blond, yet here they were. Paul was so close to him that he hadn't the slightest idea of what to do. All he really could think to do was tilt his head and accept it. To Daniel, the kiss was anxiety-inducing yet comforting at the same time. To Blackwood, however, it was nothing.


	243. Plan B

It was an odd morning, to say the very least. When Blackwood awoke, he didn't recognise where he was right away, causing him a great deal of alarm. Pain shot through his skull as his eyes tried to focus. He squinted in order to block out some of the painful light. Before he could attempt to get up, he found himself bound to the bed by a large weight, of which he shook off in order to grab his glasses. Looking back to his other side, he finally focused and found Daniel lying next to him, much to his shock and dismay. Fortunately for Paul, the brunet sighed and turned over, seemingly oblivious to what was happening. That was a relief. Blackwood was going to put off the inevitable awkward conversation for as long as possible. For now, the assistant was focused on putting his clothes back on and alleviating his hangover. He still had his underpants on, thank goodness, but the rest took some searching. His shirt was in the living room, his belt was in the hallway, and his socks were still on his feet for whatever reason, but that was the least of his concerns.

Blackwood would never be able to take back what he had just done. A prominent part of him felt guilty about his actions, as he should, but another very large part of himself felt immense satisfaction from it. How long had it been since he had been intimate with someone? Years, thanks to his employer, and while Daniel certainly was not his first choice by any means, the power that came with this made the assistant's ego grow. The brunet would be very useful to him in the future.

True, he did feel bad about taking advantage of the younger man. He didn't deserve it. No one did. Blackwood simply wanted revenge even more. It was a vile and low of him and he knew it. He knew he couldn't go back from this and would have to move forward. The wheels were in motion, and the assistant had no intention of stopping what he had started.

Last night, Blackwood had decided that he was tired of being a pawn, and that he wanted to become a player. He wanted to be on the same level as Westley in order to crush him, but in doing so, it would appear that he was starting to become the same beast. This idea flew over his head at the moment, however. The man was far too absorbed in himself to think about how his actions would affect others.

In truth, he was surprised at himself. Never did he think he was capable of such a thing, but he was somewhat impressed. He liked the power. At last, he was taking control of his life! The cost didn't matter to him, and neither did the means. He was too high on himself to concern himself with such matters.

Instead, he sat on the couch in the living room once again and reclined backward. His feet were on the coffee-table, knocking over a few empty cans onto the floor. The man sighed, expelling the rotten air from his lungs and filling them with cleaner, but he would only pollute it again, as he pondered what his next move would be. Blackwood knew that he would have to hang around a while for Daniel. If he just left, the Westley would get suspicious and Paul couldn't have that just yet. He needed to string the young man along until the time was right. Until then, he needed to come up with more ways to harm his boss.

Westley's son already belonged to Blackwood, now. What else could he take, and how? He would have to compile more ammunition. Knowing his employer, it should be fairly simple. Paul had a basic idea of the nefarious activities the other was up to. All he had to do was look. The assistant should be able to access financial reports for money laundering and to see what exactly he was spending his money on. All Blackwood needed was a computer. Following Westley around and taking photos would do him well, and even having Daniel in his position to vouch for him could come in handy. Asking around the office for ideas would serve him nicely, as everyone had thought about taking Westley down. Surely someone had plans. Paul would have their support automatically. All he had to do was ask. They would think he is crazy, but they would help however they could. Some would. Others would worry about job security. There was no time for that, however. Blackwood had ambition!

Unfortunately, he would have to set the other parts of his plan into motion at another time. For now, he had to nurture his pawn. Once Daniel woke up, he got dressed and the pair exchanged awkward conversation, conspicuously dancing around the subject of the previous evening. Instead, they talked about anything but the incident. They talked about school, about movies, about anything at all, but it was painfully obvious that Daniel wanted to say something. Naturally, he was embarrassed and had no idea what to do. He was completely inexperienced in almost all aspects of the subject, so he hadn't the slightest idea as to how to casually direct the conversation without being blunt or off-putting. Subtlety and Daniel Westley go together just about as well as vampires and Italian food.

"Are you still going to go meet up with your friends?" asked Blackwood. "It's tomorrow, isn't it?"

"Uh, yeah..." the other answered. "I'm pretty nervous… I still haven't apologised to Kris yet..."

"You'll get your chance." Paul said. "I can't guarantee that he'll accept, but if you mean it, it's worth a shot, right?"

"I guess..." Daniel replied, looking down a bit. "I just don't know what to do..."

Smiling, the assistant gave the younger man a sympathetic look. "No one ever really does, I don't think. All you can do is your best."

"That doesn't help me all that much..." the Westley complained.

"Sorry, it's what I've got." Blackwood answered, looking down briefly to check his watch. He stood up from his seat on the sofa, not breaking his gaze before finally saying: "I need to go. I have an appointment today."

"A-alright." Admittedly, the Westley was disappointed that the subject of last night didn't come up, but couldn't think of a way to ask before the other man left.

Once he was out that door, this would just be another thing on Daniel's list of problems. He did not need that. Blackwood, however, knowing what was on his mind already, glanced his way and debated on what to do next. He had no idea how to continue the illusion with words, so he opted with action, leaning down to be on the level of the still-seated Westley. The eyes of the brunet opened wide as the other pressed their lips together again before they fluttered shut again, only to be left feeling empty once Blackwood pulled away again.

The poor Westley's heart was beating fast, and his face was flushed, as he was unable to cope with the situation. His embarrassment forced him to look away from the other's smile, although he knew he shouldn't feel this way. If he knew anything from watching those he knew who were in relationships, he should not feel fear, but he did. The worst thing was, he didn't know what he was afraid of. Was it losing Blackwood, or Blackwood himself?

The man didn't have time to think about it as Paul released him and spoke. "I'll see you again soon." he said before turning to walk toward the door. "I hope everything goes well for you."

Standing up, Daniel watched his back as he left. Anxiousness jolted through him as he did, feeling uncertain as to whether or not that was true. "O-okay." he answered. "The same goes for you!"

Blackwood reached forward and gripped the doorhandle, pausing before he opened it. Looking over his shoulder one last time, he smiled. The door opened, but he stayed that way for a moment longer, turning to face the other as he stepped through.

"Bye for now, _Dan_." Paul replied before shutting the door, thus sealing the fate of the Westley.


	244. The Gang's All Here

The assistant was a busy man ordinarily, but on his vacation, he was still so. His actions, however, were much more shady. Once he left Daniel's place, he went home and immediately got to work on gathering materials to pick his employer apart. It wasn't hard. The man left all of the materials in the hands of his staff so he was certain that it would be taken care of. He had no idea how to get rid of the evidence, but by now, his staff members were extremely proficient.

Most of it took him an afternoon, while the rest involved making calls to his coworkers. Blackwood didn't tell them about Daniel, but he did win the cooperation of a few people. Only one person outright refused out of fear of getting caught.

He understood, while he was disappointed. He would have to wait a little longer to get the rest of what he needed, as he needed his coworkers to supply him. In addition, he knew the other man's schedule, and knew when he was most likely out and about engaging in debauchery and where. Blackwood hated it. He wasn't good at waiting, but it needed to be done.

Blackwood wasn't the only one who had things to do, however. Daniel had to rehearse what he was going to say when he talked to his friends the next day. It was agonizing. He stood in front of the mirror for the longest time in order to steel himself, but he kept getting flustered. Every other sentence, he interrupted himself with things like "no, no, that's stupid" and "yeah, like they're gonna just accept that".

The brunet was determined. He was more determined now than ever. Daniel was going to get his life in order once and for all and he needed to show the others his resolve. He even got his clothes ready a day in advance to make sure he didn't look like the bum he had been presenting himself as over the past few months. There was some thought put into his wardrobe. It certainly wasn't of the same calibre as something that Kristopherson would assemble, but it would do.

For hours, the poor Westley attempted to rehearse, followed by breaks in between to check his wardrobe again or pace around his house. Pacing is what he mostly did, in truth. It was the only way he could calm his nerves somewhat. He knew he had time to prepare, but it seemed like a death sentence. If he failed, he wouldn't simply be forced back to square one, he would be forced beyond.

The poor man was scared out of his mind. His body ached, particularly his lower half, and protested his pacing, but he forced himself to do it, not wanting to be left alone with his thoughts. If he was, he would second guess everything. That isn't what he wanted or needed. It was going to be a long wait until the next day.

Fortunately, the location and time was the same. Everyone was going to meet at a restaurant and eat before going out to wreak havoc on the town in the way of the Sensational Seven, regardless of how many members they had currently. Travis had brought along his girlfriend, Patricia to formally introduce to the others while Kristopherson invited Logan. Admittedly, the incubus felt strange about the situation, but was curious about the friends of his friend.

Audrey was able to get away from work for the day as well. Fortunately, the Intelligence Department doesn't have as strict of procedure in regards to vacation time and sick days as the combat department. It was the first time that he had been in public without his uniform in a while.

Despite the absence of two of the original members, the group was determined to have a good time. They all sat at the biggest table in the restaurant, which was a large booth in the corner that wrapped around a circular table. All of them were able to fit comfortably with space left over. Logan sat on one end, followed by Kristopherson, then Alois next to Ciel with the bluenette's arm around his shoulders affectionately, resting on the back of the seat.. Next to the Watchdog was Travis and then Patricia. Finally, on the opposite end was Audrey, not minding in the slightest that he was sitting next to a woman. The others were actually a little impressed that he seemed to have gotten over his nerves somewhat, but really, Audrey knew that there was no need to get flustered over his friend's girl. Needless to say, the group was an odd bunch, but they seemed to mesh well, even with the newer additions.

"Hey Audrey, I've been meaning to ask you for like, several years now..." Kristopherson began from one side of the table. "What the hell is the ' _King City_ ' thing that's always been on your shirt?"

"It's the name of a comic." answered the reaper. "It's weird and you would probably hate it."

"Why?"

"It's about a guy who is called a 'Cat Master' who injects his cat with stuff that makes it able to do anything." Audrey said, propping his elbows on the table.

"Sounds dumb." the faux-blonde replied, wrinkling his nose a bit but smiling regardless. One person, however, disagreed.

"Oh, I thought the logo looked familiar." Patricia chimed in. "My little sister is really into _Beast_ by uh..." she trailed off, snapping her fingers as she thought. "Ma… Marie?"

"Marian Churchland." aided the reaper.

"Yeah! She's really into that one. She's got _King City_ , too."

"As long as that's all she's into..."

"Yeah, I saw some of his other stuff while looking for Christmas Presents online. She probably knows about it and just doesn't talk."

"She doesn't know about what?" questioned Kristpoherson, arching an eyebrow.

"The guy who does it also does the occasional porn comic." answered the woman. "He does that and is still allowed to work on cartoons like _Adventure Time?_ I don't get that..."

Alois shook his head and teasingly asked: "I take it Audrey is a huge fan of his?"

"Nah. I saw a few of those. The dirty part was actually the most boring bit." Audrey stated. "I'm not really into that sorta thing."

"Neither am I." the menace answered, followed by a "likewise" from his husband and a "same here" from Travis. Logan nodded along in agreement, leaving only Kristopherson. This fact did not go unnoticed by his friends.

"You nasty pervert..." accused the blonde Phantomhive as the others looked to Kristpoherson in a faux-judgingly manner. A small blush on the Miles' face indicated guilt to the group, which did not help his case.

"I didn't say anything!" he declared.

"Exactly." answered Audrey, pointing at the man.

"Shut up! You admitted to looking at it more than once!"

"Yeah, but I also said it was boring, and it was. The parts that weren't were just gross."

"Like what?" questioned the menace, turning his gaze back to the reaper in a somewhat innocent manner for the man. Thankfully, he was no provided an explanation.

"I don't think you want to know, probably." spoke the bluenette. He was right, and Alois quickly dropped the subject in favour of eating the free bread that was placed in front of him.

"Probably." the blonde said with his mouth full. "Sounds like Audrey and Pat's sister should hand out, though."

"Sounds like Audrey's got a potential girlfriend." joked Kristopherson with a grin, prompting the woman on the other side of the table to shake her head.

"Probably not since she's fifteen." Patricia replied. While the others snickered, Audrey, however, stayed completely calm.

"I'm not into that sort of thing, Kris." the reaper said. "Don't be nasty. Sick..."

"Why does everything keep turning back to me being a pervert?" questioned the Miles with a frown, earning a reply from the menace.

"'Cause it's funny." the younger Phantomhive bluntly answered.

The others concurred, much to the annoyance of Kristopherson. Even Logan was smiling at his statement, finding the wolfman's mild irritation entertaining as well. The others took notice, having wondered about him for a while. It was the menace who finally commented on him, saying: "You've been quiet for a while, Logan. Nothing to add?"

"Not really." the incubus replied somewhat bashfully. "Just not a lot to say."

In truth, he really wasn't confident in holding a conversation with the others. He came from a different world, after all. He didn't get many of the references they made, so he just smiled and nodded along in most cases. Gehenna was not entirely familiar with human pop culture, including residents who regularly crossed the border.

"I've been dying to ask, though..." began Audrey. "Did Kris style your goatee? It looks like a Kris goatee."

"Uh, yeah." the other answered. "I thought his looked really cool, so he offered to style it."

The poor man was made nervous by the others' grins. Did he say something wrong? This was difficult. Blood rushed to his cheeks as he accidentally blushed at his supposed blunder, but in reality, they were just glad he and the faux-blonde were getting along so well.

"Thought so. That kinda precision doesn't come from just anybody." Alois said. "What do you do when it grows back?"

"Uh, I dunno. Kris just offers to do it again?"

"Well, I'm glad you're getting along. Things have been rough all around, lately."

Everyone knew about the Miles' predicament and were glad that Logan was able to help him. The man needed cheering up and company. The others were very busy with their own lives, so they couldn't stop by every other day. Granted, they did make an extra effort to call as much as they could, which Kristopherson greatly appreciated.

He liked being up to date on what everyone was doing and gossiping about it. That was just the sort of person he was. He also greatly enjoyed the incubus' companionship as well. Logan had been essential to accepting that he is indeed a supernatural and normalizing the idea. Blue skin and horns were no longer unusual to the wolfman. He even liked them. Logan looked somewhat strange to him in his human disguise, although he was admittedly easy on the eyes.

While the group's issues were far from over, they seemed to be getting better. Every time things started to seem that way, however, there was always something else going awry. It was as though they were cursed with bad luck. Perhaps that simply comes with the territory of crossing between worlds. Sometimes things worked out perfectly fine, but sometimes, things went badly in borderline catastrophic ways. Hopefully, they would never replicate the terror of the Scarlet Order fiasco. The Phantomhives as well as Audrey and the Intelligence Department were still dealing with that headache.

It was just as expected, unfortunately. Just as things had calmed down and everything was starting to fit into place, there was trouble lurking beyond the horizon. The group was getting along swimmingly, assimilating the newer members in almost seamlessly. Even the ever-grouchy Watchdog accepted them quite well, despite his presence intimidating Logan somewhat. And it was Ciel who registered the presence of the Westley gentleman first as his vigilance never ceased in public. Truly, he looked like a guard dog that had just heard a potential threat approach, perking up somewhat and keeping his eye fixed in the direction of the brunett, prompting the attention of his beau.

"What is it?" the blonde asked before tuning his senses as well. While he was sharper, he wasn't the type to think about work with friends. Soon, he too sensed the Westley, causing him to frown.

"Daniel's here." he informed the others, capturing their attention. Immediately, their eyes followed the demons', and they stayed that way as Daniel rounded the corner.

The sudden realization that their eyes were already glaring at him from the start nearly caused the poor brunet to jump out of his skin. Daniel let out a sound of surprise before righting himself, trying to come up with something to say. He didn't know what was appropriate given his reputation amoung the group, so for the first time in ages he appeared truly bashful in front of his friends.

"Hey..." the Westley began, trying to break the agonizing silence. He had no idea how the others would react to him being here. He wasn't sure if he was still welcome, but given his previous interaction, he was highly doubtful.

Much to his dismay, it was a while before he finally received a response. The group had to silently deliberate amoungst themselves with their eyes in order to figure out what they were going to do. Each of their heads turned to one another, gauging each other's reactions. Occasionally, there was a shrug or two. Daniel wasn't sure what to make of any of it, but was completely at attention when the faux-blonde sighed.

"Hey, Dan..." Kristopherson said. "C'mon, have a seat."


	245. The Six Girls

Daniel wasn't sure how to respond right away despite the direct order. He eyed the open seats on either side, unsure of which one to take. In truth, he wanted to be near Kristopherson, but thought it best that he keep his distance, especially since Logan was here as well. The incubus didn't look hostile or resentful toward him, and instead waited for him to take a seat like the rest of the group, but the Westley didn't want to take the chance. Instead, he took the seat on the opposite end next to Audrey and shrunk himself down somewhat.

"How's it goin'?" he asked, trying to include himself but for once finding it difficult. "It's been a while."

"Yeah, it has. Ordinarily, organising a get together would be your thing." Audrey answered without grace, unintentionally pointing out the fact that Daniel had been keeping his distance from the others for quite some time. Daniel uncomfortably folded his hands on the table in front of him.

"Yeah." he replied with a nervous laugh. He was trying to mask his discomfort, but was failing miserably. "I hope you guys don't mind my crashing the party."

"Nah. You're good. Welcome back." said Travis.

"Sorry it took me so long. I'm still trying to get my shit together."

"Well, they say your twenties is just the time to do that."

"Things have been kinda rough all around." Daniel stated. His shoulders were slouched and his arms were crossed. The Westley couldn't even look in the direction of Kristopherson, and Alois wasn't too keen on him, either, in truth. He wasn't sure if he was actually welcome, but neither were the others, truly. They watched him carefully in order to gauge him. He seemed remorseful for his actions, but time would tell if it was out of sincerity or because he was in trouble with them.

"It's starting to look up I think, though." he added. "I cleaned up my house, finally."

"You really oughta get a housekeeper or something if you're gonna be like that, mate." answered Audrey.

"Yeah, yeah… So… What have I been missing?" the Westley questioned.

"Not much other than Travis getting a girlfriend." chimed in the Watchdog before gesturing past Travis. "This is Patricia, by the way."

"Hello." the woman said politely, earning a similar response from Daniel.

"Other than that, things have been pretty ordinary." Ciel concluded. "Not much else has changed."

"I take it you and Alois are still up to your usual outrageous nonsense?"

"You bet, Danny." the menace answered. "Getting trapped in weird supernatural mindscapes... meeting doppelgangers and talking animals… you know, ordinary stuff. Ciel made a random guy run away the other day because he brushed his shoulder on accident the other day."

"All I did was look at him..." the bluenette offered in explanation.

"He has frightening people down to an artform. It's really quite beautiful, actually." Alois said, leaning further into his beau.

"And married life is still going well for you, too, huh?" the brunet answered, earning an appreciative response from Audrey.

"Ugh, thank you..." the reaper said. "It's still just as gross as ever. The honeymoon phase doesn't seem to be over, and there's no end in sight."

"Suffer, Baines." retorted the menace, leaning his head on his Watchdog's shoulder. "This is what it's like to have married friends." Narrowing his eyes, he pointed to Audrey and spoke ominously as though he was foretelling a harrowing Armageddon.

"It will happen to _you._ " the blonde hissed, prompting a few of the others to snort in response.

"Who knows? I might never get married." Audrey replied with a shrug. "With my luck, I'll be single for the rest of my life."

"You don't need to worry about that stuff for now." stated Ciel in an attempt to be helpful. "If it happens, it happens, if it doesn't, then you continue to live your life to the fullest, regardless."

"Easy for you to say. You're basically immortal. How old are you turning this year again?"

To this, the bluenette shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat. His gaze averted, dodging all others, including his spouse's. The blonde grinned up at him, already knowing the answer.

"One hundred and forty..." Ciel muttered, pouting ever so slightly at the amused responses he received as a result.

"Yeah. I thought about as much." Audrey sneered. "Should we start calling you ' _grandpa'?_ "

"Only if you strongly dislike having kneecaps." the bluenette answered promptly, silently gloating a smidgeon as his beau giggled. The reaper, however, was less than amused and frowned. Knowing the bluenette, he most certainly has made good on a threat that was at least similar at some point.

"It's hard to tell when you're joking or not, you know."

"Untrue. If I was serious, you most certainly would know. I promise." Ciel quipped, somehow making the reaper feel better. Audrey wasn't afraid of the man, nor did he think that he would ever hurt him, but it had been so long since they had last met that he needed to grow accusmtomed to the demon's dry-yet-morbid sense of humour.

While everyone chatted and engaged in witty banter from all sides of the table, the group seemed to be ignoring the elephant in the room named "Daniel". That is, everyone aside from Kristopherson, who became noticeably quiet since the Westley's arrival. He sat on his side of the table and talked primarily with the two men who were directly at his sides, Logan and Alois. The Miles only contributed to the rest of the group's discussion when addressed. He was obviously discomforted by Daniel's presence, and the Westley seemed to notice, contributing to the conversation even less.

This was not going as planned. Daniel intended to apologise to Kristopherson that day, but so far, the stars did not appear to be aligned in his favour. There were far too many people around to do so appropriately, and the Miles would most likely not talk to him if he didn't.

Thus, the two men remained in silence until the group decided to change venues. They paid for their food, splitting the bill in a way that seemed fair. Logan didn't eat anything, given his species, and the two couples negotiated their checks. Ciel and Alois argued briefly over whose turn it was to pay as both of them wanted to, and Patricia protested Travis paying for her despite her protesting.

"You have a rich boyfriend and you still want to pay?" questioned Audrey, arching an eyebrow as he prepared to pay for his own meal.

Patricia crossed her arms in a proud fashion and replied: "I'm the kinda girl that likes to wait on, not be waited on. It's nice on occasion, but he paid for the last thing."

"Understandable." Alois chimed in with a shrug. "You go, girl."

Travis smiled at the conversation, but had no further commentary. What he did have to add was not appropriate to bring up around other people. He knew that Patricia was having trouble that particular month financially, as she had no boxing matches to compete in, and her allowance was needed to be spent on other necessities. He did find it flattering that she was willing to offer, however. It made him feel special.

After the payment situation was dealt with, the group made their way down the street. They walked around, occasionally arguing about the location of their next stop. It was nearby, but concealed by taller buildings. They walked around for a while before one of them remembered that Google maps was a thing that exists. Until then, they were left wandering aimlessly with hardly any direction at all. The group was left shivering in the cold air as they walked down the sidewalk, trying not to run into other people or inconvenience them with their confused wandering. A few people were rude and barreled past, but in a big city, that was to be expected. Several of them kept their eyes on the other side of the street as they searched rather than in front of them where they belonged, but that is where a certain lycanthrope made a discovery.

"Isn't that that Blackwood guy?" he questioned, causing a few members of the group to turn to search for the assistant immediately. Ciel and Alois found him while Logan and Daniel searched the crowd on the other side of the street until they found him as well. The rest of them waited for an explanation as to who "Blackwood" was in the first place.

The scene was bizarre. The man had stopped to stare back at them as his right eye was closed. He smiled, but it was by no means friendly. The supernatural members of their party stiffened, not enjoying the fact that the man could see their non-human faces as he pleased. It somehow made them feel violated, and in a sick, twisted way, it looked as though Blackwood knew. All of this was lost on Daniel, however, for as soon as his eyes honed in on the assistant, he smiled, perking up a bit for the first time since the meeting as he waved at the man from across the street. Once Paul saw him, however, his smile shifted in a way that made it seemed softer, but was obviously fake. The assistant waved back, albeit with less enthusiasm, before walking away. Daniel didn't mind, however. He simply assumed that the other man had important work to do as always. He hadn't the slightest idea of what he was actually doing, and it was nothing good. The others, however, were more aware of the man's shady demeanor, and were curious as to what the assistant's issue was.

"I didn't know you were friendly with Mister Blackwood, Dan." Alois commented, keeping his intentions hidden behind a casual tone. In response, the Westley blushed and his smile became slightly smaller.

"Uh, yeah..." he said. "We kind of have a thing."

"'A thing'?" echoed Audrey.

"Yeah, a thing."

"What kind of thing?" Ciel asked, catching on to his beau's plot. They all were curious as to what Daniel met, especially since the man was obviously hesitant.

"A… Uh… 'Seeing each other' kind of 'thing'?" he answered.

Daniel didn't sound sure about it at all, although it could be because he wasn't sure how the others would react. And the others weren't sure how to take that. There was naturally concern. Daniel's impulsive tendencies and immaturity made them wonder if he was in the relationship for the right reasons. Moreover, he wasn't sure if he was safe. He was an adult, but he was a young one at nineteen, while Blackwood was obviously somewhere around thirty. They didn't know if he was in his late twenties or early thirties, but they knew that he was significantly older. In most cases, that within itself is a massive cause for concern.

"Really?" Alois inquired, trying his best to sound non-confrontational and supportive. Regardless, he looked toward his beau, who shared with him the same expression of uncertainty. Ciel didn't think things were right at all, especially given his knowledge of Blackwood. He didn't seem like the type who would be interested in Daniel, but rather, the type to break down and do something rash under immense stress, if Ciel's sense in profiling was as keen as he thought. The duo's concern was picked up by everyone else aside from Daniel himself, who despite his outgoing nature, was not quite as perceptive of these things as he believed himself to be.

"Since when?" asked Audrey as a follow-up question. He wasn't as graceful as Alois was when it came to beating around the bush, but he tried.

"Well… Since about last night?" Daniel said, knowing that it did sound rash.

"For real? What happened?" the reaper pried further. The group continued walking, but at a much slower pace, much to the irritation of some impatient passers by on the sidewalk.

"Well… I kinda lost my virginity." The Westley said, feeling as though he should brag, but feeling a bit apprehensive as he said it aloud. He especially regretted it as the other's faces looked startled, aside from Travis, who always looked calm. The blondes in the group were especially pale, as Kristopherson held himself back from scolding the man and Alois gripped his beau's arm a little tighter. No one had a good feeling about this at all.

"Yeah, right, Dan." Audrey said, refusing to believe it. "You've pulled that one before. Come up with new material."

"It's true this time!" the brunette insisted, his face turning a tad pink. Audrey scoffed, dismissing the man's declaration as a fib or a prank.

"Yeah, yeah, Dan..."

"What do you want me to do to prove it?"

"I don't want you to do anything. I don't wanna see that shit."

"Then what should I say? ' _I woke up this morning with an ass so sore that it feels like Satan himself got a hold of me'?_ "

 _"_ _Yikes..."_ Kristopherson accidentally said aloud. He cringed at the thought as his heart seemed to drop in his chest. It was scary, to think that Daniel was off with an older man, but part of it was that he was off with another man. Kristopherson didn't want any romantic or sexual involvement with Daniel whatsoever. That ship has sailed, but the idea that the Westley could throw him aside so easily did sting a bit. The word he uttered stung Daniel as well, causing his head to whip around and fixate on the wolfman.

"What? I'm moving on with my life. I can't stay pure and innocent forever, you know." Daniel replied, crossing his arms as the group stopped on the sidewalk and loitered.

"Yeah, but Dan… You're going too fast… And with your dad's assistant, _really?_ "

"Oh, is that touch of jealousy, I hear?" the brunet snidely retorted, causing the other to puff up a bit in an attempt at intimidation. Logan simply looked on at them, gauging the situation. He certainly did not want a repeat of the last time the two met. Daniel and Kristopherson didn't, either, but they were certainly posturing that way.

"No, that's a _'touch of'_ concern, given how utterly irresponsible and ill-advised that is." the Miles said.

"What are you? My mum? Quit trying to pick up after me. I left your place, remember? I don't need you to take care of me. I can do it myself."

"I'll believe it when I see it." Kristopherson stated, causing Daniel to frown. "Let's just go, alright? I'm tired of fighting with you all the time. It's a pain in the ass."

"Then stay out of my business and let it go." Daniel answered, following behind the wolfman as he cut through the group and took the lead.

The others followed as well, hoping the two would make up soon. At this rate, however, they would never be able to take them both somewhere ever again. The incubus, however, loitered at the back of the group, however, leaving Kristopherson's side for the first time that day. Logan needed some air, as the two colliding had seemed to poison it for a while. His gaze pointed slightly downward as he followed the others, hardly listening to them. Fortunately, they were mostly silent aside from discussing where on earth they were going from time to time. Obviously, the mood was spoiled severely. Hopefully, there was sill time to save it before the day was over and they all had to return home.


	246. Live and Let Die

Despite living in London, very few of them had actually explored it. There were countless attractions and tourist traps to venture out in, and the group had only been in a few. When it was expensive and full of people, who would want to? Yet, because the group couldn't agree on where they should go and because a certain former classmate of theirs who is also an actor has an exhibit at the wax museum, the group decided to go to Madame Tussauds in London and see the creepily life-like replicas of human beings. It was an odd choice, but it was all they had going for them.

Most of them were trying to distract themselves with this during the outing. The group wanted to take a picture of all of them with Lawrence Rose's figure, and then they wanted to take pictures of Ciel and Alois with James Bond and Queen Elizabeth II for giggles. Part of it was a sincere want to see the duo in a silly situation, but part of it was to distract themselves from the sullen atmosphere that emitted from Daniel and Kristopherson.

They had sulked the entire way to the building and through the line to pay to get in as well. Now they sulked inside the building, despite their genuine efforts to pay attention to the wax doppelgangers. They really did find them interesting, but it was hard to focus. Kristopherson couldn't believe what Daniel had done and was almost overcome with concern, and then Daniel was simply angry that the Miles was not immediately supportive of his decisions. They didn't even want to pose for pictures with the mannequins at the same time, hindering their ability to take a group photo.

The group did their best to have fun, overall. Ciel didn't recognise a good portion of the celebrities and neither did Alois. The blonde knew of more than the Watchdog did, but he wasn't sure what the fuss was about. Kristopherson was the expert on celebrities, and helping the group remember who was who helped drag him out of his mood somewhat, thank goodness. Regardless, not even he understood the appeal of most of these people.

Still, they did find a photo opportunity with all of them. For laughs, the lads decided to take a picture with all of them posing with the One Direction dummies. Logan sat out, not getting the joke, as boybands were beyond his comprehension of human culture. Patricia did as well in order to take the picture. She snickered as they all got into position. Even Daniel joined in, as he didn't want his squabble with Kristopherson ruin the opportunity. Unfortunately, he was forced to pose next to him, as there was no room anywhere else.

"It looks like a boyband to me." Audrey remarked, looking at the phone with everyone as they huddled together around Patricia.

"What kind of boyband has twelve members?" questioned Kristopherson, arching an eyebrow.

"Kpop bands do. It's like we're one big Kpop group;" answered the reaper, pointing at the phone. "Only there's more white people. Since I'm the only one whose Korean, I guess that makes me the leader."

"I thought you were Chinese?"

"Well, a quarter. My mum is half Chinese, half Korean. It's complicated."

"Hey, if ' _Kpop_ ' is ' _Korean pop_ ', then wouldn't this be ' _Bpop_ ' for Britain, or ' _Epop_ ' for England?" Alois playfully inquired, prompting Audrey to look his way.

"Whoa, you're blowin' my mind, mate." he said as Patricia sent the image to Travis. Following that line of communication, the Sullivan spread it to the others' mobile phones.

"I would never! I'm married!" declared the menace, stepping back as the other's fanned out from their huddle.

"Nothin' wrong with bros sharin' mj's, am I right, lads?" jested Audrey. "Just bros being bros. No homo."

"Full homo and you _know_ it, Baines." Kristopherson interjected, nudging the reaper with his elbow. The other man couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh yeah? On a scale of one to ten, how bad would you want to blow my mind?"

"Mate, like _thirty._ " Kristopherson snorted.

"Same." Jokingly added Travis.

"I'm in a committed relationship, so zero." Alois answered.

"Likewise." Ciel replied. This left just Daniel, Logan, and Patricia.

Logan wasn't familiar enough with Audrey at that point in time to include himself in this particular stream of banter, and neither was Patricia. Daniel, however, certainly was, but he was hesitant because it was Kristopherson who initiated this particular gag. He didn't want to intrude, especially since he had no idea what to add. His timing was horrible and he missed his chance thusly. It was Daniel who was supposed to be the funnyman in the group, yet he felt like the least funny one there. What did he have to contribute? How could he add to this good time?

He couldn't. At least he couldn't right then. Daniel would wait patiently for his chance, just as he had all day. That said, the Westley was not known for his patience, and he had a breaking point somewhere. Because he was who he was, he had to say something, and the time came when they made it to the James Bond mannequins.

All of them were there. The Sean Connery version, the George Lazenby version, the Roger Moore version, the Pierce Brosnan version, the Timothy Dalton version, and finally the Daniel Craig version were all in the same place in their signature tuxedos. Naturally, the group needed pictures of their own secret agent friends posing with the men of Her Majesty's fictitious secret service. Ciel went first, and not surprisingly, he blended in quite well. He wasn't dressed in a tuxedo, but his usual stuffy attire was formal enough to make him fit. The bluenette's eyepatch was a nice touch as well, but it did cause Daniel to wonder.

"You look more like you should be a villain in a James Bond movie instead of Bond." he said, not shocking the Watchdog in the slightest.

"It wouldn't be hard." Ciel replied without missing a beat. "Bond is a terrible secret agent. Killing him would be effortless."

"I like Ciel better than Bond." Travis noted, causing the others to nod.

"He would be agent triple six, probably." Daniel stated, earning a few snickers.

"Then what am I?" questioned Alois, turning his head to face the Westley. Before Daniel could respond, however, Kristopherson did for him.

"Number triple seven." the faux-blonde added, receiving the menace's approval.

"I am okay with this." the fair-haired Phantomhive said before continuing to take pictures of his husband. Out of all of them, it was naturally Alois who took the most photos. He even requested a few poses, and while reluctant at first, Ciel complied. However, Alois did seem to be taking a bit long to have his fill of photography.

"Alois, it's your turn to go up there." Kristopherson said. "We can't stay here all day while you take pictures of Ciel."

"I can." the menace retorted without giving the slightest bit of thought into his reply.

"I think at this point, he's just using this as an oppurtunity to take pictures of Ciel." noted Audrey, finally snapping the blonde out of his trance.

"Not true." Alois replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "I can probably get him to pose any time. It's just hilarious seeing him with a shitty spy who people think is really cool like Bond."

"Let's start a petition to get Ciel to be Bond in the next movie." suggested a certain reaper, earning enthusiastic approval from his friends, but a blunt "no" from the bluenette himself.

"Why? All he needs to do for that is go to work." informed the menace. The casualness of his tone was almost chilling. When the others thought about the kinds of things that Ciel and Alois do on missions, they concluded that they would rather not know. In truth, both men outshone Britain's most famous spy in all aspects, from deadliness, efficiency, tenacity, ruthlessness, and even to their relationships.

At least somebody was. Kristopherson and Daniel couldn't help but be a little bit jealous of the duo's relationship. Their closeness and comfort with each other was worth being envied! The faux-blonde folded his arms and watched as Alois joined his spouse in posing with the mannequins in a dynamic fashion for a while before soon taking the stage by himself. He took a few semi-serious photos before his posing became a tad silly. Regardless, Ciel was entertained and took a few photos, despite the fact that he had insisted that he wasn't big on them when they first entered the building. It would seem that Alois' powers were just too great and the Watchdog had gotten pulled in especially hard.

Yet there was a time during the trip that they separated. Alois continued to play with the mannequins alongside the others, and Ciel stood back and simply observed. He didn't know who most of the replicas were of, yet Alois didn't either and still played. It simply wasn't interesting to the Watchdog to take pictures, especially with dummies of people he had never even heard of. Still, he did find enjoyment in watching Alois have fun. He smiled as he watched his husband carry on with the others, taking delight in the blonde's energy, but found himself not alone. Logan had no idea who any of these people were, so he was especially lost. Moreover, the fact that they were so lifelike disturbed the incubus immensely.

"Are you bored?" he was asked by the Watchdog, putting him somewhat on edge.

It was still baffling how Kristopherson was friends with both mister Lion and the Watchdog, but here they were, spending time in a tourist trap together. Never in Logan's life had he even dreamed of being so close to the Watchdog, let alone have a casual conversation with the bluenette. Fortunately, the Phantomhive picked up on this, having analyzed the situation and recalled the incubus' background.

"It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you." Ciel said in an attempt to calm the other man down. "We're all just here for an ordinary outing as ordinary friends. It's alright if you're not into this. I don't know who most of these people are."

"I-It's alright." Logan nervously insisted, attempting to keep himself steady as he talked to Gehenna's former boogeyman. "It's still kind of neat, how realistic they are… Kind of creepy, but impressive. It's hard to tell who's a mannequin and who's a person."

"True. They look as though they could come to life at any moment." lightly smiled the other. With a sigh, he added. "That would be just my luck, too."

"Does stuff like that happen to you a lot?"

"More than I would like. Usually, it's just your standard supernatural, but sometimes, things get absurd."

"I can't even begin to imagine."

"Really?" asked the Watchdog with genuine interest. "Hm. I suppose that makes sense. Sometimes, it's easy to forget that other people don't live like I do."

"Haha, it must be something..." Logan nervously replied. He wasn't good at interacting with humans, and now he found that he wasn't good at interacting with supernatural assassins, either. Fortunately, Ciel observed his discomfort and had the decency to attempt to rectify it. Now, as to whether or not he would be successful was yet to be seen.

"I'm getting better at being ordinary, however." he insisted, trying to make himself seem more harmless. "I'm not very good at these outings, yet, but I'm getting better."

"Mm-hm. You've even gotten married." the incubus answered. "It's a little late, but congratulations, by the way."

"Thank you. I think I've gotten the hang of this 'married' thing pretty well, so far."

"Ciel!" called out the other Phantomhive from across the room, grabbing his spouse's attention as well as the attention of several strangers in the room. "C'mon! We're gonna go see the Queen! Hurry up before I start talking about conspiracy theories!"

"Do not." the Watchdog answered, matching Alois' volume without yelling. "The public must never know the truth." Turning to the incubus, he gave the man a small smile before making his way toward the blonde. Logan followed a few paces behind him in order to stay with the group.

Somehow, he managed to survive a somewhat awkward conversation with the dreaded Watchdog, and to his surprise, it wasn't as difficult or unpleasant as he thought it would be. Ciel actually seemed like a rational, semi-ordinary person. One of the most interesting thing for Logan to see, however, was how he interacted with the others. The Watchdog was quiet, but bold when he had something to say. He also was intimate with his spouse and showed him affection, but not to an extent where it was distasteful or inappropriate for a public setting. Never did the incubus ever suspect that he would see the fearsome Watchdog pose for pictures at a tourist spot in London like an ordinary person. The scene was bizarre from Logan's perspective, but he was open-minded to it.

To his surprise, the Lion got along well with Kristopherson, cheering him up while the faux-blonde was down. Logan knew that the situation was awkward between Kristophreson and Daniel, and he wished that he could help Kristopherson again this time, but for some reason, when he was around all of these other people, Logan felt as though it wasn't his place. Who was he to Kristopherson? These were the wolfman's friends from school, and Logan had only known him for a few months! What did he really know about comforting Kristpoherson?

Thus, the incubus stood back and let the others work their magic. Along with his friends, Kristopherson had his phone out and took pictures of Ciel and Alois with the replicas of the royal family. The faux-blonde was smiling now, which made Logan feel a bit better, too. Still, the incubus couldn't help but feel lonely and alienated in this setting. He didn't feel like he belonged at all, and wondered if it would be in poor taste if he just left.

Eventually, however, the wolfman looked up from his phone, having taken all of the pictures of the demonic duo that he felt as though he needed. The others were still messing around, but he couldn't see Logan among them at all. It took some looking around before he finally thought to look behind him. The incubus had been standing there away from the group all by himself. A bit of concern arose in the Miles as he observed the expression on the other man's face and he arched an eyebrow. He needed to investigate and find out what the man was doing all on his own.

"Whatcha doin' back here?" Kristopherson asked, walking toward the other. "Bored? You look a little blue, and not in the usual good way."

"Uh, well… I don't have a cell phone, so I can't take any pictures." bashfully admitted the incubus. "Even if I did, I don't really know who any of these people are."

"Oh. That could be a problem." the faux-blonde said. "I'm sorry. We can do something else after this."

"Oh, no! This is fine. I don't mind, really."

"It's no trouble! It's kinda my fault. I wasn't thinking when I invited you here." Kristopherson said apologetically. "I forgot that you don't eat normal food all that much, and I didn't think about this, either. It was a little inconsiderate of me…"

"I don't mind! I just wanted to hang out, to be honest." Logan replied. The pink tint in his cheeks looked unusual for him. If Kristopherson had to choose, he genuinely preferred his usual blue hue. Alas, they were in public and there were humans all around them. The faux-blonde was flattered that the man wanted to spend time with him, and felt bad for leaving him on his own for so long. He hadn't even realised what he had done.

"I'm sorry. I haven't spent as much time with you on this trip, have I?"

"It's alright. You need to spend time with your other friends, too."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. You have a life outside me, don't you?" questioned the incubus, arching a thick eyebrow. "We can hang out some other time. Don't hold back for my sake."

He smiled even though he was a little lonely on this trip. Despite his feelings, he really did mean what he said. Logan wasn't going to try and monopolise the faux-blonde's attention. There was no need for that, especially since he knew that it had been a while since Kristopherson and all of his friends from school had all gotten together at once. He was going to respect that, which Kristopherson found to be unusual, but very sweet.

"You and me can hang out after this, if you want." the wolfman suggested with a grin. "I don't have anything planned."

"Oh! Well, that sounds good to me, but I'm afraid I don't have any ideas." Logan answered. He was a bit bashful when he added: "I don't have too much money, either, so I'm not too sure what we can do. This used up a lot."

"Really?" his friend questioned with a look of concern across his face. "Was it really that much? I'm so sorry! You should have said something! I would have paid your way for you."

"Nah, it's alright."

"But you're not even into this all that much! Let me at least pay you back. There should be an ATM nearby."

"What?!" Logan yipped, holding up his hands to reassure the other. "No, it's fine, honest! You don't need to do that!"

"Oh, come on. Twenty-four pounds is nothing to me!" the other replied, placing his hands on his hips. "Seriously, it's no big deal. Don't worry about it. You're fine."

"A-are you sure? I don't want to inconvenience you..."

"It's not an inconvenience at all!" Kristopherson flashed a toothy grin before reaching out to playfully pinch the incubus' cheek. "Don't sweat it. It's my treat. You're very considerate. I like that about you, but you need to loosen up a bit."

"I'm sorry..." the other sighed, although his words were slurred a bit from having his face stretched. After being let go, he rubbed his cheek and continued. "I'm not good at being outside of Gehenna for too long. I'm not too sure of how stuff works out here. It's like a whole new world and I just don't really feel like I belong in it. It feels like I'm in the way, you know?"

"I can see that..." Kristopherson nodded in reply. "But I can also tell you that you're not in the way at all. Really, no one can tell you're not from London. Have a little more confidence and leave the rest to me. If you need help, just ask. Sound reasonable?"

"Yeah..." his companion uttered with a small smile. He was hopeful that the wolfman was right, and he did feel a bit better. He was just anxious, being in a new environment for too long. It was starting to get to him and shake his confidence. "Sorry..."

"It's no problem. Just relax. You'll be fine." the wolfman said. "Now c'mon, we're all gonna take a picture with the queen after everybody's done joking with those two."

"Alright." Logan replied, looking up at the mannequin that the duo were playing around near with a confused expression. It spread to Kristopherson as the man tried to find the source of Logan's puzzlement.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"That's the Queen?" the incubus inquired in return. "Oh! That's the lady who's on money!"

"Of course she is! She's the Queen!"

"How was I supposed to know? I'm not British."

"What are you, then?"

"Gehennian, I guess?" Logan stated. "We don't really think about human business. We kinda do our own thing. It's like the border between Gehenna and London are separating two different foreign countries."

"I can kind of see what you're saying." Kristopherson said. He and the incubus had discussed the differences between their cultures in detail previously, so the faux-blonde understood the other's standpoint pretty well by this point.

Needless to say, they have gotten closer over time, and it was noticed by the others. They thought it was good that Kristopherson had found support when he needed it, and they were happy to have Logan as he seemed like a pleasant character. At the same time, however, this continued to annoy Daniel, who scoffed as he watched the two interact.

The Westley crossed his arms and huffed to himself without any clear goal in doing so. Really, he just wanted to vent his frustration. He didn't like that the Miles was getting so close to someone else so quickly, and felt as though he was being replaced! In a way, he was, and the more Daniel thought about it, the more he realised that he had done the same to Kristopherson. It was irritating, but he understood why Kristopherson was upset when he mentioned his relationship with Blackwood. Daniel didn't know how, but he knew that he needed to apologise, or at least explain his position in a calm, civil manner. He was tired of waiting for the perfect opportunity, and if he waited too long, the day would end and he might not get a second chance. If an opportunity wouldn't arrive on its own, Daniel decided that it was time to be proactive and create one. As painful and awkward as it was for all parties, he hesitantly approached the faux-blond, surprising the man and concerning Logan in the process.

"Hey..." the Westley began. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"


	247. After The Republic

Kristopherson was surprised at the question, but did his best to hide it. He knew that Daniel most likely wanted to either garner sympathy or apologise, but he wasn't sure which one. Folding his arms, he examined the other's face closely, trying to figure the Westley out. He paid no mind to the fact that it made the brunet uncomfortable. It was Daniel's punishment for what he has done. Still, he couldn't simply leave his friend out to dry.

"Alright." he sighed before turning to address the incubus. "I'll be right back. Remember what we were talking about. You can hang out with the others until I get back. They won't bite, I promise."

"Okay..." Logan said, trying to focus on Kristopherson rather than Daniel. He was worried, but confident in Kristopherson. He wasn't worried in his well being, since the man was a werewolf, but he was worried about his feelings. There was an additional pang in his chest that he would rather not convey to the faux-blond, but despite his own reaction, he ushered the wolfman away to talk to Daniel and watched after them as they walked off.

The two men separated themselves from the group and ducked in a somewhat secluded spot near the bathrooms so that they wouldn't bother anyone. Daniel's heart was racing. He hadn't the slightest clue as to whether or not the other would accept his apology or even remain his friend. He was willing to try, however. That's all he could do at this point. The Westley had hoped to take a moment to compose himself, but as soon as they stopped, the Miles shot at him in his usual fashion.

"So, what do you need?" Kristopherson questioned, raising an eyebrow. He seemed unimpressed, which severely shook Daniel's confidence, but despite this, Daniel knew he had to answer.

"I, uh…" Daniel tried to speak but had to pause to clear his throat and fidget a bit as he attempted to collect his nerves again. "I just… I wanted to say I'm sorry..." he said. "About the other night, that is. And probably for showing up. I just didn't want to leave it for too long..."

"...Before you apologized?"

"Yeah..."

The faux-blonde looked over the man with his arms still crossed. "What are you sorry for? Be specific."

"Uh… For showing up drunk to your house and being a total dick." Daniel replied. "Also, for treating you like shit before that. I fucked up. I fucked up big time."

"Glad you see it my way." Kristopherson answered.

"Yeah..." sighed the other. "I was being a real shitlord… I still kinda am. I'm sorry I kinda picked a fight with you earlier, too. That was shitty of me."

"Well, that one was kind of my fault, too." stated the faux-blonde. He was nervous as well, given the awkwardness of the entire situation. "I'm sorry about it. I reacted badly. Truthfully, I'm not too keen on him, still. I'm willing to let that go if he makes you happy, though."

"Thanks, mate..." Daniel replied, a small smile daring to curl the corners of his mouth slightly upward.

"I'm not done. The moment he hurts, you, though, I'm tearing his head off." Kristopherson replied. "That's what friends do."

"We're still friends?"

"Yeah..." sighed the wolfman. "I can't just abandon you when your life is shitty."

"I did that to you, though..." Daniel sadly replied.

"You know you did it?"

"Yeah..."

"Are you sorry you did it?"

"Absolutely."

"You're not gonna do it again?"

"I'll try my best." the Westley said, raising his head somewhat. "If I do, I hope you kick my ass."

"Don't worry, I will." Smiled the faux-blonde at last. Holding out his hand, he offered his friend a shake. "Deal?"

Grin widening, Daniel breathed a massive sigh of releif with all of his being. He took Kristopherson up on his offer, and sealed it. "Deal." He said, gripping the other's hand firmly. When they let go, however, his smile shrunk a bit.

"There's something I still need to do." the Westley said, taking the wolfman off guard.

"What's that?"

"I kind of need to apologise to Logan, too." Daniel bashfully explained. "I left a really shitty first impression. He's right about all that stuff he said, and I wanna tell him that."

"Let's go meet up with him, then." the Miles answered, escorting the other back to the group.

They had to look around a bit, but they weren't far behind them. Daniel was nervous about talking the the incubus after the way he treated the man, but he drew confidence from Kristopherson's positive reaction. In truth, he was jealous of Logan. While Daniel was immature and ill-equipped emotionally for a relationship with a supernatural, he still fancied Kristpoherson, and Kristopherson fancied him. They both knew it, but they both knew that they were not compatible for a romantic relationship and wanted to move on from that. Daniel was hasty in his approach, while Kristopherson took his time. Either way, they agreed that they were not suited for each other, but that they both wanted to remain friends. They liked being together platonically more than they did being a couple. That was the conclusion that they arrived to.

Still, some feeling remained. Daniel knew that he simply had to grow up and accept Logan as part of Kristopherson's life, now. Whether or not they would end up together was something that he could not foresee. If they did, however, he would support Kristopherson and fight for him if the incubus broke his heart, and if they didn't, that was just as well. His friend would have felt the same, but Kristopherson quietly suspected that Daniel's new relationship wasn't going to last. If it failed, however, he would support him and help him through it. That's just what friends are for.

The pair walked up to Logan, who still hadn't completely assimilated into the rest of the group and continued to hang back. The incubus looked their way expectantly once he saw them approach, hoping that they had made nice with each other.

"Back so soon?" he playfully asked with a smile, and the other two nodded.

"Yeah. The good news is that we don't hate each other anymore." Kristopherson announced. "Still don't wanna date his mug, though."

"Am I that bad?" questioned Daniel, earning a look from his friend. "I'm kidding, I'm pretty bad… And, uh… That's also why I need to apologise to you, too, Logan."

"What for?" questioned the incubus.

"For saying all that shit the other night." the Westley answered. "I was being an ass, and the stuff you said was all right. I was just drunk and emotionally unstable at the time..."

"Now you're sober and a little bit stable." Kristopherson butted in.

"Shut up, I'm trying to be sincere, here!" Daniel replied before turning his attention back to Logan. "So… Yeah… I'm really sorry about all that… I hope you can at least not completely hate me."

"I don't hate you at all!" Logan answered with a smile, completely taking the Westley off guard. He honestly had expected more resistance. "After I thought about it, I figured that you were going through some stuff. I got worked up."

"You should have. That was fucked up." the brunet said.

"It was, and I still had my doubts, but I forgive you." stated the incubus. "As long as you don't do it again, we're good."

"Damn… That was easy… Are you a saint or something? I would still think I'm a bastard."

"Nope. I'm just Logan."

Daniel and Kristopherson looked to one another, and the faux-blonde shrugged. That was just the way that Logan was, it seemed. Daniel simply wasn't used to that kind of flexibility and understanding.

"Alright." Daniel replied. "We're cool?"

"We're cool." Logan said, pausing for a moment and looking past the pair for a moment. Pointing, he added: "Uh… I think the others want you to go over there."

The rest of the group wanted everyone to pose with the mannequins before they were forced out of the way by other patrons who believed them to be taking too long. They were, but no one was willing to argue with such a bizarre group of people. Alois was waving the three over so that they could get the last picture before moving on to the other exhibits, prompting the faux-blonde to shake his head.

"C'mon, we can't keep Alois waiting too long, or he'll whine." Kristopherson stated before turning to walk over to the menace. He fully expected the other two to follow, but they stayed behind momentarily.

"Let's go, blue." the Westley said. "He's right. You can't keep Lois waiting."

"Me too?" questioned the incubus confusedly with raised eyebrows.

"Well, yeah. You're part of the team, too aren't ya? Let's go. Chop chop!" Daniel insisted while patting the other man on the back. Before they walked over to the others, however, he paused to lean in a little closer to whisper in Logan's ear.

"You're gonna have to be more aggressive if you wanna impress Kris, by the way." he added, causing the incubus' cheeks to heat up.


	248. MASTER Plans

A shiver ran through the assistant as he made his way down the street to his destination, looking over his shoulder every so often. He hadn't anticipated to run into Daniel or his supernatural friends, and he knew that if he accidentally appeared suspicious, there was a chance that he could be tailed, so he looked with his right eye covered for any signs of any demons, or werewolves, or blue men. Paul didn't see anything, but he looked all around him just in case. In the process, he gave off the appearance of a madman as a result of his paranoid looking around.

Perhaps he should go home? No, then he would be wasting precious time, as he only had a few times a week where he could complete this task. Today, he was heading to his employer's favourite hotel, were he would inconspicuously take photographs of the man stepping inside with an escort. It was the same hotel that Mister Westley frequented with his favourite, so the workers recognised him. He lied and convinced them that the young man that often accompanies him is his son. Somehow, that knowledge simply added to the disgust that Blackwood felt toward the man.

The picture was easily acquired, as Westley had a schedule. It was the same schedule that all of his staff members were familiar with, although this detail was strictly written in code. As soon as the assistant got back to his own home, he printed off the images taken with his phone and worked on acquiring the man's phone records. That was also a simple feat, as Westley never paid any sort of bill on his own. Truly, Westley was a foolish man, trusting those who he made despise him with his important information. Was he simply stupid, or was he arrogant to think that his staff were not riled up enough to strike back? It didn't matter, because Blackwood would never find out. He was the only member to be pushed past his breaking point, and one was all it would take to bring Westley's life crashing down. With this one detail out of the way, Paul was able to plot how he was going to link everything together and expose him.

Financial records were at his fingertips, so Blackwood knew where the money was going. He knew where it was coming from, too. It didn't take much thought. A good portion did not come from Westley's salary, and instead came by less than legal means. A lot of the money was missing, as well. Blackwood knew this without looking at Westley's database, however, as the man often paid people to aid him in committing tax fraud. He also knew from the small bags of fine, white powder that he would occasionally find amoungst Westley's belongings. At this point, the assistant was really starting to wonder what crimes his employer _hadn't_ committed yet.

As he pondered this, he realised that he would need to find evidence of the man's drug use, but ultimately, Blackwood decided to save that for last. Paul knew that if he wasn't careful, it would be he who was in a world of trouble and not Westley. While Blackwood was already in a downward spiral, he at least wanted to make sure that he brought Westley down with him.

It was absurd. It was meaningless. It defied all reason. It was revenge and that was simply its nature. Nightmares clawed at his mind whether he was asleep or awake, and the stress that he had be subjected to for years on end was piling up to unhealthy levels and adding to that. It now became reflex to look at the world through his left eye. His right would remain closed, even if he were alone in the safety of his home, and the more time he spent at that computer, the more everything else seemed to slip away. His meaning, his reason, and his soundness was slipping right through his fingers as they tapped the keys.

Slowly, he put together pieces to this puzzle and came up with a full-scale plan. It was cruel to everyone involved, especially Daniel Westley. The young man's friends were right to be wary of Blackwood. He was devious. It seeped through his pores, alerting those around him of his newfound nature, although Daniel was ignorant to this as long as Paul continued to give him attention. The Phantomhives knew this, and were wary of Blackwood ever since.

Thus, they did what any good friend with access to countless databases would do. They ran background checks on the man and monitored his activity. Blackwood thought that the agents would leave him alone as long as he wasn't caught breaking the law, but he was incredibly wrong. He was under suspicion of using one of their friends as a pawn and exploiting him. That made things personal, and as memory serves, the ferocity of the demonic duo increases dramatically when things become personal. If they found that he will hurt Daniel, they will not hesitate to act.

Sitting in their shared office, they were busily tracking the man's activities, monitoring his movements on Westley's database. Ciel sat at his desk while Alois sat at the coffeetable, as their new one was not finished yet. Alois leaned forward uncomfortably as he set his laptop on the table in front of him. His rear was only partially on the seat of the sofa, which was bad enough. They both wrote down anything interesting they came across as well as reported it to each other.

"There's a lot of weird documents in here..." the blonde noted aloud. "I hardly understand any of it."

"A lot of it is finances." the bluenette said. "Naturally, the numbers don't add up, so I suspect fraud. This is normal for politicians and the like."

"So Blackwood is getting dirt on Mister Westley?"

"Exactly."

"That's not good…." Alois replied. "For Daniel, I mean… I know he doesn't really care about his dad, but knowing that the person he thinks loves him did this…"

"Most likely, Blackwood is using him to get back at Westley." Ciel stated with a long sigh. "It's a pissing contest. He's ' _stealing_ ' Daniel from Westley to show that he's the bigger man."

"Sick fuck..." hissed the menace wrinkling his nose in disgust. Exiting out of the window, he shut his computer and laid down on the sofa. Staring at the ceiling, he tried to piece together how he felt and how they were going to handle this.

True, Alois was angry at Daniel for what he said about supernaturals, but the man did apologise for it. At least he apologised to Kristopherson and Logan, who bore the brunt of it. Still, Alois was apprehensive about what he said. That said, he also felt lingering fondness of Daniel from their days in school together, so he was quicker to forgive him than he really liked. Either way, it didn't matter. Alois' moral compass could not allow this, whether it was inflicted upon Daniel or anyone else. The fact that it was Daniel made things a tad more urgent, given their proximity.

"Indeed…" the bluenette answered, continuing to monitor the screen. "Still, I'm not sure if we should move in this early in the game."

"Why? He's just gonna keep doing it." stated the blonde as he sat up, slightly. "Isn't it best if we move in, now?"

"Hear me out." insisted Ciel. "Daniel will get upset if we rush in. He won't accept our concerns."

"What if Daniel doesn't know? What if he never finds out?" Alois questioned. "We could keep him from talking easily."

"True, but I'd like to play it safe."

"Playing is safe is playing it slow. The longer we wait, the more he's gonna manipulate and… and do _things_ to Daniel!"

Ciel's eye shifted away from his computer and fixated on the menace, taking in his spouse's troubled expression. He scooted back in his chair before getting up from his seat and walking around the desk toward the blonde as the man folded his arms. Alois was obviously not too pleased with Ciel's proposition, so Ciel needed to better make his case.

"I know, it's horrible." the Watchdog said as he sat down, moving the blonde's legs. "What I'm saying is that we need to be strategic in order to maintain Daniel's trust and avoid more conflict within the group. Everyone has just made up again, remember? That's what I'm worried about. If we move in too fast, Daniel might reject us, initially."

"He doesn't even love Blackwood. He just likes the attention."

"It's still some form of attachment."

"Then we should sever it."Alois said. His face was determined, and it was blatantly clear that he was not budging on this topic anytime soon. "'Love' that's just based on liking positive attention is toxic as fuck. I know this firsthand, and I know that we need to shut it down."

He was right in some aspects, but it was clear that he wasn't coming up with a clear plan. The duo could not simply rush in and rough Blackwood up. It would have to be a carefully calculated attack. Ciel understood where Alois was coming from and nodded. He remembered when Alois was desperate for any attention at all, and he saw how catastrophic that was.

"You're right." Ciel stated. "I'm sorry. We do need a plan if we're going to confront him, however. We have to make sure Daniel doesn't suspect a thing."

"Alright." the menace answered. He would concede to that extent at the very least. "But we _are_ solving this soon."

"As soon as possible." his spouse replied. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hit a nerve..."

"No, it's not you..." Alois sighed, his shoulders finally slumping. Unfolding his arms, he reaced for the other's hand and began playing with the other man's fingers. "Well, that was a little annoying, but that's not all of it. Most of it's just the situation and the stuff from before."

"You mean with Daniel?"

"Yeah… That stuff he said about supernaturals. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad he's back and I'm worried about him, but I'm still miffed about that. Then there's Blackwood, and that really pisses me off." the menace tried to explain. His eyes focused on Ciel's fingers more than Ciel himself as he sighed. He sounded tired- not physically, but emotionally. "You not letting me just go after the bastard right now and clobbering him added to it."

"Sounds like you seriously need to hit something." Ciel answered. From the sounds of things, the menace needed to vent. With his free hand, he reached up and moved a stray lock of hair out of his beau's face before running his fingers through it momentarily.

"Yeah, I guess." the other said almost wistfully, still preoccupied with the Watchdog's digits.

"Well, I can't offer you anything to punch, but if there's anything else I can do, tell me."

Alois fell silent as he thought, staring at his husband's hand while he continued to kneed the other man's fingers. In all honesty, he didn't have too many ideas. Mostly, he just wanted to feel less anxious, but he wasn't sure how to accomplish that. Eventually, he had to ask.

"What helps you feel calm?" he questioned, his eyes looking back to the other. "I've been worrying a lot, lately…"

"You know for a fact that I am seldom truly calm." replied the bluenette.

"I know. You're a worrywart. It's part of your charm." Alois said with a small smile and a laugh. "I mean when you're restless and you want to calm down."

"Then I either find a book I haven't read yet and read it..."

"Lame."

"...Fill out a crossword puzzle..."

"Disgusting."

"...Or, if I need it badly, I come find you." Ciel concluded, causing the menace to stop fiddling with his hand, giving the bluenette the oppurtunity to hold Alois'. Resting his free hand on the back of the couch, he continued. "Just holding you or hanging out with you is pretty calming. I don't feel as restless when I'm around you, as corny and cliché as that is. But, if not even that can do it, I can always count on your massages."

Snorting, the blonde replied: "They _must_ be relaxing, seeing how you always fall asleep!"

"They're that good. I can't help it." the Watchdog smiled back. It was true. Alois has a one hundred percent success rate at knocking Ciel out by use of this method. Ciel had a nasty habit of tensing his muscles unconciously, leaving him with incredibly stiff shoulders and back. Usually, it happened during missions. Fortunately, however, his spouse was courteous enough to help him alleviate this, but the poor Watchdog becomes so relaxed in the process that he can't remain conscious!

"I'd gladly rub your shoulders, too, if you like." Ciel continued. "Whatever you think would help you relax. We could probably use a break, anyway."

"I can agree with that." the menace stated. "Alright. I'm tempted. Have at me, pooch."

"Alright, if that's what his highness desires." chuckled the other, standing up. "Let me go exit out of Westley's database, first. You lay down and I'll do my best."

"Make haste, servant boy!" Alois playfully ordered. He shooed his spouse away as the bluenette walked back to his computer before doing as he was instructed and laying down on his stomach. The sofa was uncomfortable in this position as well, although Alois was far from surprised.

"After we replace the desk," he continued, "we should also replace these damn couches." He smiled all the same, however, hearing the other man laugh as he approached. The blonde felt the cushion sag as Ciel took a seat on the very edge since his beau had taken up the rest of the sofa.

"That's probably true. I think the last time I replaced them was in the eighties." the bluenette answered with a grin.

"I fucking knew it..." the menace declared, but he let out a long sigh as he felt hands on his shoulders. Ciel began to gently knead them along with the back of his neck, occasionally increasing the pressure in spots were the menace seemed particularly tense.

"We should probably go look for some new ones, sometime." replied Ciel, being careful to gauge Alois' reactions to his movements as he spoke. "Or we could probably send Sebastian to do it. He actually picked out these. He probably has better taste than me, anyway."

"Yeah, but I like doing married couple shit like picking out furniture together. I'm gross like that."

"How absolutely vile." Despite his words, Ciel was inwardly quite pleased with himself at the blonde's confession. While Ciel wasn't a fan of shopping, he did like shopping for the home with Alois. It was more of a team effort, which made things a lot more fun.

Suddenly, he was startled a bit as the menace let out a grunt, followed by another sigh. "A little harder on that spot…" Alois instructed, shutting his eyes as the bluenette increased the pressure he rubbed him with. "Ooh… Yeah… Like that..."

The way he said it caused a slight blush to appear on the other man's cheeks. "Do you have to make noises like that?"

"Like what?" inquired the blonde before piecing it together on his own. "Oh. Sorry, I forgot you're a perv."

"I'm not a perv…"

"You're using this as an opportunity to feel me up right now. I know it. Don't think I didn't notice."

"You do the same to me..." his beau snidely stated, although continued his movements.

"That's different because I'm me and you're you."

"That's not how this works..."

"Shhh…" Alois answered, hushing his spouse. "I'll make you do more than shoulders."

"That's not a punishment..." replied Ciel.

"You kinky bastard… Ow! Did you just pinch me?!"


	249. Revenge Is Bitter

The game continued for a few more days as the duo resumed monitoring Blackwood. There wasn't much to report, after their initial findings, and Daniel seemed happy, much to everyone else's dismay. This was going to hurt him in the end, but the Phantomhives knew that they couldn't let things go on as they are. Thus, they decided that it was time to meet with mister Blackwood and chat. Unfortunately for Paul, however, a chat with the Phantomhives was never a fun experience.

He was sitting at home doing anything but minding his own business. He was still gathering intel on Westley and filing it carefully in a folder that he kept in a small filing cabinet beneath his desk. A digital copy was kept in a flashdrive that hardly ever left his person. Sometimes he would leave the house however, if only to either find more incriminating evidence on his boss or to visit his boss' son. He was obsessed. The man was pouring all of his time and energy into Westley even while not working for him.

After hearing about his increasing "visits" to Daniel's residence, the Phantomhives at last decided that enough was enough. They would have to scare him off. Thus, they paid Blackwood a visit, themselves. The man jumped nearly three feet in the air when he heard the knock on his door, and for good reason. It was nothing good, just as Mister Blackwood had expected, but he didn't expect the two demons to be there. Quickly, he packed away all of his evidence and closed out of everything on his computer before shutting it off. He kept his flashdrive with him as he answered the door, still looking through his left eye, as it had become second nature, now. Paul was very understandably startled when he saw the two men, as they appeared in their true shape before his eye.

"Oh… It's you..." he finally said, calming down a tad. "Hello. To what do I owe the pleasure of having you?"

"Hello, Mister Blackwood." greeted the blue Phantomhive. "It has come to our attention that you have not been attending your regularly scheduled appointments with our doctors. Is everything alright?"

"Yes." Paul quickly stated. The word almost came out in a bark. "I'm perfectly alright. I guess the time has just gotten away from me. You know how that is..."

"What about your eye?" questioned Alois, pointing to the man's face.

"What about it?"

"Your right eye is closed." the menace pointed out, immediately prompting the man to open it.

"Oh. It's nothing. Just a bit of a quirk." Blackwood insisted, but he was not convincing in the slightest.

"You should probably get that checked out." Ciel said. "May we come in? There is more we wish to discuss." The suggestion made Blackwood very visibly nervous, but he had no choice. If he refused, he would definitely look suspicious- or rather, more so. His delicacy and composure had seemed to have slipped away after being left to his own devices, and his mental state was deteriorating.

"Of course." he answered, stepping aside. "Please, make yourself at home."

"Much obliged." the Watchdog said as he stepped inside with the Lion following close by. Once their backs were turned, Paul shut his right eye again and stared at him as he closed the door.

Understandably, he was terrified. He knew they weren't human. He could see it. He could see it clear as day. Moreover, he knew that their organization wasn't exactly a public facility, given that it appeared nowhere on any database he could access, including Westley's. Not even Mathew was so stupid as to leave that information out in the open for his staff to find, even though he certainly way stupid enough to leave everything else out, was how secret that group was. If he set foot in that building again, Paul wasn't sure if he would come out again, and now that these two have arrived to ask him about it, he wasn't sure if he wasn't going to be dragged there this very afternoon.

"What is it?" he asked, refusing to lock the door right away. His guests, however, didn't take kindly to that.

"Oh, it's nothing, really. You're not in any trouble." fibbed the bluenette. "It's just a matter of insurance."

"Oh." Blackwood sighed, dropping his guard. As the bluenette took a seat on his couch. Stepping away from the door, the man sat down in a chair that was nearby in the living room, although he did not take his eyes off the demon. Moving away from the door was a mistake, however, as immediately, the blonde made his way toward the door, and Mister Blackwood heard a _click_.

"Was that the door?" Paul asked, preparing to stand up again. In an instant, his worry returned. It was very obvious that he was not good at this game.

"Yes." Ciel answered with a chilling amount of calm. "Now no one can bother us."

"Why would they bother us?"

"That depends on you." Pulling out his memo pad, the Phantomhive glanced over his notes on what they had recorded. "Now, let's talk _'business'_."

"About the insurance?" asked Blackwood.

"Yes. We'd like you to stop what you've been doing over the past few days." the Watchdog said. He could see in Paul's face the exact moment where his heart dropped. He was pale and his eyes were wide as he stared at the bluenette, completely ignoring the blonde at the door.

"I'm calling the police-" the assistant began as he started to get up, only to freeze when Alois pulled out his gun and aimed it right at him.

"We are the police." the menace replied as the other plopped back down in his seat. "We're the police and then some, and you're in lots of trouble, my good man."

It was silence from Blackwood as he stared up at Alois in shock. This was it. This is where his life ended. He would either die here, or rot in prison. Either way, he was a dead man. His life as he knew it was completely over. He had been caught. He had no idea how. It didn't matter even if he did. The fact of the matter was that he was trapped in a room with a pair of demons and one of them was pointing a gun in his face.

"I think it would be within your best interest to listen." Ciel calmly insisted. "We wouldn't want to ruin that chair of yours, would we? Don't worry, we'll make this as brief as possible." Following more silence from the other man, the Watchdog felt compelled to say: "Please nod if you understand."

Slowly, the assistant nodded, never taking his eyes off that gun. He had never even seen a gun in real life before, and now one was pointed at him. They only seemed like the sorts of things that only appeared on television, but then again, so where demons. Blackwood tried to hold completely still, but his hands and legs trembled with fear.

"Good." the Phantomhive stated. "Now, we don't take issue with you messing with Mister Westley. Far from it. The only time we take issue with it is when our bosses take issue with it, and we have no inclination to inform them of your actions at this time. However, we do take issue with one detail, and that is your involvement with Daniel Westley."

A thin layer of sweat began to coat Blackwood's skin. Stray droplets collected here and there before running down his cheek, but Paul wasn't sure if they weren't tears or not. His whole body felt weak, and as he was reminded of Daniel, he felt sick. It was as though the gravity of what he had done just hit him. It was disgusting, and he knew it. He simply shut that out as he focused solely on himself for the past few days. Even now, he was worried mostly about himself. His actions could very well cost him his life if he wasn't careful. It wasn't worth dying for. Neither of the Westleys were, to Blackwood. He wanted his revenge, but he didn't want to pay for it! No matter how much fun it was crushing his boss or how exciting it was claiming Daniel, Blackwood was too weak to own up to it. Disgusting. Truly abhorrent.

The demons were unimpressed with both his actions and his character, and wished to kill him, but knew better. If they did, Daniel would not be pleased with them, and then their friendship would be at risk. They would not commit the crime if they could not pay the price. They knew better.

"What we cannot forgive is your use of Daniel in your plot." Ciel informed the terrified man. "It's one thing to tear down one's nemesis, but it's another to use innocent people in one's plot. Moreover, it's typically not a good idea to use someone who is affiliated with people who know are potentially dangerous."

"Amateur." scoffed the menace. "You're not very good at this. You can see us, can't you? Why would you risk it? It's very arrogant to believe that you're somehow above being caught. You didn't even try!"

"Indeed." his spouse concurred, nodding before he carried on. "So, here is what we would like from you: we would like you to not continue your relationship with Daniel Westley, as you are only using him for nefarious purposes. In addition, we would like you to give us copies of the data that you posses so far."

"Why?" Paul managed to question. His voice cracked and he cowered as the blonde stepped closer.

"As leverage, of course." Ciel calmly answered as his husband ordered the assistant to stand up. Alois patted the man down, finding his flashdrive in his pocket.

"This it?" the menace asked, earning a nod from Blackwood.

"Yes, that's it. That's all of it. Take it." the cowardly man responded, holding his hands up.

"You don't mind if we check, do ya?" Alois questioned further with the barrel of the gun kissing the side of the assistant's head.

"No! Not at all! Help yourself! The computer is in my office!"

"Good man." quipped the blonde. "I'm gonna need you to come with me, because I'm pretty sure you've got a password on there, don't you?"

Blackwood nodded rapidly as Ciel stood up and straightened his suit. "If you would please lead the way, Mister Blackwood?" he invited, gesturing with his hand.

Slowly, the assistant made his way toward the office with both demons following closely behind him. He held his hands up the entire time until he got there and leaned over to turn on his computer and put in the password to unlock it. He then stepped out of the way as Alois handed the flashdrive to his husband, who then pulled up what was on it on the computer. Ciel skimmed the device, looking over what all was on it, nodding to himself and occasionally saying what type of documents was there.

"Well, I certainly knew that he was laundering money, but not this much!" chuckled the bluenette as he looked over Westley's finances. "I knew he was a criminal, but this is heinous."

"Actually, that's probably not from laundering…" Paul sheepishly pointed out.

"Oh? What then? Bribes? Tax fraud?"

"No, the stuff further down is fraud." Blackwood explained. "That money is taken directly from the council."

"Parliament? Government funding?"

"The, uh… The Convention of Twelve." The words that the assistant had just spoke stopped the Watchdog dead in his tracks.

"He… _what?_ " Ciel pressed, still facing toward the screen. His tone was no longer relaxed, and the fact that Paul couldn't see his face really made the assistant worry.

"H-h-he's been taking it from the Round Table." Blackwood repeated. "I-I don't know how or where he gets it, but tha-that's what he said..."

His eyes glanced toward the demon with the gun for a split second and was able to register the shock on Alois' face. The menace, despite his better judgement, turned to look at his partner for a moment, and both he and Blackwood watched as Ciel exited out of the computer and took the flashdrive. The man straightened his back in silence, placing the memory stick in his pocked while taking a moment to collect himself. Blackwood was ignorant to the gravity and magnitude of the situation like the two demons did. It was one thing to steal from the taxpayers, but it was another issue entirely to steal from the Round Table Conference. It was something that could not go unreported.

"I think we're done here." Ciel finally said, turning around. Although he smiled, his face was dark as though he hid a grimace underneath. "Remember, Mister Blackwood: It is in your best interest to heed our advice. It would really be a shame if something were to happen."

"L-like what?" the assistant asked as the bluenette turned to walk out of the room. As he watched him, he took his eyes off of the blonde for a second, leaving him open for the blow to the head that Alois inflicted with the butt of his pistol. He fell to the floor in pile. Once he knew the man was unresponsive, Alois quietly stepped over the man before leaving the room himself and shutting the door behind him. Once that was done, the Phantomhives left the flat without any other disturbance. They had left the place just as it was when they arrived, apart from the unconcious man in the floor in one of the rooms.

The pair walked in silence through the building and all the way to their car. They did not speak. They didn't even look at each other until they were safely inside the vehicle. Once there, they discussed what was going to happen next.

"What now?" questioned the menace.

"About what?"

"Anything. Do you think Blackwood will talk?" the blonde clarified, causing the bluenette to pause.

"I don't think he'll talk." the Watchdog answered. "He's too much of a coward. Besides, he's already in too deep. He can't go back now."

"What about Westley?"

"We tell the Round Table."

"But if we do that…" Alois trailed off for a moment, not wanting to finish his sentence. He knew very well what might happen. He just wasn't sure if he wanted it to. Too much was already going on.

"I know." Ciel said, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms. "I'm not sure if we can stop it."

"We could keep it a secret. Pretend we never heard, y'know?"

"If they find out we did that, then _we'll_ be in hot water. I'm not sure if they'll cut us any slack with this."

Both men sat in silence momentarily, taking it all in. This was bad. Neither of them were fond of Westley. They knew he didn't belong on the council since his first day. That said, they liked Daniel. Daniel didn't deserve any part of this. He didn't deserve scum like Blackwood, and he didn't deserve this.

"What now?" the menace asked again. "Where too?"

"Home." replied his husband. "We'll report to the Round Table when we get there."


	250. Secret Service

Immediately, the Convention of Twelve was assembled, or rather, Eleven. Mister Westley was not invited to this meeting, as it concerned him. Once the issue was brought to the attention of the council, an investigation was launched. What was found, they were not impressed with. Not impressed at all. The Round Table assembled. They put on their suits and their ties and arrived promptly at the meeting room before taking their seats. They were understandably outraged. They spoke angrily and shouted back and forth on how to handle the matter. None of them had any kind words, and all of them had something to say. Eventually, however, the verdict was reached and the Phantomhives received a call.

The two men came when called, although they were a tad sluggish. They knew what the verdict was from the simple fact that they were summoned. They also knew of the possible consequences, and did not want to carry out the mission they were about to be assigned. It was unavoidable, however. Nothing could stop it. It had to be done.

Walking through the doors of the meeting room, the pair stood before the conference with solemn faces. It appeared as though the others has calmed down substantially, however. If they hadn't, the demons would have been alarmed, as they had been in meeting for the entirety of a day and a night. As always, Integra greeted them.

"Good morning, Phantomhives." she said, alerting the duo to attention.

"Integra." Ciel replied as his partner nodded in acknowledgment toward the woman. "I take it that the council has decided on a course of action?"

"Indeed." the Hellsing replied. "Mathew Westley has been found guilty of stealing from the council. All evidence points toward this. It is an unprecedented act of betrayal. Thus, he will be removed from the council effective immediately. I take it that you understand what this means?"

"Yes. I understand." stated the bluenette, causing the blonde to close his eyes and furrow his brow. That is not what he wanted to hear.. "He knows too much to be let loose. Are there any specifics?"

"Given the fact that Westley is a figure in the public eye, it is best to avoid a murder."

"An accident?"

"Whatever you feel is best." said Integra. "I trust in your judgment."

Pausing to think, the Phantomhive folded his arms and rubbed his chin. He knew it was best to run a plan through the council before executing it. The situation was delicate, and he needed to make sure everything was in order.

"I have a proposal." he finally said, grasping everyone's attention. "With this method, I can get rid of Westley as well as the other loose end. Paul Blackwood, the assistant who alerted us of this, knows too much as well, and has proven to be mentally unstable. All I will need is a little cooperation from the council."

Leaning forward in her seat, Integra propped her elbows up on the table while tucking her intertwined fingers beneath her chin. "Explain."

"With the materials we have, we can easily get him a life sentence." the man elaborated. "He will go down in history as a lunatic who stalked and harassed a politician until his death, if you get my meaning..."

The blonde looked up at his spouse with a look of sincere concern across his face. He didn't want to carry out the mission at all. He just wanted the problem to go away. While he agreed with locking up Blackwood, he wasn't sure if he was on board with what his husband was proposing. He didn't like it. He didn't like this situation at all. The council, however, felt differently.

"Very well." replied the Hellsing. "All members of the council who approve?"

All around the table, a collective of "aye" piped up before stopping at what sounded like eleven "ayes". It was unanimous. There was not a single objection with doing things this way, and that made the duo officially on the case, no matter how much they were conflicted over the matter.

"Very well, then." the woman said. "That settles it. Phantomhives, it is your duty to carry out this order. I imagine that you understand what is at stake."

"Yes." answered Ciel, followed by a "yes, ma'am" from Alois. The blonde was still unenthusiastic, while Ciel maintained a facade of indifference.

"The secret must maintain thusly." she replied. "For that reason, Mister Westley cannot be allowed to get away. In the meantime, we will begin discussion on his replacement. This time, we will be much more thorough."

"Last time we were in a hurry, so we ended up settling." stated Sir Greendown from his side of the table. He folded his hands in front of him and sighed. "We will not be making that mistake again."

"I propose that we explicitly stick to candidates who have been knighted." suggested Sir Midford in an odd act of conservatism and seriousness. "We can't be a Round Table if we're not all knights!"

"For once, we agree." huffed Sir Kirkland. "We need to spend more time deciding this time around. Last time, we were in too much of a hurry to replace Sir Islands, and ended up picking an oaf!"

"We will begin the debate tomorrow." Integra piped up, trying to bring order back to the room. "In the meantime, we will get some rest. As for the matter of Westley himself, he is entrusted into the hands of the Phantomhive family. Meeting adjourned."

Chairs scuffled backwards as the members of the council stood up and collected their things before beginning to file out. The demons were no different. Their part of the meeting had been breif, but they had acquired their mission, which was the important part. The Phantomhives filed out of the room with the others and headed toward their car, where they spent the majority of the ride home in absolute silence. Their minds were too busy to talk right then. Ciel was plotting for the mission, while Alois was dreading it.

The blonde gripped the steering wheel tightly as he worried. He was having trouble paying attention to the road, and drove somewhat clumsily. He was far too concerned with what was going to happen next. While Daniel didn't like his father, he was still his father. How would he react when the duo is done? Would he be relieved? Sad? Distraught? What if it absolutely crushed him? That along with Blackwood inevitably breaking up with him quite soon may be too much to bear. What if they ruined their friendship? If word passed through the rest of the group, they might hate the demons as well. Alois couldn't bear that. He cared far too much about his friends to lose them like this. He was scared.

"Alois! Car!" shouted the bluenette in the passenger seat, prompting the menace to slam on the brakes. The car screeched to a halt just in time to avoid rear-ending the car in front of them. Suddenly, Alois was back in the real world and pulled out of his own thoughts. His heart was pounding and sweat coated his skin somewhat. His attention was further captured, however, when his spouse leaned over and put a hand over his.

"Are you alright?" he asked, causing the menace to think. The more he thought about how to reply, the more watery his eyes got. Suddenly, his lips pressed together in a thin line and he whimpered.

"No..." he replied, wiping his eye with his free hand. His spouse, obviously concerned, decided to address the man's unrest before attempting the drive home.

"Alright…" Ciel began. "There's a parking lot up ahead. Pull into it and stop the car. We'll talk."

"O-okay..." hiccuped the menace, doing as instructed. He pulled into the parking-lot and parked the car, shutting off the vehicle. He sat there for a moment without saying anything. All he did was look straight ahead and listened to the sound of his husband unbuckle his seatbelt and lean closer.

Ciel held out both hands and cupped one of the menace's between them. The action was soothing, somewhat, and helped just a smidgen. The Watchdog pulled the other man's hand to his lips and placed a kiss on his ring before intertwining their fingers and covering it with his other hand. His sapphire eye was fixed on his beau's face as it contorted with premature guilt at what had to be done.

"It's going to be alright, love." Ciel cooed, his voice soft as he spoke to the other. "Everything will turn out okay."

"How do you know that?" asked the menace with a strained throat. He sounded croaky, and it was from desperately trying to stay calm to no avail. "What if Daniel finds out?"

"He won't. Trust me. I'll take care of it. As long as we don't tell anyone, no one will know."

"But what if… What if it hurts Dan?" Alois questioned as he finally turned to face Ciel. "I don't know if I could not tell him if that happened… I'm not sure if I could bear it..."

"That's the price of being a secret agent." his spouse replied. "Some secrets, you can't even tell your friends. Some, you can't even tell your collegues. It's to protect them."

"What about you?" the menace asked. "How far does it go? What if one day, I have to keep a secret from you? Even if it's to protect you?"

"You have once before, remember? Blackjack? I forgave you, and still wanted you to be my husband. I understood what it meant."

"But what if it's too far? Ciel, the others… They might not understand. Daniel won't, at least. You know how he is!"

"That's why he must never know." the Watchdog stated, rubbing the other man's hand with his thumb. "We already hold our share of secrets. August does not know that we killed her, nor does Maxwell. Johnathan doesn't know that we were there when he died, or that we killed his father."

The bluenette's words, unfortunately, did nothing to calm Alois, and only helped the tears that threatened to spill over fall. Alois' heart was big. So was Ciel's, but they had different ways in going about it. Ciel knew that secrets can protect people, even if he was wore his heart on his sleeve when it came to the menace. Alois, however, was inexperienced, still. The poor man was shaken by his own occupation, and worried about his husband, as well.

"How can you be so calm?" he asked. "You make it seem so simple."

"I've had practice, I'm afraid." answered his spouse. Ciel's tone sounded apologetic, almost. He knew that this wasn't what Alois wanted to hear, but it was the truth. He could no longer lie to the menace. The ability was lost. "The war was especially bad." Pausing, the blue Phantomhive reached up and attempted to wipe away his spouse's tears.

"I can take care of it on my own, if you like." Ciel offered. "You can stay home, or act as lookout. Whichever you prefer."

"It's not the killing that bothers me..." Alois attempted to clarify. "I don't like Westley, and don't mind if he dies. It's Dan. What if he's upset his father died? I know they didn't like each other, but… isn't that what family does? You still care about each other?"

The man's question threw Ciel off for a moment, and he had to think. "I don't know." he said solemnly. "I don't really remember my parents that well… If I did, and I'd known them for longer… I probably would. Maybe even if I was mad at them..."

"I'm sorry…" his beau said, looking down. "I forgot..."

"It's alright." the Watchdog replied with a small, yet kind smile. It was a wonder that such a man was a killer, the way he awkwardly shifted in his seat and leaned over so that he could place a gentle kiss on his beloved's forehead.

"I love you." he said, trying to comfort the blonde. He wanted to hug the man, but couldn't manage it while still in the front seat of the car.

"I love you, too." hiccuped the menace, sniffling before he continued. "I know what I signed up for. This is just part of the job, right?"

"Right…" Ciel stated. "I can take care of the big part, if you want. And I'll be here if you need me. I know how awful it is..."

"I know..." Alois replied, looking up at the other again. "I can manage… It's just another hit, right?"


	251. Nobody Knows

It had been a few days since Blackwood was visited by the demons, and he hadn't gone out to follow Wesley, either. He had dutifully obeyed the duo's instructions and left Daniel alone as well, much to the younger man's concern. Daniel had tried repeatedly to contact him. Whenever he called, he was quickly sent to voicemail. The Westley wasn't sure what to make of it, so he expected nothing good. Blackwood was ill, after all. He was troubled by his visions of supernatural beings, and work was killing him. The curiosity and concern of the younger man never faded, however, and eventually, he was compelled to stop by his lover's apartment to check up on him.

When the Westley arrived at Paul's door, he was hesitant to knock for some reason. He didn't know why, but it felt as though he wasn't supposed to be there. Still, he persisted after a minute or two of standing outside of Blackwood's door. He knocked quietly at first, then increased the volume as he didn't receive a response. He recalled seeing the man's car in the parking garage on his way up, so he knew he was home. Little did he know about the turmoil that was happening on the other side of the barrier.

Blackwood was already in a tizzy, ducking in and out of rooms as he gathered his things. He crammed as many clothes and valuables as he could into a few suitcases. He had been preparing for this over the past few days; frantically. He knew a storm was coming. He could feel it in his bones. When he heard a knock at the door, he nearly jumped out of his skin! Waiting, he paused to listen. His muscles tensed as he froze. The man didn't dare take in a breath as he waited, seeing if the visitor would leave or identify himself. Surely it was the demons again, and if they knew that he was packing his bags, they would surely punish him. Blackwood just knew it.

"Paul?" called Daniel after he continuously failed to get a response. "Hello? Are you okay in there?"

"Fuck." mouthed the assistant, furrowing his brow as he tried to think of a way out. He did not want to engage the Westley, as he knew that a slow and painful death surely awaited him if he continued his interactions with him.

"Paul!" the younger man persisted, knocking harder. "I know you're in there! What's up with you? I haven't heard from you in a week!"

"Go away!" Blackwood shouted from behind the door. "Leave me alone!"

"What's wrong? Paul, it's okay. Just talk to m-"

"I said go away!" the assistant interrupted, his voice louder this time. "I don't want to see you!"

That made the brunet's heart drop suddenly. His fingers went numb, and he froze where he stood, uncertain if the other man meant what he thought he did. Daniel didn't know how to respond. Usually, he would have been able to come up with something, but right now, he was completely mute. It was as though he couldn't bring it upon himself to form words. It was a while before he was finally able to force a bit of speech, although it seemed strained.

"What?" he asked, swallowing. "Paul… Paul, did I… Did I do something wrong? Paul?"

"You didn't do anything wrong." the other man said from the safety of his apartment. "I just don't want to be around you anymore. Look, you're a nice kid, and you were fun, but it's not worth it."

"Whuh?" Daniel couldn't even say the word correctly as he was once again stunned into silence. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was being dumped? Again? They hadn't even been together a month, but now it was over? How could that be? Daniel didn't understand. He wouldn't understand until later what he meant and he had time to process it all. For now, however, he was dumbfounded.

True, Blackwood would be lying if he said he didn't have fun with Daniel. The assistant hadn't been in a physical relationship in several years, so he did enjoy those exchanges immensely. He simply had no further use for the Westley beyond that and getting back at the younger man's father. They had nothing in common. They had none of the same interests, and their values were different. Daniel didn't have anything else to offer Blackwood, and the truth had come out. Blackwood had fun using Daniel, but not enough fun to risk his life over.

"Didn't you hear?" questioned Blackwood from the other side of the door. "I'm done with you! What part of that do you not understand?"

Absent-mindedly, the Westley placed his arms over his abdomen and gripped his sides. He held the fabric of his jacket tightly as he stared at the door, burning up in the garment as his face turned red and his eye grew damp. Water began to fall down his cheeks in bitter droplets. His face was pained, contorting into an ugly expression as he tried not to make a sound. For the longest time, he stared at the door until it became unbearable to him. The floor was no better, as he watched his tears fall and wet the carpet.

Deep down, he knew it was coming. He knew, but he hoped it wouldn't for a while. At least, he hoped it would last until he had grown up more and was able to make do without the attention. He knew he didn't think Blackwood was the most handsome, or even particularly interesting. Daniel didn't understand what the assistant was talking about the majority of the time, but loved the attention. The brunet loved feeling important and valuable. He knew. He knew from the beginning, but that didn't stop him. He thought that maybe he could come to love Blackwood, or Blackwoodwould to him. It didn't, though. There was no way that it would. Daniel supposed that he knew that, too, but it didn't make it any easier to be told that he was not wanted- that he was just a quick fling.

Daniel knew better. He knew that he should have waited until he found someone who he truly trusted, but he was in a hurry. He wanted someone to make his loneliness and pain to go away right then and there, and Blackwood fit the bill. Perhaps Daniel had been using Blackwood as well, but not to the extent that Blackwood had. The assistant had blatantly manipulated the young man. The Westley felt that if he didn't go along with it, he would lose his chance.

He had already lost it, though. He knew that. He knew that very well. It felt like his chance would never come again, right then, as he stared at the floor. It felt like he was doomed to be alone for the rest of his life. He didn't know that this was alright as well, nor did he know what fate held for him. No one did; not even Blackwood's all-seeing eye.

Eventually, Daniel turned around and left. His pace was slow, but it got him where he needed to go. There was no pep in his step, making the trip back to his car a long one. He didn't feel like moving that much. The Westley was watched by Blackwood on the other side of the peephole as he left, prompting the assistant to get back to work. Paul still had much to do if he was going to avoid the demons. It was only a matter of time, now that he's broken the man's heart.

Both men, however, were ignorant to the magnitude of what was to come. There was no way that they could know. How could they? The information was not within their grasp. Granted, they would know very soon. Misfortune that was a long time coming had arrived today, but an even greater misfortune would be arriving within the week.

* * *


	252. Work-Related Stress

The air was heavy on this particular morning at the Phantomhive estate. It was sombre, even if the residents tried to fight it. Alois tried to keep his spouse in bed for as long as he could, but duty called. The blonde wanted to hold his husband a little longer before he left, but he wasn't sure if it was for Ciel's sake or for his own. Perhaps it was both. Either way, he couldn't win. Ciel had to leave, although he would be back in a matter of hours. It would feel like an eternity to Alois, and the Watchdog hated that, but today was the day.

Ciel put on his work suit and double-checked his equipment. He took along a black suitcase, but did not put on the matching gloves just yet. No, he would wait a while longer. He would put them on after he bid farewell to his husband and set off. Until then, he was still Alois'.

The menace followed him down the stairs in his pyjamas, as he had no intention of going anywhere, that day. He simply wasn't up for it. In truth, he wasn't sure if he was up for being out of bed that morning, but he needed to see his beloved off before the other man went to work.

"Have you got everything?" the blonde asked as they both descended the stairs. "Did you make sure you have all of the pictures printed out? The envelope?"

"Yes, and yes." Ciel replied, actually using the menace's concerns as a mental checklist for himself.

"You have rope? Something to install it?" Alois pried further. "What about the padded handcuffs?"

"Yep. I'm all set." answered the Watchdog as he reached the bottom step. The pair made it to the front door before Ciel handed the briefcase to the butler, who wandered off to put it in the car. The bluenette then turned his attention back to his spouse and placed his hands on the man's shoulders before running them down his arms and stopping at his elbows, as his arms were crossed. "I'll be back in a few hours."

"Okay..." answered the blonde Phantomhive, unfolding his arms in order to place his hands on his husband's shoulders. In a rather mundane fashion, the pair leaned forward and pressed their lips together as many married couples do when going to work for the day. It lingered a tad longer than most, however, as Alois found comfort in it.

"Be safe." the menace said, prompting a warm smile from the other and earning him another kiss on the cheek.

"I will. Don't worry." Ciel said softly, his voice soothing. In truth, he didn't want to leave either, as his husband needed him as well, but time was of the essence. No one knew when the opportunity would be this perfect again.

"Love you. I'll be back soon." he added, kissing the other cheek.

"Love you, too." Alois replied. He was pained as the other man let go and pulled away, walking backwards a ways so that he could still face the menace. "Hurry back."

"I will." his husband called out as he stepped out the door. "Bye, dear."

"Bye." said the blonde as he watched his beloved step into the awaiting car with a wave. He stood for a moment longer and watched the car make its way down the driveway a little while before finally shutting the door.

He had no idea what he was going to do now. Really, he didn't want to do anything. He just wanted to curl up in bed with his spouse in comfort. It would have been an effort to remain calm and not think about what troubled him. He knew that. He knew it wasn't good for him, either, but he wanted it more than anything. Somehow, Alois was going to have to find another way to occupy himself, as his husband had a job to do.

For the first time in a while, Ciel was going to carry out a job with Sebastian. The Watchdog knew that he might have needed the extra hands, but he also knew how Alois felt about it all. There was no need to subject the blonde to that. Besides, the butler seemed keen, as he sat behind the wheel of the Rolls Royce and tried not to smile. The older demon was glad to finally go on a mission again, and felt somewhat nostalgic, going on a mission with his master.

"Cheer up, master..." Sebastian finally piped up, noticing the particularly displeased expression on the bluenette's face. "It's nothing to worry about. This should be a fairly easy hit, if all goes accordingly."

"It's not the job I'm worried about..." sighed the younger.

"Alois?"

"Yes… He feels dreadful about the whole thing."

"Understandable." the butler answered with a small nod. "Master Alois is quite sensitive. I am sure that it's just inexperience. Are you sure it was a good idea to have him sit out?"

"I don't want him to go through with it if he hasn't accepted it, yet." Ciel replied. "It's never good to make someone undergo such a burden while being ill-prepared. Now that I say that, though… I wonder why he didn't object. Usually, he's so insistent that he can do things himself."

"True, but he also knows when he is in over his head."

"I know. I just worry."

"Your heart has grown over the years. It's good."

"I suppose..." said the bluenette, resting his elbow on the door and his hand in his hand. He seemed intent on getting this operation over with, although the butler was somewhat looking forward to it.

"I must admit, however, I very keen on getting out of the house, if I may say so." Sebastian stated as he tried not to smile too wide. "It's been a while since I last accompanied you."

"I can tell." Ciel answered, smiling slightly, himself. "Perhaps I could just leave it to you."

"Really?" the butler questioned, looking away from the road in front of him for a brief moment. His tone and expression were laced with a twinge of excitement at the possibility.

"I said I would go, however, so I must." stated the master. "You may do the dirty work, as long as you're careful, if you like."

"As long as you are alright with that, sir." grinned the older demon. "I will do as you wish."

"It feels strange to hear you call me 'sir'..." Ciel mused, glancing over to his servant, but the other man continued his good mood.

"It is part of the butler aesthetic." Sebastian said. "Pay it no mind."

"Is that an order? I thought you were a butler." jested the bluenette, mouth turning upwards as the butler's smile fell. Sebastian sat there for a few moments, trying to come up with something to say. Ciel was right. What had he done? Fortunately, the Phantomhive wasn't serious.

"I'm joking." the bluenette said. "Pay it no mind."

Sebastian almost looked relieved at that. His face had the appearance of a sigh as his smile returned, uttering right on cue: "Yes, my lord."

The rest of the drive was uneventful, for the most part. All the pair did was go over the plan at that point. Everything had been carefully timed so that Mister Westley was actually at his home, for once, occupying the house on his own. Missus Westley was in Spain on holiday with her friends for giggles, and Samantha was at school. Later, she would be going to Geraldine Midford's house for a sleepover, while the eldest son, Nathan Westley, would come home later that evening to find the body. The demons' target timed this as well, as he was expecting an "escort" around noon. It wasn't unusual for him to cheat on his wife, but it was uncommon for him to do it at home. According to his staff at the office, he was seeming particularly giddy, which no one wanted to speculate upon any further.

The Round Table had arranged for the power to go out on the block, so that security cameras would not detect the demons entering the building. As they pulled into the garage, they waited until the lamps overhead went out all at once, and then they moved in. Ciel led the way while his butler followed with suitcase in hand. Since the elevator was out of order, they took the stairs. The Westley's residence was on the top floor, so it was fortunate that the assassins were demons. A human would have been too tired to carry out the hit properly once they arrived to their destination!

Everything was moving like clockwork. There were no problems thus far, but this was only the easy part. Next, they had to get through the front door. This would be easy as well. Mister Westley would open the door for them, as the hallway was too dark to see anyone through the peephole. Their suspicions were correct after they knocked on the door and saw the man's expression when he answered. Mathew wore a big smile, but it immediately fell as the natural sunlight from the room poured into the hallway and illuminated the demons' face.

"Phantomhive?" Westley questioned, arching an eyebrow at the appearance of the demons. As he recalled his appointment, however, his tone faltered. "U-uh, what brings you here?" he asked rather nervously.

"Official business, I'm afraid, Mister Westley." answered the bluenette with a smile. "May I come in?"

"Uh… certainly..." the politician replied, stepping aside as he allowed them in. As he shut the door, he checked his watch and hoped that the two would leave before his appointment would arrive. It would never come, however. It had been canceled without Westley's knowledge. "So, how can I help you?"

"I'm afraid that this is rather serious, Sir." said the Phantomhive as his servant set the suitcase down. He waited until Mathew took a seat before continuing. All the while, he was careful not to look toward his butler and direct attention to Sebastian, as the older demon inched toward the door.

"You see, the Council has made a shocking discovery." the bluenette continued. "Someone is has been stealing money from the council's funds, which is a situation that is not to be sneezed at."

"I could imagine..." Westley answered, his worry growing. This time, it was at what was being said.

He knew very well where that money had gone. It had gone into vacations, boats, cars, and even less than savory places, like into the buying of narcotics or people. He didn't know what all the Phantomhive was aware of, but even the mention of it was a cause of concern. From Ciel's tone, he didn't let on what all he knew, but the man was tricky. In fact, the simple observation that Ciel had not taken a seat yet was a cause of concern. Then he realised that the other one was not in his view, but it had come far too late, as he heard the _click_ of the lock. Westley's head whipped around to face the direction of the sound and found it's source. Sebastian was now walking toward him from the door and stepped behind him on the couch, placing his hands on his shoulders.

"Wh-what's going on?" nearly demanded the politician as panic started to sink in. "What's all this?"

"Fortunately for us, but less fortunate for you, we discovered just who was taking the money, Mister Westley." continued the Watchdog, his tone soft, but but with the biting coolness of ice. The man didn't even bat an eyelash when the Westley tried to stand up, only to be forced back down into his seat by the hands on his shoulders.

"What is this!?" the human demanded with a scowl on his face, but his voice gave away the fear that was taking hold of him. "You don't think it was me, do you? I'll have you punished for this!"

"On the contrary, Mister Westley, you are mistaken." Ciel answered. "It has come to the attention of the council that you do not understand how the Round Table operates. This is an unfathomable shame, as you have worked on the Council for almost a year."

As he spoke, Sebastian shoved their target so that he was laying on his side before the butler forced him onto his stomach. Mathew uttered a sound of surprise and then groaned in pain as he was pinned down and his hands were forced behind his back. The Phantomhive then proceeded to walk over to the briefcase on the floor before crouching down and opening it. He retrieved a pair of padded handcuffs, which he then handed over to his servant, who expertly managed to get them onto the politician's wrists.

"Are you comfortable?" the butler questioned, earning a rude response.

"No, you fucking idiot!" barked Westley from his humiliating position. "Let me go! That's an order!"

"We no longer take instructions from you, Mister Westley." Ciel explained, looking down on their target. "As of today, you are alleviated of your position on the council. I would like to explain the procedure, but I would highly recommend that you stay as you are until I am done talking."

"You bastard!" Mathew snapped as he up at the demon, once again oblivious to the movements of the one behind him. Sebastian picked up the suitcase and disappeared further into the house with it and its contents. The master, however, only sighed.

"Now, I'm not too thrilled about this either, Mister Westley, so I would appreciate it if you were cooperative." replied the Watchdog while folding his arms. "This isn't exactly the high point of my day, either. But, I will have to make do with it."

"Why are you doing this?" demanded the politician. "Tell me!"

"Because it's my job." the bluenette answered bluntly. He hadn't told a single lie thus far, and he wasn't now. "I'm under orders from the Round Table Conference, Mister Westley. I have no personal vendetta against you. It is my duty. Unfortunately, you have forgotten yours, which has put you in your predicament." He paused for a moment to see if the other man had anything important or insightful to add, but when he was met with silence, he continued.

"You seem to have forgotten the nature of the conference, which is a shame." he said. "Loyalty is of utmost importance, therefore we cannot lie, cheat, or steal from it. It's nature is that of loyalty, duty, and secrecy. It is not like regular politics, I'm afraid, Mister Westley. You can't hide your misdeeds, and you cannot expect leniency."

"Am I under arrest?" Mister Westley asked in an almost groan, but he was baffled by the answer.

"I'm afraid not." replied the Phantomhive. There was a graveness in his tone that frightened the mortal man, causing his body to tense. "You are aware of the sort of subjects that are debated within the Round Table Conference, yes? They are matters of utmost secrecy, however, a lifetime sentence is not the most practical way of keeping them. Fortunately, because of this nature that the Conference has, it is not restricted to the usual means of insuring that secrets stay hidden."

Sweat began to collect on the Westley's skin and run down the side of his face as he looked up at the bluenette with wide eyes. He couldn't process the gravity of what Ciel was saying right way. It all felt so surreal. Mathew almost felt as though he were having a nightmare as he desperately refused to believe what the Watchdog was implying in his head. He didn't want this to be reality. He wanted to wake up. In a way, he did, as he heard the sound of tape being pulled out behind him, and felt the butler place it over his mouth. Suddenly, Westley found his voice and was able to scream and protest, but the barrier prevented him from making anything above a muffled yell.

"Is it ready?" Ciel inquired ofa Sebastian, turning his gaze toward the butler. The older demon nodded with a small smile.

"Yes, all of the preparations have been made." Sebastian answered, sounding quite pleased with his handiwork. "I believe I arranged everything according to your instructions."

"Very good, Sebastian." the Watchdog said. "Would you please help Mister Westley to his room?"

"Yes, my lord."

With that, two strong hands gripped the Westley, causing him to thrash and cry out with all of his might to no avail. The demon was too strong, and Mathew soon found his efforts to be fruitless as he was carried further into the dark house. Tears fell down his face and snot dripped from his nose as he panicked, not being able to see anything at all and knowing that he was in danger. When he finally did see something, it was a faint light coming from the walk-in closet he shared with his wife in their bedroom, where a flashlight was placed on one of the shelves that held shoes. The light pointed toward the center of the room, and when the politician witnessed the scene, he was sobbing and shaking his head frantically while crying out for mercy. His arms ached from fighting the restraints and the rest of him hurt from fighting the butler.

Hanging from the light fixture in the center of the closet was a rope, and beneath it was a small step stool. The way it hung in the middle of the dark room, being the only thing illuminated only amplified the man's terror. Westley knew what it meant. He knew what the demons were sent here to do, and he wanted no part of it. This is not how he wanted his story to end.

He made his choice, however. He had committed treason against not only his country, but against the Round Table Conference, knowing what the organization was capable of. His arrogance, however, deluded himself into believing that he would be permitted leniency, which was a sad mistake. There is no mercy for those who betray the Round Table. This rule holds true for even members of the Conference itself. Had Westley thought for even a fraction of a second, he could have avoided this fate, but alas, it was not to be.

His feet touched the surface of the stool as Sebastian set him down, but the demon did not let him go just yet. With one arm, he held the man still, while with the other, he slipped the loop of the rope around Westley's neck. It was a clumsily made noose, but not because Sebastian was unskilled. Oh no, it was because Mathew Westley himself was, so the demon tried to make the set up realistic.

Once the rope was tight, Ciel reached up and ripped the tape off of the man's mouth, but the Westley did not scream. He had no voice, as his tears and his whimpering had taken it away. Mister Westley stood there and sobbed, facing downwards toward the floor with his eyes shut, trying to muster the strength to beg for his life.

"Please..." he whimpered, hyper ventilating as his tears blinded him. "I'll-I'll do anything..."

"I'm sorry, sir, but it isn't within our power." Ciel replied, crumpling the tape in his hand and placing it in a plastic bag from the suitcase to dispose of later. "We know what happens when you defy the council."

"I won't tell anyone..." Westley sobbed. "Honest… I'll go away… You'll never hear from me again… Please… Please… Please don't do this..."

"I'm sorry, Mister Westley. It's just business." Ciel's eye then looked past the groveling creature to address his butler.

"Sebastian..." he began. "Do it."

Smiling, the demon answered: "Yes, my lord." before releasing Westley and giving him a gentle push off of the stool.

Truly, it was a grotesque scene, watching the man flail and choke. Because the knot was intentionally improper, it didn't break the man's neck like most nooses, and instead asphyxiated the man with his own weight. The rope dug into his skin as he frantically gasped for air, but it was of no use. No one would help him. The only ones there didn't lift a finger.

Sebastian smiled at the display, taking delight in the way the man suffered, but Ciel did not. The Watchdog almost looked through the man as he hung there, shutting out what was happening. It came from experience. Had Westley not been related to a personal friend of Ciel's, it might have been different. Ciel might have found amusement, but here, he felt nothing but ice. He heard nothing, having drowned out the sound of gasping and choking, until it dawned on him that the man was silent.

Seeing that the man was limp, Sebastian reached out and carefully removed the cuffs before carefully placing them back into the briefcase. Westley did not respond. While Sebastian was crouched, he took out an envelope with all of the evidence that Blackwood had complied inside.

"I'll go plant this." the older demon said, shutting the case and standing up.

"Good. Then we can leave." Ciel answered as his servant walked past him and out of the room. While Sebastian planted the photographs and documents carefully strewn about on the man's bed, Ciel looked up at the victim and allowed it all to sink in.

This was not the first time he had done this. It wasn't even close. Ciel had killed the family members of people he knew- of people who were kind, and he held no disdain for. He had killed comrades with discretion, holding no ill-will against them. Sometimes, he even understood why they did what they did to require the order, but he could not fight it. This is true now more than ever, as it's no longer himself that he is protecting.

He has loved ones, himself, now. He wanted to protect them. He also wanted to stay alive for them. Sometimes, he wondered if this would be used against him, however, as is in war. Ciel hoped with all of his heart that it wouldn't, as he no longer had the capacity to surrender his love.

All of this was merely business. It was a transaction- nothing more, and nothing less. While Ciel did think that Westley was scum, he wouldn't wish death upon him out of respect for his friend, Daniel. The preservation of the things he cares about, however, trumped the cost of this man, to Ciel. It was for this reason that the Phantomhive had no objections to killing him.

The demons left as swiftly as they came, leaving the place as they found it, with one extra detail. They even locked the door before they left, using the key under the mat before putting it back. The building was still dark as the power was not turned on quite yet, giving them ample cover.

The operation was quick and simple, taking them a matter of minutes. Once they were on their way out, a call was made, and Integra picked up the phone. She said nothing, having known who it was and merely waited for the agent to speak.

"It's done." Ciel informed her while he and his butler drove home. That was all it took to satisfy the woman, prompting her to be brief.

"Good work." she replied. "I will inform the Round Table and make the proper arrangements."

With that, she hung up, ending the conversation. She had left the demons in silence as they made their way back home, knowing what the evening had in store for the Westley family. Indeed, Ciel felt guilty. He felt as though he needed to clean himself, as common after missions of this particular nature.

He felt tired although he gave no physical effort in his mission, and shuffled through the doors of the mansion upon returning home rather lazily. After taking off his coat and putting it away, he went to find his spouse, who was already aware that he had returned. The Watchdog had the desire to hold the blonde, as he found it comforting. Even this was enough to replenish his energy, so it was essential that he sought him out.

Alois, however, knew quite that Ciel would come looking for him, so he made no effort to move. He did not know how the bluenette needed to hold him just yet, since he was still focusing on his own guilt, and the knowledge of what Ciel's return meant made his chest ache. He knew that the deed was done, and he knew of what was surely to come next. While he tried to distract himself by organising the bookshelf in their shared office, he was still nervous. As the door opened behind him, his body tensed momentarily before relaxing again. Without even looking, he knew that it was his husband, although he was pleasantly surprised when the bluenette wrapped his arms around his waist from behind. Ciel held him securely and rested his head on the blonde's shoulder while uttering a long, loud, but very content sigh.

"Hey, babe." greeted the menace, not being able to help cracking a bit of a smile. He reached up behind him to cradle the bluenette's face while the man kissed his cheek and readjusted so that he could reach.

"Hello, my love." Ciel said back, enjoying the hand in his hair and the feeling of his husband in his arms. "What are you up to?"

"Needless distraction." Alois answered honestly with a sigh of his own. "I'm having trouble finding things to do. I ran out of episodes of _Bob's Burgers_ on _Netflix_ , and I figured I shouldn't watch _Call the Midwife_ without you."

"That sounds nice." the Watchdog stated with a tired grin. "Though I feel more like comedy right now. I was honestly hoping to hold you for a bit." Alois could hear just how much he needed it just in his voice, and both knew that the menace himself needed it as well.

"I think I can arrange that." stated the blonde. He couldn't help but smile a bit at how cute his spouse was when he's clingy. "I can probably stand a few reruns, too."

* * *


	253. The Devil Is Made of Gold

An investigation was launched into Mathew Westley's death the following day. Just as planned, he was found by Nathan Westley, who went into his parents' closet in search of hidden alcohol, and he called the police. Also just as planned, the police did not look very carefully, and chalked the politician's death up to suicide. Naturally, it made the news because the man's position, and everyone was in search of a Mister Paul Blackwood on suspicion of stalking and harassing the politician and driving him to his fate. The only problem was that the man was missing.

The police couldn't find him and neither could the Round Table. He was suspected of fleeing the country, with was a correct guess. Days before Westley was assassinated, he had been packing his things. The man had left Britain, and the council soon discovered that he had booked a flight to Norway. While they knew what flight he took and where it landed, there was no telling at all where he exactly he went from there.

He made his way as far from the airport as possible, moving from place to place. There was no particular route as he twisted and turned throughout the country, despite his lacking in the ability to speak Norwegian. Blackwood ran for as long as he could, but was becoming tired. He wasn't used to not having a home, and the travel was taxing. He was always frozen, and often hungry. The man hadn't showered or shaved in a week or so, and was becoming quite scruffy. Paul wasn't sure how much longer he was going to last, if he didn't come up with something.

Eventually, the man made it back to the coast, and sat in a bar with a few members of staff that thankfully spoke English. Blackwood had brought quite a bit of money with him, and hid the fact well. The man only paid in cash, as a card was out of the question. He hadn't used much of his funds, trying to conserve as much of it as he could. His hunger became too much for him, and he was sick of the cold, so he stopped for a meal. There wasn't a single care in his mind for what exactly he ate as long as he did, and there was a lot.

Obviously, he was very invested in his food and nearly burined his face in it as he sat. Granted, it did take some effort to ignore the staring of other patrons who showed disgust for his appearance and odor. Blackwood was not accustomed to such treatment, as he was a white collared sort who always looked like an upstanding citizen. He hoped that he wouldn't be asked to leave again, as with other places he had been to.

It became unbearable, and he was forced to look up. Out of habit, he looked through his left eye, with his right eye closed and looked up at the group that was sitting at a booth along the wall. The sight made him choke on his food, spitting some of it across his own table. Coughing, he closed both eyes as he tried not to appear worse, and he opened him when he was calmer, seeing the group again.

Now, they appeared to be normal folks, albeit a tad shady. There were five of them, sitting at all shapes and sizes. The noise that Blackwood made grabbed their attention, and his staring didn't help.

 _"_ _Kan du se at jeg ikke snakker dette språket_ _?"_ asked one of the women at the table. She was ridiculously pale, with fair hair and eyes to match. Unlike the others in her company, she didn't change.

"Sorry?" Blackwood reflexively let out, prompting further response.

"She asked what you're lookin' at." answered a large man at the table. When Blackwood saw him, he was furry with sharp teeth and pointed ears. His loud voice caused the former assistant to shrink in his seat.

"N-nothing..." he quickly said in response, although he was visibly worried. Thus, the group unfortunately did not believe him, causing a bit of a stand off to see which one would leave first.

Blackwood was frozen in his seat and could not bear the thought of moving. All he did was sit there and eat slowly. He carried on at a snail's pace, eventually prompting the group to seemingly get up and leave. They paid for their food, and exited the building, seeming to leave the Englishman in peace. Paul felt as though he was in the clear to finish his food and spent several more minutes finishing up. He then paid his own fee and left the bar as well, only to be met with a unwelcome surprise.

As soon as he left the bar, a pair of hand grabbed at his shoulders and forced him against the wall. The contents of the pack on his back were jabbing against his ribs, causing his eyes to clench shut before one opened. What he saw was not to be scoffed at.

A bona fide werewolf had him in his grips, accompanied by another, and a few other creatures that he did not recognise. It was the same group from before ambushing him and it was just now that he realised that they had things in common in their sense of fashion. They all had a splash of red somewhere, which made him wonder if they were part of an organised group, but he had bigger concerns to focus his energy on.

"What're you here for, you English fuck?" growled the beast. Despite his words, he too, had an accent that obviously originated from England, confusing the man further. "Huh? Who sent you?"

"No one!" Paul replied, putting his hands up. "Honest! I'm here on my own!"

"You fucking liar!"

"Jason! Pull back, there's people here." said one of the others, an effeminate man with pink skin and horns. "We shouldn't do this here."

"Take him with us." suggested the pale woman in a heavy accent. "We need to make sure he's not with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G."

There that organization was again. It seemed as though he could not escape it! Never did he suspect that he would ever hear that word again, but here he was, being manhandled by what appeared to be an enemy of the organization. That did give him an idea, however. Perhaps the enemy of his enemy could be his friend.

"I'm not with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G!" Blackwood declared. "I came out here to run away from it!"

"Wha'd you say?" demanded the wolfman, narrowing his eyes and baring his teeth.

"I am! I've been trying to flee them! They want me back in England. They want to lock me away! That's why I came here!" the human attempted to explain. "I came because it was far away, and I didn't think anyone would look for me!"

"Do you know who we are, little man?" one of the others said. "Do ya? We're H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G's worst nightmare, and we're about to be yours."

"No! Please, no!" Blackwood cried out. "Please… I… I-I can give you news! About the Round Table! I used to work for one of it's members!"

"Then why should we trust that you're not a spy?"

"He's dead! He's dead. My boss is dead. They want me for it… That's why I ran away..."

To Paul's surprise, the grip on him loosened and his attackers grew quiet. They looked to one another, trying to figure out what to do. Eventually, they had to speak, as their eyes were insufficient.

"Like I said, we should bring him with us." repeated the pale woman. "We should bring him to Preston."

"Maybe we should." agreed the man with the horns. "That's some pretty good information he's got, there."

With that, the former assistant was released, causing to utter a sigh in relief. His turmoil was not yet over, however, and he didn't count on it. He could understand what they were saying, but it wasn't as though as he could stop it. They had decided to take him with them, and he was instructed to come with them to the docks. It wasn't as though he could refuse. Their teeth and claws were very persuasive.

As they had no car, they walked the entire way, although they occasionally had to stop for the human to catch his breath. He needed rest somewhere warm and comfortable. The man had understandably not slept for more than a few hours at a time each day. He hoped that his plan would work and he would be able to lodge with them, but as soon as they reached their destination, he wasn't certain if he wanted to.

Up against the shore was a large ship that was flying a large, red flag, and Blackwood took it as such. The flag had three black skulls on it, and looked like something that would adorn a pirate ship, and Blackwood knew what the red flag meant in the language of pirates. It meant that they did not take prisoners, and he certainly hoped that this is not what they were trying to convey.

He was intimidated by its look and his size, but was unaware that their previous ship had been larger. The Scarlet Order had managed to strip what they could of their previous vessel, and sell the rest. This ship was smaller, but it was no small fishing boat! Some of those were nearby, however, amoung others. They flew flags similar to those on the larger ship and had names on the side. There was " _The Prudentia_ " which displayed a flag with with the silhouette of a knife through a heart on it, and there was " _The Princess of Rose_ ", which flew a flag with a black rose on it, amoung a few others. Blackwood's captors, however, made a beeline for the biggest ship, and walked toward the ramp that lead inside.

"Welcome to _the Brahmastra_ , little man." one of the wolfmen darkly chuckled as his walked up to one of the supernaturals guarding the entrance to the ship. It took a few minutes of explaining before one of the gaurds allowed them to take Blackwood inside on the condition that they are escorted.

As the group entered the ship, the former assistant was completely on edge. He was surrounded by supernatural beings, and didn't know what to do with himself. It was obvious that they knew that he was not one of them. Those who didn't were informed in whispers as they passed by.

Perhaps the most concerning thing, however, was how his captors seemed to grow tense as they appeared to get close. While "Preston" was certainly not a name that Paul would associate with a fearsome leader, he had certainly seen stranger things. He too, was scared for his life, as he lost faith in the idea that he was going to live. He didn't expect him to last long in Norway, but he tried. He didn't expect him to survive being detained by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; but he somehow made it. The man was tired; he was so, so, tired. Paul was starting to wonder why he even bothered to persist, as he knew that he was going to die some horrible, grisly death. Somehow, he had accepted it. He didn't know when, but he did. It was now only instincts of self-preservation that appeared to be keeping him going. It wasn't as though he had anything to look forward to in life, as it was all gone. All of it. Everything he had worked toward over the past few years was gone, and it all started with that trip to the hospital. No. It started years ago. Perhaps it was back when he first started working for Westley. His spirit was broken and there was nothing left to look forward, to.

"The Boss is through here." the guard said, looking over his shoulder at the group. Taking a moment to compose himself, he knocked on the door to alert those inside of his presence.

"What is it?" called a voice from the other side. It sounded like a young man, but was muffled enough for Paul to be uncertain.

"Someone to see you, captain." answered the guard. "Some men picked up someone who has information on the Round Table."

Then, there was silence, like the other person had to think. From the gaurds perspective, he could hear mumbling on the other side as people debated. Eventually, however, the door unlocked and opened to reveal a woman with a rather serious expression and a surgical eyepatch over her left eye.

"Come in." she said, stepping aside to allow the group inside. Once they were past the door, it shut, and the supernaturals lined up and saluted. Naturally, Blackwood was confused as he analysed the room.

There was a short table in the center with a large map of Europe on placed on it. The table was so short, that the three people who were originally in the room had to sit on cushions on the floor. Walking past them, the woman walked back to the table and took her seat. She was on one end and on the other was a large, werewolf-looking creature that was covered in thick, black fur, with a human face. To Blackwood's astonishment, he looked the same whether he was looked upon by the assistant's left eye or both, making him think that he was already in this form. The creature was frightening, wearing a big grin with even bigger, jagged fangs, but he was not the scariest one in the other group. No, that was taken by the man who sat between the two. It was the young man.

Blackwood felt crushed under the weight of his gaze. The man's golden eyes seemed to stare through him with nothing but contempt. He had dark circles around his eyes and bags that made him look ill. Perhaps the most disturbing thing about him, however, was the black growth that seemed to crawl out of the man's shirt and wrapped around his neck. It seemed to be trying to devour him, but the man didn't seem to let it.

"Sir," began one of Blackwood's captors. "we found this man who knows about H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; and we thought it best to alert you at once."

None of the others seemed impressed. They simply looked at the group with indifference before gold eyes scanned Blackwood up and down. Then, the young man spoke.

"You said he knows something about the Round Table." the man replied. "What is it."

"He says that a member has died."

"And this is important because?"

To this, the first group had no answer. They didn't know what was and was not important when it came to these matters, which is why they relied on Preston to tell them. After several moments of unbearable silence, Blackwood took a deep breath to summon his courage.

"It was Mathew Westley." Paul informed, observing the subtle flicker of change in the leader's expression. "He stole money from the council and was assassinated by the Round Table, most likely."

"How do you know this?" questioned Preston. "How do I know you're not making this up?"

"Because I used to be one of his aides." Blackwood answered, shocking the others in the room with his boldness. "I worked for him for many years, and it was I who passed the information on to the Conference's flunkies under interrogation. Really, I did it because I despised him. I was going to let the information go public, anyway. I had been collecting data on him for weeks."

"So you feed the information that killed him to the Round Table out of revenge?" asked Preston.

"Yes, sir, Mister Omid."

Using Preston's surname was a gamble. It could either lead to further dialogue, or get Paul killed. At this point, he wasn't sure if he minded, either way. Naturally, Preston's eyes widened and his expression faltered, causing the air in the room to consist of almost entirely of the feeling of looming dread.

"How do you know my name?" demanded the leader of the order. His face contorted into a deep scowl as he glared at Blackwood, causing the man to shudder.

"You were one of Daniel's friends at one point, correct?" the assistant asked. "I didn't recognise you are first, but that's who you look like."

The Omid was silent following that explanation, causing even his fellow commanders to look nervous. Blackwood, however, appeared calm. In reality, however, he simply believed death to be imminent and had resigned himself to his fate.

"Everyone get out." Preston instructed, prompting his underlings to quickly file out of the room. Even his fellow commanders got up and left without much to say, although they were far more relaxed then those of lower ranks.

Once the door was closed, Preston stood up and walked toward the former assistant, looking him over. He then circled around him, trying to figure the man out. Blackwood was lucky in the sense that Preston was not sure what to do with him right away. Finally, the man stood in front of Paul again and looked him in the eye.

"How is Daniel, these days?" inquired the Omid with what seemed like genuine curiosity.

"He could be better." Blackwood answered. "He's just been through a bad break up."

"With Kristopherson?" Preston asked further. "I'm not surprised, to be honest. Daniel lacks the maturity to give what Kristopherson is looking for."

"That's the impression I got." Paul was extremely wary of the captain of the Brahmastra. The man seemed unpredictable. There was a wildness in his eyes that clashed with his manner of speaking. He looked as though he would jump at any moment and tear Blackwood to shreds with his bare hands. He was capable of it, too. Blackwood could tell. "He seemed rather headstrong."

"Nice to see nothing has really changed." the Omid said, walking back to his table and sitting down. "Have a seat." he instructed, and Blackwood wasn't about to deny his request. Paul sat at an appropriate distance on the other side of the table away from Preston, not wanting to get too close. It was a wise decision, as Preston would not have appreciated it otherwise.

"So how did my men come across you?" inquired the captain, arching an eyebrow. "You don't seem like the kind of bloke who would go around picking fights."

"We came across each other at a bar." stated Paul, placing his hands on the table. "I hadn't eaten in a day or so, so I was getting something to eat. I came here with money, clothes, and a few snacks, but no plan. I was in a hurry to leave, so I've been wandering a while. Obviously, with my appearance, I draw quite a few disgusted reactions, and I don't blame people. I just happened to look up and stare too long at your men. I didn't intend for any confrontation, but I guess they thought I was suspicious of them."

"Why would you be?" asked Preston, causing the other man to visibly falter. Still, Paul decided to tell the truth.

"Because they're supernaturals." he said, laying everything out on the table. "I can see them, even if they're wearing a disguise. All I have to do is close my right eye."

"But you're human, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am. I wasn't born like this, it just happened. I went to the hospital for a fracture and got caught up in some supernatural nightmare realm or something. Then, when I woke up, I could see supernatural's real faces. It sounds crazy, I know. I'm getting kind of used to it, by now."

Raising his eyebrows, Preston pondered what the assistant was saying. With what he had seen thus far, he believed him. After all, Preston was living proof that humans could develop abilities that were otherwise considered to be beyond their reach. He was very interested in this power, as it was both rare and perhaps useful.

"Is that why you were staring?" he asked, prompting Paul to nod his head.

"Yes." said the assistant. "I didn't mean anything by it. Supernaturals are more common than most people will ever know. I just assumed they were there getting lunch as well. Still, it was quite surprising, since I haven't seen a supernatural in a while."

"Well, you found them. Congratulations." grinned the Omid, but it wasn't clear if it was a friendly smile or not, just from looking at it. "If you have nowhere else to go, you're welcome to stay here among them."

"But I'm human?"

"There are a few humans, here." Preston assured. "They are essential to our operation, in some ways. Besides, with that ability, no one will bat an eye."

The silence that the offer brought invited the captain too add: "It's alright if you can't make up your mind right away. Until then, you're welcome to at least rest here. There's always a place for you here, at the Scarlet Order."

"Scarlet Order?" questioned the assistant, arching a brow.

"That's the name of our group. We are the sworn enemy of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and all that they are. Our goal is to ultimately crush them. Right now, we're amassing the people and tools we need."

Paul had to think about that. It was tempting. Too tempting. He still was not satisfied with the revenge that he wrought, and felt as though he needed more. He was still angry at his predicament, and had nothing more to lose. Everything had already been lost except for his body and his soul. There was nothing more on this earth for him, but he yearned for something. Causing H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. to crumble seemed like it could be just the thing, and besides, who was he to refuse perfectly good lodgings and food?

"I like the sound of that." Blackwood said. "If you'd behappy to have me, I'll be happy to be here."

"Well then," began the other as he extended his hand. "Welcome aboard then, mister...?"

"Blackwood." the assistant said, taking Preston's hand and shaking it. "Paul Blackwood."

"Well, Mister Blackwood," Preston continued, "Welcome to the Scarlet Order."

"It's good to be here." Paul replied, staring back at golden eyes.

From the look of the Omid's eyes, Blackwood felt as though he had just made a pact with the Devil by shaking his hand. From the look in Blackwood's open left eye, however, it was apparent that he had fully embraced that.


	254. When Your Gut Feels Frozen

Daniel was the last of the Westley children to find out what happened to his father. What was worse, he found out strictly by accident. His sister, Samantha had called him, looking for help. Their mother was still in Spain and their older brother hadn't come home after the incident. Of all of the Westley kids, it was Nathan who actually held some fondness for their father, so he left the home to grieve, leaving Samantha alone. The girl called Daniel in hopes that he would let her stay with him, and accidentally revealed the fate of Mister Westley.

It was a strange day. Daniel simply continued the phonecall like normal and immediately hopped in his car to pick the girl up. He didn't know how to feel. In truth, he felt bad for his lack of reaction to the news, but he also knew that he had things to do. He wasn't sure if he was just stunned or in shock from the news, or if he really didn't care. Daniel just didn't know. Part of him felt like he saw it coming, from the things his father got into.

When he arrived at his former family home, he was relieved to see that his sister was reacting similarly, in a weird way, but he was even more glad that she was alright. She had been left alone in the house that their father had died in after the police officers left, so it would have been understandable if she had been shaken, but the girl seemed perfectly fine.

"Hey, Sammie." greeted Daniel as his sister answered the door. The man couldn't help but smile, as he hadn't seen the girl in a while. He couldn't help but hug her when he came in. "Ready to go?"

"Almost." Samantha answered. "I need to double check to make sure I got everything."

"Alright. We can always stop by and get stuff if you do, though." the man replied, watching as his sister went up the stairs. "Get your uniform, too." he called after her. "Just 'cause you're staying with me, doesn't mean you're not going to school!"

"Oh, curses!" his sister said back, disappearing into her room. Then, he was left by himself in the living room.

It wasn't in him to sit down on the sofa. He knew that his father most likely sat there, so he didn't want to touch it. The thought irked him. It made him squeamish. Part of him felt as though his father would come back at any moment and wonder why he's there, giving Daniel a sense of urgency. He knew that wasn't the case, however. His father was gone, and with him, all of his irksome behaviour. Daniel found comfort in the thought. His father wasn't around to cause trouble for other people and bring him shame. Yes, Daniel's father embarrassed him. He was ashamed that he was the son of such a horrible, lying, cheating, disgusting man.

Mathew Westley was the same man who paid his own son off to not reveal his affairs to the rest of the family. Samantha knew, and she and Daniel were both pretty certain that their mother knew as well. Missus Westley didn't seem to care. She hated the man as well, although she was not a pleasant person, herself. The only one in the family who held any high regard of Mister Westley was his eldest son, Nathan, who mourned him. Everyone else was mixed.

Daniel had recollection of the few times his father was home and interacted with them positively. When the children were small, the father brought them to the family beach-house, and they had fun time like an ordinary family. They were happy. They were the embodiment of what most families striven to be. It had been ages, however, since they were a happy family. Daniel knew it, and so did Samantha. At this point, the two wondered if it was finally unraveling. It certainly seemed that way. Perhaps it was for the best. Despite those few memories, they knew nothing but ill of their father, and that was scarce as well. They seldom came face to face at all, let alone spoke. There were no phonecalls to wish Daniel a "happy birthday" from either of his parents, and they were seldom impressed with their children. The eldest was the only one who seemed at all impressive, and that was merely because he idolised his father without question. It didn't matter that Daniel could sing or play guitar, and it didn't matter how absolutely brilliant Samantha was at almost everything. The favourite was the one who came home absolutely sloshed on a regular basis and had not ambitions beyond that. The only times the Westley parents seemed to proud of the children was when the toted them all out to some political gathering to show what a big, happy family the politician had. What a farce.

Eventually, Samantha came down stairs with two suitcases and a backpack strapped to her before setting everything down on the floor. She then swiftly turned around and started to head back up the stairs, prompting her brother's attention.

"That's not all of it?" he asked somewhat playfully, smiling as he arched an eyebrow at the girl. "You don't need to pack your whole room, you know."

"I don't plan on coming back for a while." his sister replied, looking back at him from above. "Mum's not going to be back for a while, and I can't stand another second of Nathan."

"That bad, huh?"

"Worse."

"I can see that." Daniel nodded before bending over and grabbing the handle of a suitcase. "I'll start taking these to the car. I'll come back up for the rest."

"Okay." answered the girl, placing a hand on the railing. "Am I going to be staying on the sofa?"

"Until I get that spare room cleaned out." the man stated, tucking a suitcase under his arm and huffing as he tried not to drop it. "I planned on turning it into a workout room, but that didn't work out too well. I can get that fixed this afternoon, 'cause it's not that bad. Problem is, there's not bed in there."

"I can put my stuff in there, at least."

"Yep. Sorry, princess, but I came right away instead of cleaning. Might need to febreze the place a bit."

"Lovely. Boy smell." Samantha rolled her eyes, causing her brother to laugh. The girl then continued climbing the stairs again while Daniel was on his way out to the car with her bags. Thank goodness the building's elevator was operational, or he would have surely expired along the way.

On the second trip, Samantha had gathered everything and helped him carry the rest. Once they were in the car, they discussed other things they needed to get, like hangers for her clothes and something to sleep on. Everything else they would collect as the need arose. They stopped at Daniel's house and dropped everything off before taking a moment to rest and straighten things up.

The girl was impressed with how clean the apartment was. It wasn't nearly as filthy as she thought it would be. There were no empty cans or dirty dishes laying about, but there was a bit of a stack in the sink. Deciding that it would do for now and the rest could be handled later, they went back downstairs to the car and took off once more.

"So how long do you think you'll be staying?" Daniel asked the girl in the passenger seat as he drove down the road. His sister merely shrugged.

"I don't know." she answered. "Preferably until I'm old enough to get my own place. It would probably be easy to get custody, since mum and Nathan are useless."

"So what you're saying is that we need to get you an actual bed?" the man mused, earning a nod.

"Yeah, that would be nice." Samantha replied. "I'm surprised you didn't say anything about that, though."

"About what? Custody? I mean, yeah, it might be inconveinient to get it, but I'd rather you stay somewhere where you're not miserable."

"How do I know it isn't? I've never stayed at your house before." She jested, causing her sibling to scoff.

"Wow, uhm, okay, I guess I'm not offering to buy you something to eat, then." Daniel teased right back.

"No! Pleeeeaaasssseee? I haven't eaten in a while! The chef quit again."

_"_ _Again?"_

"Yeah, the first one quit after a while, so I hired another one." the girl replied. "I just charged it to mum's card. She didn't notice."

"Damn, how old are you again?"

"That's classified."

"You little shit." Daniel snorted, turning down another street. "I'm sorry to say, but I don't have a chef or a maid, so you're going to have to get used to eating frozen stuff."

"I think I can handle it." answered the younger Westley. "Oh, that reminds me. We need to get the inheritance sorted out before mum gets back or Nathan figures it out."

"Why?"

"You really expect them to be fair about it?"

"Nope." the man replied rather bluntly. "I have a friend who knows about money. He'll probably help us figure it out if I ask."

"The eyepatch guy?"

"Yeah. He's good with this stuff."

"You know some weird people, Dan..." pointed out the younger of the two with a roll of her eyes.

"Oh, yeah? Well, your best friend is actually related to him, so you do too." In response to Daniel's observation, his sister stuck out her tongue at him.

"Oh, I'm sorry? What's that?" he asked. "You wanna sleep on the floor? I guess I'll turn around then!"

"You prick!" Samantha laughed, playfully nudging his shoulder as he grinned.

It hadn't taken long at all for the two to cheer up after the incident, as the only thing they needed right then was each other's company. It felt good to be around someone who loved them, and that's what they really needed. Everything else that had happened thus far didn't seem to matter right then. Daniel wasn't thinking about his breakup with Kristopherson, or how he had been used by Blackwood, or how he had lost his father. He was thinking about his dear little sister, whom he hadn't realised just how much he missed until right then. He had been so distracted that he couldn't see that she was there, too. She was suffering the loss of a parent just as he was, and she had similar feelings toward Mister Westley as well. The support that they needed was in each other, it seemed, and it had taken them a while to find it.

The siblings spent the afternoon shopping for little things they needed for the girl to stay with Daniel, and then one bed. It took several trips to haul the thing up to Daniel's apartment, and they thought they would need to call someone to help! Somehow, the mattress was small enough to fit in the massive elevator, and in the next trip, the box that contained the bedframe did too. Samantha had to reassure the man that anything that he could carry would be under the limit, which Daniel found both comforting, yet insulting. Still, he had to rest for a while in order to recover. In the meantime, Samantha had already moved the box for the frame into her new room before unpacking it. Her methodical mind easily understood the instructions, and she was able to assemble some of it on her own.

Eventually, her brother was rested enough to come in and join her. He grinned with pride at how much she had already managed to piece together. Hearing his footsteps, the girl looked over her shoulder at her brother before scooting over to make room for him to crouch down next to her.

"You've already started without me?" the man stated in the form of a question.

"I figured it's better to get it done now so it's not midnight before we remember I need it." Samantha replied, nudging the folded out instruction sheet to Daniel after he picked up a piece. "That goes there."

"M'kay." Daniel answered, putting the parts together. "Sorry this isn't the classiest of places. It's what I got."

"It's okay. It'll be home eventually." replied the girl. Her words left little room for reply, so the two simply continued to work for a minute. One minute because two, and two minutes became three, but on the third minute, one of them felt as though they had to say something.

"Hey, Dan?" called Samantha, prompting her brother's attention.

"Yeah?" the man answered, but the girl didn't reply right away. Instead, she hesitated, with understandably prompted some concern. She was hesitating while she tried to think of something to say, which was rare for Samantha, who was always well-spoken.

"Is it… Its it weird that I'm not sad?" she questioned, hesitating a moment before looking over to her brother, who simply stared back. His lack of response made her fidget slightly, unsure of how to explain her feelings.

"I never really knew dad that well." The girl continued. "I don't really remember anything about him other than he was kind of creepy and always up to no good. I feel like I should be sad that he's gone because he's my dad, but… It's like I don't really feel _anything_ … I feel like that makes me a bad person..."

"Well..." began Daniel, pausing to put an arm around his sister. "If you're a bad person, then so am I." Samantha turned toward him again in order to read his expression, only to see him smiling in his usually friendly way.

"You just put what I was thinking into words." he said. "I dunno how I'm supposed to feel. I used to like dad when I was little, but I don't remember it really well. What I do remember of him was that he's a bit of an assbag."

"You're not supposed to speak ill of the dead, Dan." Samantha said, but cracked a bit of a smile nonetheless.

"That only counts for people who got into trouble now and again, but were otherwise alright people." snorted the man. "Dad's not one of those people. He's a lying, thieving, slavedriving, pervert! He paid me money to not tell anybody he was seein' hookers!"

"He didn't need to. I already knew, and I think mum suspected it. Now the problem is: where's _my_ money?"

"Sam!"

"What? Cheating a cheating bastard isn't wrong."

"Now you're starting to sound like Ciel and Alois..." Daniel snickered.

"Those your other gay friends? Are they the ones who got married?" questioned his sister, picking up more pieces of bed from the floor and attempting to fit them together as she spoke.

"Yeah, that's them. How'd you know?"

"Alois is Revy's big brother."

"Oh yeah, you went to school together..." the elder mused. "He stopped going, didn't he?"

"Dropped out. Dunno what for, though."

Daniel wasn't sure how to respond to that. He really didn't know what else to talk about. The mention of Ciel and Alois' marriage, however, made his heart flutter a bit, as he thought about himself. He hadn't told Samantha about his relationships with Kristopherson and Blackwood. He hadn't told anyone in his family about his attraction to men in general, as much as he wanted to. Every time the topic came up, it was past before he could build up the courage to say anything.

"What about your friends?" Samantha piped up, conversing for him. "How's Audrey and them?"

"Your crush is still single and ready to mingle." Jested Daniel, earning a punch to the arm. He grinned really big as his sister pouted and pretended to ignore him. "I think he's still not into little girls, though."

"Fuck off."

"Aaanyways," the man continued, moseying right along and ignoring his sibling's swearing. "Travis got a girlfriend. Her name's 'Patricia', and she's pretty cool. Ciel and Alois are still morbid, but lovey-dovey, and Kristopherson has a new friend named 'Logan'."

"Boyfriend?" asked Samantha, nonchalantly continuing her tinkering.

"Not yet. I think Logan might have a thing for him, though."

"Jealous?" the girl prodded further, causing her brother to blush. He faltered, causing her to side-eye him. Samantha was onto him, and he knew it. Still, all he could manage was to answer her question.

"A little..." Daniel begrudgingly answered, looking away. "He's been hanging out with him more than me, and has been since we had that fight…"

"You fought Kristopherson?" his sister asked, arching a brow.

"Bickering, mostly." he said. After a long pause, he hesitantly added: "I got dumped..."

"So you did have a thing with him..." Samantha replied, acting as though she was merely thinking aloud. Her words hit the other like a heavy uppercut to the face. The man's face grew even redder as he floundered for a response, but had nothing. His mind had to catch up with the fact that his sister had been onto him.

"You knew?!" he demanded with disbelief, causing the girl to nod.

"Well, yeah. It wasn't that hard." the girl stated, looking up. "I've figured you liked men for a while."

"I like girls too, you know..."

"Oh. That was harder to tell..."

"Hey!" snapped the man, embarrassed beyond belief.

"What? Your interest in women seemed two-dimensional, at best, thus far." Samantha remarked, smiling a tad as her brother groaned.

"So you think I'm bad with women, too, huh..." lamented Daniel. "Then again, I haven't been having any luck with men, either..."

"I wouldn't worry about it. You've got the rest of your life to figure that out."

"I'd rather find a date before I'm old and grey, thanks."

"Still lots of time." his sister reiterated. "Your biggest problem is that you're immature, so time is what'll fix that."

"HEY!" barked the eldest of the two siblings. "You wanna build this bed yourself!?"

"Oh, living with you is going to be fun..."


	255. That Lion, Lamenting

All was quiet at Phantomhive manor. It didn't have its usual liveliness, as the masters of the house were somewhat gloomy. The blonde Phantomhive, in particular had a cloud of her his head and it only followed him when he went out. School was difficult as he sat in class and hardly picked up anything his professors were saying. Ordinarily, he was energetic and always asking questions, but now, he was quiet. He didn't want to be in a classroom full of humans. Somehow, he just felt like an alien, even though no one else could see it. He assumed it to be the byproduct of being seen by Blackwood and the guilt of knowing of the true reason why his friend died. It was made even worse as more news came in.

H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. couldn't find Blackwood anywhere. He wasn't in his apartment, which appeared to be ransacked, although the furniture was still there. Items were strewn about like it had been hit by a tornado. Further intelligence picked up that he had taken an enormous sum of money out of his bank account, and that he had booked a one-way flight to Norway. They knew what airport he had dropped off at, but they had no idea where he had gone from there.

Needless to say, Alois was bummed. He trudged through his classes, making sure he was there physically in hopes of compensating for not being there mentally. It didn't work quite well, and a few teachers asked him if he was alright as a result. The blonde gave some excuse along the lines of "it's just been a rough week" without giving any details. This particular day, he took a taxi to school, as he simply didn't feel like driving himself. It was a fact that he would remember later on as it was time to go home.

Thus, after a long day, the menace furrowed his brows and scoffed at himself for being so foolish. As he walked toward the front gate, the man pulled his phone out of his pocket and scrolled down his list of contacts for his usual taxi service, only to stop as he approached. As he got closer, confusion spread across his face as he saw people, primarily women, loitering around it. Now, it wasn't uncommon for a few groups to stay and socialise, but this quantity was. With a shrug, Alois simply assumed that it was the usual college nonsense unfolding. He thought that maybe there was a school or club event going on, or perhaps a fight had broken out. What Alois ended up seeing was indeed unusual, and perhaps the thing he least expected.

His husband was sitting in the parking lot near the entrance on the seat of his motorbike, wearing the strangest outfit he had seen on the man yet. Ciel was wearing jeans, which was extremely bizarre, as Alois was completely unaware that he owned such a thing. Granted, the Watchdog was still wearing a white shirt and tie, which was expected. Ciel considered himself naked without a shirt with a collar, after all. Perhaps the strangest garment on him, however, was the fact that he was wearing what appeared to be a leather jacket. Alois felt as though he had seen a similar outfit on Sebastian, but he would never have even dreamed of his spouse wearing something like it. The bluenette sat with his helmet set on the handlbars while he fiddled with his cellphone. Sensing Alois, however, he looked up, and smiled, putting the device away.

"What in god's name are you wearing?" the menace questioned as he approached, prompting the other to look down at his attire.

"I know, it's a bit silly..." Ciel bashfully replied. "The jeans are new, so I thought I'd try them on, but I saw that some men wear them with shirts with buttons." he explained, meeting his spouse's gaze. "The jacket was Sebastian, however. He stopped me on my way out and insisted on it..."

"Good for him!" his husband replied, looking him up and down. "You look… Well, I'll just be blunt: pretty sexy."

"Y-you think so?" blushed the Watchdog, leaning over to meet the blonde as Alois leaned in for a quick kiss. The action seemed to dissuade some onlookers, causing them to wander off.

"Don't get all bashful on me, now. Then again, even though you're dressed like a hero from some action flick, you're still my dopey Ciel." Alois teased, holding the other man's hand with one hand and fiddling with the strap of his backpack with his other. "So, what're you doing here?"

"Sebastian said you didn't take the car this morning," he bluenette answered, "so I thought I'd stop by and see if you needed picking up while I'm on my way home."

"Oh, so he noticed..." Alois' spouse watched his face carefully as he trailed off. There was no need to question as to why Alois did things this way. Ciel knew that sometimes, one simply didn't feel like driving, and from the time the menace had been having lately, the Watchdog couldn't blame him. Thus, without words, he lifted Alois' hand to his lips and placed a kiss on his ring before letting go altogether and reaching behind him to grab the other man's helmet for him.

"Come on, then." Ciel stated, handing the headgear to Alois. "Let's go home. Unless there's anywhere else you would like to stop by first, that is."

"Nah, home sounds nice." the menace replied, taking his helmet and putting it on his head while the other did the same. Even though his smiled, his words came out in an almost sigh. He swung his leg over the side of the bike and sat down on the seat, wrapping his arms around the Watchdog's waist and holding fast. With one hand on the handlebars, Ciel grabbed the blonde's arm and squeezed it lightly.

"Hold on to me tight, okay?" he asked, knowing that the menace was already doing so.

He mostly said it for Alois' benefit, urging him to use this as a moment to hold onto him for comfort as much as safety. Then, with both hands on the handlebars, Ciel kicked up the kickstand and revved the motor before taking off. Behind him, the blonde sighed again, but this time because of the security he felt while clinging onto Ciel on the back of the motorbike.

While he couldn't admit it during the ride, the bluenette's appearance made his heart flutter, and his sweetness made him melt. Ciel's shoulders were slightly wider than his own, and he was slightly more muscular, and the menace was indeed a fan. He was a big fan of the Watchdog's in general, but he liked the opportunity to cling onto him like this. He was rather keen on the situation, and Alois was very flattered that his spouse took a detour to come get him. He knew the map, and it was a bit of a ways off course. Today was the day that Ciel helped Daniel and his sister sort out their inheritance from their father.

In truth, Alois just wanted to enjoy the ride, as he loved being on the back of Ciel's motorcyle so, but many questions plagued him. He wondered how Daniel was feeling and if he was going to feel better soon. He wondered if Daniel suspected foul play. He wanted to know so many things, but now, they would have to wait, as the Watchdog couldn't hear him while the bike was moving.

He had to wait until they arrived home, and by then, he wasn't sure how appropriate it was to bring it up. After pulling into the garage, the man hopped off the back and took off his helmet, putting it away. The menace then turned around when he heard the sound of the engine switching off to see the bluenette do the same. Ciel's hair was a mess from the helmet, prompting the menace to want to fix it for him, but at the same time, he found it appealing. Still, he had other things on his mind, so he couldn't appreciate it adequately.

"Penny for them?" asked the Watchdog, hopping off of his bike and putting up his own helmet. The man looked to Alois with a concerned expression, but he hid it to the best of his ability.

"I'd like to put my stuff away first, I think." Alois said, allowing the other to kiss his cheek.

"Alright. In the meantime, I'll give this jacket back to Sebastian."

"Why the hell does Sebastian own one of _those?"_

"Did you expect _me_ to?"

"I didn't expect you to own a pair of _jeans_. Anything is possible." the menace said as he headed inside the mansion.

Smiling, the Watchdog followed after him, but they split up shortly after as their destinations differed. Soon after Ciel set foot in the house, he began taking off his butler's jacket as the man in question stood by. The man clad in black promptly took the garment and turned his head to glance up the stairs after the menace.

"How did it go?" inquired the butler, looking back to Ciel. The master of the house sighed.

"Well, he seems better." the bluenette replied. "Mostly, all he had to say was questions about my choice in attire."

"Really?" Sebastian pondered, reaching up to rub his chin. "I was sure that it would make him feel better."

"I'm not even sure what to make of that." Ciel replied. "I'm just going to go up and talk to him. Talking always helps. He probably wants to know how Daniel was doing during our meeting."

"Well, hop to it, then." ushered on the butler. "It's dreadful seeing him so down and out."

"I thought you like taking over missions for him?"

"True, but I also care about the well-being of the Phantomhive family."

"The duties of a butler?"

"Yes, sir."

"I'll try my best." the Phantomhive said, looking up at the stairs. He then made an effort to climb them and search for his beau.

It didn't take long at all. Ciel knocked against the doorframe with his knuckles as he peeked his head into the master bedroom. Alois was there with his bag in a chair and his shoes off. They stayed in the path as the man had taken them off while on his way to the bed, where he sprawled out with his arm over his eyes to shield them from the light.

"Hello?" the Watchdog greeted. "Are there any objections to me coming in."

"You may proceed." groaned the menace in response, hardly moving a muscle.

He could hear the sound of Ciel removing his tie and putting it away, along with the clinking of his belt buckle as he removed that as well. Alois groaned once again as he felt the other man lay down on the bed with him and scoot closer. Still, the menace made no attempt to flee and instead rolled over to pull Ciel in, wrapping his arms around him and burying his head into his chest. While he felt horrible, he did find some comfort in his husband's arms, and sighed when a kiss was placed on his forehead.

"Rough day?" Ciel asked, reaching up with one hand and stroking the blonde's hair.

"Yeah..." answered the other. "I just feel tired… Not physically, but like, emotionally..."

"Still worried?"

"You know it..." With the menace's reply, Ciel kissed him again, doing his best to soothe him.

"Don't worry, dear." the bluenette said reassuringly. "Everything will be all ticketyboo before you know it."

"Your fifties-speak is stupid..."

"Not helping?"

"A little, actually." Alois said. "I just… I just want everything to be okay..." he added with a sigh, building himself up to ask the question: "How were they?"

"They were good." answered Ciel, knowing he was talking about the Westley's. "In fact, they were both taking things really well. They said that they thought they should be more sad than they are, but I told them that it's more complicated than that. They have a complicated relationship with their father, and it's not a very good one. They never exactly held him in high esteem."

"But he's their father, isn't he?" inquired the menace.

"He is, but he wasn't kind to them as well. More than anything, they were concerned with how they were going to carry on from now on. Daniel asked me to help him gain custody of his sister, and they want to live together. He's determined to find himself a job to make sure he gives off a good image and ensure custody. I told him that I would look around. He's also coming to terms with the fact that he just really doesn't want to be a politician."

Pausing, he squeezed Alois tighter with one arm and continued to play with his hair with the other. "See?" he asked. "It's going to be alright."

"Do they know about the hit?" hesitantly questioned Alois, looking up at his beau as they laid together.

"No." Ciel stated. "They deem their father responsible. They don't know anything. They actually seem rather keen."

"Yeah?" the menace asked, finally pulling his head away from the other's chest to face him directly. "Why's that?"

"Well, it kind of gives them a means to start over, I suppose. Samantha gets to escape that house and live with the only family member she likes, and Daniel gets to see his sister every day. I think that will help Daniel immensely. Moreover, he's free to do as he likes, now. It seems to me like he has always possessed this idea of what he is supposed to be like from his father. He's supposed to be a successful politician and make his family proud. Now, that weight isn't there, and he has to decide for himself."

"I see..." the menace replied, ducking his head back down and pressing his forehead against his husband's chest.

He was glad. He was so glad. It eased his guilt slightly, although it did not completely disappear. The weight on his chest had lessened just a bit, and his eyes began to water. The relief he felt was almost overwhelming. His annoyance at Daniel's previous misdeed had been replaced with guilt for his own. How on earth could he be so complicit in the assassination of a friend's parent? Even if it did do some good, what if there was a next time and it didn't? Alois was still worried.

"Everything will be alright." his husband cooed, keeping him in a comfortable hold. The man was doing everything in his power to make the blonde feel better. It pained him to see Alois beat himself up, but he knew that he could not rush it. Sometimes, it is best to feel, so that's what he did.

The pair laid there for what seemed like ages. In reality, it was only slightly over half an hour. Ciel continued his ministrations while Alois tried his best to calm down. Alois knew that it would be best to talk about his feelings, especially since he had trained the Watchdog to do the same for him over the years, slowly but surely. He knew that it was helpful and may provide him insight, but he wished to wait until his eyes were drier and his voice was less likely to break.

Closing his eyes, he focused on the other man's arm around him and his hand in his hair. It was nice. It always was. While the bluenette was a lethal assassin and brutal secret agent, he was also one of a kind man- perhaps one the kindest that Alois had ever known. The thought that such a man could kill was strange, even though he had seen Ciel do it countless times. The Watchdog had mastered the art of separating his work from his personal life, it seemed. Alois knew it was a skill that he should learn, but it was difficult for him to do so, simply because it was an almost impossible skill for most.

"Ciel?" he finally called, prompting the other's attention. His voice was a tad raspy, so he quickly tried to clear it in hopes of remedying this.

"Yes, dear?" softly replied the bluenette, closing his own eyes and focusing on the sound of his husband's voice.

"Do you think I'm a bad person?" Alois questioned and braced himself for a response. What he received, however, was another kiss and a reassuring smile.

"Of course you're not." Ciel stated. "You're beautiful inside and out. You're kind and considerate of others, even going to the extent of looming over the consequences of your work. I really admire that about you, you know. You always go all out when helping people. It's really quite amazing to see."

"But I-" the menace pulled back in order to protest, but quickly, he realised that he couldn't think of anything to say. His mouth closed and he furrowed his brow, trying to come up with a reason why he was horrible.

"And besides," continued the Watchdog in place of the blonde, "if you're a bad person, then I'm even worse. I'm the one who killed Mister Westley. I even came up with the plan to do it."

"But you are kind!" Alois objected, sitting up on the bed. "Even right now, you're comforting me and doing your best… If you were cruel, you wouldn't try so hard..."

"Then what does that make you?" the Watchdog replied, sitting up with him. "If that's the case, then you are a far better person than I. Logic is on your side, Jim." Pausing, the bluenette kissed the man's cheek.

"But you feel the way that you feel, regardless. It'll pass, though. I promise." Ciel added, reaching down to hold Alois' hands firmly in his own. "I'll be right here by your side until it does."

"But you have other things to do..."

"As do you. I vowed to support you no matter what happens on the day we married, but I promised you long before, and my love for you forbids me to ever break a promise."

Against his wishes, the corners of Alois' mouth turned upwards ever-so slightly, inviting Ciel's smile to widen as well. Once again, the bluenette brought the other's hands to his lips, kissing them. It was a gesture that the man did often, and it made Alois' heart flutter each time.

"Why do you do that?" the blonde questioned. "You always kiss my hands, especially my ring..."

"Because I love you." Ciel answered bluntly, as if he had said something as obvious as stating that the sky is blue. "A kiss on the hand is an expression of that. In olden times, however, a kiss on one's signet ring indicated fidelity. I am loyal to you, however, not another family."

"But aren't you loyal to the Phantomhives?"

"You are a Phantomhive, and I prefer you to the old concept of noble families that were based upon image and lineage, rather than love and devotion."

"God, you're such a hopeless romantic..." Alois stated, his expression betraying him and causing a smile to graze his reddened face. In return, his spouse grinned as well.

"I can't help it." the Watchdog answered. "I've discovered that I quite like expressing my affections rather than hiding them. I want you to know how I feel, and always know how precious you are."

"I'm trying to be sad, Ciel..."

"And?"

"You're making it difficult..."

"I'm doing my job correctly, then." mused the blue Phantomhive. "If you can't feel sad, you shouldn't force yourself anymore than you should force yourself to be happy."

"I know…" Alois said. "I just feel responsible."

"Then that's how you feel." answered Ciel. "If there's one thing you taught me, it's that expressing oneself is important to one's well-being. Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?"

"Mm-mm." replied the other, bouncing his blonde locks as he shook his head. "I just kind of want to hang out, now. I don't really want to talk about it anymore. Can we go do something else?"

"So you have wished it..." Ciel began, pausing to peck the man on the lips. "Then so it shall be." The gesture and the bluenette's words invited a giggle out of his spouse at his silliness.

"You're so fucking weird..."

"I love you, too, muffin."

* * *


	256. Skepticism At It's Finest

Things were looking up for the group as time went on. Alois was feeling better, and so were the Westleys. With Daniel's connections with the Phantomhives and the evidence of both Nathan and Barbara Westley being neglectful and unfit to be guardian to Samantha, the man was successfully granted custody of his sister without much difficulty. Their mother hadn't even returned home yet. She said that she was on her way several days ago, but nothing seemed to point to any legitimacy in her claims. Her Facebook updates continued to indicate that she was in Spain, and Nathan wasn't much better.

The eldest of the Westley children was rather peeved that he was not granted custody of Samantha. Neither of the others knew why. It seemed as though he simply wanted to be "in charge" or some nonsense. Nathan was also none too keen on the fact that he hadn't been given much to do in ways of arranging their father's funeral. It was Samantha who did most of that with Daniel's assistance and support. She was simply better at planning, which her brother respected. Granted, she did give Nathan tasks to complete, but they were usually not vital and very small. She didn't expect him to pull through with them, so she didn't trust the idea of putting something major in his hands.

Somehow, their mother managed to show up for the funeral. It was a strange day. The woman complained that it wasn't very impressive, but it had been put together by a nineteen and sixteen year old with no experience in arranging big events. Still, there were flowers, and there were guests clad in black. The Round Table made an appearance, despite having been the ones to call for his death, hoping to conceal the fact. Ciel and Alois were there as well, and Alois was able to see the family for the first time since the event.

Daniel and Nathan wore suits while while Samantha wore a skirt with a blazer. They oddly matched, while Daniel and Samantha distanced themselves from the eldest. It was only Nathan who physically expressed his sorrow, while the other two remained somewhat stoic. They spoke freely with the Phantomhives during and the event, although Alois was a tad quiet. After Mister Westley was buried, the crowd intermingled. Mostly they chatted about nothing. Some of them chatted about work, while others about their family. The only times people talked about the deceased man was to be polite to the family. Daniel was relived to talk about something other than the man when the Phantomhives came up to them.

"How are you doing?" asked Ciel.

"Pretty good. Things have been hectic, but it should come down again after this." Daniel answered with a sigh. "I still need to find a job. I'm not sure about college, either."

"Well, if you don't think it's the best for you, you can postpone it." answered the bluenette. "You said you weren't sure about your major, anyway. I've been looking for jobs for you, but I'm not sure what you would be into."

"Depends on whatcha got."

"Well, I could probably get you either a desk job at FUNTOM, a desk job with the government, or a desk job with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G."

"Working at a desk sounds horrible..." the brunette said, making a sour face, only for the other to chuckle.

"I'm sorry, but it's what I got." replied the Watchdog. "Unless you're keen on working in a factory or as a soldier."

"That's even worse..."

"That's what I thought."

"What kind of stuff would I be doing if I took one of those other jobs?"

"Depends on the job." Ciel stated. "You will most certainly be filling out and filing paperwork with all of them, some of them have other things. With the government, you'd be filing government stuff, and with FUNTOM, it'll most likely be sales. With H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; it depends. If you're working with HR, you'd be dealing with workplace complaints, filing of personal files on all of the operatives, and stuff along those lines. I hear that the Supernatural Relations Department needs some manpower."

"That sounds interesting..." mused the Westley. "Go on."

"They register supernaturals, handle their complaints, go over their requests to start businesses, help with housing, and stuff like that." the Phantomhive said, placing his hands in his pockets. "Basically, they're the ones who keep the place running behind the scenes."

"That actually sounds kinda cool..." Daniel pondered, rubbing his chin. "I'll think about it."

"Tell me as soon as you decide. I need to make sure the position is still open, if you want it. Now, you won't make as much money as a politician would, but it's a pretty good gig."

"Alright." The Westley answered with a smile. "I'll try to be fast. The only problem is Samantha." he said. "I dunno if she knows about the supernatural stuff, yet."

"I can probably ask Geraldine if she does." Ciel replied. "If she knows, it's probably because of her."

"Tell me as soon as you find out, Mister Phantomhive." Daniel said, imitating the bluenette. "Once you do, that'll make my decision that much easier."

In the end, Daniel did end up making his choice. He decided that college wasn't for him at the moment, so he dropped every class he had and didn't set foot on campus again. He also decided that he wanted that job he was offered, even though he needed to undergo extensive training to do it. Much to his surprise, a lot of it came easy to him. Most of the training involved not being afraid of supernaturals, which wasn't much of a problem to Daniel. The rest was memorising what to do in various situations and what forms to give out when, along with how to deal with people in general.

In fact, Daniel found that he had quite the aptitude for the task during training. He certainly surprised himself, but the man always was sociable. Talking to people was easy for him, and staying calm while doing so did as well. He was confused by how the others undergoing the same training had difficulty with this, but he assumed it was because most people weren't familiar with talking with supernaturals directly. Most stayed in H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s human resources department because of this and failed the course. Daniel, however, passed with flying colours, but he was shocked by where he was being stationed.

It wasn't at headquarters like he expected. Instead, he would be working at the Gehenna Welfare Center. It was still horrendously understaffed, and Daniel showed an impressive aptitude for conversing with supernaturals. He was the perfect candidate, but he wasn't sure how he felt about this. In truth, it was mostly because he hadn't yet told Samantha what this job he was working at was, exactly. Up to this point, he had been making excuses to avoid the inevitable.

Ciel told him that he had nothing to fear, however. According to him, her friend, Geraldine Midford, had made her at least vaguely aware of supernatural beings, and the Westley girl's interest in them already might make cementing it easier. Still, Daniel was nervous to tell her about the world that few humans could see. The man had come from his training with his certificate, and rehearsed what he was going to say over and over again in his head.

The two had been living together for a while, now. The room she had occupied was now truly hers as she decorated it however she likes and made herself at home. They both got along swimmingly, and they couldn't be happier. Having the girl with him did Daniel a world of good, as did Daniel's presence for her, along with moving out of that wretched house where Nathan lived. They talked everyday, sharing what they had been doing while they had been apart, and telling each other how they were currently doing when they ran out. Coming home and hearing about Samantha's day had become something Daniel actually looked forward to, and he enjoyed telling her how his went as well.

Today, however, it was different. As he sat in the car in front of his sister's school, he waited for the girl to come outside so he could pick her up and they could go home. Soon enough, the car door opened on the passenger side and Samantha plopped down into the seat before tossing her backpack into the backseat.

"Howdy." the man jokingly greeted as the girl fastened her seatbelt. "How was your day?"

"It was good." Samantha replied, getting comfortable. "We're dissecting frogs in biology. There were rumours that we'd be dissecting cats, but that never happened. Somehow, I feel disappointed."

"What? _Why?_ "

"Because _everybody_ dissects frogs. It's stereotypical. Where is the intrigue?" she answered.

"You're so fucking weird..." Daniel shook, but somehow, he felt as though he should have known better. "You're not going to be the next Frankenstein, are you?"

"Never. That ended horribly for everyone involved." his sister stated. "The book is horrible, but I love it."

"Whelp, then you'll probably appreciate my news." the other began, but hesitated as he tried to remember how he wanted to explain this. If Samantha didn't believe him, he wasn't sure if he could pass it off as a joke or not. She was sharp. _Really_ sharp. There were few secrets that could ever get past her. The question was, however, as to whether or not she would believe him when he said that supernaturals exist.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" the girl questioned, arching an eyebrow.

"Remember that job I was training for?" Daniel answered with a question of his own. "Well, I got it."

"That's great news!" Samantha declared, her face lighting up a bit. "Are you going to tell me what it is, now? The mystery is killing me. Wait, does it have to do with Frankenstein?"

"In a roundabout way, maybe..." her brother replied, averting his gaze briefly while scratching his neck. "I'm gonna be working for this organization called H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G."

"Really? Gerrymentioned that place before."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, but I'm not really sure what it does. It's some government thing, isn't it? With a private military? Are you really athletic enough for that?"

"No, I'm going to be sitting at a desk..." Daniel stated with a sigh. Pausing, however, he furrowed his brow. "Wait, are you saying that I'm a wimp?"

"Doesn't matter. Tell me about H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G." his sister said, diverting his attention. Really, she was curious as to what this organization did, as her friend had talked about it before. "Gerry said that dad worked with them before. It's leader is on the Round Table or something."

"Yeah. She is." answered the man. "Anyway, if I tell you, you can't laugh. Also, you can't get weirded out or think I'm crazy."

"Too late for that. I do that everyday..."

"Sam, I'm serious."

"Sorry." answered Samantha. "Go on."

"Okay," began Daniel with a sigh. He needed a second to collect himself for what he was about to say. "You know, like, in stories, there's secret organizations that hunt vampires and shit?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, that's basically what H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. is, but in real life."

Naturally, his sister was skeptical. She narrowed her eyes as she looked over at him. "What?" she asked, baffled by the insanity that her sibling was telling her.

"I'm serious." the man stated. "H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. is a secret organization that deals with supernatural nonsense. They regulate it. They study it. They document it. They even get rid of it when they're dealing with somebody dangerous. You know how you never see this stuff in the news? It's because they have a whole department dedicated to wiping out any trace of it, and keeping it a secret. It sounds crazy, I know, but bear with me."

"Are you high?" the girl immediately asked, prompting the other to scoff.

"Sam." he said, almost scoldingly. Samantha, however, could only shake her head.

"Sorry. I'm just not sure about how that could possibly work." she replied. "You're saying, that monsters exist, and there is legit an organization that regulates them and keeps everyone ignorant to their existence? Like, in real life? I'm not sure how that's possible..."

"It just is." Daniel retorted. He was unsure of how to proceed properly, but had no choice but to do so. "What don't you get? Also, don't call them 'monsters'. They don't like that."

"How do they keep people from spreading evidence of that? With social media, anybody could upload a video or a picture, and everybody would find out!"

"Because they have an entire department called 'the Media Management Department' that handles that." the man explained. "Their job is to search for those pictures, get them deleted, and spread misinformation on conspiracy sites. They work with TV, too."

"Okaaaayyy..." Samantha slowly nodded, unable to think of an argument. "What about regulation? What does that mean?"

"There is a specific part of the city that is a designated supernatural zone. Some can live outside if they can manage, but it's easier to do it this way. It's basically a smaller town inside of London that's called 'Gehenna'. It's surrounded by guards and you have to go through a checkpoint to go in or out. We also have to register supernatural beings so we can keep up with them. That last bit is part of my job. Otherwise, if they're being unruly or dangerous, H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. will send in some soldiers to get rid of the problem supernaturals."

"Not all of them are dangerous?"

"Nope. Most aren't. I'm even friends with a few. You know them." Daniel informed. Holding up a hand, he listed them off on his fingers. "Ciel and Alois are demons, Kristopherson was bitten by a werewolf, and Audrey is half grim reaper. Then there's Logan, who's an incubus."

"You're friends with an inccubus?!" gawked the girl, furrowing her brow and recoiling a bit. "Aren't those sex demons?! And you're friends with demons?! Like, the kind that steal souls?!"

"Yes, and yes." the man bluntly stated. "Incubi and succubi apparently have some seriously strict codes of conduct when it comes to sex. And they don't steal souls while going at it. It's just… energy."

"But what about demons? Won't you go to hell for that?"

"Well, one of them is related to an angel, who is also technically my boss, so I think I'm good. They're friendly. I'm not too worried."

Pinching the area between her eyebrows, Samatha scrunched her face for a moment before sighing. She loved books about the supernatural and the secret society that dealt with them, but for them to be real was insanity. What her sibling was proposing was ludicrous, at best, and she briefly wondered if he was well. Surely he was messing with her, but the way he said it was too serious for one of his jokes. He never could keep a straight face.

She had to take a moment to pause and reflect on what he was saying. Additionally, she had to try and come up with a way to handle it. Obviously, she wasn't going to believe him right away. That would be silly. She would, however, humour him for the time being.

Taking a deep breath, she said: "Alright. Can you give me a detailed run down on how this stuff works?"

"Probably." Daniel replied with a shrug. "You can read the books I was issued to study, if you want. They would probably explain it better."

"Yeah..." Samantha nodded. "That would probably help..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello. I'm back with more stuff.   
> Kind of a weird updating schedule, isn't it? Two or three a day, until I forget to post for a month, and then I post over ten. I gotta keep you on your toes, y'know...  
> ...or something.  
> I'll probably go back to updating more often. I just finished a very long arc and I don't really have to think about it much anymore. Killing off people in horrible ways and all that. You know how it is.  
> Until the next chapter, my duckies~!


	257. These Lovely People, This Lovely Town

Things were complicated in the Westley house for a while. Samantha had to ease into the idea that there is even a possibility of supernatural beings existing and Daniel had to be patient. The girl tore through his manuals, pamphlets, and instructions on protocol. She even read the books by Travis and Patricia, and was baffled by their involvement as a result. Daniel had to explain that they had been commissioned by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. to take the data that they possessed and to turn it into a book that was simple to read for incoming vampires and werewolves into Gehenna. While it made sense, Samantha still felt as though she was being pranked, somewhat. Perhaps she would accept it in time, but she had a lot of questions for Daniel and his friends, especially the ones who he claims are supernatural.

Meanwhile, the man still dropped her off at school every weekday and took her home like usual. The only difference was that Daniel had started his new job, and it was certainly a lot to get used to. Every morning he put on a shirt and wore a tie before heading out for the day. Daniel was given his I.D. card and registered as a human with special access to Gehenna. He would go through the checkpoint every day and drive through the gates. He parked his vehicle on the curb and checked in at the Gehenna Town Welfare Center before attending to his appointments, as well as walk-ins.

At first, it was extremely difficult, as he felt ridiculously out of place. He was a human in a world like he had never seen before. He saw supernatural beings in their natural state every day, which was rather jarring at the start. If he hadn't seen them before this, Daniel had no idea how badly he would have reacted. The worst was when he had to correct his thinking and scold himself when he thought something that was bigoted, which was more often than he liked. As time passed, he got better about this.

He got along with a few of the others at the center who he interacted with, which made things better. There was Helen, who worked at the front desk. She was a succubus, which took him aback initially, along with her lavender skin and horns. They initially started talking because as it turns out, she is Logan's older sister, who is married to the owner of the general store down the street. Obviously, it was her who got Logan the job, but who was he to complain about someone using their connections to find work?

The other woman at the front desk was much harder to deal with. She was scary not for her appearance, but rather, her attitude. Forsetti Sybil is an elf who has little patience for humans. According to her coworker, she was getting better, but she would take time to adjust. Forsetti wasn't blatantly rude to Daniel, but he certainly felt unwelcome. She apparently had a reputation in town as being strong-willed, so it may be a while before he is completely on her good side.

Unlike those two, he had his own office that was down the hall. Most of the offices were empty, but he did have a few neighbours. They had the same job as he did, but most of them were supernatural, so they weren't inclined to talk to him right away. He could sympathize with that, however, and took the time to adjust to his new surroundings.

It had been a few days since he had started, and he was slowly getting used to things. When he arrived at work, he checked in and chatted with Helen for a bit before heading down the hall. He took off his jacket once he got to his desk and turned on the computer to go over who all he had appointment with that day. He had one coming in soon after he got there. It was a Mister Benjamin Noakes, a werewolf, who requested help obtaining work in town. This was easier said than done, given how few businesses there were, and how many people who lived here were seeking work. Regardless, Daniel would try his best, just how he did with every applicant.

When it was close to time, Daniel heard a knock at his door, prompting his immediate attention. It was a rather tall man who appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties, with a rather stocky build. He wore a suit and combed his hair in an attempt to look professional for this meeting, which wasn't necessary in Gehenna, but did help with some representatives. Noakes was even a tad early, but Daniel didn't mind. It wasn't as though he had anything else to do anyway.

"Is this Daniel Westley's office?" the man asked, peeking his head into the room. Daniel stood up and smiled to greet him.

"Why, yes it is." the Westley said in a friendly tone. He reached out and offered the man a handshake. "And you are Mister Noakes?"

"That's me." Benjamin replied, taking the other up on his offer.

"Have a seat, and we'll get started." offered Daniel as he himself sat down. "You're here for a job application, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am. I'm currently working as a police officer in London, but lately, that's becoming really difficult to keep." Noakes explained as he sat down. He was hesitant before he continued, taking a moment to pause very briefly before adding: "I'm a werewolf, y'see. Used to, it was no problem, but they keep wanting me to work late like I did before, and a couple of times, they wanted me to work on a full moon. It's becoming harder and harder to negotiate that, so I was hoping to find work here..."

"Alright." nodded the Westley, glancing at his computer. "That helps, actually. So, were you hoping for a police position?"

"If there is one." the wolfman replied. "If there's not, I can probably be a little flexible."

"Lemme check and see if there's any openings…" Daniel said, pushing a few keys. He kept talking while clicking around, occasionally glancing away from the screen to look at Noakes. "If there is one, though, I can't garuntee you a spot. There's a couple of things you need to do to make sure you're fit and qualified."

"Alright. Sounds fair. I suppose it's different here than out there, so you'd need different training."

"Yep." answered the Westley before smiling a bit at the screen. He then turned to address the other face to face. "They still have plenty of openings. If you fill everything out and take the courses and everything's good, you'll get a job there."

"Sounds good." smiled Noakes, letting out a breath. He was relieved, as he wasn't sure what else he could have done. There were probably many things, but this made his decision all that much easier. "So how are we doing this?"

"Well, I need you to take a test..." Daniel trailed off as he scooted back in his chair. He leaned forward to open the small filing cabinet under his desk and find the right papers. Plucking out a large envelope, he gave it a once over before peeking at the papers inside. Satisfied with this, he took them out and laid them and the envelope on the table before scooting forward again and leaning over the table to show him the forms.

"This is just a mental evaluation test, a lot like the kind you took when you were joining the police force in London." the Westley explained. "It's to make sure you're mentally and emotionally fit to be a police officer. You need to fill this out and put it back in the envelope before sending it off. The address is already printed on the envelope, and all you need to do is put the return address and a stamp on it. It'll go to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters, and they'll go over it, and sent you your results back to you. It could take a few days, or a few weeks for you to get that back, okay?"

The man on the other side of the table was looking down at the papers and looking carefully at the first page of the questionnaire while listening. He nodded along before saying: "Alright. Then what do I do?"

"If you are accepted, you will get instructions along with the results." the Westley answered, looking up at Noakes. "What you'll basically be doing after that is going to training, though. It's actually at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. Headquarters, and you will need to take the bus on the day they tell you. They won't let you in if you try to go by car."

"Okay." nodded Noakes, making a mental note. "Is that it?"

"Yep. That's it for now. Unless there's something else you need while you're here."

"Oh, well, my wife was wondering about work as well." the wolfman said, leaning back so that he was sitting straight up again while the other put the papers back in the envelope for him. "She was a hairstylist, but had to quit because her job didn't offer maternity leave. We're having a baby, y'see..."

"Really? Congratulations!" Daniel said with a grin, prompting the other man to suppress a somewhat proud smile. "So, when she has the baby, she wants to go back to work, and you want me to see if there's any openings at the hair salon?"

"If that isn't too much trouble..." Mister Noakes said as he was passed the envelope. He took it and held onto it rather carefully.

"That's no problem." the other stated as he leaned back to check his computer. "My only concern is whether or not the openings will still be there after she has the baby and is recovered, though, if there are any."

"I can see that. Should she just come in then?"

"Depends on how you want to do it. There are quite a few openings, so I can give you the application to take home to her. All she would need to do is give it to whoever is running the salon when the time comes. Or, you can wait and see, or just so you don't accidentally lose it, or whatever the reason. Either way is fine. If you lose it, you can just come back in and I'll give you another copy."

"I think she'd probably like me to bring her back a copy." Noakes replied, watching as the other dissappeared beneath his desk again.

"Alright, then..." Daniel trailed off as he dug through the cabinet. While he tried to come back up to hand over the paper to the wolfman, he hit the back of his head on the table rather loudly.

"Ow!" when he did come up, he was holding the paper with one hand, and rubbing his head with the other.

"You alright?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." the Westley said, handing the paper over. "It's a dangerous job, but somebody has to do it." His quip made the other laugh.

"Thank you for your sacrifice." Noakes answered, offering a phony salute as he stood up.

"It's for a good cause." nodded Daniel before bidding the other farewell. "I hope it all goes well for you. Come back if you have any questions."

"Thanks a lot."

That was just one of several appointments that day. Most were similar in nature, aside from one from a woman who was hoping to start a business and requested funds and space to do so. Daniel helped set up an appointment with the main office at headquarters for a meeting where she would make her case as to why the business would benefit the community before she would be granted her request. Other than that, Daniel hadn't much else to do, and his shift ended without a hitch.

In the days that went by, Daniel had taken to parking his car outside the gate and walking so that he could see more of the town. He was actually starting to like it. He actually passed by the businesses that he was helping to hire for and peeked inside. Occassionally, he would go inside, if it was something he wanted or needed. His favourites, however, were the vendors that occasionally peddled their wares on the sidewalk, setting up little booths to do so.

Today, he decided to stop by the booth in front of the print building, where people could publish their books and such. The building was responsible for the Gehenna newspaper, and Daniel had helped hire for them as well. They needed people who can work the printing presses and write, but also people who could pass for human and go out and collect newspapers to take articles from. Plagiarizing things from outside the city was not a crime, while plagiarizing things made inside of the city, or written for the city were. Outside of this building was a stall where they sold their newspapers and books, while several other copies went to the general store. While Daniel was walking back to his car to pick up Samantha from school, he decided to take a peek.

There were books that were not available anywhere else in the world, all written by supernatural beings, aside from the occasional Travis Sullivan or Patricia Ramirez book. Daniel read the synopsis on the backs of several, and was amazed by how different they were than anything he had ever seen in a human store. They held the values and norms of the supernaturals of Gehenna, is why. The characters inside where of all shapes and sizes, and did all kinds of things. Some were simply about supernaturals venturing outside into London to make their fortune. Later, he and his sister would find out that their perception of the "human world" was far different than how the Westleys saw it. He bought two for Samantha, and a newspaper, as well. He wanted to know what was going on in town, as well, since they occasionally had news of their own.

It was at this moment that Daniel figured out that he should bring something to carry things in, as they didn't offer paper or plastic bags. Carefully, he tucked the items underneath his arm and continued on. On the next block was a stand belonging to a Mrs. Amaryllis Fitzroy, where she sold bread and other baked goods in front of her home. She would bake them inside, early in the morning and throughout the day so that they're fresh. Her granddaughter stands out front and minds the stand while she's baking, but when she's not, she does.

Daniel couldn't forget her face. She was an old witch who sort of looked like one would expect. She had been in his office before for help on gaining the funds to have her own full-fledged bakery. After the Westley started walking, he would usually buy something to eat on his way to work, but this time, he would buy something on the way back.

"Back again, I see?" the old woman said with her hands on her hips, her voice rough and raspy. Fitzroy feigned a stern expression before it morphed into a smile as the man approached. "I'm just messin' with ya. How are ya, boy?"

"Just heading off to pick up my sister and go home." Daniel answered, returning her expression. "Taking a break from baking?"

"Delphine is off with her friends, somewhere. Young girls shouldn't work all hours of the day. Playing is important." Amaryllis replied, waving her hand for effect. Her eyes wandered downward and landed on the books in the man's arm. "I didn't take you for much of a reader, Mister Westley. No offense."

"None taken. These are actually for my sister. Not the newspaper. The books."

"Ah… I haven't bought one yet… Are there still any left?"

"A few. I can run back and get you one, if you like."

"Haha, no need, boy. I already know what the biggest story of the day is." the woman replied, waving her hands again. "We're finally getting a police chief! It's that Sybil girl! I'm glad it's her. She's a tough one."

"Sybil?" asked the Westley, arching an eyebrow. "Forsetti isn't on the police force, though..."

"No, it's the younger one. Tegwen. She's Forsetti's sister. The Sybils aren't to be messed with, child. Every one of them is tougher than the last. They're both sweet girls, though."

"Huh. I've never met Tegwen before, I don't think…" the man trailed off to think, but his eyes soon fell on his watch.

"Oh! I need to be going! I'll be late." Daniel said. "I was going to get a couple of scones for the road?"

"Sure! This time, it's on the house!" Amaryllis declared with a wide grin as she wrapped the treats in thin paper. "My request was approved, so I'll be gettin' that bakery of mine as soon as it's finished!"

"Really? That's great! You'll have to tell me where it is so I can stop by."

"It's down the road on Macken Street." she informed, handing the man his scones. "Ya can't miss it. There's gonna be a big sign that says 'Fitzroy's Bakery' on it. I'll be moving in above it."

"I'll be looking out for it." Daniel said as he walked backwards away from the stand. "I'll see you tomorrow, if I catch you out!"

"See you, Mister Westley." the witch replied with a wave as she watched the man glance at his watch again and start running.

Daniel was going to be a little late, but not severely, thank goodness. His sister would not be too upset, since he brought books and snacks. He almost couldn't wait for the girl to try food made by a real-life witch, and read books by real-life supernaturals. Today was another good day, and Daniel hoped to have many more after it.


	258. Venturing Out Into The Known

November had come and gone, making a certain blonde menace another year older. As time passed and he recovered from his guilt, his schooling improved and he was back on track once more. When winter break came around, he was elated to finally be able to kick back and relax some, and his husband was looking forward to it as well. There hadn't been too many jobs for the Watchdog to do since assassinating Mathew Westley, and Ciel was rather bored while home alone. Aside from going out with Alois to celebrate the blonde's birthday, he hadn't done much but lie around the house and wait for something to do.

With December came freetime for Alois, making him able to entertain the bluenette more often throughout the day. It was something that Ciel was immensely looking forward. Alas, there was one small problem. December just so happened to be the busiest time of year for FUNTOM, so the solid month of devoting his time to the menace sadly could not be. The Watchdog was rather miffed about it, as well and openly sulked.

The pair sat on the sofa in the office, or rather, were in a pile. Ciel laid on Alois with his head on the man's chest and his arms around his waist. His husband wrapped one arm around his shoulder while resting the other on his head, ruffling his blueish-black locks. The poor Watchdog had just realised that he wasn't going to get his way, and lamented the fact rather conspicuously. Alois almost felt mean, being amused by the act, but here he was. He looked down at Ciel as the other pouted and sulked, childishly refusing to let go.

"It's not the end of the world, you know." said the menace while cradling his beau's head. "You're not going to be working nonstop. There will be plenty of freetime! It's only a few meetings. Leave the rest to your staff!"

"I don't want to go to meetings..." Ciel replied. "I want to spend time with you. I've been so bored while you were at school, and there's no missions, either. I feel like I'm going nuts."

"You really need some more hobbies..."

"I tried collecting things, but I don't know what to collect. Stealing Integra's lighters is no fun anymore." complained the bluenette with a heavy sigh.

"You can hang out with Lizzie." suggested the menace. "Or Logan. Or Bailey Senior! You sometimes visit them and spend time with them, don't you?"

"Yeah, but it's not the same. You're the most fun person I know."

"You're such a baby…"

"Maybe so, but you're stuck with me." quipped the blue Phantomhive, inviting the other to roll his eyes. "I feel like a housewife without anything to do."

"You need to learn to branch out, Poochini. Invite friends places, take a class, go exploring… I can't be there 24/7." Alois replied, almost sounding like a parent who was tired of hearing their child complain.

"Weren't you the one complaining when I almost had to take that trip to China for work?"

"That's different. I couldn't even come home to you. You can at least see me everyday. Don't twist things, Phantomhive..."

"I did no such thing." Ciel answered. "I was merely stating the facts, Phantomhive."

"You're still a big baby..." scoffed the blonde, continuing to stroke the other's hair regardless. "You'll survive having to work a little. Isn't it something to do?"

"I suppose." the Watchdog said. "I just want to spend lots of time with you while I can."

"Ciel, we're demons. You have all of the time in the world." Alois reassured, planting a kiss on the other's head. "If it makes you feel better, though, instead of moping, why don't we go out?"

"But my birthday isn't until the fourteenth?" confusedly pointed out Ciel, propping himself up on his elbows and lifting himself so that he could look his husband in the face.

"Silly, we don't need a special occasion to go out together."

"I know… I just don't have a plan..."

"You don't need a plan, either." Alois said. "Why don't we just go shopping together? We need to get Christmas presents, anyway, and we can just look around, too."

"Alright." the bluenette replied. "Let's go, then."

"You're awfully excited." giggled the menace, grinning at his spouse. "You'll have to get off."

"One more thing first." Ciel insisted, halting the other as the man attempted to get up. He leaned forward and pecked Alois' lips before finally separating them. "Alright. Let's get our coats."

"God, you're so fucking weird..." teased Alois as he watched the other head toward the door.

"That's why you love me, though. Could you stand being with a normal human man in a suburb with a dog and a white fence?"

"Ew, don't be _disgusting_." grimaced the blonde while wrinkling his nose. He stood up and followed after his spouse before parting ways to get ready to leave. He wasn't exactly presentable in his pyjama pants, and he needed his shoes as well.

The team finally reunited at the door after informing the others that they were leaving. Once they were outside, they got in the car and took off down the road with no destination in particular in mind. While commuting, they went over their options.

"So, what's the plan, man?" asked the blonde. "What's on the agenda? Christmas presents and what else?"

"I can't really think of anything I need..." Ciel replied as he looked over at the other man. "I thought you were the master of this adventure?"

"Nah, I need a co-pilot this time. I know nothing." stated Alois, laughing as he tried to keep his eyes on the road. "Well, if we're getting Christmas presents, we can probably at least narrow it down. What kind of stuff do you think Sebastian, Lizzie, and Integra will like?"

"Why are we getting presents for Integra?"

"Because, we're getting Elizabeth something and it would be rude to get Liz something but Integra nothing."

"What about Sir Midford?"

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him." the menace shadily jested. In a more normal tone, he added: "But seriously, we should send the Midfords a card."

"Why? I've never sent them a card before!" the Watchdog protested.

"I know you want to keep up your heartless bastard image, but it's good to stay on your family's good side."

"You're really into this _'married couple'_ thing, aren't you?"

"You are, too, you ninny. Don't even pretend." snorted the blonde before attempting to set things back on track. "But seriously, what are they into?"

"I'm not sure… Maybe a lighter or something for Integra? I have no clue for Sebastian or Lizzie. Sebastian is sort of an enigma, and he's _not_ getting a cat. Meanwhile, Lizzie is Lizzie, and I don't understand the feminine sort of things that she is interested in."

"Why do you insist on crushing Sebastian's dreams? You don't still have your allergies, do you?"

"I don't want a cat in my house, crawling all over me and being in my space." the Watchdog stated rather bluntly. "I'm hesitant to get him his own computer. He would sit at it all day looking at cat videos."

"He already does that on his phone when he has a free moment. I've caught him a few times." thoughtlessly said the blonde, revealing the butler's secrets. "He really likes this one where a cat is hitting a printer while it prints something out. I've seen it over his shoulder more than once."

"Huh… I'm surprised he can work like that, to be honest..."

"Maybe he has a trick to it..." pondered the menace as they continued toward the unknown.

It took a while longer of driving to decide where to stop first, then it took a while longer to actually get there. The duo decided to look around the mall for anything that might tickle the fancy of the many people on their list of people to shop for. Alois decided to save Luka and Revy for last while they were here, as he already had a basic idea of what they would appreciate. Oddly enough, this was the same shopping mall that was overrun last holiday season by "Jacks" in the BlackJack case, where Alois became trapped with Elizabeth before eventually getting captured. Now, they were shopping for the woman at the same place, this time hoping that nothing would happen to hinder their plans. As much as they enjoyed going on cases, they were rather looking forward to spending time together while shopping.

Intertwining their hands, the Phantomhives ducked into several stores and browsed, mostly chatting and finding nothing that was relevant to their mission. Instead, the menace found things that he himself liked, both for him and for the bluenette. He started off so dutifully, but somehow managed to get sidetracked and buy himself a shirt or two, as well as a couple for his beau. Thankfully, Ciel managed to snap him out of it. Alois held a shirt up to him, trying to decide if he liked the colour or not on the bluenette, when Ciel said:

"Isn't this a bit small for me? If I put it on, it would be a bit tight. Are you sure you're not shopping for yourself?"

"No!" immediately let out the menace in a defensive tone. He had been caught by the Watchdog as well as by himself. He hadn't been thinking and now his face was turning pink. "I was just holding it up to scale, is all. I was going to pick up a bigger one..."

"But you already have one in the same size on your arm." Ciel pointed out, not buying his husband's obvious fib. He made his the man pout and put the items back despite the fact that he was somewhat pleased by Alois' actions. "So this is what you're into..."

"Shut up! I don't make fun of your ' _interests_ ' in public!" retorted the blonde Phantomhive, pointing his finger at his spouse's chest. Ciel, meanwhile, observed the man's actions carefully and raised his brows as he reached a realization.

"So you like my chest, is it?" playfully mused the Watchdog, making the other blush harder. Before Alois could speak, he added: "I'm glad. I like being found attractive by you and prefer to keep it that way. We really ought to be shopping for the others, though."

"Fine." huffed Alois. He exaggerated his expression and actions in hopes of proving some kind of point, but it only made the bluenette smile wider. The menace then turned to wander off to find a suitable gift for anyone of the people on their list while the other attempted to follow. Before Ciel could, however, his husband stopped before looking back at him over his shoulder.

"But for the record: it's not just your chest. I like your physique in general." the blonde added, prompting the other to lean down somewhat to speak softly in his ear.

"I like yours too." Ciel said almost inciting further complaint from the menace. The blonde paused, however, and his irritation seemed to subside a bit. It was then quickly replaced with a look of mischief.

"Oh yeah? What parts are your favourite?" he asked as he continued to walk while the bluenette followed behind him. Now it was Ciel's turn to blush his husband turned the table on him.

"Do I have to say?" the Watchdog asked, his cheeks changing into a more pink hue. "Right now? Here? We're in public..."

"Don't dish what you can't take, Phantomhive." Alois stated as he stopped to browse. "I'm not saying that you need to be graphic. Is there some hidden part of you that I don't know about that is into that sort of thing?"

"Of course not." Ciel insisted, keeping his voice down. "You would know if I did. Do I have to say everything?"

"Yes. All parts of my figure that you're into."

"I'm not saying it right now..."

"Am I not attractive to you?"

"No! I mean, you are! You're extremely attractive..." The palm of the Watchdog's hand made acquaintance with his forehead at fumbling with his own words. "That's the _problem._ "

"Surely you can control yourself enough to keep it PG-13." his husband said. The blonde tried not to smile at his beau as he internally debated on whether or not Elizabeth would appreciate the top he was looking at or not.

Sighing, the Watchdog conceded. "Just your body?" he tentatively asked.

"Yep. I already know how pretty my hair and smile are."

With a huff, the bluenette thought for a moment, trying to not sound creepy or off-putting. He didn't give himself enough credit in that regard, and built things up in his head to be far worse than they actually were.

"I like your chest." Ciel said, rather boldly for the bluenette. "And your neck… and your back… Your stomach, too..." There was some serious hesitation before he continued, unintentionally alerting the menace that he was about to talk about the more "suggestive" places on his body that he liked.

"Also… Also your hips… And your butt..." the Watchdog continued. His eye unintentionally started looking at Alois rather intensely.

"What about thighs?" Alois asked, causing his husband's face to turn completely red.

"I was going to say that..." the other bashfully replied. "You have nice legs..."

"It's the thighs, though, right?"

"Jim!"

"What do you think about this necklace?" questioned the blonde, holding the object into view. "Oh, wait, do you know if Lizzie wears earrings?"

"Don't just change the subject..." Ciel said, almost scoldingly as the redness of his face traveled down his neck.

"I'm getting the necklace, then… It's not a lot, so we'll need something else..."

"Hey!"

"You seem a bit flustered." observed the menace rather bluntly. "It's really cute and I'm trying not to kiss you in the middle of a store while Taylor Swift plays over the speakers. It's tacky. We're going to have to wait until we get home."

"So in other words, you can't finish what you started?" asked Ciel, looking slightly unamused.

"'Fraid so, love." Alois said. "Sorry, baby, I have limits."

"How incredibly cruel of you."

"I know. I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you later." the menace informed, reaching up to pinch his spouse's cheek.

Somehow, they managed to get shopping for Elizabeth finished, as well as for a handful of their friends. Both men were now carrying several bags, but they weren't done yet. They actually debated on heading back to the car just to drop off the purchases they had. Alois at least had a free arm to loop around his husband's, so he was content.

"Carrying these around is getting kind of old." Ciel said. "We don't have to leave. We can just drop them off and come back."

"Okay. It is getting kind of hard to walk like this." agreed Alois.

"You're about to trip me..."

"Not on purpose, dear." The blonde said as the two started walking toward the exit. Their bags were thankfully no match for their strength. A human would have had some difficulty hauling their purchases to their vehicle, let alone want to continue shopping.

As the two made their way toward the exit, they weaved through the crowd, paying no mind to the occasional glance they got from both the bluenette's appearance and their locking of arms. There was one unfortunate thing that they could not escape, however. It came in the form of a young man in his early twenties with a sparse beard running down his neck and a band T-shirt. His most defining features, however, was his trenchcoat and his trilby that was mislabled as a "fedora". As the man spotted the duo, he smiled before taking off after them.

"Doctor Phantomhive!" he called out, attempting to capture the bluenette's attention. He was successful as well, causing the man to turn his head and make eye-contact over his shoulder. What he didn't see, however, was the Phantomhive immediately turning to his spouse to whisper.

"Bugger… It's Bryle from class." Ciel lamented. "Don't look. Just keep walking."

"You don't have to tell me twice." scoffed the blonde, doing just that. Regardless, the student persisted.

Kyle Bryle was not the most well-liked man in the Phantomhives' criminology class. He was rude and had this bizarre sense of entitlement to him. It was as though he thought himself to be much more clever and admired than he actually was. Alois actually saved him from being murdered by a serial killer once before, but had yet to receive so much as a "thank you" from his classmate. Both of the demons found him to be somewhat of a pest. Ciel hated grading his papers, as he seemed to liken himself to an actual detective, and believed that somehow, Ciel was going to help him go pro. If he spotted them in public, they may never be able to leave. He would keep them there until they either diverted his attention or ran away, and the odds of the prior happening were slim, at best.

It was hard to slip through the crowd, as their purchases made it difficult to slip between bodies. It slowed them down, considerably, allowing Bryle to close the gap bit by bit. Even demons could not escape being trapped in a conversation with the man, it seemed, as Kyle drew closer, closer, and closer, still. Soon, he was right on top of them, and was able to tap Ciel's shoulder.

"Doctor Phantomhive!" he called out again. "Is that you? How have you been?!"

The bluenette cringed as he was caught, and was left with no choice but to embrace his fate. Turning around, he begrudgingly greeted: "Mister Bryle… What a coincidence meeting you here..."

"I know! Small world!" grinned Bryle, "Betcha you didn't expect seeing your favourite student, here, huh?"

"No I did not..." Ciel awkwardly replied as the menace stood on the other side of him, watching the trainwreck unfold. It was only then that Kyle noticed the blonde.

"Trancy is here too?" Bryle asked, arching an eyebrow in confusion. "What is _he_ doing here?"

"Christmas shopping." Alois replied, resisting the urge to correct the other student. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking to see if they had the rest of the figurines of the characters from Game of Thrones at Hot Topic." answered Kyle. "You wouldn't understand it. It's a bit complicated for people like you."

"Yeah, you're right. I just don't have the time to try." nodded the menace in a heavily sarcastic tone. "Between school, work, friends, and relationships, I haven't got the focus to spare!"

As Alois grinned, Kyle frowned deeply. He had immensely underestimated the blonde, and that was a massive mistake. Bryle was not burdened with the task of trying to dig himself out of his hole.

"Really? That's a shame. I'm able to manage my time wisely, so that's not a problem for me." he said. "In fact, the girl at Hot Topic complimented my fedora and gave me her phone number!"

"Searching for your manic pixie dream girl, huh?" Alois asked, giving the other a piteous look. He knew that what Kyle was saying was a lie, however. "What's funny is, I didn't know they had a female cashier working today? We were just in there a few minutes ago to look for gifts for my little brother and one of our friends, and the person who rung us up was a guy."

"They probably changed shifts." quickly answered Kyle, carelessly throwing in the word "probably" and implying uncertainty in his claim. With a huff, he crossed his arms and added: "What about you? You sounded like you're in a relationship. Where's your proof?"

"Oh, I dunno… My wedding ring?" replied the blonde with pride radiating through every pore. He smiled at the other as he slithered his arm out of Ciel's and showed the other his ring. "Got married over the summer. The twenty-sixth of July."

"Bullshit! How do I know that's not fake?"

"Because he has a witness." Ciel butted in, stopping his spouse from getting riled up. "I was there."

"What? Why were you at his wedding, sir?" asked Kyle, not understanding it at all. Ciel was a teacher, so why would he be at a student's wedding? The man simply couldn't piece any of it together. He didn't question them shopping together, not did he take any sort of notice of their posture and how they were standing so close. They were arm in arm, for Pete's sake, and Bryle did not notice! This man wanted to be a detective, with was a concept that baffled the Phantomhives immensely.

With a sigh, Ciel answered him. "Because I was the other groom." he said, but the expression of confusion on the student's face did not change.

"What do you mean?"

"I was the other groom. We were both grooms at the wedding."

"So… you mean, like… a joint wedding?"

"No, I mean we were both grooms at the same wedding." the bluenette attempted to clarify to no avail. "It was _our_ wedding."

Much to his exasperation, his former student only stared at him in response before he was compelled to bluntly say: "We were getting married _to each other._ " Ciel pointed at Alois as he spoke. "I married him and he married me. We are married. He is my husband. I am his husband. We are both each other's spouses."

"My last name is actually 'Phantomhive' now." Alois added. "Not 'Trancy.' Understand?"

"Wait..." Kyle began, rubbing his forehead. "You're gay?"

"Bisexual, actually, but we are both married to a man." answered the menace.

"So you're gay." stated Bryle, causing the demons to frown.

"No, we're both bisexual." the blonde insisted. "We're both attracted to both men and women, but we just happened to both fall in love with and marry a man."

"That makes you gay."

"You stupid motherf-"

"Wait, aren't you not allowed to marry a student?" Kyle interrupted to ask the bluenette, causing Alois to further fume.

"We both knew each other from when we were kids." Ciel said, grabbing the blonde's hand and squeezing it in hopes of getting him to calm down a little. "I quit my job at the university so that I could marry him without any problems. Teaching was only a hobby, really, so it didn't really matter if I gave it up."

"But… I don't understand..." Kyle paused for a moment to try and wrap his head around this concept. "If you two were a thing this whole time… Why did you cock-block me with Laverne at the end of the semester?" he asked Alois.

"Because I successfully identified her as a serial killer and she was gonna kill you next if I hadn't been there." answered the menace. "You're welcome, by the way."

"What?!"

"It's true. Alois saved you." stated the bluenette with a nod, backing up his spouse's story. "She was proven guilty and now faces a life sentence."

"I didn't really have any interest in her. I have Ciel, after all. He's honestly a lot prettier." Alois said.

"But how did you know she's a killer?" asked Bryle, still overcome with disbelief.

"Well, even though I'm trying to get my degree, I really am a detective." explained the menace with a shrug. "Ciel and I knew each other since we were kids, but we're also coworkers. You don't need a degree to be a cop, detective, or even a private eye."

"Private investigators don't even need training. They can just start up shop. Makes me wonder how affective they are..." Ciel added, thinking aloud more than anything. His words seemed to spark something in Kyle, however, as the student's face lit up.

"Really? No training at all?" the fedora-wearing chap inquired, seeming excited. The Phantomhive simply looked back at him with an arched eyebrow, not sure what exactly the man was expecting of him.

"Yes?" the bluenette answered, confused by the man's enthusiasm. "Well, you do take an online course and print out a piece of paper, but that's about it. Most people are qualified for that job."

Ciel needed to say no more. His former student was sold on the idea despite not really knowing what all this occupation actually entailed. The poor soul. Still, neither of the demons were at all surprised. They knew that the man was going to try it, realise that it's not at all what he wants, and then quit, but that is something that needed to be learned the hard way.

"I'm going to give it a shot!" the man said. He reached out to grab the bluenette's hand, only to not be able to lift it because it was holding so much stuff. Embarrassed, he cleared his throat and continued. "Thank you, Doctor. I'm going to go home and look into it!"

Before Ciel could even begin to explain the job further, he was gone. He had vanished into the crowd somewhere to venture into the unknown. The bluenette shook his head and said: "I know exactly what he's going to do, and it's going to be a bad move."

"Is he seriously going to drop out for that?" asked the blonde, looking over to his spouse expectantly.

"Most likely, knowing his sort." Ciel answered. "He never really wanted to go to college in the first place. If he can find an easier route, he'll take it, but he's going to be disappointed. I know his type. He's looking to be the protagonist of some American-style cop show, but he's going to be sorely mistaken. No one takes private investigators seriously. They really can't do all of the things they do on TV because they aren't police officers and those things are very illegal. It's mostly sitting around for hours on end, waiting to catch proof of insurance fraud or infidelity. He won't make it."

"Are you surprised?" questioned the blonde, starting toward the exit again while his spouse followed.

"Not in the slightest." bluntly stated his husband. "I just hope he doesn't follow us to the car with more questions."


	259. A Mystery Down South

Ciel and Alois continued to have a good time throughout their break, going on dates and spending time together just because they could. They laughed and they smiled, exchanging kisses and being merry as they prepared for the holidays together for the first time as a married couple. Long nights were spent by the fire as they huddled together and talked about nothing. The pair were just pleased with each other's company, and were making the most of the break.

At least, in all but one aspect. Now Alois appreciated all of the attention. He really did. He loved being held and kissed while being told how precious he is to the bluenette. It made him feel warm and safe in his arms. They had been amourously canoodling throughout the entire breaks, but Alois had felt a significant shift in another area that he felt was also important to their relationship. Their rendezvous in the bedroom have become less frequent as the break went by and it was starting to concern the menace.

Once every other day became once every two, then three, and then four. Ciel hadn't even touched Alois this week, and it was beginning to frustrate the blonde. Mostly the lack of explanation to the peculiar behaviour. Ordinarily, this would only happen during a case or preparing for a mission, but right now they weren't doing either of those things, and were actually having a rather romantic and joyful time, otherwise.

The Watchdog would still ramble on about how beautiful Alois is and he still held the man gently. They still kissed and cuddled while talking about how they feel in between talking about nothing at all. They still discussed important topics together. Ciel even held the blonde close as they slept just as he always did after whispering sweet somethings in his ear before they both finally fell asleep. Everything else was normal. In fact, everything was going extremely well! It was just this one, single detail that somewhat perturbed the menace, causing him to suspect something was wrong with his spouse.

"I hear that people stop having sex as often as they used to after getting married." said Kristopherson, sitting across the table from the menace as they sat in their usual lunch spot.

The faux-blonde got lunch with Alois often and talked about whatever came to mind. Sometimes it was about school, or about some movie they saw, or some ridiculous thing that happened to them or they over heard. Sometimes, however, they talked about rather serious things that bothered them and this included relationships. Despite the break, Alois made time for his friend and sought some sort of input to the problem from someone else, despite the other's personal inexperience.

"That sounds like some straight bullshit, to me." sighed the menace as he continued to play with his food.

"Yeah. It sounds like the same nonsense that goes alongside straight men joking about how they hate their wives, despite marrying them." the other agreed with a nod. "Like, if you don't like her, don't stay married to her? The complaint is that they are apparently 'bored' with sleeping with the same person for several years."

"I'm not bored..." Alois mumbled, looking down as he tried not to think of his spouse tiring of him. Seeing his expression, Kristopherson immediately recanted.

"I highly doubt Ciel is bored with you." insisted the faux-blonde with a somewhat awkward smile. "That man is madly in love with you, and he's definitely the type to stay monogamous. Besides, he still does everything else with you, and was thrilled to be able to spend more time with you!"

"I know, but… Maybe he's not bored with _me_. He's not even _not_ attracted to me. He still checks me out and all of that. Maybe it's the way we do it?"

"Mm-hm…" Kristopherson hummed while taking a sip of his drink. "You mean you might need a little ' _spice'_ in the bedroom?"

"Ew, don't say it like that. It makes it sound gross..." Alois replied, wrinkling his nose.

"You're the one who suggested it." the other reminded with a wag of his finger. "Is there anything that either of you would want to try?"

"Not really..." the menace said with a slight pinkish tint to his cheeks. "I kind of like the way we do things… I'm not very adventurous…"

Pausing, both men thought for a moment. Kristopherson wasn't sure how to respond to the look of concern the crossed Alois' face as he thought hard with a furrowed brow. Looking up, the blonde asked: "Is it my fault?" In reality, Alois had nothing to feel guilty about despite the way he felt. "We kind of do the same things every time… Has it become too routine and boring?"

"I don't know." answered the Miles, unsure of what to tell the other. "I think you should talk to him about it. Get to the bottom of things, no pun intended..."

"Hardy har har..."

"Maybe you could try mixing it up a little." Kristopherson suggested. "Is there something that he likes that you don't always do?"

Alois thought before asking: "Do you even want to know that?"

"Not really, but now that you ask, I feel compelled to say 'yes'." the faux-blonde replied.

"If you don't want to know, then I won't tell you."

"C'mon, Ciel is such a stick in the mud… Are his kinks super-weird or something? I gotta know now. You've made me curious and I'm not sure how I feel about this."

"It's not weird. It's pretty normal stuff, I think." insisted the Phantomhive, shaking his head with a blush. "He really likes it when I go down on him, but I just don't do it as much as he does."

"Wait, does he do it a lot?"

"Almost every time. He actually likes doing it. It kind of turns him on." He stopped for a moment before adding: "Don't you dare tell him I told you that."

"I don't think I'd survive if I did." his friend replied. "Anyway, is there a reason why you don't? Is it gross?"

"Not really. He's super clean, so that's not a problem. It's just not as fun for me. It's one of those things where you can get kind of into it once you start, but starting is the hard part. So, I just don't do it a lot. He says it's perfectly fine, since he tops most of the time, anyway. Maybe I should try doing it more, though..."

"Don't do anything you're not comfortable with. He'd feel horrible if you did."

"Yeah, you're right..." Alois sighed, propping up his head in his hand as his elbow rested on top of the table. "He probably wouldn't wanna do it at all, then. He never does."

"You're lucky. Ciel really loves you more than anything doesn't he?" Kristopherson asked, mirroring the other's gesture as he smiled at him reassuringly across the table. "He's the type who will listen if you talk to him about it. Before you do anything, I think you should do that first."

"Yeah, I know. I'll do that." the menace said. "The only hard part will be bringing it up."

"Well, _yeah_ , but how are you going to start talking to him about the topic?" jested the Miles, forcing the other to emit a loud snort.

"Shut the fuck up." the Phantomhive chuckled, balling up a paper napkin and throwing it across the table at his friend. "Tosser. Oh, and by the way, I'm not giving you tips."

"Oh, come on!" Kristopherson shot back. "How am I supposed to be prepared for my future boyfriend?"

"Learn now about the importance of talking to your partner and having one that will listen. Duh, Pinky-pie."


	260. Baroque With No Monet

Alois bid his friend farewell before leaving the restaurant. He then made his way home to reunite with his spouse, bringing the conversation he had with Kristopherson with him. He wasn't sure how exactly to bring up the problem to the bluenette, but he would do it somehow, even if he just spoke to him bluntly.

Having come home, the blonde was greeted by the other Phantomhive with a big smile and a peck on the cheek. Ciel was happy to see the menace, and Alois knew it. The blonde couldn't bring up their relationship now. He couldn't bear the thought of ruining his spouse's good mood right then.

"Are you still up to going to the museum?" the Watchdog questioned, obviously excited. There was a bit of a bounce in his step, much to Alois' delight.

"Yep, as long as you're not too disappointed that I already ate." Alois replied, as the other put on his coat.

"Am I driving or are you?" Ciel asked. His beau had just arrived back after driving himself home, so the bluenette was wondering what he felt like doing.

"Motorcycle sounds fun." The menace would have to cling to his husband tightly if took this option, which is something that both of them craved. While Alois wanted more than this, it would have to tide him over until they could work in another nighttime session into their schedule. Alois would have to wait a while to ask what he wanted, but he would survive.

The other Phantomhive naturally accepted this, and agreed to drive them. He was a lot more excitable lately and enjoyed spending time with his beloved immensely. There was nothing that could possibly bring him down now. Ciel was floating on air and wanted to take his spouse with him. Alois squeezed his middle from behind as they rode to the museum for yet another date. The men locked arms as they made their way up the steps and walked inside.

While they had frequented this museum quite regularly, the exhibits would occasionally change. Even if they didn't, however, Alois was always amazed to see them while Ciel was always eager to talk about them. The bluenette was known to drone on about things, but his husband found it interesting. Even if he didn't, he enjoyed how excitable Ciel got when he spoke about history. It was especially prevalent when the Watchdog was personally familiar with the object or had an experience that was related to it. Alois loved it when the man was passionate about things. It was rare to see for those without Alois' proximity to him, but the man was certainly an excitable one. Sometimes, he would get embarrassed if he went too far, but Alois would laugh. He smiled, regardless, as he listened.

"Greek and Roman statues weren't always white, you know." the Watchdog began as they stepped into the room. They were surrounded by statues made of marble and occasionally bronze, depending on the date. "They used to be colourful. They looked like they belonged at an amusement park. What happened was that people, British Victorians, actually scrubbed the paint away to make them look less silly. This actually damaged the statues and some of the finer details are missing as a result."

"Why would they do that?" snickered the menace. "That doesn't make any sense. They're not even British. Why would we care?"

"Because some idiots couldn't bear the thought that the people that they claim to be the great descendants of had silly-looking, painted statues." Ciel replied, prompting the other to roll his eyes. "Us Victorians weren't perfect."

"Obviously." the menace stated. "Think we can see scrub marks?"

"Maybe, if you look close." The Watchdog said. "That's not even the only dumb thing that happened to some statues. There was also a pope that found it offensive that they are nude, and ordered their penises to be removed. They kept them, however, so archeologists later had to go around, matching them to the correct statues in order to repair them."

"Oh my god, that's so fucking ridiculous." answered Alois, looking back at the other over his shoulders. He leaned over the rail as far as he could without getting in trouble with security and carefully analyzed the statue before him for evidence of destruction. "Yep, there's a crack on that dick. Ouch… That one must've been split in _several_ pieces."

"Honestly, I prefer renaissance statues. They already have the lack of paint, and they also just have better movement. I'll have to show you a Michelangelo sometime." grinned the bluenette, coming up from behind the other and standing next to him to observe the exhibit as well. He turned in order to face the other as he spoke.

"They're very delicate. They look soft even though they're made of marble. The curves are so perfect, that… uh..." he tried to continue. The poor man's visible eye inadvertently traveled down the other's figure while the menace continued looking at the statue before traveling back up. It was then that another thought had popped into his head.

He had remembered the image of the blonde's figure without clothes and reached an epiphany of sorts. The blonde's pale and slender frame was just like a statue. He looked so delicate, but he was certainly not. He was strong and durable, yet soft to the touch. Ciel's fingertips twitched as he gripped the railing tighter at remembering the sensation, but was snapped out of his trance by the menace.

"That what?" Alois asked, looking up at his husband. He noticed that Ciel's cheeks were a bit red, but didn't think much of it, given his knowledge of the man's libido as of late.

"That, uh… Well, that the artist has a serious attention to detail." the Watchdog swiftly replied, trying to not seem obvious in the type of attention that he was giving the menace. It was brushed off by the otherwise perceptive Alois as a result.

"Cool. Those weren't scrubbed, though?"

"Nope. They kept their genitals as well."

With a laugh, the blonde linked their arms again, placing his free hand on the bluenette's arm as well. "Good for them." the man said. "I know I'd be upset. Are there any of those Michelangelos in here?"

"No, not in this museum. There are a few baroque works and Renaissance paintings, however."

"You should show me. Tell me _all_ about them, baby."

"Alright..." the bluenette replied, taking in a deep breath to compose himself. Paintings were no better, and neither were baroques. This was going to be a long day, and while Ciel loved it, his beau hanging on him did not help. "I'll tell you everything I can"

* * *


	261. Mirror, Mirror

The duo had a wonderful time during their outing. Alois marveled at the works of artwork in the museum, and Ciel marveled at Alois while trying to come up with things to say about each work. The man smiled as his beau gasped and stood in awe at some of the paintings and resisted the urge to reach out and touch them. Ciel resisted the urge to reach out and touch Alois in turn. It was an odd afternoon as the bluenette tried to stay focused on the artwork he was discussing while occasionally dropping hints as to his predicament. Alois, however, was not perceptive.

No, that wasn't true. Alois could see what the Watchdog was doing, but he simply disregarded it because of the couple's current habits. He was trying to convince himself that he was seeing things that weren't really there, despite his senses picking up what the other wanted just as he always had. Ciel was very easy to read.

It would take more than subtlety to alert the menace this time, it seemed. This time, Ciel would have to be more direct and express his wishes. While he flirted on their date, he was confused as to the lack of reaction from the menace. Ordinarily, the blonde would at lease say something. If he was into it, he would respond. If he wasn't, he would tell Ciel so. Surely, he would have to talk to the man once they were alone.

The time would eventually come after the pair returned home. Despite their worries, they still had a pleasant time together. They still smiled and laughed. Both were still secure in the knowledge that the other loved them, which was a wonderful place for them to be. After putting up their coats, both of them headed upstairs in order to change into something more comfortable. In Alois' case, he would change into a T-shirt or V-neck and a pair of pajama pants or shorts, while for the bluenette, it meant removing his tie along with his belt, and unbuttoning the first button or so on his shirt while rolling up his sleeves.

Both of them were comfortable with changing in each others' presence, so while Ciel was putting away his tie, belt, and shoes, Alois changed clothes at the same time. The only problem was the mirror that hung on the wall next to the wardrobe with the blunette's tie-rack inside. Of course he had to sneak a few glances. He could see the other man's back as he removed his shirt, and couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.

" _Why, hello, Michelangelo..."_ he internally mused before catching the thought and immediately thinking it was silly. Shaking his head, he missed the other man putting a fresh shirt on covering his pale back that the bluenette likened to marble. Ciel kicked himself a bit for that, but at least it was a V-neck and showed off the blonde's collarbone. Very slowly, the Watchdog continued to put away his things while keeping his eye on the mirror, prolonging his need to stand there as much as possible. It paid off, as the menace unfastened his belt next.

"Oof..." the bluenette accidentally let out as his husband dropped his trousers. Alois had discovered years ago that Ciel prefers him in briefs, so that is what the blonde had plenty of, and the Watchdog reacted accordingly. He did, however, immediately regret his staring as the menace looked over his shoulder at him. Through the mirror, their eyes met as Alois noticed it. Subsequently, he noticed the bluenette's actions and saw the deepening blush of a man that has just been caught peeping.

Ciel abruptly finished putting his things away and swiftly closed the wardrobe door with a loud clatter. It took him a few seconds to debate on whether or not he was going to speak or flee, and all the while, the menace simply carried on with getting dressed as though nothing had happened. It should be noted, however, that the blonde smiled as he did. Taking a deep breath, Ciel tried to speak, choosing honesty, as the other was his spouse and he was comfortable with him, even if he had embarrassed himself greatly..

"Jim-" he began, only to be cut off as a pair of arms wrapped around his waist and a chin settled on his shoulder.

"It's okay to look, you know." the menace grinned, giving his spouse a squeeze.

"I know. I was just staring a bit harder than I meant to..." bashfully answered Ciel, looking in the mirror again. He was relieved to see his spouse smiling at him, but still was rather embarrassed.

"Really? How hard did you intend to stare?"

"Jim..."

The blonde giggled as his spouse groaned, taking great delight in the man's bashfulness. "I thought I was just imagining it, but were you coming onto me earlier?" he questioned.

"W-well… Yes, if you're up to it..." Ciel replied, turning his head in order to look at the other directly. Still standing behind the bluenette, Alois took one arm from around the man's waist and tangled the fingers of their left hands together. With a firm grasp on the other man, the menace turned his head with his eyes closed, placing a kiss just behind Ciel's jaw.

"I like that idea." answered the blonde Phantomhive. His grip loosened and his husband smiled before turning around to face him. Once he did, however, it fell as the blonde was no longer smiling. It was certainly a cause for concern, as the man was playful only moments ago and Ciel's worry appeared on his face.

"What is it?" the bluenette questioned as he gently moved flaxen locks behind his spouse's ear. Silently, the menace reached up and grabbed the man's hand, holding it in his own.

"Can we talk first?" he asked, prompting the other to raise his brow.

"Certainly..." Ciel stated, concerned where this was going. From what he heard from pop culture, this was never a good question to be asked, but he allowed himself to be brought into the bedroom and sat down on the bed next to the menace as the man still held onto his hand.

His heart and mind raced and he braced himself for whatever was to come. Was Alois not perceptive to his techniques anymore? Was he bored? Or worse! What if Ciel had done something wrong, or simply wasn't as attractive as he was before? These were the kinds of thoughts that circled around in his head as he waited for the menace to find the words he needed. While Ciel was patient, he was hardly calm past his exterior.

Despite his concerns, his spouse still sat close enough that they were touching. The blonde was still gripping the other man's hand, using it as reassurance for himself, as much as his husband. Alois was sure that his worries were nothing, but he had to make sure.

"Well, uh… I'm not sure how to say this, so I'm just going to be blunt." Alois began, instilling further suspense in the bluenette. "Is that okay?"

"Sure. Whatever you need." Alois could see the worry on Ciel's face as he replied, so he made things quick.

"Well, we haven't been doing it as much lately, and I was wondering if something was wrong..." the menace answered, wearing a blush of his own as well. "Ever since the break started, it's been less and less… Is there something wrong? Is the way we usually do things boring, or what?"

His blush darkened as the Watchdog let out his tension in the form of a loud cough at the inquiry. Granted, the bluenette did look a bit relieved, but now the menace was embarrassed. "Hey! I thought it would be better to bring it up with you..."

"No, no, it's not that. When you said you wanted to talk, I kind of built it up in my head to be worse than this." admitted the bluenette. Taking a moment to compose himself, he took the blonde's hands in his. "I'm sorry I worried you." he said. "I didn't mean to. Making love with you isn't boring at all. It's just that I've been wanting a different kind of intimacy with you as of late… It's more... sensual. I've just been having a good time being with you and being close to you. When bedtime comes around, I've been wanting to just hold you."

"I thought it was gonna be something like that..." Alois sighed with relief, closing his eyes and leaning his head on his husband's shoulders. "Usually when breaks come around, we go at it more. When it started being less, I kinda got worried."

"I can see that. I'm really flattered that you noticed a change in habits, actually."

"I'm a detective, you know! It's only natural that I noticed something!"

"You're right." smiled Ciel, putting an arm around his spouse and leaning his head so that he was resting it on top of Alois'. "I'm sorry I made you worry, though. For the record, I still have a libido, I was just distracted from it because I wanted to dote on you in less sexual ways even more."

"Well, do you still feel like making an exception?" questioned the menace, placing a hand on the other's thigh with a sly grin. It was quickly returned at the action as Ciel lifted his head and placed a quick kiss to his husband's lips. One of the Watchdog's hands made it to Alois' hip as he turned to completely face his spouse as they sat on the bed.

"Definitely." Ciel replied, kissing the man again. "I have to make up for lost time, after all." While the blonde giggled, the bluenette continued to kiss his cheeks and lips before gently pulling the blonde down with him as he laid on the bed. Then he worked on the man's neck. They continued their banter into the night until they became too distracted. They certainly did have a lot of catching up to do, but they would have fun doing so without a single doubt.


	262. Always When Sleeping

The night passed with the two demons ending up intertwined with one another. They rested peacefully, but they did not wake up the same way. Instead, they woke up with the sound of the blonde's cell phone going off. With a grown, the blonde Phantomhive scrunched his face and sucked in a deep breath through his nose. He was left with no choice but to stir, removing the extra warmth from his spouse and leaving his arms empty.

"Ugh… What is that noise?" the bluenette asked, rubbing his eye as he listened to the song that played as a ringtone. His husband sat up and ran a hand through his ruffled hair while reaching over to grab the phone with the other.

"That's… P!nk, I think?" answered the menace. "I dunno. It's Kristopherson, though."

Laying back, he rested his head on his husband's chest and got comfortable. He then pushed the button on his phone and placed it up against his ear. "Hey, Pinky. How goes it?"

"Not so great, Lois." answered Kristopherson with a heavy sigh. "I just looked at a calender. The full moon is on Christmas and I dunno what I'm gonna do."

"Aren't you off the clinic stays? You'll at least be home." Alois replied as his husband ran his hands through his hair.

"My family wants me to come home for the holidays..." the faux-blonde clarified. "I don't know if H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. told them about the whole 'lycanthropy' thing. I know they talked to them, but..."

"I can probably check for you, if you want." offered the menace. "I'm not sure if that helps or not."

"That might help, actually… I should probably tell them, too. Just to let them know that I know."

"I can see that. Must suck, though. First you gotta tell them you like men, and then you gotta tell them that you're a wolfman…"

"Yeah… It's kinda… uh... yeah…" Kristopherson sheepishly uttered. "I dunno how to go about that without either sounding crazy, or just showing them. They'd probably freak out! I probably should just tell them I can't come..."

"That's horrible!" the Phantomhive declared. "Hold on a second, I'll check really quick." Pulling his face away from the phone, he sat up and nudged the Watchdog with his free hand.

"Babe, I need you to see H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. has told his family about his 'condition'." Alois said, causing his spouse to groan. With great reluctance, however, the man sat up.

"Alright..." Ciel sighed, rubbing his face. He leaned over to grab his own cell phone while the menace turned his attention back to his own.

"You still there, Kris?" the menace questioned as his spouse fiddled with his own cell phone despite not being thrilled with his morning being started so abruptly.

"Yeah." answered the faux-blonde. "What's the verdict?"

"I've got my best man on it, so it should only take a minute." informed Alois, only to see that the other Phantomhive had hung up already. Glancing his husband's way, he saw the bluenette holding out his hand for the blonde's phone. "Oh, looks like he's got it. I'm gonna pass you over to Ciel, okay?"

"Alright." sighed Kristopherson, waiting a moment for the phone to be passed on.

"Hello?" greeted the bluenette. "Kristopherson?"

"Hey, Ciel." the Miles answered back. "What did they say?"

"They said that they informed your parents of your condition when you were first admitted after the attack." informed the Watchdog. "That said, whether or not they believe that is yet to be determined. Have you talked to them since then?"

"Yeah, but never around a full moon." the wolfman replied. "I dunno what I'm gonna do. Missing Christmas with the family is tacky, but my biology is a problem."

"I would just tell them that I can't make it this time, and arrange another visit at a different time." Ciel shrugged as his husband leaned against him once more. "That seems reasonable. I know it's not directly on Christmas, but the spirit of things is still there."

"That's probably what I'm gonna have to do..." sighed the Miles. He was immensely disappointed. Up until now, his lycanthropy hadn't presented much of a problem, aside from the painful transformations and the quick growth of hair. Everything else was so minor, that it was hardly an inconvenience. "I just… I don't like not being normal, I guess..."

"I can sympathize with that. You need to play it a bit safe, for now, I think, unless you want to risk it and lay your cards out on the table."

"I kind of wanna stake things out a bit." Kristopherson said. "I really want them to know. I'm just… I'm afraid of what they'll think. I'm not sure which is worse, being considered crazy, or scary..."

"I would think crazy. At least with scary, people take you seriously."

"Why did I expect that answer from you?"

"You've become familiar with my ways." jested the bluenette. "I'm honestly impressed by how well you're taking all of this."

"I think I've become a bit desensitized..." the other answered. "All of this is a little underwhelming. It's just so… ordinary? Aside from these little problems when it comes to humans, not much has really changed… Wait, did I just say 'humans'?"

"You'll get used to talking like that, too." Ciel said, glancing over at his spouse. "I'm gonna give you back to Jim, now. Is there anything else you need?"

"Not really. I think I just needed a little push and a bit of validation."

"Pushing people is a specialty of mine." dryly stated the bluenette. "Here's Jim." he added before passing the cell phone back to the menace.

The two blondes talked for a while longer while Ciel laid down and tried to doze off again before eventually hanging up. Alois put the phone back on the nightstand before laying back down with the other man, huddling up to him once more in an effort to absorb some of his body heat. The Watchdog responded by wrapping an arm around him and drawing him closer.

"Sorry about that. I couldn't leave him hanging." apologised the menace, trying to make up for cutting their time for sleeping in. "I'd be upset if I was missing out on Christmas with the people I love because of a stupid biological function, too, y'know?"

"I know. It's alright." answered the blue Phantomhive with a sleeping sigh. "When duty calls, you must answer. Such is fate."

"You didn't seem too thrilled when I picked up, though..."

"Of course not. I was woken up and had my warm cuddle partner taken from me. You would be upset, too."

"I kind of was, but like you said: 'duty calls'." stated Alois, planting a kiss to his husband's cheek. "What are we going to do for Christmas? I'm still having trouble with your birthday, too..."

"It's alright. We can just do the usual stuff, can't we? I like having a tree and having everyone unwrapping presents in the morning. It's like we're a normal family." replied the other, smiling at the blonde's actions. "You don't really need to do anything special for my birthday, either. I just want to spend lots of time with you. In a way, this whole month so far has been my birthday present."

"Yeah, but it feels like I'm not doing much, so I need to make sure!" Alois declared. "I have to give it my very best every time."

"I'm having fun, though. What more could I possibly ask for?" questioned Ciel, squeezing the other a tad tighter while planting a kiss on him in return.

"I could probably get some snacks, or something, at least..."

"You certainly know the way to my heart, don't you?"

"Glutton." accused the menace with a snort. Regardless, he nuzzled the bluenette as he got comfortable once again. "I hope you're okay with missing breakfast, because I don't intend on letting you go for a while..."

"That's perfectly fine. I have everything I need right here." stated Ciel, grinning as he earned a giggle from his spouse. "I'm not too fond of the idea of getting up, either. I'd very much rather stay asleep."

"No complaints. Except maybe you should stop talking if you intend to sleep."


	263. A Wolf In Sweet Clothing

Worry loomed over the faux-blonde as he sat on the edge of the sofa in his apartment, just staring at the small calender in his hands. The full moon was on the twenty-fifth of December, meaning that visiting his family for the holidays would be somewhat difficult. He figured that he could most likely leave during the day before night fell, but he didn't want to risk cutting things that close, nor did he believe that he could handle the jitters that came with the a moon-day.

It was a strange sensation where he felt anxious and completely on edge long before night fell, but it was apparently a common feeling amoung werewolves, according to the handbook. Kristopherson wasn't sure if he could handle that Christmas morning and convincingly pretend that all was well. While he came from a family with several actors, he could only do so much. Surely, he would have to reschedule. He knew his family would understand if he did things this way.

At the same time, however, he deeply wished that his family was aware of his predicament. That would just be one more worry gone and having his family's support would help him immensely. Still, he hadn't the slightest idea as to how to go about addressing it. They would have to know eventually, given that the man could no longer age, but that was a thought that he would rather push out of his mind for as long as possible. Eventually, he would need to ask Ciel about coping with that.

Kristopherson decided that he wanted to see his family as soon as possible for no reason other than the fact that he simply wanted to. He was scared to go alone, however, and asked if it would be alright if he brought a friend. Naturally, his first choice was Alois, but the man was busy, leaving the task up to Logan, who agreed predominantly out of curiosity.

The wolfman's life was a source of interest for the incubus, as it was so different from his own and vice versa. Still, he agreed because he wanted to help his friend, and understood that the man was going through a hard time with this. It was no trouble on his behalf, and his presence was greatly appreciated.

He and Kristopherson arrived at the Miles household before Christmas, with plenty of leeway to leave before the full moon came. His parents were thrilled to have their son back at home, and while they were unsure of Logan since they had never met before, they were happy to have him there as well.

"Kris!" called out his mother after opening the door. Opening her arms wide, she greeted her son with a hug and a kiss to the cheek. Remarkably, her bright purple lipstick wasn't left behind. "Come in! We missed you so much!"

"Hi, mum." chuckled Kristopherson, going along with things. Walking into the house, he toted his luggage along with him, shortly followed by the incubus close behind. "This is my friend, Logan."

"Hello." bashfully waved the other man, trying not to stare too much at Missus Miles' appearance. Already, he was bombarded with such a great difference in culture. Even beauty was substantially different. The woman had pink hair and wore lots of makeup, which were both incredibly uncommon in Gehenna. This could be difficult for the incubus.

"Oh, hi! Kristopherson told me a lot about you over the phone." answered Missus Miles with great excitement. "You come in, too. Anastasia and Lawrence should be coming after while. Do either of you want anything to drink?"

"Nah, I'm good, mum." her son said as she led everyone into the livingroom, where her husband was already sitting in wait. He didn't look as strange as Missus Miles, fortunately, making this meeting slightly less awkward for Logan.

"Hey, dad." Kristopherson greeted as the older man stood up from his seat to greet him.

"Kris! How are you, son?" the other replied with a big smile. "Did you get bigger? Hitting the gym rather hard, are we?"

"Gotta stay busy, don't I?" answered the faux-blonde with a question of his own. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw his friend, awkwardly waiting to be introduced are given instruction. "This is Logan, by the way. He's my friend."

"Nice to meet you, Logan…?" his father trailed off as he held out his hand to shake with the incubus, which the ordinarily blue man gladly accepted.

"Kendrick, sir." Logan answered, giving him his surname.

"Well, why don't you and Kris take your bags up to his room? I hope you don't mind sharing with him. You can have the couch instead, if you like." Mister Miles answered, letting go of the other's hand.

"I don't mind, either way."

"We can figure it out later." offered Kristopherson. "You can at least keep your stuff in there for now. C'mon."

With a nod, Logan followed the wolfman up the stairs, leaving the man's parents behind momentarily. Once they were in the room, Kristopherson noticed that it was almost exactly as he left it. He walked inside and set his things down by his old desk.

"You can set your stuff down anywhere." he said to his friend.

"It's very… pink." noted the incubus, his eyes wandering around the brightly coloured room.

"Yeah… I was really into it. Still am a bit, if you noticed. Hope this doesn't offend you." quipped back Kristopherson, prompting Logan to shake his head.

"Doesn't bother me." the incubus said as he set his own stuff down. "Everything here is just so colourful..."

"Have you seen the buildings in Gehenna?"

"Yeah, but it's just in a different way."

Pausing, the wolfman examined his friends before saying: "You're referring to my mum's makeup, aren't you?"

"I'm sorry. I just don't see that sort of thing everyday. It's fascinating." Answered Logan, trying to be honest but non-offensive.

"It's okay. Just don't stare too hard." the other stated.

"Deal. Should we go back down stairs?"

"Sounds like a plan, man."

Laughing, the incubus said: "That was good. It rhymed..."

"It's an Alois-ism, so I sadly cannot take credit."

After heading back down to the living room, the wolfman and the incubus did their very best to get comfortable. For Kristopherson, it was easy, but for Logan, it took a while. They chatted with Kristopherson's parents about how life was going. Everyone had a story from their time apart and the parents were interested about Logan's life. They asked about his family and what he does. For the most part, the incubus was honest, telling them that he works at a store and that he has several siblings. Not a lie was told, but crucial information was left out when it pertained to supernatural affairs. Unfortunately, the conversation eventually led back to Kristpoherson's injuries from the attack and how he was holding up.

"I've been fine." the faux-blonde stated, trying not to appear too uncomfortable. "I'm all healed up, even though I was a little freaked out, for a while."

"I can imagine." answered his father. "Being attacked by a wolf in the middle of London is a startling story!"

"Yeah… It was..." Silence followed after that, and the man shifted a bit in his seat. He really didn't have anything other to say about it that didn't make him sound like a madman to the average human, so he waited for someone else to speak. They didn't right away, however. Instead, his parents looked to each other with concerned yet determined eyes.

"Is that why you haven't come to visit?" asked his mother, prompting his attention.

"Yeah… I'm sorry… A lot has been going on..." Kristopherson answered with a sigh.

"How's your condition?" questioned his father.

"Yes, is that why you didn't want to visit us on Christmas?" Missus Miles further inquired.

"Huh?" the wolfman let out, perking up while his face scrunched in confusion. "What condition?"

"The one the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. people told us about. They gave us a book, too." the woman said before her eyes glanced at Logan and back again. "Oh, sorry, does he know?"

"Yeah. He's actually the one who helped me get through most of it..." informed Kristopherson before getting back to his concerns. It was imperative that he knew what they did. "What condition did they tell you I had?"

"The book calls it ' _lycanthropy_ '." stated his father. "The doctor at the clinic said that that's a fancy word for _'werewolfism'_."

"You believe that?"

"Not at first, but the idea has been growing on us." the woman stated. "They showed us all sorts of documents and tests they did… They even offered to film you on a full moon, but we thought it would be best if they didn't."

"Why are you so accepting of it?" asked Kristopherson. His heart fluttered as he tried to rationalise that his parents are simply messing with him.

"Honey, we accepted you when you came out as gay, and we'll accept you if you're a werewolf, too. That's a parent's job." Missus Miles stated, seeming a little on edge as well. She was usually very fun, loud, and in love with pranks, but this was her being serious. Kristopherson could tell as well. Her expression and tone of voice were completely different from how she is when pulling a prank. Unless she had taken some acting lessons while he was gone, Kristopherson believed her. After a second, she turned to look at the man sitting next to her son.

"And what are you?" she asked Logan, snatching his attention. "Are you a werewolf, too?"

"No, ma'am. I am a supernatural, though." Logan admitted while reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "Humans typically have bad feelings about my species, so I'm not sure if I should tell you what I am."

"Why's that?" asked Mister Miles.

"They typically think we're perverts and deviants, but we're really strict about how we behave." answered the incubus. "Breaking the code of conduct can get you disowned by your family, and frankly, I don't blame them! They're there for a reason."

"What sort could need rules like that?"

"Well, if I tell you, I don't want you to freak out of think anybody's in danger."

"Saying that doesn't make it seem better..." said Kristopherson, earning a nervous laugh from his friend.

"Well… You see… I'm actually an incubus..." Logan admitted with a small blush on his cheeks. "Don't worry, though! I'm not going to hurt your son! It's against the rules to sleep with a virgin if you're not in a relationship."

"Hey!"

"Honesty is the best policy."

"Really? I thought you were dating." pondered Missus Miles, resting her chin on her palm.

"Mum!"

"What? You mesh well." the woman said.

"So… Do you, y'know… eat souls or anything?" questioned her husband with understandable concern. The inquiry made the incubus laugh, however, taking it in good humour.

"No, not at all! I'm not a demon." he answered. "What we 'eat' is the energy given off during intercourse. We can eat 'regular food' too, but shapeshifting a digestive system to process it is kind of a pain."

"That complicates dinner, a bit..."

"Not really. I'm fine just sitting with everyone." Logan replied. "Things aren't that complicated. Some people can't have dairy, while some are allergic to peanuts. I just can't have anything."

"You make it all seem so simple. Are we just thinking about the 'supernatural' thing too hard?" asked Missus Miles, prompting a shrug.

"Maybe." the incubus said. "In my case, it's not that big of a deal. Like any species, we have our quirks, differences, and special needs. Kristopherson's a a bit more complicated just due to circumstance. I was born supernatural, while he was just kinda thrown into it against his will."

"Aw..." cooed the woman with a frown. Turning her attention to Kristopherson, she said: "If you ever need anything, sweetie, you tell us and we'll help you out. We read the book."

"Thanks, mum..." the faux-blonde answered. "I think I have a system started, but I dunno if it's a fool-proof one, yet."

"We're here, even if it's not werewolf-stuff, just like always." said his father. "If it is, we'll do our best to help."

"I know… Actually, mum?" Kristopherson called, facing his mother. "I've actually been trying to work on a type pants that are able to accommodate a tail… For me and for other types of supernaturals… Common practise is to cut holes in pants, but apparently, they can cut in kind of bad, or are just uncomfortable."

"Ooh~! Designing clothes for supernatural creatures?" the woman asked to no one in particular, perking up and clapping her hands together with excitement. "That sounds fun… Let me get my sketchbook!"

The first day of the visit went off without a hitch, which things being cleared up, and socialising being done. Missus Miles began working with Kristopherson on patterns and designs for supernaturals along with the assistance of Logan, who gained permission to call the woman by her first name. Everything was going smoothly, and continued to do so after Anastasia and her boyfriend arrived as well. It was fortunate that the faux-blonde had a government organization to back him up and save him the trouble of doing the difficult explaining to his parents. Now all he was left with was business as usual, with the added secret to the family for them to bond over. Kristopherson was invited back on Christmas day so that his mother could test some designs on him, and so was Logan. The wolfman, however, said that he would have to think about it, which she understood. He felt as though she should be surprised that the woman was now becoming fixated on designing clothes for supernatural beings, but he really wasn't, and kind of expected it, somehow. That, however, was a story for another day.


	264. Boring Adults

Ciel and Alois received good news. They had been alerted that their desk was finished, and arranged to go pick it up. It took some maneuvering, and renting of a moving truck, but they somehow managed to haul the large piece of furniture in several pieces to the estate, where it was fully assembled by the artisans who they commissioned on site. The Phantomhives were impressed with both the work and the helpfulness of its creators, encouraging them to pay a lot more than previously negotiated.

The workmen were shocked, but the demons knew that the amount that they gave them was much more fair. Not only did the artists go above and beyond to make sure the desk got home safely, it was a beautiful piece that could not be found anywhere or replicated by anyone else in the world. The wooden desk was the length of two desks in the front that wrapped around slightly to maximize the amount of room the demons had to work on, and minimize the space it took up. There was another, smaller desk in between the stations, dividing the duo's workspace. It was on that desk that they put items that were necessary to share, like the printer and telephone. The rest was organized rather predictably by each man due to their respective tastes in aesthetics. Ciel was on the left, and Alois was on the right. Either way, they were both unified by the large Phantomhive crest carved in the center of the desk on the front. The detail was gorgeous, and Alois couldn't stop tracing his fingers along the carvings for a while after it was installed.

Needless to say, they enjoyed the arrangement immensely. The pair liked the idea of being on the same level, and they both appreciated being able to sit next to each other while working. Alois also liked having an actual space to sit.

"Feels like we're in school again." the blonde giggled while plopping down in his new seat. He rubbed his hands against the surface of his new desk as his husband took the seat next to him to test it out. "If it gets too quiet while working, I might feel compelled to pass notes."

"You already do leave me notes." said the other, leaning down to pick up the things that go in his desk and putting them back where they belong. All of their things were still strewn out, as they had to take everything out before they could move everything around. Now it was time to put things back.

"Yeah, but not all the time. Usually, it's just when I need to tell you something, but I'm running late for school." replied the menace while watching his partner. "This would be like, all the time."

"Oh yeah?" Ciel mused with a smile. "What sort of things would you say?"

" _'_ _I know someone who likes you'_ and stuff like that, probably." Alois grinned. " _'Do you like me? Check yes, no, or maybe'_."

"Maybe." the bluenette teased, prompting his spouse to stand up and lean over the divider to smack his shoulder.

"So fucking rude!" scolded the blonde, but Ciel laughed.

"I don't ' _like'_ you. I love you." the Watchdog replied, standing up as well. "That's why I married you. I personally like this a lot better than a school crush, if I'm honest."

"Me too." giggled the menace, smiling as his spouse pecked his lips. The Watchdog then turned around, however, and bent over to pick up more of his belongings for organization.

The action caused Alois to smile, and after a few moments of conspicuously eying the bluenette's rear while the other man wasn't looking, that smile turned into a smirk. He reached out and gave his husband's backside a squeeze before quickly shuffling to sit down and pretend he had nothing to do with it before his husband stood up and looked behind him. Unfortunately, the blonde couldn't conceal his grin or stifle his snicker. Not only that, the clattering of his chair was incredibly loud in his haste. Still, Ciel took it in good humour and rolled his eyes with a smile, shaking his head lightly at his spouse's silly antics.

"I'm going to tell on you..." jokingly said the Watchdog without even looking at the blonde. His hands were now focused on opening drawers and sticking items and documents inside, and his eye observant of this as well.

"Oh yeah? What did I do?" the menace innocently questioned, grinning from ear to ear. " _I_ didn't do anything, and if I did, you can't prove it, so there." He waited until his husband briefly looked back at him to stick out his tongue.

"You're such an idiot..."

"You called me a mean name! Now I'm telling on _you!_ "

"Children don't get to sit in the boss' chair, nor do they get to have a spouse."

"Fine..." Alois answered in a whiny tone. "I'll behave..."

"Good. If you're going to sit here, you can't be pestering me all of the time. Sometimes, but not all the time."

"What about banter?"

"Banter is good."

"But this is banter?"

" _You're_ banter." the Watchdog immaturely retorted, matching his husband's prior tone.

"That doesn't even make sense!" Alois complained.

" _You_ don't make sense." Ciel replied, causing the other to stop and think.

"Touche, Mister Phantomhive… Touche..." the menace answered, narrowing his eyes and waving a finger at the other demon.

His spouse had finished putting his things away, and now both of them were completely set up at their new station. The pair got up and walked over to the middle of the room to look at it in it's completion, feeling somewhat proud of the development. Crossing his arms, the blonde admired his new spot with a smile.

"That right there is a pretty desk." he said with a satisfied nod. "How do you think Chief Sybil is enjoying her new one?"

"She's probably nervous, knowing her." the other man replied. "It's a nice desk, too. I've had it for about sixty years, but it's still pretty pristine. It might be a little intimidating for someone as humble as her to get used to, at first."

At his answer, his partner laughed. "You're so serious..." the blonde stated, amused by the fact that the other had answered him with that amount of thought. The question was meant to be rhetorical, but Alois didn't mind. "It doesn't stop being cute."

"Oh yeah?" inquired the Watchdog with a raised brow.

"Yeah." Alois nodded. "You're fun, in a dorky, dry humour sort of way. I'm glad we share a desk."

"Me too." Ciel answered. Without missing a beat, pat the blonde's rear while giving him a squeeze. An incredibly smug smile graced his face at the small squeak his spouse made in surprise at the action.

"Jerk." the blonde accused with a pout.

"What did I do?" innocently questioned the Watchdog with a wide grin. " _I_ didn't do anything, and if I did, you can't prove it. So _there_."


	265. The Tea Party of Erised

The Phantomhives were quite taken to their new accommodations, although things were slow when it came to missions. They were indeed, busy, however. December was a busy time for FUNTOM Toys, after all, so the Watchdog had things to do despite the face that he did not want to spare any time that would detract from having fun with his spouse. Fortunately, Alois agreed to help him with the things he could. When it was time for Ciel to work, he would work too, lightening the load and getting things done faster.

Like this, they worked as a team and distributed the weight between them. Once that was through, they could play once more! They went out and stayed in, sometimes bringing friends along, while sometimes only bringing each other. Today was the day that Elizabeth would come to visit. It was at most every two weeks, but always on a Thursday. She would come to see how her relatives were fairing and was always happy to see them. Likewise, they were happy to see her as well.

She sat with them in the parlor, sipping tea and making conversation. Her cousin and his husband sat on a sofa, while she sat in a chair adjacent to them. A peaceful mood filled the room as they talked about how life has been for them as of late, and whatever interests currently were currently striking their fancy. Elizabeth's smile was wide as she sat there with the demons, taking it all in.

"The mood of this house has improved." she commented. Her teacup clinked against the saucer in her hand as she set it in place. "I can hardly remember the last time this place was so lively."

"Time changes all things." replied the Watchdog. He and his spouse sat very closely, so the man felt when Alois suddenly flinched and put his drink down. Ciel looked over to see the other man's face scrunched up in pain.

"It's hot..." Alois managed to let out. As he frowned, the other two smiled at his reaction, despite the man's burnt tongue.

"Don't drink it right away. Wait for it to cool a bit..." chuckled the bluenette with a smile.

"It's fine… I think I regenerated what was burned… or is that just natural healing? I don't even know anymore." shrugged Alois, leaning against his spouse. Meanwhile, the Hellsing woman giggled at the couple's interactions, deriving much delight from them.

"I see you two are still getting along." she noted. "How is marriage suiting you two, anyway?"

"It's great." proudly grinned the menace, nuzzling his spouse further. "Not much has changed, but everything has changed at the same time, it feels like. Mostly, I just like being able to say ' _I am married'_ and ' _this is my husband'_. It's strangely satisfying."

Ciel, on the other hand said nothing. The expression on his face, however, indicated that he agreed with the blonde. His mouth was turned upwards ever so slightly and his eyebrows were raised. He had a look of contentment that could not go unnoticed.

"That's good! I'm glad things have worked out so wonderfully!" Elizabeth replied, taking note of her cousin's actions. "I like seeing the two of you like this. It's good that things are going so well. My husband and I had quite the time getting married, but his dedication was astounding. He initiated a duel almost every time he arrived at the house for my hand!"

"You dueled your husband for him to marry you?" questioned Alois, raising a brow. He leaned forward slightly as he expressed great interest in the feat. "Damn, Lizzie, you're harsh..."

"No, it wasn't me he fought. It was my mother." she explained. "She didn't approve of him at first because of his social rank. He was also sort of odd, which didn't do him any favours. She said that he had to fence with her while obeying all of the rules and win before she would even consider letting him even court me!"

"Fighting aunt Francis..." Ciel shuddered. "What a nightmare… I'm not sure how he survived."

"He wasn't very good with the sword to begin with, which made things worse. But, he still tried." the woman sighed wistfully with a smile on her face. "He challenged her every time he set foot in the house, and probably would have come to do so more often, had he not work to do and injuries to recover from. Sometimes, they were mother's doing! He used to say ' _Fighting a vampire would have been easier._ '"

"I don't doubt that one bit." chuckled the Watchdog. "I think I would have agreed with him on that. Did he ever beat Francis?"

"Never. He eventually wore her down with persistence. I was already in love with him by then, so courting wasn't really necessary." Pausing, Elizabeth thought. "Oh! But he did beat Edward! He didn't fight fairly, however. He said that there's no place for rules in a serious battle. _'I'm not playing games with you, good sir! I will fight you with everything I have!'_ Edward was not thrilled."

"Edward is your brother, right?" inquired Alois, trying to recall the names on the family tree. "Did he ever like Isaac?"

"Not really. He did later in life." the woman replied. "Edward was always so protective of me, and hated him on the basis of that alone!"

"He also didn't think that Isaac was good for me for the same reasons as mother did." she continued, looking down at her cup. "Isaac was the son of a professor, Abraham Van Hellsing. His father was known as a bit of a loon who ranted and raved about vampires, and Isaac was _'odd'_ in believing in such things as well. He was knighted and appointed by the queen for some ' _mysterious_ ' work, and Isaac inherited that from him. In a way, the Hellsings became the successor to the Phantomhive family's duties. Still, my family wasn't too keen on a person of such a low social rank and reputation marrying their daughter."

"I never liked that system." stated Alois before taking a moment to blow on his tea. "The daughter of a marquis should be able to marry whomever she wishes."

"We felt the same way. Things would have been a lot smoother if we had the new system of marrying for love back then." Elizabeth said before raising her head. "Everything turned out alright, however. We made H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. what it is today together, and we lived happily. Like everyone else, we had children and grew old, but we were together; that funny man and I. I was never just a wife to him. We were partners as well."

The mood was somewhat heavier now with the woman's ramblings, causing the demons to adopt more serious expressions. Although the woman smiled, she was a bit sombre in her face. It didn't take a detective to perceive that. In an odd way, Ciel was happy for her, though. She had found someone who she truly loved in his absence, and who treated her the way that she deserved to be treated. Despite her feminine appearance, Elizabeth was a warrior at heart who pursued the greater good. Somehow, the stars had aligned for her to meet her true calling after all.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get so serious!" the angel piped up, smiling apologetically. The tone in her voice became more cheerful, and she seemed to not want to linger on the bad. "I was just reminiscing."

"You seem to have fond memories of him." spoke the Watchdog with a soft smile. "He must have been a good man."

"He really is..." Elizabeth replied. "I wonder if you would have liked him, to be honest. I think he would probably try to pick a fight."

"If he ever wishes to do so, I will happily oblige. Don't worry, I'd go easy on him."

"Somehow, I feel like you would like _that_ more… He was a bit of a show-off as well, though, so you have that in common."

The woman's remark prompted a snort from the blonde Phantomhive, followed by a giggle. The man then nodded as if to agree. Ciel seemed less than thrilled by his family's opinions, but he wasn't too bothered.

"Ciel always has to be the alpha dog." Alois said teasingly. "It's not even to gain anyone's favour. It's just an animal thing, I suppose."

"Not necessarily." Elizabeth pointed out. "I can think of one person whom he would want to impress."

Choking sounds came from beside the menace as tea was accidentally taken down the wrong pipe. Coughing, Ciel put down his cup and saucer on the table in front of him before covering his mouth with his fist. A red stain appeared on his cheeks as he tried to clear his windpipe of the foreign liquid, but the others knew that it wasn't simply from coughing. Observing this, an almost wicked grin appeared on the menace's face. The blonde wrapped his arms around Ciel's that was closest to him while rubbing his cheek on the Watchdog's shoulder.

"It's okay, Ciel. We all know how much of a sweetheart you are." he cooed, earning a hastily thrown-together stern expression on the face of the bluenette. "No need to put on a show for Lizzie.

"I am not..." Ciel protested before having one of his cheeks affectionately pinched.

"Then how come you're openly mushy around _me,_ huh?" questioned the mischievous Lion. "You can be cool while being sweet. You do it all the time. You only act like a geek when you stop and think about it."

With that, the other Phantomhive's face grew more serious, losing it's awkward twinge. Ciel wriggled his arm free from Alois' grasp and rested it on the back of the sofa just behind the other man's shoulders. Leaning forward, he drew closer to the menace, causing Alois' eyebrows to raise. The blonde shuddered a bit at the feeling of his spouse's warm breath on his ear, tickling it slightly, but his words made a reasonably dark blush appear on the menace's cheeks.

"But Jim," Ciel began, speaking to his husband softly, "that part of me is only for _your_ eyes alone..."

Alois felt his heart skip a beat at this and nearly forgot where he was. He was taken by surprise and had up no defenses in that moment, making him vulnerable to attack. Thus, it was only as he looked over the other's shoulder to see Elizabeth grinning at him that he thought to look at his husband's expression. There, he found the most smug of looks smeared across the Watchdog's face, which prompted Alois to frown and take action.

"You jerk!" he accused, pushing slightly on the other demon's chin. "Don't do that! It's embarrassing! You made my heart beat, you bastard..."

"How do you think I feel?" inquired the bluenette with a scoff. He pushed against the force of the menace's hand with his face. "At least you're cute..."

"No, _you're_ cute, you piece of shit!"

Elizabeth observed the display with a smile, taking delight in the demons' shenanigans. She couldn't help but find them adorable. They were sweet to each other, and suited one another well. It was also just pleasant to see the two demons happy, despite their faux-protests and putting on airs. Still, despite how pleased she was for them, there was the occasional pang of longing in her heart as she watched them together. There was loss, and as she looked down at the teacup and saucer in her hands once again, she couldn't help but observe her hands. It was times like this that no matter how much she tried to put it from her mind, her ring finger seemed incomplete.

* * *


	266. A Train Car Named Crossfire

The turn of the century could be counted down to on one hand on this particular day. It had been approximately seven years since the disappearance of Ciel Phantomhive, and his fiancee had just become twenty-one years of age. It seemed like ages since she wore any colour other than black as a result.

Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford sat in the upper-class passenger car of a train heading en route to London. She was heading home from the estate of a friend who had recently gotten married and moved away. While she was happy for her friend, she was also sad for herself. At this point, she was certain that she would become a spinster, and if that were to happen, she hadn't the faintest idea as to what she would do. Lamenting this, she stared out the window and watched the scenery pass and let out the occasional sigh.

She hadn't thought of marrying any man who was not Ciel Phantomhive, since the young Earl's assumed death years ago. Granted, she did have suitors who hoped for her hand, given her status and appearance. With golden locks of hair, emerald eyes, fair skin, and a face that was easy on the eyes, she was naturally popular. However, despite the amount of men who had hoped to become her future husband, she had refused to even humour a single one. Still, while she had standards, she was also a tad lonely.

"Cheer up, Lady Elizabeth." spoke Paula, her maid. The older woman had been by her side since she was a child, and was sent to accompany her on her journey, as she had refused any other escort. "It's not the end of the world. You'll still see her from time to time, I'm sure of it!"

"That's debatable, but the odds are not in my favour." the Midford replied, never breaking her gaze from the world beyond the train car. "Married women seldom leave the house, and she's far enough away that it's a big trip to go visit. She may never be seen again."

"My lady..." Paula began in an attempt to come up with something to say.

While Elizabeth was no longer wearing mourning colours, she still wore mostly blue and it reflected her attitude, somewhat. She had become more serious and cynical over the years, but that was to be expected. When Ciel vanished, he took her purpose and part of her very identity with her. Now she had nothing. Although she was getting better, getting past this was going to be a major feat.

The car was quiet aside from the occasional chatter from the other riders. They gossiped on about whatever it is that interests the wealthy, and while ordinarily, she would have loved to eavesdrop, but this time she refrained. She was simply in no mood. The only time her interest was piqued was when they mentioned a certain peculiar fellow on the train.

"Who is that man?" one of them asked. "Why is he in the first class car? Look at him! He's filthy!"

It was true. Toward the back of the car was a man in a long, black, coat that was torn and slathered with mud. He obviously had no regard for the rules of society, as he was still wearing his hat while inside. It was pulled down over his face and he appeared to be sleeping peacefully while slouching in his seat. Elizabeth had noticed him when she got on the train, but decided not to judge. She found it awful, how those people were talking badly about that man, but said nothing. What could she say? There would be consequences for speaking up as well, and Elizabeth was not certain that she wanted to mess with it.

Time passed, and the train ride was normal. Everything was going according to plan so far. The train was heading to London at just the right speed and there were no obstacles in sight to stop them. It was night, but they were expected to arrive by morning. That is what the conductor told them approximately an hour ago when complained to by some crotchety nobleman in the car before leaving again. This heightened the surprise when the train began to slow down.

Looking outside the window, Elizabeth could see the scenery passing by slower and slower. The car was close enough to the front of the train that she could even make out the sight of light from the sparks emitted by the brakes being hit with haste.

"Paula, hold on!" she instructed, snapping her maid to attention before gripping her seat and tensing her muscles. The abrupt stop caused some passengers to lurch forward and even fall out of their seats. Luggage was displaced and hit people as it bounced around. Poor Paula was one of those who fell in the floor, but her mistress held out a hand to her and helped her back to her feet as soon as the train was at a complete stop.

"What happened?" questioned the maid while rubbing her eye. "That was a most terrible awakening..."

"The train has stopped." Elizabeth answered, looking around carefully. She scanned the room to see that most of the passengers were just as confused as she was, all but the man in the muddy coat who sat in the back. He had lifted his hat briefly to look around, but soon reclined in his seat once more.

Curious, the Midford looked outside her window, but could see nothing but blackness. She did hear a faint sound coming from the darkness, but could not isolate it from the bickering of those to her back. Something was definitely wrong, though. She could feel it. There was talk from the others of the likeliness of a malfunction in the train's machinery, which was entirely plausible. There was also talk of highwaymen and murderers as well. One man insisted that it was an assassination plot targeted at him in particular, but others brushed him off by calling him arrogant. Elizabeth, meanwhile, wasn't sure what it meant. She did know, however, that she would find out very soon, and turned her head to look at the door that lead to the front of the train.

She waited, drowning out the noise around her as she honed in on that door. Brows furrowed together slightly in concentration. Something was wrong. It was very, very wrong. If something was wrong with the machinery, someone would have come through and informed them of a delay. The minutes crawled by like years as she waited, but there was nothing. There was no news. If only those around her would be quiet, then she could hear what was happening on the other side. She would have heard the screams that persisted for several minutes before being rendered silent, and the distant groans that drew ever closer.

"Lady Elizabeth?" called Paula, trying to snap the blonde to attention. A look of concern crossed the maids features as she witness the growing fear that persisted on her mistress' visage. Elizabeth knew something was coming. What she didn't know was what. Instinctively, Elizabeth held out an arm between Paula and the door to stifle any attempt to draw closer.

It was wise. Soon, the banging came. What sounded like fists struck the door, drawing the attention of the passengers. It was slow, but soon it started up again. At first, Elizabeth suspected that it was a single person striking the door, but the overlap indicated that it was multiple persons. Each one hit and then slowly drew back before hitting again. Everyone had stopped talking at this point. Now they could hear the moaning and groaning of many people on the other side.

"What is that?" demanded one of the passengers, causing the others to whisper. The banging grew louder, and louder, and louder, and _louder;_ making the aristocrats' hearts sink and tremble. Elizabeth, was no exception. She stood with the others, gripped with fear as the door began to give way.

Trough the gaps, fingers slipped through and tried to reach inside of the train car. Some were pale, while others were grey, green with mold, red with mangle, or riddled with rot. The sound entered the car first, becoming louder than before. It was shortly followed by the stench of a cadaver; or rather, it was several. As the door gave way more, glowing eyes could be seen peeking through the gap between the door and the gaps between the fingers and hands. After that, it was not long before the door gave away completely.

Suddenly, the car was filled with the deafening sound of people screaming all at once. Elizabeth's eyes widened as she bore witness to the sight of what could only be described as walking corpses making their way through the door. They were slow, but there were many. Immediately, they started grasping for anyone they could reach. While some scurried away and joined the others as they huddled toward the back of the train, some were not so lucky and were pulled in by the mob.

More screaming ensued as those unfortunate souls were torn to shreds and devoured before everyone's very eyes. Tears stained cheeks and makeup ran, but no one could fathom what to do in this situation. Even Elizabeth was completely frozen from the shock of it all. Then, a single shot rang out, and blood sprayed from behind one of the creature's heads before it finally fell to the floor.

"I thought I was done with work…" sighed the man in the muddied coat. In his hand was a pistol with smoke pouring from the barrel. "Ah…. I'm completely knackered…"

Elizabeth's attention fell to the man as he stepped between the humans on the train and the monsters. Finally, he decided to take off his hat and show his face. He was a young man in his early twenties and held himself with a certain conviction that could only be described as playfully heroic. His strawberry blonde hair was slicked back at some point, but his hat had disheveled it, and his vibrant blue eyes seemed tired. Seeing as though he was sleeping for most of the ride and seemed as though he had been through something terrible recently, that was understandable. Aiming his gun, he took a deep breath and began to fire, taking out as many of the creatures as he could as they filed in.

"It would be in your best interest to reinforce the door." he called out to the people behind them. "They can still get in through there."

Before the people could panic, Elizabeth grabbed her seat before yelling: "Use the furniture to barricade the door!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" shouted one of the passengers, turning their back to her and reaching for the door. "I'm getting out of here!" They didn't get the chance, however, as a bullet whizzed by their face, just grazing their cheek.

"Open that door and everyone dies." warned the mysterious man. His tone was suddenly very grave, and his expression was not that of a person who was just complaining about having their nap interrupted. "That includes you. You try to open that door, and I'll kill you myself."

Silence fell as the noblemen and women were in a state of shock and horror. It didn't matter, however, as the man simply kept shooting. They were only brought back to reality as Elizabeth and Paula attempted to shove one of the heavy seats past them to block the door.

"Everyone move something! Don't let anymore in!" ordered the Midford. Her voice shook the room and rallied it's inhabitants into action. They began moving the seats, tables, and anything else they could get their hands on. Elizabeth's eyes, however, fell on a particular wall decoration.

"Paula! Keep everyone attending to the barricade!" she instructed before making her way across the room. Before her maid could answer her, she was already elsewhere.

Like a flash, Elizabeth's hand bolted up to grab a sword from a wooden display that attached it to the wall. It was a needless decoration, but would indeed prove useful, as the man who was keeping back the monstrosities had to reload. Time was of the essence. She reached the handle of the sword and pulled it down, taking the display holder with it.

She couldn't help but stare at it for a moment before attempting to shake the weapon free. It was of no use, however. The sword was stuck fast. Suddenly, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she heard groaning growing closer immediately to her side. Looking up, she could see hands outstretched to grab her. Without thought or even the slightest bit of hesitation, she swung her arm.

Now, the Midford was no novice with the sword. Her speed, her power, and her skills were all that of a champion fighter. She could only be described as a "genius", which is what most who knew of her talent and skill referred to her as. Even with the large, clumsy hunk of wood attached to the blade, she still managed to striker her foe. Not only that, the force of her swing was enough to shatter the display into tiny pieces, thus freeing the sword!

The blow knocked the enemy to the side, allowing her to strike it right in the forehead with the blade. Witnessing this, the onlookers could only stand and stare in awe, including the man who was previously considered their only offense. Whistling a hollow note, the man stood with raised eyebrows as he watched the woman. Immediately, she wanted to leap into action, but the man had other plans.

"Oi! You, there!" he called out, capturing Elizabeth's attention. She had no time to be offended by the way he addressed her, as there were more pressing matters at hand. "The case by my seat!" he said, pointing at a case that appeared to have held a large string instrument. When the woman rushed over to it and opened it to see what was inside, he added: "Pick one and use it!"

Inside the case were weapons. There was a rifle, an axe, and even a mace, but the one that caught the blonde's attention was the cutlass with the odd inscription and guard. Without a moment to spare, she picked it up as the bullets continued to fly, and she herself flew.

When the man missed creatures that then proceeded to get too close, Elizabeth dispatched them in the blink of an eye. She even got some that were further off, trusting that the man would miss her with his bullets. He did.

The pair, having just met and did not even know one another's name, moved with precision as though they had rehearsed beforehand. When the man seemed to get tired, Elizabeth took over primary offense, and when Elizabeth tired, the man did the same for her. No one really knew how much time had passed. It seemed like hours at some points, but seemed like mere moments at others. The bodies piled up fast, and soon, it appeared as though the exhausted pair had dispatched an entire army.

Sweat mixed with blood as it dripped from Elizabeth's forehead as she hunched over to catch her breath. She leaned on the sword and panted as it began to feel like she could swing it no more. Everything had died down, now. The car was silent other than the sounds of exhaustion and fear could be heard. The passengers continued to be silent, aside from the sobbing and the occasional hiccup, while their defenders took the moment of peace to rest, even if it was only for a moment.

"You're good..." huffed the man as he tried his best to put air into his lungs.

"Thank you..." the woman managed to reply. It was a struggle, as her situation was similar. "You are… as well..."

"You wouldn't…. happen to have a… a name, would you?" questioned the other, looking her way.

"Elizabeth… Lady Elizabeth… Midford..." she answered, swallowing. "Daughter of… Marquis Alexis-Deon Midford…. And… Francis Midford..."

"Well… Lady Midford..." the man began, "I don't mean to… To alarm you… But… You've got some blood on you..."

"It's not mine..." Elizabeth stated, although she did make an attempt to wipe her cheek with her already sullied sleeve.

"Good..." her compatriot replied. "That's good to hear… It would be a shame if you were injured… Then you couldn't hold your sword..."

"It's yours." reminded the woman, glancing over at the tired man. "Is this why… your coat was dirty?"

"Yes… It was clean when I arrived at my first stop."

"I see..." nodded Elizabeth, able to see that. "You still haven't… haven't told me your name."

"It's Isaac..." the man panted. "Isaac Hellsing…"

"I take it this is a mundane thing for you, Mister Hellsing?"

"For the most part." Isaac sighed. He closed his eyes for a moment and stretched. His muscles complained as he did, prompting him to grunt in discomfort. Clearing his throat, he continued. "They should be mostly gone by dawn. The problem is their master, though... I don't think I have the energy to take him out. He shouldn't come out in the day time, however…"

"What are those things?"

"Ghouls." the man answered, opening his eyes again. "They're what happens when a vampire drinks the blood from a human being."

"Vampires?" questioned the woman. "Well… from what I've seen, that's not too wild..."

Dawn eventually came, and another train had come across the wreckage. The ghouls were completely gone, and many of the passengers of the train were dead. A few cars managed to keep themselves safe by working together at the start and sealing themselves inside. Those who were left were offered a ride to London after authorities and interviewed those who were able. While she and her maid survived and were given transportation back to the city, however, Elizabeth was not entirely pleased.

Her dress was absolutely ruined, and she had no choice but to wear mens' clothes. Isaac had graciously offered her some of the clothes from his luggage so that she would not have to endure the entire ride home covered in the blood of the undead. She did appreciate his kindness, however, and sat with him and conversed the entire way.

They talked about themselves and listened the same amount. Isaac was immensely interested in Elizabeth's skills with the sword, asking her how she honed the ability and encouraging her continued practice. He even cracked a few self-depreciating jokes about his ineptness with the weapon. He was odd, but he was humble. He also told the woman about his family and in turn, she discussed her own. It was due to her status, however, that he entrusted her with a secret.

Isaac told her about his family's work. They were freshly appointed by the queen after their skills were recognized. They were known as _Her Royal England Legions of Legitimate Supernatural and Immortal Night Guard._ The man claimed to have come up with the acronym himself for his family's name. For a man who guarded such a secret, he certainly was trusting of the woman. When this was pointed out, however, he couldn't help but laugh.

"Even so, I haven't told you anything that would be dangerous." he said. "If you went around telling people about a family of monster hunters, who would believe you? You would be accused of hysteria and locked away!"

It was true, however, and Elizabeth knew it. The story was too unbelievable. No one in their right mind would believe that. It was something that could only exist in the wildest of novels. Even still, she wasn't sure if she wanted it to end.

She was smiling genuinely as she spoke with the man. Her mood had improved and her maid could see it. Paula was impressed at how quickly the Midford had gotten along with the man, but Isaac was no ordinary man. He spoke with her as he would a dignified comrade, and she was. She had helped him vanquish a slew of ghouls, after all. He took deep interest in her sword, but spoke of many other things as well. He spoke of his quests and of things he knew and had seen. Not all of them were particularly exciting either. Some of it was ordinary, like something odd he found in a shop in Wales. The man was not so self-centered as to occupy the entire conversation, however. He took genuine interest in what she had to discuss as well. Elizabeth spoke of her sword and the many practise duels she had been in. She spoke of mundane things as well, expressing interest in embroidery and showing the man a handkerchief she had stitched her initials onto. To her surprise, the man held on to every word, and asked questions as well.

Obviously, she was dealing with quite the gentleman, despite his brashness. The man even saw her off at the station when her family came to retrieve her. They were worried sick because she did not come home, and immediately wanted to shield her from view due to her attire. She did not immediately go with them, however, and asked to have directions to the Hellsing estate so that she could return the garments. Gladly, the man wrote them down for her with a smile, but perplexed her when he refused to take back his sword.

"I have no use for it." he said, placing a hand on top of the weapon's sheath and pushing it back toward her. "My skills in the sword are amateur, at best. Besides, it may one day be of use to you, Lady Elizabeth, and if that day were to come, you would certainly need it!"

"Are you certain?" Elizabeth questioned. "It is an exquisitely made sword..."

"Take it as a token of my gratitude." Isaac replied with a bright smile. "You helped me out, back there. I would have probably died without your assistance, and for that, I owe you a lot more than a sword."

Pausing, Elizabeth took a moment to think about this. In truth, she wasn't sure if she wanted this to be "goodbye" just yet. There was adventure to be had. She didn't want to go home and return to her life as a woman with nothing to do but embroider and await being married off to some nobleman.

"Very well..." she said. "I accept. However, I will be returning your clothes to you. They really don't suit me."

"I beg to differ!" the man said, placing a hand on his hip. "You were beautiful in that dress, and you are beautiful now. Your clothes do not affect your true face or character. Even still, from the sounds of things, you are a fighter at heart; not a decoration." With a bow, Isaac lowered his head before tilting it to peek up at the woman.

"I look forward to your visit, milady." he added, smiling with both his mouth and his eyes. Their gaze met directly, prompting the Midford to pause momentarily, but once it passed, she smiled back.

"If you ever wish to improve your swordsmanship, feel free to stop by the Midford estate." she said, and Isaac stood up straight.

"I would love to." the man said. "I will write you in advance."

The pair did not yet know it, but this was the first of many adventures they would share together. Whether it be dealing with a supernatural threat, or winning over the approval of the woman's parents, the pair would be busy. They would be happy, too. They would fall in love and build a legacy together that would last several lifetimes.


	267. Caught or Not

Ciel had become another year older. He was now the age one hundred and forty, and somehow, the "forty" made him feel old. It did when he simply turned forty a few years back, and it had been that way until he turned a hundred. At that point, he felt as though he truly were a supernatural being and that it didn't matter, but now he had proved himself wrong yet again. Despite having a wonderful time on his birthday, he still awoke the next day wondering if he was having a midlife crisis despite looking like a twenty-two year old. Speaking of which, his thoughts were interrupted by his twenty-year-old husband as the blonde came up behind him and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Morning, Poochie." the blonde said, forcing the smallest of smiles from his spouse. "How are you feeling on this fine day?"

"Pretty good." Ciel replied, sorting through the mail. He was separating what was important from junk, and setting the rubbish in the bin. "A lot looser. You did wonders for my back last night."

"I'm surprised you didn't fall asleep!" answered Alois, taking a seat on the couch. "Almost every single time, I give you a back rub, you do. It's cute, but I'm glad you didn't."

"How's _your_ back, speaking of which?"

"Could be better, to be honest..."

"You're the one who insisted on doing the work last night." pointed out the bluenette, smirking just a tad as a blush crossed his husband's face.

Alois had turned around to face him so that he could scold the Watchdog. "Shut up. I was trying to do something special..."

"I know, and I am appreciative." Ciel stated, making his way over to his spouse. He stood behind the sofa and bent over to kiss the man on top of his head. "I especially liked the view. I'm going to hold onto that for a while..."

"I told you not to look, you dick!" barked the other. His face was so red that it was practically glowing as he imagined the embarrassing situation. "You had to ruin the whole thing… You weren't supposed to move..."

"Sorry, dear. I just couldn't resist." Although he was still smiling, his expression was apologetic. "I'll massage your back for you, if you like."

"I know better than that, ya pervy old fart." the menace accused. "Go buy a sportscar and marry a young, hot, blonde."

"Well, I've already got one of those things down..."

"You know what I meant!"

With a sigh, the bluenette stood up straight before walking around the sofa and stopping in front of the menace. Alois had his arms crossed, and pretended not to notice him. He was pouting. It was punishment for embarrassing him, for which the bluenette was indeed sorry.

"Jim..." Ciel cooed, standing on one knee in front of the other. "I'm sorry, love. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings..."

He knew that the other man was simply messing with him. When Alois was unresponsive and continued his pout, Ciel dropped down to standing on both knees. Somehow, he managed to position himself between the other man's legs, much to Alois' surprise.

"What are you-?" Alois was baffled and unfolded his arms, allowing the other to wrap his arms around his waist and press his chest against his stomach. Ciel's head was placed on the blonde's chest. Placing his hands on the Watchdog's shoulders, he tried to ask again.

"Hey, Ciel, what are you up to?" he questioned. The blush on his face persisted, given their position, but all he got in response was a chuckle from the bluenette before the man squeezed him tightly, focusing pressure in some spots with his hands as well. He did this until a loud _crack_ echoed throughout the room.

 _"_ _AGH!"_ the menace let out as the air was forced from his lungs. It was then followed by a sigh as the man slumped in his seat a bit. "Oof..."

"Better?" mischievously asked the Watchdog, looking up at his spouse. His hands rubbed the blonde's lower back near his spine in a circular pattern, making it harder for the other to be annoyed.

"Yeah..." was all Alois could say in response. The word came out in a huff as he finally lifted his head from the back of the sofa to stare down at the other with a very feeble attempt at a glare. "You bastard..."

Smiling, Ciel pulled back slightly, now sitting on his knees despite continuing his ministrations. "Want me to deal with the rest of it, too?" he questioned, knowing that he would probably be in trouble if he didn't.

"Yeah…" answered the menace. How could Ciel? While he was indeed embarrassed, he was only teasing when he wouldn't pay attention to the man! That's why Ciel did it, however, and Alois knew that. The Watchdog was fighting silliness with silliness, and he had won, as he did wonders for the blonde's lower back. "You better, now that you've started..."

"Yes, your highness." the other replied. "You're going to have to lie down firs-"

A knock at the door cut the man off before he could finish his sentence, and as the door was unlocked, a certain butler let himself in. Sebastian opened the door and allowed himself in, neglecting to wait for permission to do so.

"Master, Scotland Yard calle-" He stopped himself as his gaze fell on his masters and the position they were in registered. Ciel was still kneeling on the floor between the other's legs, and Alois' relaxed posture and expression did nothing to help. Sebastian raised his hand and blocked his vision while turning away.

"My apologies, sir. I did not mean to intrude, but Scotland Yard has called with a matter of importance." he said, his actions confusing the two. "Please call Detective Bailey when you're done here." With that, the butler turned to leave. As he did, however, it was only then that the pair suddenly realised what had happened.

"Wait, this isn't what it looks lik-!"

The door was closed before the Watchdog could defend himself and locked as well. Both men were left in silence. They were mortified by what the other man had thought he had seen. Reaching up to rub his forehead, the bluenette uttered a sigh.

"I'll go explain what happened..." he said, prompting a nod from his spouse. Now both men's faces were stained red from embarrassment. Even though they weren't up to anything scandalous, the implication was enough.

"I'll call the yard..." Alois replied. The situation needed to be dealt with swiftly, and he did not want to be alone with the knowledge that the demon who was the closest thing to a parent that he knew had thought he had caught them en flagrante delicto.

"Sounds like a plan… I'm sorry..."

"That makes two of us..."


	268. B Movie Brunch

Over the phone, Detective Bailey Juniour gave the basic rundown of what they were needed for, as well as the address for a house. Someone had been killed under strange circumstances, and the witnesses weren't making any sense. The residents rambled on and on about ghosts and hauntings, and how they had been seeing things in that house for quite some time. Things would move on their own, figures would be seen, and scratches would appear on the residents' bodies with no explanation. When police searched the premises, there was indeed a body, but not much else. There were no clues or evidence to be found. Thus, the yard had given up after scratching their heads for half a day with nothing else to be found and decided to call in the demons.

Ciel had been sent photographs of the body. Deep scratches that bled profusely covered large patches of skin, and the man showed signs of being beaten. The cause of death was choking on his own blood. Now, the demons weren't sure what exactly they could do, but they would try. They hadn't the faintest idea as to what they were dealing with, given the vagueness of the situation. No one really knew what happened but the victim, the victim's family, and the killer, if the latter two things didn't overlap by some miracle. The family was currently staying with relatives, due to the state of their abode, giving the demons plenty of room to work.

The duo was already not in a very good mood. Ciel had to attempt to explain to Sebastian that the butler didn't really walk in on any intimate rendezvous, which was a lot easier said than done. Both men were somewhat doubtful as to whether the man actually believed them, despite the fact that it was the truth. Regardless to their personal problems, they still had a job to do, and were going to do it the best they could.

Arriving at the house, the pair didn't bother knocking and just walked inside. The house was dark, and contrasted greatly to the light of the outside. Immediately, they felt a presence of something inside of the house, but it was hard to place.

"Someone's here." Ciel stated, looking around carefully.

"The family should be out." Alois replied. "A thief? Of maybe their ghost story holds up after all!" He grinned as he made his way through the dark entryway. While examining the area, he looked up, having the state of mind to inquire as to why it was so dark. When he did, he came across a discovery.

"The lightbulbs are shattered." the blonde pointed out. Seeing that this was the case, he looked down before crouching. With a gloved hand, he touched the carpet. "There's shards everywhere."

"That's rather ominous." answered the other man. "It looks like all of them are that way."

"I'm not sure what kind of killer would do this."

"Neither am I. I think we should talk to whoever it is that's hiding up ahead."

"On it." Alois said, standing up. "You go look at the crime scene."

"Understood."

Without another word, Alois pressed on, separating himself from his partner's proximity. He stalked the hallways and rounded corners like a seasoned professional. Fingers wrapped around the handle of one of his pistols concealed within his jacket. What he couldn't shake, however, was a bizarre feeling welling up in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't figure out what it was, however. Could it have been anxiety? Not quite. It was similar, but not exact. It was anticipation for whatever it was before him, but he couldn't figure out why this was so.

As the man drew closer, he realised that his mouth was watering and his teeth had become sharper. He couldn't see himself from the outside, so he could not witness his icy blue eyes changing crimson like blood dripping into pools of water. They glowed and his pupils narrowed, all without his own volition. Alois did not tell his body to do these things, but rather, he did them on his own. Truthfully, he was concerned. He had no idea what was happening to his body, nor was he sure as to why he still felt compelled to move forward despite his change. In fact, he was excited as he move forward, seeking out the end.

Finally, the blonde arrived at an upstairs bedroom and stepped inside. Immediately upon opening the door it felt as though he were pushed by an unforeseen force, but it's strength was insufficient to deter the demon. The room was dark and had various items strewn about it, completely littering the floor. Other than the trash, it would appear that he was the only one inside, but Alois distinctly sensed another. They were just unseen.

"I know you're here." he said, facing the direction that the feeling was strongest in. Drawing his gun, he aimed right for it. "Show yourself! I don't wanna play around today."

He didn't get the response he wanted. Instead, he had a bottle knocked off the dresser toward him, landing in front of his feet. With a sigh, he repeated himself.

"Listen, I know you're in front of me, _you_ know you're in front of me… Let's just cut to the chase and get this over with, huh?" the menace insisted, only to be met with silence again. It lasted only a few moments, however, before the lamp on the bedside table seemingly moved on its own and hurled itself directly at the man's face.

Reflexively, the blonde swung his arm, knocking the lamp to the side before firing his gun with the other. He hit the spot where his senses were telling him his foe was standing, only for his bullet to be embedded in the wall. Crimson eyes widened in surprise as the man hadn't expected this outcome.

Alois had no idea what was going on right away. He had seen all sorts of things, so he assumed it wouldn't be out of the question for a creature with the ability to become invisible to exist. Surely, it was possible if things like revenants and doppelgangers can exist. In his head, the blonde quickly ran through what he knew about the situation. The family that lived in this house claimed that it had shown signs of being haunted for a while. Objects moved, scratches would appear on the skin of the residents, sometimes they would be shoved.

"Poltergeist!" the man said aloud. He was startled by the sound of his husband storming into the room with his gun drawn.

"What happened?!" demanded the bluenette, only to see nothing. His eye was glowing as well as he stared at the blonde. Teeth were pointed and he seemed excitable. That could have been due to the fact that he heard a gunshot.

"They were right about the house being haunted. There's a poltergeist in here. I can't shoot it." complained the menace, keeping his senses honed in on that one spot.

"Jim, this isn't the time to jo-"

"It moved!" Alois shouted, swinging around to face the bookshelf by the door. Books started flying off the piece of furniture and pelting the two demons. Once it was sufficiently empty, it then tipped and fell toward the men, almost hitting them.

"What do I do?!" asked the blonde. He was at a total loss, since he couldn't shoot the spirit.

"Catch it!" answered his spouse. "It's just a soul, right? You can probably touch it!"

Furrowing his brow, that's just what the menace attempted to do. He put his pistol away and honed in on the spot again before abruptly lurching forward. His arms were extended, and just as the Watchdog anticipated, he hit something. Alois' palm struck what felt like the chest of a man. When he did, the hazy image of what looked like an upper torso appeared.

Suddenly, the menace felt something wrapping around his wrist and digging in. When it touched him, the hazy, blackened image of what appeared to be a hand grasping at him appeared upon contact. Baring his teeth, Alois' eyes glowed brighter with a swing of his arm. He aimed for the general vicinity of where he thought his foe's neck would be and grabbed it tightly. The force he exerted was enough to crush the trachea of a human being, but killing his assailant was going to be an impossibility.

The blonde could now see the poltergeist's chest, arm, neck, and chin, but it was still left with one more arm and some telekinetic capabilities. Books started hurling themselves at the Lion's back, causing him to grunt with the first two hits, but he took the blows like a champion. They were nothing. Even when the spirit tried to punch him, it did nothing. No pain was felt by the blonde in the slightest. What was felt, however, was something completely different.

It was familiar, but hard to recognise. He felt it as he approached the room, and it grew stronger as he gripped the entity. The feeling peaked however, when the spirit brushed his mouth with its fist, causing something within the demon to click. Alois' fingers dug into the poltergeist with one hand, and the hand around its neck gripped it with crushing force. A wicked grin spread across his face, revealing sharpened teeth as he glared down at the entity with eyes aflame.

His husband looked on in a state of shock at first, but it soon faded. Ciel's surprised expression was soon replaced with a smile of his own, although it was more of a smirk. Indeed, he did derive joy and pride from this situation, but was perplexed as to why the other man seemed hesitant. It was as though Alois wasn't sure what he was supposed to do or what he wanted.

"Go on." the Watchdog said, his tone calm and almost soothing. He stepped closer to the other man, appearing almost directly over his shoulder. "You've done this before, even if it was only once."

The blue demon put one hand on Alois' lower back and used the other to gently touch Alois' elbow on the arm he was using to grasp the entity's neck as if to guide him. His voice was soft and almost enchanting. He continued, saying: "No need to hold back. Just give into it and let nature take its course."

Alois held onto the other Phantomhive's words, unsure if he wanted them to pull him back. He knew what he wanted. He was just afraid. Although he had indeed done this before, it was not without a contract, and it wasn't in such a gruesome manner. Regardless, the poltergeist's fate was sealed. It had failed to be collected by the Reaper Dispatch, and a demon had found it first. This is simply the way things are.

The Lion descended upon his prey with the encouragement of the other demon in the room. Ciel was proud of him in a twisted way. He knew it was, too, but knew that it was inevitable. Alois had only devoured one soul in his entire life as a demon, and now he was feasting on his second. This time, however, there was no contract. It was a free meal. The Watchdog's grin stayed prominent throughout the entire event, and even afterward when the menace was overcome by the feeling of being full.

As strange as it was, Alois had forgotten what being hungry had felt like, as well as consuming food for the sake of actually gaining nutrients of some sort. Strangely, he had forgotten the feeling that comes with eating a soul, and he understood why Sebastian was so keen on it. Nothing else seems to interest most demons, and now he could see why. That scared him. At the time, however, the man was enjoying the afterglow.

He had fallen to the floor, bringing his husband with him and sat on his knees. The menace's eyes were clouded and unfocused despite their bright glow. He shuddered, and he held the Watchdog's hand as the man held him at the waist. Alois was in a daze as he was overwhelmed by the rapturous feeling. He felt empowered and powerless at the same time as he was immobile from the energy coursing through him. This was a demon's pleasure. It was a force to be reckoned with.

The entire time, Ciel firmly held him in place although he wasn't going anywhere. Alois' back was against his chest as he allowed the menace to recover slightly. The effects would fully wear off in a matter of days, but the worst was right after the fact.

"How do you feel?" the Watchdog finally asked although he didn't expect an answer right away. He placed a kiss to the side of the blonde's head, forcing the man to realise just how heavy his eyes were. While Ciel's eyes were back to their usual shade of blue, his husbands were still a bloody red, although the glow had subsided. Before he answered, they closed and he uttered a sigh.

"Good." was all he answered, completely content with everything in the world at this moment. It's really all he was capable of saying, and in all honesty, Ciel was impressed. When he first started, all Ciel could managed to do was hum in response when his butler inquired about his state of affairs.

Alois' head fell back and rested on Ciel's shoulder, enjoying life and feeling nothing but bliss. Naturally, his spouse didn't want to ruin this for him, so he waited. There, they sat for two whole hours without moving from that spot in the dark room. Ciel rocked his husband back and forth and smiled the whole time. Over time, Alois would get better at handling this, but for now, it was going to be a bit much for him. Fortunately, his family was understanding.

"Jim, we need to wrap things up here." the bluenette finally said. "I'll call Sebastian to come get us."

"Nnngh..." Jim expressed his displeasure at the suggestion as he didn't want to move, still, but they had to, eventually. It was inevitable.

"I know. I'm sorry, but we need to go home." Ciel said before attempting to bargain. "We really don't have anything else to do here, and when we get home, you can sleep all you want."

"Nnoht sleeping..." insisted the menace, but his husband was not convinced.

"Either way, we need to go." the other said, letting go of Alois' hand in order to reach into his pocket and grab his phone. "Sebastian will probably be proud of you. I'm proud of you, too. Eating souls is a major milestone, and your first contractless one is as well. Good work."

"Sstupid..."

"Take a nap, Jim."

"Mmm..." answered the blonde, doing just that. The bluenette then called their butler, and when they returned home, he relayed to Scotland Yard the information on perhaps their quickest-solved case yet.

* * *


	269. Shutter

Alois was still out of it when the pair arrived home, and even the next morning. He was heavily asleep even when the bluenette woke up. Ciel was even able to get out of bed for a few times to take a phonecall or to get some water, and the menace didn't stir. Somehow, he knew that the man would complain if he woke up and the Watchdog wasn't there, so Ciel decided to stay put for the most part.

The blue Phantomhive hopped back into bed and positioned the menace so that he would be comfortable. He picked up the blonde's arm and put it around himself as he knew that this was Alois' preferred sleeping position, but he quickly realised that this might have been a mistake. Immediately, Alois squeezed him, and squeezed him tight while nuzzling the bluenette with a content sigh. His grip was a lot harder than usual, probably because the demon had eaten recently. Alois wasn't used to having a full stomach, so he was taking it easy, since he wasn't expending the energy. Alas, his poor husband was being crushed.

"Jim..." Ciel said, grabbing the blonde's arm and trying to peel it off just a little bit. "You're hurting me..." His spouse only mumbled in response, still oblivious to what was happening.

"Hey, Jim..." the Watchdog called a little louder, lightly shaking his husband. "Wake up."

"Mmn?" finally answered the menace, clenching his eyes shut and taking in a deep breath as he started to wake up.

"You're hugging me too hard." Ciel stated. His voice was calm, although he really was in a little bit of pain.

"Huh?" asked the menace, letting go to rub his eye and releasing the Watchdog long enough for him to let out a breath. "What's hard?"

"You were hugging me a bit hard, dear." his spouse replied, hoping that he would finally be heard this time. "It hurt."

"Oh! I'm sorry, baby..." The poor blonde still sounded sleepy, and it didn't seem like that was going to go away any time soon. Thankfully, his husband was patient, and still smiled at him. Ciel couldn't help it. The menace was still cute when he was drowsy, even if he did almost crush his organs.

Having just woken up himself, the bluenette wasn't wearing his eyepatch, so both mismatched eyes were visible when the menace opened his own. Alois loved Ciel's face, and he loved that he was one of the only people who could see all of it without the covering. He was surprised however, when those same eyes widened a bit very briefly in astonishment before staring rather intently at the menace.

"Your eyes are still red." Ciel pointed out, noticing that the light blue colour hadn't returned just yet.

"Oh yeah?" asked Alois. "That bad?"

"No, they should return to normal after while." the other replied. He had one arm around the blonde, holding him close while the other hand tucked Alois' hair behind his ear so that it wasn't in his face. "You can go back to sleep if you want. We don't have to be anywhere today."

Accepting his husband's offer, Alois slowly laid back down. He rested his head on the Watchdog's chest and got comfortable. This time he made sure not to cling onto the poor man too hard when he hugged him. Ciel simply let himself be used as a pillow and a stuffed animal all in one. He even enjoyed it when the blonde clung to him like this. The only problem was that he wasn't tired and didn't know if he could continue to sleep.

Instead, he reached over to his nightstand and grabbed his mobile phone. He checked his usual news sites and even sorted through his e-mails from there. It killed quite a bit of time, but although two hours had passed, his husband was still fast asleep!

Then the bluenette decided to check his text messages and realised that he had one from the blonde from just the morning before. It was sent hours before they woke up, but apparently, Alois did before going back to sleep. The message said nothing, but had a picture of both of them in bed that morning. Ciel was still sleeping, which was why the blonde took it.

Occasionally, Ciel would get messages like this. His spouse liked to mess with him, but was at least courteous enough to delete the images from his phone after they were sent. The bluenette hoped he did, at least. With a roll of his eyes, Ciel was about to delete the thread, only to have an idea.

Alois was still asleep right next to him. In fact, the poor blonde was so out of it, that Ciel thought he could feel the wetness of drool collecting on his shirt. Where mild annoyance once was, a wicked grin graced the Watchdog's features as he decided to get the blonde back.

Going into his camera app, Ciel adjusted the settings so that the flash was off and the camera on front was activated. Now, Ciel was not as skillful at taking pictures of himself as Alois was, as he hardly ever did. The only times he had in the past was when Alois specifically requested him to. Thus, the Watchdog had to be especially careful to take the picture without dropping the phone on either of them. It was a task that required skill and dexterity, as the situation called upon him to take the photo with only one hand.

Carefully, he lined up the camera so that both of them were in frame. To the best of his ability, he smiled before pushing the button. When he did, however, the worst case scenario occurred. The phone slipped and fell, hitting Ciel right on the nose. Frantically he grabbed it and looked down at his spouse on his chest, only to find that the other man was undisturbed. He was then able to utter a sigh of relief before holding up the phone again to see what the damage was.

To his surprise, the picture turned out perfectly fine. The phone had slipped after he let go of the button, it seemed. With an incredibly pleased grin, the man readied the message and hit "send" after much hesitation. He was afraid he looked silly, but taking a photo of one and one's spouse while the latter is sleeping is indeed so. After a few moments, he heard the phone on top of the nightstand on the opposite side of the bed made noise, indicating that the message was received.

The deed was done. All that was left for Ciel to do was wait for the other to wake up and see what he had done. The poor Watchdog almost couldn't bear the anticipation, and was out of things to look at on his phone. Desperately, he checked his usual websites again, and searched for things to read until the other decided that it was time to wake up.


	270. Gehenna Elementary

My big brother and Ciel always sleep in late and miss breakfast. I wish I could sleep in late, but Sebastian won't let me. I think it might be a grownup thing, but Sebastian is always up really early. I don't think he goes to sleep at all, actually. I wonder if he gets tired. He has to take me to school today, though, so it makes more sense. Today's my first day of going to school in Gehenna!

Jim, Sebastian, and Ciel say I should go, even though my horns and tail still shows 'cause they say it's good for me to be around other kids. I wanna go play with them, but I'm scared, too. What if they don't like me? I'm not like them. I'm not from Gehenna and I've only even been there a few times. I don't know the same jokes and we probably don't like the same things. I don't even know what people do in a school. Sebastian says it's kind of like what we do during lessons, but with more people. I dunno if I'm gonna like it.

Big brother says I should go, though. He says that I'll have fun. I wanna believe him, but I'm still not sure. He said he'd go with me when Sebastian drops me off, but he was really late. It was almost time to go before I saw him. His eyes looked funny, but Ciel told me what it was and that it would wear off soon. Eating souls sounds scary.

We said "bye" to Ciel and went to the school, even though it's actually a church. I've been to the church before when Jim and Ciel got married. I threw up because I ate too much and Sebastian took me home. To get to Gehenna, you gotta go through a really big gate and the guard in the little thing has to put your names in the computer to make sure you're allowed to be inside. They even have to take _my_ name.

It's a weird place. The buildings look different and everything else looks different too. There's no cars, but sometimes you see bikes. There's also these really fancy benches on the sidewalk sometimes, and big boxes with flowers in them along the road, too. The buildings are painted really pretty colours. It's like the streets are a rainbow. Some of them don't have any paint, but some of them have pictures painted on them.

There's lions and stuff everywhere. That's because of my brother. There's even a Macken Street because of him. He's real famous around here. People kept waving at the car, and he would wave back and smile. Jim said that they'll like me, too, once they get to know me. I wasn't sure if he was right or not, but I found out when I got to the church.

I'm glad they walked me in because I wasn't sure if I could go by myself. There were lots of kids playing inside, and a lot of them stopped and looked at us when we walked in. I think they were actually looking at Jim. I dunno why that made me feel a little disappointed.

The lady who said the stuff at the wedding that made Jim and Ciel married saw us and came up to us. Jim told me her name is "Sister Dorothy". Turns out, she's also the teacher. We said "hi" to each other and she told me that everything was going to be okay and I was gonna have a good day and stuff. Even though I was still scared, my brother told me I should go play, even though I didn't know what to play. There weren't lots of toys. I kind of wanted to sit in the corner until everybody got there and class started.

I brought some hotwheels in my pocket, though, so I played with those by myself for a bit. Then this one kid came up with me and asked me what I was playing. He was real nice, and we talked a lot. His name's Ezekiel, but he said everyone calls him "Zeke". He's a faun, so he has hooves and fuzzy legs. He also wears a skirt, which I thought was weird at first, but he said that it's hard for him to put on pants because of his legs, so that made sense. Zeke didn't know I was a demon at first so I had to explain it to him. He wasn't scared at all and that made things less scary for me. We played with cars together after that until we all needed to sit down for class.

I knew most of the stuff already. I was kinda surprised. Sebastian was sitting in the back watching while he waited on me, and he looked happy. Jim left already because he needed to be somewhere, but he said he'd be back when it was time to go. Sister Dorothy called on me because I was looking at Sebastian instead of her, but I got the answer right. I didn't learn a lot the first day because Sebastian taught me most of it. There was a part where we had to do worksheets in groups, and I got to help the other kids do maths problems. Zeke was having troubles so I showed him how Sebastian did it.

The hardest part was learning sign language. Sebastian didn't teach me that, so I didn't know what to do. Almost all the other kids knew some already, so I didn't know what was going on. Everyone else was going through the alphabet really fast, and I couldn't keep up at all. When class was over, Sebastian told me that he would start teaching me so I could keep up. I really wanna know how to use it because some kids in the class can only talk in sign language so I really need to learn it soon.

Even though that last part was hard, I still had lots of fun! It was hard to talk to the other kids at first, but they're all really nice. I hope I can make friends with some of them!


	271. The Scarlet Letter

It was another busy day at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters with operatives walking in and out to go on missions, whether they be combat or intelligence gathering in nature. The HR and SR were busily going through paperwork, tech was maintaining the facility's computer systems, but today, it was the department that handled mail that made the most remarkable discovery. It was a letter that was simply addressed to the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. Intellegence Department.

The standard procedure of checking the letter for poisons was completed and a person from the mail room came down to the Intel Department and waited for someone to got inside so they could hand them the letter. Only Intel agents and a few high-ranking officers had the code to access this wing of the building, so this was a typical way around this particular flaw in the system. From there, the message made its way to the office of the chief of the department, Lieutenant Suyin Chu.

Chu was at her desk when the agent knocked on her door. All they had to say in order to grasp her attention was that there was mail for the department. It was rare that messages were sent directly to her office and not via e-mail or in her personal mailbox, and they were usually of importance. She accepted the message and shooed the underling away.

She trusted that it had been thoroughly checked before it reached her desk, but just in case, she gave it a light shake and listened for the sound of powder rustling inside. Swiftly, she opened the letter and glanced over its contents, only to be slightly surprised. Her brows furrowed as she read it over several times in order to make sure she wasn't just imagining what the hand-written message said.

The author stated that they were a member of the Scarlet Order. It also said, however, that they were dissatisfied with what it has become, stating: " _The Order is no longer about the rebellion of supernaturals against humans, and is now about building an empire. We have ventured all across Scandinavia, building allyship with the various supernatural beings here. Remote village after village have become Scarlet Order 'territories', and myself and my allies have had enough. Unfortunately, we cannot simply leave. Thus, we are willing to offer a deal: If you offer myself and my crew amnesty, we will supply you with information on the order._ "

Enclosed were a list of named ships underneath the Scarlet Order and which ones were important. From this, Lieutenant Chu learned that their main ship is called "The Brahmastra", and it is not the same ship that the Order fled Britain in. The author also listed known scouting parties and estimations on how many members there were in each, along with explanations as to what these parties even do. They are simply groups that travel the countryside on foot in search of supernaturals who are willing to join the order or be allies. Immediately, Chu took notes.

The letter had no return address or information that could be traced on it. There was handwriting, but they would have to take handwriting samples of every current and previous Gehennan citizen and analyse them to get a guess, but even that wasn't certain. Regardless, they had something, and Suyin alerted Integra right away to her findings.

"So you're saying that there are turncoat Scarlet Order members?" the Hellsing woman said, going over the letter herself.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm not sure if it's credible or not, but it's something." Suyin replied, still standing with perfect military posture.

"They ask for amnesty… I'm not sure if that can be granted." Integra sighed. "I can bring it up at the next council meeting, but are they aware that even if their wish is granted, they might not ever be allowed home? If some of the supernaturals in Gehenna got a hold of them, they would be torn to shreds..."

"Should we investigate this lead, ma'am?"

"Absolutely. Don't leave a single stone unturned. Even if their demands are silly, a lead is a lead, regardless if any promise can be made good upon."

"Should I take the letter to Forensic?"

"Yes. Have them make a copy for Intel." Integra instructed, handing the letter back to the other woman. "Dismissed."

"Yes, ma'am." After taking the document, the lieutenant turned on her heel and did as instructed.

Once she obtained a copy of the letter, she left the Forensics Department in order to put everything into action. She came into her department's area on a mission. She startled a few workers as she spoke loudly.

"Attention! I want everyone currently working on the Scarlet Order investigation to pay attention." she bellowed, capturing the attention of almost everyone in the room. Some were startled by the volume of her voice, but understood that when Lieutenant Chu spoke this way, it was something important. "We have found a possible lead. Who's in charge?"

There was a brief pause before a woman raised her hand. "That would be me, Lieutenant." The rather petite woman said.

"Darzi, come with me."

"Yes ma'am." the woman said, standing up as the other turned to walk away. As she followed, she made sure her headscarf was secure and her uniform was in order. It wasn't often that she was called into the boss' office, after all. She had to look competent, especially since she was in charge of such an important task.

Once they were both in the office, she stood at attention as the other sat down at her desk. Chu had walked quickly in her haste, and it affected her, although she tried not to show it. Placing the copy of the letter on the desk, she nudged it to Darzi before folding her hands.

"This is the latest lead." the lieutenant stated. "I want you to set aside a few members of the team responsible for the investigation to verify this information and to utilize whatever turns up to be true to your advantage."

Bending down while maintaining a certain degree of distance from her commanding officer's desk, Darzi took the sheet of paper and looked it over. She wasn't sure if it was legitimate or not, but it was her job to find out. With a nod, she said: "This looks feasible. I will have confirmation to you as soon as possible."

"Good." Suyin replied. "That will be all..."

"I'll see to this immediately." Darzi replied confidently before turning away. She put her hand on the doorknob and started to turn it, but she hesitated. Looking back to the Lieutenant, she asked: "But… I do have a question, ma'am. Baines is still asking to look at our findings so far..."

"It's not his mission, so it's not his business." the other stated while adjusting her glasses so that they sat on her nose better. "I understand that he was friends with Omid, but he's going to have to accept that there are rules. Do not show him the files until permission is granted."

"Yes, ma'am." answered Darzi with a small nod. With that, she was out the door and heading back to her team in order to relay the information. Once she was gone, a heavy sigh escaped the lieutenant.

Chu opened a drawer in her desk and groped around inside for a moment before pulling out a stress ball. The woman squeezed it while peering over her notes on the letter. It made sense, but they needed complete accuracy. Hunches could not be afforded. Tiredly, the lieutenant tried to think of where to start on her own, only to realise that her mind was no longer cooperating with her.

"I don't want to retire yet, but you're killing me..." she thought to herself, closing her eyes. "I should start going to bed sooner..."


	272. The New Guy

Naturally, the Phantomhives were informed of the situation. They almost couldn't believe the state of the Order. They hadn't anticipated it to become this big, and neither did H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; it seemed. Immediately, a Round Table meeting was called and the council met to discuss what has been discovered. They needed to formulate a plan quickly before the Order grew any larger.

Everyone was hit with the severity of the situation, but the duo were hit especially hard. Had they made a mistake? Ciel let the group go in exchange for the stolen genetic material that the group had acquired, as well as the return of the ring that he was going to propose to his then-boyfriend with. He lamented how irresponsible he was, and felt guilty that he couldn't imagine himself changing his actions, even if he could. The greater good took a backseat for the Phantomhive's happiness, and he wasn't sure if he was apologetic. Most of his guilt was from not feeling guilty.

The council invited them to come speak with them in order to obtain their input on the matter. In truth, the demons hadn't the faintest idea as to how to proceed. Alois was not a soldier, and Ciel hadn't the foggiest idea as to how one would go about fighting a war of this scale while still maintaining secrecy. Neither of them knew how to handle the weight of this, and hoped that the discussion would spark some ideas.

Standing there while waiting for the members of the convention to assemble and get situated was agonising, to say the least. The demons simply wanted to get started, but not everyone was in their seats yet. Even when it seemed that they were, they didn't start, much to the confusion of the duo. Then a man who neither of them recognised walked into the room.

The man wore a yellow tie with small, blue sailboats on it, along with a dark blue suit and matching turban. One could see his smile quite clearly even through his thick beard, but it faded as soon as his dark eyes glanced around. He looked lost with the way that he looked around, as if hoping someone would tell him where to go. Fortunately for him, the Hellsing woman spoke up.

"Just take the empty seat, Sir Sharma." she said, encouraging his smile to return.

"Thank you, Sir Hellsing." he politely answered before swiftly making his way to his seat. He was fortunate to sit away from Sir Kirkland, who appeared to be glaring daggers at him, and instead sat in between Sir Midford and Sir Greendown.

Leaning over, the menace whispered to his spouse: "Is that the twelfth?"

"It would appear so." Ciel answered, meeting Alois halfway and mimicking his volume.

"He, Rupert, and Greendown look like the trinity of impressive facial hair." the blonde mused, earning a small smile from the other demon.

"You're right. They've seemed to have gravitated to that one spot." Before they could continue their conversation, however, the meeting had finally started and they were forced to stand up straight again and be quiet. Immediately, the chairwoman of the council addressed the elephant in the room.

"Thank you all for coming." Integra began. "Before we get to business, we should welcome the newest member of the council, Sir Manjeet Sharma."

Applause filled the room from the council members and the two spectating demons while Sharma smiled and nodded. "Thank you very much for having me." he said. "I have read the information of the matter at hand cover to cover, and I will do everything in my power to give as good of input as I can."

"Welcome aboard." greeted Sir Midford, offering the new councilman a handshake. Somehow, Ciel thought that they would make good friends, despite only hearing a few sentences from the other man. Sir Sharma shook hands with Rupert before both of their attention was directed back at Integra again.

"Now that introductions are out of the way, we can move onto more pressing matters." the Hellsing began, pulling out a file and then opening it for her notes. "As you are all aware, the Scarlet Order appears to have a number amoung them who are dissatisfied enough with the way things are going to feed us information. We have already confirmed several ships in their possession and in addition, other equipment such as snowmobiles, trucks, and miscellaneous supplies have been traced to them. Now, the question is: what do we do about it?"

The room was quiet as no one had a solution right away. It seemed as though everyone was in the same predicament where they hoped that someone else would start the dialogue. Looking around the room, the newest member of the council found confusion in this, and found it best to speak.

"Well, there was talk of discussing a removal operation with the local government, yes?" he questioned, twisting the ends of his mustache absentmindedly. "Now that you know the areas that the Scarlet Order's troops are in, isn't it possible to narrow it down in regards to who you need to ask?"

"True, but there is no guarantee that they will be cooperative. If they are, however, the obstacle lies in how we will feesibly do this." Hellsing replied. "My organization can spare a few troops, but even still, we are not equipped for the climate or terrain."

"I will try to get a hold of a few of the countries." offered Dame Cooper, earning a nod from Integra.

"Very good. If you need help, please feel free to ask." the Chairwoman answered. "Anyone else?"

"I can probably drum up a few special operations troops." chimed in Sir Midford. "None of my men speak a lick of anything but English, I'm afraid."

"We can work something out with that, I'm sure." said Sir Greendown. "This is going to be a mess, though… It often is when things are international."

"Don't the Scandinavian countries have H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.-esque organizations of their own?" questioned Manjeet while arching an eyebrow.

"I don't think so, but then again, we don't exactly have a yearly convention or anything." answered Integra while crossing her arms.

"That's actually an interesting concept." said Midford. "That way, you can share your techniques and methods!"

"Unwise. Iscariot would have to be invited, and that is never a good thing."

The group delineated while the demons remained silent off to the side. They listened in rather attentively in order to understand the situation, but their feet were starting to get tired and Alois was starting to get bored. Eventually, he started leaning against the bluenette and resting his head on the man's shoulder, despite the situation. He tried to be proper and a good, upstanding agent, but he couldn't stand at attention for an hour and a half without being allowed to talk. Poor Ciel was not holding up his husband in addition to himself, and started to find the situation a bit trifling as well. It was all politics, without any real need for them to be there. They understood that it was preemptive, just in case they had any input, but so far, the duo had nothing. Now they were silently hoping that the meeting would end soon.

They were already displeased with the subject matter. It was frustrating to know that if they simply killed their former friend, they wouldn't be dealing with this now. Never did they ever imagine that this would become so large. In truth, they expected the order to dissipate as people realised that it was malarkey, but many stayed loyal, even though there were turncoat operatives. The letter writer was right. This is no longer about justice. It is about power.

The duo's odd behaviour was noticed by the newest member of the table. Rather, he simply noticed two out of place men who seemed bored out of their minds off to the side and wondered what they were there for. Soon, he couldn't take the curiousity anymore and had to ask.

Leaning over, he discreetly whispered to Sir Midford: "Who are those two gentlemen in the corner?" The other man followed his gaze before setting his sights on the duo. Sir Midford inadvertantly made eye contact in the process, prompting the menace to wave at him. The action caused Rupert to smile, but then he quickly answered the new councilman, leaning closer and matching his quiet volume.

"Those are the Phantomhives, Sir Ciel and Mister Alois." he explained. "That isn't the latter's real name, but that is what he prefers to be called. They're two of our top agents. We send them in to do dirty work and other things. Oh, and for the record, they aren't human, either. They're alright, though. Just be nice to them, and they'll be polite in turn."

"Interesting..." Manjeet replied, arching an eyebrow. "What are they here for? Are they bodygaurds?"

"Not at all! They're here in case they have something to add." stated Sir Midford. "They're experts in this case, and have proven insightful in the past."

"They haven't said a thing yet..." Noted the other.

"True. I wonder what they're thinking." Midford replied, perking up at the sound of pause in the conversation. With this, he spoke at normal volume.

"Sir Sharma has made a good point just now." He said to the group, gathering everyone else's attention. "We have yet to consult the Phantomhives once during this meeting. Sir Phantomhive, Mister Phantomhive, what are your professional opinions on the matter?"

The duo seemed genuinely surprised at being called upon, and quickly, they both stood upright once again. Clearing his throat, the bluenette said: "I have nothing to really say. You lot have covered most everything I could think of."

"I dunno, either." Alois chimed in with a shrug. "Oh! But there's a lot of talk about getting ground troops in. What about boats? Can't we like, airstrike a couple ships? Or what about drones? Do we have drones?" he asked, turning his head to ask his spouse.

"I have no idea. I know the Americans do..."

 _"_ _Thanks, Obama..._ " Jested the menace, encouraging Integra to butt in before any more jokes distracted from the mission at hand.

"That is a very good point." the Hellsing said, folding her hands in front of her. "We need to utilize the technology that we have in order to dispatch this group swiftly, with minimal loss of human life."

"What about inhuman life?" questioned the menace. "Will all of those elf villages be wiped out too? You could be knocking off an entire race, if you do that, and from the sounds of things, they were just joining the guy who gave them resources. It's not like they all agree with the Scarlet Order's ideas a hundred percent."

Alois had pointed out something important. There were many complications with simply exterminating all civilians associated with the order, as many of them were simply in it for the supplies. In addition, there was no way the local government was going to be keen on having their forests bombed. There would have to be a combination of methodology. Air, land, and sea would have to be utilized in order to rid the world of this threat. It was going to be a delicate but messy operation. A secret war was never a good thing, but it was unavoidable. The Scarlet Order had to be destroyed. Still, genocide was not the answer.

Despite being demons, the duo was very well-versed in the subject of what it meant to be a man or a monster. Most supernaturals were indeed people, not beasts. Sir Sharma, having never seen or heard of demons speaking so eloquently about their peers, was very impressed.

"Orchestrating all of this will be difficult, but I'm sure that it can be done." the new councilman stated. "They may have magic, but their technology and organization is lacking, at best. Tracking them down will be the hardest part, I believe. Once that happens, however, everything else will fall into place."

"Agreed." Ciel replied with a slight nod. "Once all of the pieces are in place, we will be able to hit them with everything we have. Once we do that, they will be no more."


	273. Stocking Full of Coal

Despite current events, Christmas came and went for the Phantomhive household like usual. Not much had changed aside from minor details and the feeling that they were running away from something big by celebrating. Still, they couldn't simply cancel the holiday. Luka was too excited for it as always, and the duo had already made preparations, themselves.

The family looked like any other as everyone gathered around the tree on Christmas morning and opened presents. Luka was extremely impressed by the new toys he acquired and Revy was too. Sebastian obtained several new ties and a cat pillow, although he prayed that this would be the year that his master finally permitted him to have an actual cat. Despite his knowledge, that idea was flirted with while the duo were shopping, but Ciel held fast and stubbornly refused.

Alois was actually wearing one of his gifts already, which ruined the image he and his spouse had before. There was a moment where they looked like parents watching their children opening presents, but the blonde had acquired a onesie that looked like a lion. He was extremely taken and impressed by it and had to put it on immediately. So, as he snuggled up against his beau, the man was warm and cozy. It didn't help him as everyone had gotten up especially early that morning, and Alois wanted to take a nap.

"These cups are so cheesy..." he snickered, staring into the mug that he was drinking tea from. It, too, was a gift from the bluenette, and it was part of a matching pair. Ciel had gotten them both matching mugs that both say "Mr." on them, knowing that his beau would love them, if he didn't eventually get them himself at some point.

"You love them." Ciel answered, taking a sip from his own. As soon as Alois laid eyes on them, he needed to have tea served in them right away.

"I do. I'm actually surprised that you got these. I didn't think you were the kind."

"They're not for me. They're a present for you, and I know you're into cheesy stuff like this, which is why I bought them."

"I am." grinned the menace. "Merry Christmas." he added, pecking his husband on the cheek.

"Merry Christmas, dear." Answered the Watchdog, putting an arm around the man's shoulders and pulling him closer. The two of them simply sat like this for a while and watched the younger Mackens. Even Ciel had to chuckle when Luka repeatedly used his Hot Wheel set to launch small toy cars at Revy's back while the revenant tried to read instructions for his new game.

All was well in the Phantomhive household. Later in the week, the Phantomhives, Hellsings, and Midfords would get together and exchange gifts for the first time. The idea was courtesy of Elizabeth and Alois, but the rest of the extended family thought that it was a nice idea.

It was peaceful, although Ciel and Integra felt a tad out of place by the normalcy of it all. Revy and Geraldine caught up and hung out together, and Elizabeth talked with pretty much everyone. Alois somehow managed to sneak his husband away from it all so the man could recharge his energy. It was difficult for him to be around people and socialise for too long, even if they were people who he liked! In addition, it was a good excuse for Alois to get the Watchdog under the mistletoe.

Christmas for the Phantomhives had come and gone, leaving the duo with nothing else to do. The menace was still on break until January, so he had plenty of time to play, still. Unfortunately, he and the bluenette had run out of places to go. Then again, Alois didn't seem to mind. He seemed content with a few quiet nights in. Somehow, they felt as though they were going to need it soon. It was important to savour the moment when they had it.

Despite the holiday, the Scarlet Order was still out there, building their forces and otherwise being up to no good. Preston was spending Christmas without his family for the first time. He had his crew, but it would never be the same. Mister and Missus Omid were heartbroken, of course, having Christmas without their only child, knowing he was out there doing god knows what. At least, they assumed he was still alive at all, although they were somewhat doubtful. They knew that he was never coming back.

Everyone knew that Preston wasn't coming back. The only way that he would is in a coffin, if enough pieces of him could be found. Several of the order's ships had been sunk by British and Scandinavian forces as soon as they were positively identified based on the turncoat's description and vague coordinates. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. still hadn't been given confirmation on whether or not they could work together on land, however. Even if they did, they didn't know where to start.

Time would change this, however, as another letter came in. This time, the letter contained a description of the turncoat's ship, saying that they were almost taken out by mistake. The ship had a red flag like all of the others, but the symbol on it was specific to that vessel. It was the silhouette of a heart with a dagger through the sides. In addition to this, there was a specific radio frequency that would prove immensely useful in the future.

It was the frequency used by the Scarlet Order to communicate. The H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G Intelligence Department almost couldn't believe that they were given this. Immediately, they tuned in, but they needed confirmation as to whether or not it was truly the order. For this, they called upon coworker Audrey Baines to listen in for a bit and tell them whether or not Preston was speaking.

Audrey had to listen for a while. He wore a pair of headphones, and so did a few others. He wrote down what he was hearing along with them as well. The order gave each other geographical coordinates that described villages that they had been to and were on good terms with, as well as many new recruits they came across. They also described their current situations.

One group was in a near panic as they had come across a village that they had previously sent a scout troop to, only to find that the entire first group had been killed by a particularly nasty group of elves somewhere deep within a remote forest. Audrey wrinkled his nose at the description of the place. Their troops had been stripped and had every last thing stolen from them. Their lifeless bodies were carefully placed in a seated nearby to scare away intruders. One body in particular was especially disturbing. It was that of a werewolf that had been skinned. Part of the head was missing, leaving only the lower jaw. Audrey had no idea that elves could be capable of this. All of the ones he had seen were so mellow!

It took a while, and everything seemed to add up, but they still needed to hear from Preston. Audrey wasn't complaining. He thought the order's conversations were interesting, but even more than that, he was afraid. He didn't want to hear Preston's voice because he was afraid to hear how much he changed. What if Preston was injured? What if his health was finally falling apart? What if he was dying? What if he simply wasn't the man that he used to be?

No, Audrey knew that he wasn't. The Preston that they knew was long gone. In his place was something else. A monster with black armour and a scarlet banner. Still, part of Audrey really didn't want it to be true, despite knowing that it was an undeniable fact. The time eventually came, however. Audrey's heart fell as he heard the voice.

" _We don't need to worry about the hud tyv village. Just stay away from there. It's not worth it._ " he had said. Preston's voice was more gruff than Audrey remembered, but that was still Preston. That was exactly what his old friend sounded like, despite minute differences.

In a flash, Audrey remembered how they used to go over to each other's houses and play video games, and how they used to talk about what shows and movies they were into lately. Out of all of the members of the original sensational seven, it was Preston who he was most familiar with. It was Preston who was his best friend. He almost couldn't speak to point out that the Omid's prescence was confirmed.

"That's him..." Audrey forced out, wanting to take off his headphones, but his body being too numb to do so. "That's Preston..."

Once it was confirmed, the task force sent a delegate to Lieutenant Chu's office, who then passed on the information to Sir Hellsing, herself. Then, Audrey was thanked for his help and was sent back to his desk. Just like that. It had been approximately six months since Preston left, and it had been approximately six months since Audrey had heard Preston's voice. Just like that, he was gone again, and he wasn't permitted to participate in the investigation any further due to his personal involvement with the man. His best friend was gone, even though he was so close.

It simply wasn't fair. Audrey knew Preston better than anyone, so surely he could have been at least some use to the team. His skills at information gathering were some of the best in the entire department, so he certainly would have been useful in that aspect! But no, he wasn't allowed. Lieutenant Chu had banned him from the investigation due to his personal involvement with Preston Omid, fearing that Audrey might want to find him for the wrong reasons. Preston was not the man he was, and he never will be again. Audrey knew that. Even still, there was part of him that thought that he could be saved. He knew it was because of this that he was barred from the search, and while he thought that was wise, it was still horrendously frustrating.

He wouldn't be stopped, however. He wanted to know more. He wanted to know everything! The order wasn't gone. It was still out there. Preston was still out there! And Preston needed to be stopped. If anyone was going to do it, however, Audrey firmly believed that he should be at least a part of it. Bones felt as though it was simply his responsibility. It felt as though it was partially his fault for not helping him when he needed him most. Just like the other members of the original sensational seven, Audrey thought that there should have been at least something he could have done to prevent this before it started.

The fire was raging out of control now, however. It couldn't be stopped unless it smothered itself or was extinguished. There was no undoing the damage. There was no taking back the past. All that they could worry about now was the future, starting with the present. The Scarlet Order would fall. It would fall if it were the last thing that Audrey did.


	274. Golden Into Blood Red

The Scarlet Order has suffered considerable losses since the turncoat letters surfaced. They hadn't realised what exactly was leading their foes to them, but assumed that they simply had their ways. It was a major mistake on their part, as it cost them greatly.

This amateur mistake allowed H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. to know exactly where they were and where they were going. They sunk their ships by dropping bombs on them. Each time, they looked out for the one with the flag with the heart silhouette and dagger on it's flag as to not destroy it by mistake. That crew was a valuable asset to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; and they knew that it would be stupid to accidentally blow it up. Ships sunk and ground forces were apprehended and executed as well by the collaborative efforts of the local government and the British special force groups. A few countries simply worked alone, after having H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. train troops.

Naturally, the leaders of the order were less than thrilled. They gathered privately in order to discuss the situation. They had to come up with a solution fast or risk being wiped out completely. Their territories have started to become dissatisfied with the way things were going, and they would lose even more people if they decided to pull back. The order had lost so many already.

"We need to do something about those planes." Preston said to the other two at the table.

"Can we get our hands on a couple of missiles?" questioned Hobbs, rubbing his chin. The man was as burly and animal-like in appearance as ever while his accomplices simply looked knackered.

"There's no way to acquire them even if the budget allowed it." the Omid replied, shaking his head. "Even if we could get one or two, that won't arm the whole fleet. We've got over a dozen boats out there, and they're scattered while looking for allies and supplies. There's also the land troops to worry about."

"What about magic?" the beastman suggested. "Can the witches or any other supernaturals create projectiles?"

"No clue." Preston said. "Wink, what do you think?"

"It could be done, I suppose..." the woman replied, although she didn't sound enthusiastic. "It would take a lot of manpower, and a spell like that would take time to charge. It's also just unlikely that we're gonna hit a plane going that fast. If we miss, we're sunk."

"Fuck..." grumbled Hobbs, clenching his fist slightly. "We have all of this power, but their technology has us beat..."

"This is going to get messy, but I'm sure there's a way that we can gain the upper hand." the group's leader stated. "Lives will be lost, but we can win. All we need is the right piece..."

"What piece would that be?" asked the witch, lazily resting her hand in her palm. "How easy will it be to get?"

"I'm not sure… I have ideas, but… I need more time to think it through." Preston answered. "Everything has to be perfect."

"Lovely." Hobbs snorted, folding his tree-trunks of arms. "You should work on capturing me some enemy soldiers. I'd love to have one or two as a plaything."

"You already have enough."

"It's never enough. There's always room for improvement."

"Can we focus on the task at hand?" Wink butted in, annoyed with the change of subject. She never liked Doctor Hobb's experiments, and didn't understand his incessant desire to play with the body and its genetics. "People are dying. If we don't think of something soon, we'll all be wiped out. Even your experiments, too, Hobbs."

"How dare you say that about my children?" the Doctor shot back strictly to annoy the woman, and it worked.

"If only it was just you and your bloody experiments they wiped out. That would be a fair trade, given how worthless they are!"

"They are not worthless!" growled the man, standing up and towering over the others in the room. His head almost his the ceiling when he stood, and his intimidating form caused Wink to instinctively retreat. "They are the future!"

"Enough." interrupted Preston, stopping things before they could start. He stood up as well, and although he wasn't the tallest of most physically imposing as Hobbs, he still had a frightening presence when he was irritable. It was certainly sufficient in causing the other two to be quiet. "I am going to flesh out this plan a bit more. This will be all for now. We can't risk rushing into things. This plan must be flawless, given what we're up against."

His comrades didn't seem too happy with the meeting ending this way. They stared at him for a moment before standing up and politely walking out. Preston remained and continued his thoughts. His brow furrowed as he was none too pleased with the circumstance either. In addition, he knew that his followers were becoming dissatisfied, which made his blood boil.

Damn them! H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. needed to fall! Preston hadn't even struck them yet, and they were already wiping him out! He had just gotten enough followers to launch an attack, but lacked the funds or equipment. Now, he wouldn't even get the chance. Everything was slipping out of his grasp. He had power, but it was fading quickly. If he didn't do something soon, he was going to lose it all completely, if not get wiped out, himself.

Folding his hands, he tightly knit his fingers together with a grimmace. He was angry, but his anger was a secondary reaction. It was a response to his fear. Despite everything he had built up, there was no escaping the beast of an organization that was H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.! It was right on his heels and it was biting. Everything he had before was gone. His family, his friends, his secure life; all of it was gone. All that he had left was the Scarlet Order and it was the only thing keeping him alive. It was the final barrier between him and H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and it was starting to break. Preston could not allow that. No matter what it took, he would survive the attack!

It was harder than he thought, however. He had lost half of his ships in a matter of weeks. His ground troops were under fire as well. If things continued as they were, he would be finished very soon.

Preston really didn't need any more bad news, but it came anyway. Golden eyes flickered up toward the door as he heard a fist pounding against it frantically. He knew it was nothing good, but he had to know, anyway.

"What is it?" he asked. His voice was loud enough to be heard through the door, and without any warning, it swung open and one of his underlings stepped through.

"Sir!" the flunkie began as he tried to catch his breath. "It's the hawks!"

"What about them?" Preston inquired with an eyebrow raised.

The Band of the Hawk was his finest troop of scouts. They were equipped for any situation that was thrown at them along with their elven leader, Griffin. They had secured supplies and allies to suit several ships and squads, so they were one of his greatest assets. In fact, they were the ones who reported back what happened to the first troop that stumbled across the skin thief village of elves with all of their limbs in tact. In fact, if anything were to happen to them, Preston would not be pleased.

"Griffin went against orders!" the underling declared. "He's taking his troops to the hud tyv village!"

"What?! Why?!"

"The village is at war with the trolls, sir. He wanted to get on their good side by helping them!"

"He what?!" demanded the leader of the order, standing up from his seat. "Norwegian trolls are no joke. If he goes there, he will be fighting against both them and the elves. That's why I told him to stay away!"

"He did it anyway, sir. He wouldn't listen! I'm so-"

Preston cut the flunkie off by slapping a hand over his mouth. His stature caused the other to shrink, and his golden eyes pierced the poor creature through. Preston was furious, and his face showed it, if his squeezing of his underling's face didn't. Gritting his teeth, the man huffed before coming up with a reply.

"If Griffin comes back alive, bring him to me, immediately." the Omid hissed, his grip hurting the other. "If he dares to show his face again after disobeying me, he will suffer greatly. Is that understood?" With that, he let go.

"Y-yes, sir..."

"Good… Now leave."

The terrified underling lightly bowed before quickly scurrying away as fast as they could. Luckily, they avoided the brunt of the oncoming storm. As soon as that door closed again, the Omid's temper got the best of him. It began when his fist clenched to the point where it was shaking. Then, once it could no longer bear the tension, the man cocked his arm back and punched the metal door. A perfect fist-sized dent was left behind on it's surface. It didn't end there, however. The leader of the Scarlet Order threw a tantrum. He yelled and screamed, he broke things, and he stomped his feet. He broke furniture and flipped the table he had previously been calmly sitting at. By the time he was done, his quarters were a wreck. All that was left was himself.

His chest and shoulders raised as he panted. Reason had started to come back to him once he had broken all that he was willing to break. Running a hand through his hair, he trudged over to his chair and sat in the middle of the room alone as a think layer of sweat coated his skin. Preston had to be reasonable. This was still not over yet. After coming so far, he wasn't simply going to roll over and die.

With silence filling the room again, the man closed his eyes and once again started to think. He had to consider all of the resources he had and could possibly obtain. There were still many tools at his disposal and pawns he hadn't yet played. He sat there for one hour, which soon became two and then two and a half before he had some vague idea of what he possessed and what he could do with them.

In that time, he came up with many schemes. Most of them were nothing to be proud of. Some of them required a very particular piece, which was going to take time to collect. Taking in a deep breath, his eyes finally opened and readjusted to the light. They focused on the ceiling before he faced directly in front of him again. Gold became transfixed on a mirror on the other side of the room and he lifted himself before walking toward it.

Staring intently at his reflection, he placed his hands on the dresser in between himself and the wall and leaned against it. There, he saw the face of the man who ran the Scarlet Order. It was the face of the man most wanted by the British government. It was the face of a terrorist, a traitor, and a man who was starting to loose his grip on himself. His very humanity was slipping away. It was happening slowly, but one day, it will vanish all at once. He knew this. He was afraid. What he was afraid of more, however, was death. As Preston gazed at his own reflection, he could see all of this. He knew that he was destroying himself. It was simply a matter of finishing what he started, now.

Slowly, he raised his right hand and brought it to the collar of his shirt. Hooking his fingers around the elastic, he pulled the fabric down, revealing his chest. The hard, black growth that seeped from the old wound on his chest had grown, covering most of his chest. What it didn't cover, however, was one small, circular spot right over his sternum, underneath his collarbone. A pentagram had been etched into his chest, staining his skin with a diabolical signature. Sighing, Preston stared at it even more anxiously than he did at his own visage.

"This isn't over..." he said. "Not until I say so..."

* * *


	275. A Country For Old Men

While the new year came by no means "quietly", it did come without too many new developments. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. had exhausted the coordinates they were given through various means. They wiped out the Scarlet Order troops that were marked, while visiting the villages that were written down as well.

Many of the supernatural villages were not pleased with the order, as the supplies they were promised began to grow fewer each time they arrived. It was easy to convince them to take down the scarlet banner once they were offered government assistance on the basis that many of these creatures are both important and rare. Some of them sought out new, safer, scenery; Thus, quite a few traveled to England to make a home in Gehenna, although the majority stayed home. Some fled out of fear that the order would come back and attack them for betraying them and saw Gehenna as a safer alternative. Still, they are able to write to their village with ease and even send them items, themselves.

Naturally, the transition was a bit difficult for many. Primarily, the language barrier was the biggest problem, but it was closely followed by culture shock. There were supernatural beings like they had never seen before, here. The only time they saw a few of them was when the order came to see them back home. It was going to be a long while before they adjusted to their surroundings, but they did find comfort in their kin. Even those who had come to Gehenna that did not speak the same language received each other quite well. Still, Sister Dorothy's sign language class for new residents was quite full, and the town was in need of an English course as well. It didn't take long for them to scramble and throw together a quick patch, but many letters were sent to the Supernatural Relations Department about this.

In all of this, the Phantomhives were uneasy. Scarlet Order has now affected their territory with their ruckus, and they knew that it was only the beginning. Something horrible was going to happen in the very near future. Alas, there was nothing for them to do but grit their teeth and brace for impact.

Slowly, it was coming. They just didn't know when. If Preston was going to attack, it was going to be soon in a blaze of glory as he unleashed everything he had on H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. in a last-ditch effort to win. If it was coming, it was coming this way. It was the only route they could see him possessing other than the order simply simmering out and disappearing on its on from losing so much. This is actually what they expected at the start of it all, but since things turned out differently, they were somewhat skeptical now.

There was no nice way of saying it. Preston was unhinged. He was angry. The man was hurt deeply and this hurt and sorrow turned to rage and hatred. The demons were all too familiar with this way of thinking. Preston's rage had driven him mad, meaning there was no telling what he would do for certain. No longer was he the man they knew. This man was unpredictable, violent, and mad with rage. Preston had a thirst for power at this point. The Phantomhives, however, were convinced that he would be easy to defeat, but finding him was going to be the hardest part. No more letters had come, so they were out of leads.

Even with this looming over their heads, life went on. While the demons were more anxious than usual, they did their best to get through it. Ciel went back to work and Alois went back to school after the break had ended. The pair did their best to ease each other's worries despite their own, and talked about the situation frequently. They were still strong, despite their worry and their guilt. What's done had been done, however, and they needed each other.

They were still going strong, offering support to their spouse when they needed it. The dynamic demonic duo was still an unbeatable team. Sometimes, they needed to be together and sometimes they needed time apart, as well. It was a healthy part of any relationship to branch out and not be completely joined at the hip, after all. Alois hung out with Kristopherson and Logan quite often, and Ciel met with Travis a handful of times. The bluenette also arranged a very long overdo meeting with his good friend, Gabriel Bailey.

Ciel hadn't seen the man in ages, and he felt like a shoddy friend for it. He was a tad surprised when the former detective smiled at him so genuinely as he approached. They had agreed to meet to go to one of Bailey's favourite pubs, but unfortunately, Gabriel was terrible at giving directions. He always was; The skill just never came to him. Thus, they met somewhere nearby that the Phantomhive was familiar with and planned to walk the rest of the way. Bailey was sitting on a bench next to a wall on the sidewalk as he waited, but soon looked up to see the bluenette approaching.

It was quite surprising for the Watchdog to see his former coworker well-rested and not wearing a beat-up, old suit with stains on it. Instead, Bailey wore a more colourful shirt with a casual jacket over it. The man smiled at Ciel, showing his teeth before standing up. It took him a moment, as he wasn't the young man he used to be.

"Well, if it isn't my favourite devil!" Bailey declared, straightening his back. "How ya been, kiddo?"

"It's good to see you too, Gabriel." Ciel answered, unable to keep a stern face in his friend's presence. "I've been well."

"That's good. I haven't seen you since the wedding! How's the blonde one? You treating him right, still?"

"Yes, we've been doing well, despite live happening." the Watchdog stated with a small sigh. "Our business has thrown quite a bit at us, but we're managing well, as always."

"That's good to hear." the other man said. "About you and Alois, I mean. Not the other stuff. Good to see that you're handling it, though."

"Life happens, but we're still as strong as ever. What about you? No adventures on your end?"

"'Fraid not. It's a shame, really." Gabriel continued to speak as they started walking down the street toward their destination. "That's the only downside to retirement. There's just not a lot to do! Sometimes, I wish I could go back to work, but then I remember the actual working part."

"Sounds reasonable." chuckled the bluenette. "The job of a homicide detective can be hectic."

 _"'_ _Can be'?_ More like _'is and then some'!_ I don't think I can handle that kind of work anymore. I'm too old and I can't smoke cigarettes."

"You gave up smoking?"

"Yeah. It's been four months, now. Think I'm getting close to cracking, again, though. Nicotine patches just aren't the same."

"You can do it. I have faith in you." Ciel replied, causing the other to laugh.

"Well, if the devil has faith in me, I'm sure I can manage!"

The pair continued on like this, talking casually for the first time in ages. They talked about life and family, as well as their current exploits and adventures. Ciel had always wondered what people do in retirement, and a lot of his suspicions were confirmed. Others, however, weren't. Gabriel wasn't the kind to go golfing or the sort. Instead, he seemed to be moping around the house a lot while he tried to think of something to do. In some ways, Ciel could relate to that. Still, the former detective had a few other stories, like the time he went hunting for biscuits at the supermarket for an adventure, only to end up decking a purse-snatcher upon exiting the store. It wasn't hard to believe, given the man's character. He said that the worst part of it was that he dropped his bag and a few of his biscuits got broken in half in the package!

Once they arrived inside, they seated themselves and Bailey immediately ordered himself a pint. With the difficulty the man had in sitting and standing, Ciel was a bit concerned with his choice. The face he made was noticed by his friend, who was casual about it.

"My knees have gotten bad." the former detective said, pausing to take a sip of his drink. "My left one has been the cheeky one. It acts up at the drop of a hat. My old woman says that I should get a walking stick, but I'm not that old, I don't think."

"It would make it easier to stop purse snatchers." jested the bluenette.

"True, but I don't want one. Could be me being stubborn, though. I am close to my sixties, after all."

"Just do what makes things easier on you." Ciel stated. "If it helps with your joints, then it's worth it, right?"

"Yeah, I suppose..." his friend sighed. "I hate being old… I remember when I first met you. You were a little thing back then, and I was around the age you looked."

"The 80's were not a fun time for a policeman."

"Even less fun for the people we were sent to rough up."

"Thatcher couldn't have left sooner. I almost debated on taking care of her, myself."

"Nobody would've blamed you." remarked Bailey with another drink. "The Americans weren't happy when _'Ding, Dong, The Witch is Dead!'_ topped the charts when she died, though."

"They seem to be under the bizarre impression that she's some feminist icon, or some nonsense." snorted the Watchdog.

"You're joking!"

"No, I'm not. Just because she was a female prime minister doesn't mean she was a good person. She was a monster, and she's my least favourite prime minister along with Churchill."

"Now, I never understood your hatred of Churchill. What did he do?"

"Supported genocide in India and wanted a third world war, amoung other things." Ciel sighed. "I'm tired of trying to conquer the world. The only amount of land a person needs is enough to live on plus six feet."

"Why six feet?" questioned the other.

"Your body has to be dumped somewhere, doesn't it?"

"Morbid as always, I see..."

"So says the former homicide detective..."

"How big is your house again?" Gabriel asked. "It was big enough to be a city block on it's own, last time I checked."

"True. It keeps out nosy neighbours, however." Said Ciel. "That's a demon's worst nightmare, you know."

"So demons have fear."

"I have a family, too, you know. I have to make sure they're safe."

To this, the former detective grinned. He couldn't help but let out a small laugh, much to the other's confusion. Arching an eyebrow, the Watchdog asked: "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. It's just that you've really changed over the years." Gabriel mused, resting his elbows on the table. "I remember when I first met you. You were a surly little bugger back then. Always had something to say. ' _Step lightly, rookie_ ', or ' _don't get in the way_ '. I remember being so astonished when you finally called me 'Bailey'. That's how I knew you were able of actually liking people. Now look at you. You're a loving husband with people you care about and would never dream of letting anything happen to. You've become quite the softie."

"I could try going back to being mean, if you like." jokingly offered the Phantomhive, but the other refused.

"No, no! I like the new you. You're a lot happier. It's nice."

"I happen to like things this way, too."

"Never expected you to get married, though. That's a good plot twist." abruptly stated Bailey. "Never expected you to be such a dope for your husband, either."

"I wasn't that bad, was I?"

"Well…"

"Don't answer that." The Phantomhive swiftly interrupted, causing the other to laugh.

"I figured you were just a late bloomer when it came to that stuff, or that it was some demonic nonsense." replied Gabriel. "Also, I just couldn't picture you with a woman." he admitted, causing the other man to arch his brow.

"What? Why?" questioned Ciel in response. "Is that why you weren't surprised when I started dating Jim?"

"Dunno. Just a hunch, I suppose. But yeah, I didn't think much of it when you started seeing blondie like that. It all just fit together, kinda."

"You know I find women attractive too, y'know..."

"You better not. You keep that eye of yours on Alois. I don't give a damn if you're a demon, I'll bash yer head in, if you hurt that kid."

"I didn't know you were so protective of him as well." remarked the Watchdog with a smile, prompting the other to grin in return.

"He's a good kid, is all. That one deserves nothin' but happiness, with the shit he's seen."

"Still have a soft spot for kids, I see."

"Kids aren't like adults. They don't see how messed up the world is unless adults do something shitty that fucks them up. In most cases, the kids I've seen as a police officer didn't deserve what happened to them. In most cases, they didn't get a happily ever after. It's nice when one does." As he spoke, Gabriel stared down into his drink and watched the bubbles rise. His friend couldn't say a word. Ciel agreed with him, having been such a child, himself.

Life simply wasn't fair. It wasn't a game of chess. It couldn't be compared to any game really. Perhaps cards; being dealt a good hand was almost a sure way to victory, but even that could be shattered. Ciel knew, coming from one of the most important families in London with a silver spoon in his mouth at birth. It could be taken away just as easily. He had another friend like this, but Preston was currently losing his gamble, it seemed.

"Being a parent must be hard." Ciel said finally, causing the other to look up.

"It is, but it's rewarding." Gabriel replied. "It's also sad, though. My kids are all grown up and they don't need me, anymore. I think I did a pretty good job, though, even if Mike is a little irritating on the job, I hear."

"Just a little. He's even stuffier than I am."

The Watchdog's friend simply nodded knowingly. With a pause, the man asked: "What about you, kiddo? Are you and Alois planning on having kids at some point?" The former detective was rather surprised at the expression his inquiry forced from the bluenette, and he was equally impressed at the shade of red the Phantomhive's face had become. Coughing into his hand, Ciel stalled for a moment to come up with his answer.

"We haven't discussed it." he said, attempting to drop it.

"Well, if you want some, you'd better. Adoption is a tough process. Those forms are hard to fill out, since they make you question your moral character."

"I already do that several times a week."

"That's surprising." The former detective said. "I thought you would be the type to never look back."

Bailey and Phantomhive talked for hours about everything their minds wandered to. Sometimes, they talked about philosophy, politics, or about their family. Sometimes, it was a mixture of all three. Ciel was having fun. He hadn't realised just how much he missed his former coworker until then. He had simply gotten used to the idea of dealing with a Bailey that he didn't like as much. It pained him deeply to hear about how his friend was growing old, as he knew what age brought. Gabriel's bones were starting to ache, and he was much more tired than he used to be. Ciel would often forget that he wasn't the young buck that he used to be, even while they were working together. The Phantomhive looks back fondly on a Detective Gabriel Bailey who just got promoted to detective and was still wearing nice suits while in the field.

Those days were over, now. Now they spoke like old men. Being the old soul that he is, however, Ciel found it extremely refreshing, and almost didn't want the conversation to end. It had to, unfortunately. Gabriel was getting tired and needed to go home. The poor man cursed his tired body, but it couldn't be helped. The pair did agree to meet up again in the near future and talk about life.

Ciel returned home to his husband, satisfied with the company he had with the former detective, regardless of how brief it was. His family was waiting for him. The bluenette knew that if he stayed out too long, his spouse would start to wonder where he was. Thus, he returned home with a smile and kissed his husband on the cheek upon walking through the front door. Life goes on, no matter what was happening in the world, and Ciel was determined to keep things that way. No matter what their enemies would bring, Ciel had things he cared about, and was going to keep them safe no matter what.


	276. La Famiglia

Ever since his first day, a certain Macken boy was excitedly going to school every day except for weekends. Luka had made a good deal of friends and was very good at schoolwork, even if he did have a wee bit of trouble with sign language. He often practiced with Sebastian at home whenever he could and improved accordingly. He was keeping up in the class, but felt as though he should be doing better, since the other kids were more skilled.

As he was advanced in every other subject, the fact that he had difficulty with this one made him feel as though he needed to work twice as hard. It was simply that the others had some prior expeirience in signing, while he had none. This was the same reason as to why Luka was good at most everything else. The boy worked hard at school and enjoyed every bit of it. He got along well with the others, aside from a few incidents.

On this particular morning, Sebastian dropped Luka off at the church of Gehenna. He waved farewell at his guardian with a big smile before making his way inside. There, he met with his friend, Ezekiel, and they played together until it was time to start class. As soon as Sebastian had drove off, however, the small demon was approached by a few other kids, who had questions for him.

"Is that bloke who drops you off everyday your dad?" asked one, causing the other to shake his head.

"Nope, he's our butler." Luka answered honestly, only to hear a scoff.

"Ooh~! Look at that! He's got a butler! No wonder his family's got a car." the other said.

"Where do you live, anyways?" questioned another. "There ain't any mansions 'round here."

"I live in London..." stated the Macken, now slightly wary. He had heard this sort of tone before when he was younger. Usually, it was because he hadn't any parents or a place to live. Now, it seemed as though it were for the opposite reason. Now it was because he had too much.

"In London? Figures, since you don't know how things work." snorted the first child. "Who has a grownup wait for them in the back on their first day? Scared of the supers?"

"No, because I'm a supernatural, too." proudly declared Luka, bringing himself to his feet from his original position on the floor where he and his friend were playing. "I'm a demon."

"Rubbish, the only demons around here are the Lion and Watchdog."

"That's because the Lion is my big brother!" The poor thing was surprised when he was laughed at for saying this. He really expected them to back off upon hearing the name of the eldest Macken, but instead, he was being mocked!

"Sure, he is, and I'm the long lost son of Frankenstien's monster!" the bully teased. "Show us this 'big brother' of yours sometime, we'd love to meet him!"

"He really is, though!" angrily replied the demon. "I'm Luka Macken! My big brothers are Jim and Revy!"

"You look nothing like them! Look at this hair!" When one of the others reached forward and tried to rub Luka's hair, the Macken took a step back and attempted to swat the hand away, only for more to accompany it.

"Stop it!"

"What, can't the little brother of the Lion stop us?" one of the children sneered.

"Leave him alone!" Ezekiel finally ordered, stomping his hoof on the ground as he captured the others' attention. His classmates stared at him for a moment, trying to gauge the situation before he finally continued: "You're all acting like you think you're better than Luka, but you're really just acting like idiots!"

"Shut up, Zeke, you know he's weird!" barked back one of the others.

"What kind of selfish prick has a car? Nobody else has one!" said another.

"He's weird, and he's the one who thinks he's better! Look at him, showing off these toys of his..."

"Hey!" shouted Luka as one of his classmates picked up one of the toy cars that he and his friend were playing with. They picked it up and waved it around for everyone else to see.

"Look at this!" they said. "Brand new, with all the paint still on it! We're lucky if we get something like this." Suddenly, the child put the toy in his pocket, much to the shock of the Macken.

"You can't do that!" Luka said.

"Why do you care? You can just buy more!"

"Yeah, why don't you give us some?" said another child, holding out his hand to Ezekiel. "Hey, Zeke, did he give that one to you? Can I see it?"

"No, it's Luka's! That's stealing and it's against the law!" the faun said, holding the toy in his hand behind his back to protect it from the grasping hands.

"Are you gonna tell your dad on us? Can cops even arrest kids?"

"Yeah, they can. My brother and Ciel talk about it all the time, so give it back!" ordered the demon, holding out his own hand to the thief.

"Quit lying already!" the bully barked back as he extended his arm once again. This time, it was to push on Luka's head, but the boy was faster and grabbed his wrist instead. Poor boy. Luka was genuinely upset and his grip reflected that. Almost immediately, the bully was shouting and drew more attention to the group from the others in the class. They soon had an audience and Luka did not look like the good guy.

He was holding a boy's arm and the boy was shouting in pain. That's bound to reflect badly. A few of the children told him to stop being mean and hurting the thieving n'er-do-well, completely ignoring his insistence that he was not the villain, here. It was over, once class started, but the demon was still upset.

It affected his work, greatly. Every time he was called on, he didn't have the answer. He couldn't focus on worksheets at all, as he was simply too glum to think about them. The sign language portion was the absolute worst. Even though Ezekiel was his partner, he still couldn't bring himself to give it his all. It had been a long time since he had been treated this way and he had thought that it was finally behind him.

This was what he was afraid of upon entering school. Luka never did have a good relationship with other kids his age. They would always bully him mercilessly and sometimes beat him up. The only time he could escape such a fate was when his brother or some kind stranger took pity on him and intervened. He almost didn't want to go to school in the first place because of this sort of thing, and here it was, happening again. The Macken did his best not to shed a tear until he was out of the sight of his classmates, so he held it in until it was time to leave and he stepped inside the car that he was made fun of for.

Now, as soon as he walked out of the building, Sebastian could see something was wrong. Ordinarily, he greeted the boy with a smile, but it quickly fell as he witnessed Luka's solemn expression. He held open the door for the boy to step into the car, but his attention was soon captured by some of the other children laughing in their direction as the small demon quickly shuffled into the vehicle where it was safe.

At last, there was a barrier between Luka and the others, prompting him to utter a sigh of relief. His calm was short lived, however, as Sebastian opened the door and stepped inside the car as well. Starting it up, the butler went through the usual routine of asking Luka how his day went. This time, however, the boy was hoping he wouldn't.

"Did you have fun at school today?" questioned the butler, prompting the other to shrug silently as he stared out the window. His silence spoke volumes, however. Sebastian knew Luka after years of raising him and was thus familiar with his behaviour. He knew that this wasn't normal.

"Not good, hm?" Sebastian asked further.

"Kinda..." Luka replied, leaving the man hanging on in hopes of getting some answers.

"Do you feel like talking about it?" Again, Sebastian was met with a shrug.

There wasn't much more Sebastian could do in this case. It wasn't as though he could force the boy to talk about things that he didn't want to. The butler was determined to try again later once Luka had some time, so for a while, the car ride consisted of nothing but silence. It was eventually broken, however, by none other than the Macken himself.

"Can you not bring me in the car anymore?" he finally asked, prompting the older demon to arch an eyebrow. "You can park it down the street and I can walk."

"Why do you not want to be seen in the car?" Sebastian answered with an inquiry of his own.

"The other kids don't have cars."

"I see..." With this, the man had a pretty good guess as to what was happening. "Do the other children have a problem with the car?"

"No… Well… Maybe..." In truth, Luka didn't have an answer to that, as he really wasn't sure what the problem the others had with it, but he did know that it gave them a reason to harass him, somehow.

"I wouldn't take that sort of talk to heart." the butler stated as he continued to watch the road. "You're different from the others, but that's perfectly alright."

"They don't think so..." the younger mumbled. "They took one of my hot wheels and kept touching my head…"

"They what?" questioned the butler. His ordinarily calm and perfectly smooth tone wavered for just an instant at the revelation.

He actually surprised himself a bit at this and had to remember not to squeeze the steering wheel out of risk of breaking it. The butler was not pleased by this news. In fact, it rather irritated him. No, it was slightly stronger than this, but he didn't recognise the feeling. Sebastian was angry that Luka was being treated in such a manner by his classmates. It was an outrage. How dare they treat his child like this?! Or rather, how dare they treat _Luka_ like this? Sebastian knew that he was protective of the Phantomhive family, but wondered if this was a paternal feeling or not. It was odd to him. He wanted this awful feeling he got when his Luka was treated badly to go away.

Quietly, Sebastian fumed over the news until he was presented with an opportunity to discuss it with the boy's oldest brother privately. The butler had asked Luka many questions and it appeared as though those children did not understand just who Luka was and who he was related to. Naturally, this called for action. No one vexes this family and the blonde of the two family heads was none too pleased with this news as well. Alois frowned deeply as Sebastian relayed the news to him and both men agreed that something needed to be done.

The very next day, they had both decided that they would need to talk to the teachers as well as the students. Sebastian would not park a block away and force Luka to walk. No, he parked right in front of the school and Luka got out of the car there accompanied by his big brother. Alois had decided that he wanted to deal with these hooligans personally.

It was a very frightening day for them, but a few things were made clear: if a member of the Phantomhive family, including the extended family is trifled with, they do not tolerate this. In addition, Luka's big brother was indeed the notorious Lion and the Lion will indeed resort to frightening children until they give his little brother back his toys and leave him alone. Alois personally frightened the thief and persuaded him to surrender the toy car before calmly presenting it to its rightful owner.

Luka had won this. Everyone now knew what exactly happened and were apologetic. The boy was now untouchable, given his status as the brother of Alois Phantomhive. The church was even on Macken street! There was no way that the boy was going to be bullied in this establishment ever again.

Once again, Luka could enjoy going to school. He was very good at sharing his belongings as long as they were returned and treated as nicely as he was. He even gave one of his cars to his friend, Ezekiel. Luka continued to go to school and smile at his butler upon arriving and leaving. Things weren't always perfect, but overall, he was happy.

* * *


	277. The National Museum of Shadiness

It was just another ordinary day in London. Things were still going the same as always, but today, a certain family was doing something a bit new. It was something that needed to be done for about fifty years, so the fact that it was finally happening was somewhat remarkable. The Phantomhives were finally arranging and organizing the memorabilia room.

Currently, the room was a dusty, filthy mess. The artifacts inside were surely suffering due to the lack of care. Being strewn about in unorganised heaps and left in a musty old room to rot when they were important enough to the Watchdog to save was no way to keep them. Thus, the family decided to set aside an entire day to dedicate to fixing it.

"Alright, so what's the plan?" questioned the blonde as everyone in the house gathered around the entrance to the room.

"I was thinking we drag what we can out here and organise them while someone else gets the shelves in." Ciel replied. "Most everything in here will need cleaning, as well. Some things are too fragile, however, so no one should worry about those."

"Is it really a good idea to have Luka helping?" inquired the family butler, glancing down toward the youngest of the bunch. "There's weapons in there, after all."

"Luka, don't touch any weapons." said Alois, only to earn a big, excited grin from the other.

"Okay~!" the boy answered while the head of the family gripped the doorknob.

With a flick of Ciel's wrist, the door was open and the group was assaulted by the pungent smell of dust and mold. Luka coughed while Revy sneezed. Ciel covered his nose and mouth with his sleeve as he peered inside. Admittedly, the place looked even worse than he remembered. His spouse peeked his head inside as well, but the only difference was that he actually vocalised what both of them were thinking.

"Jesus Christ!" the blonde Phantomhive exclaimed as he stared into the abyss. "When was the last time we were even in here?"

"I think it was the BlackJack case?" answered the other. "I remember putting your mask in here, somewhere."

"Oh, god, who knows what happened to it, then?"

"We really should have sorted this room out sooner, master." Sebastian said with a shake of his head. "This is ridiculous… I suppose I'll start scrubbing it down once enough is out of it."

"Sounds like a plan. Watch out for avalanches, everyone." Alois replied before rolling up his sleeves and waltzing right on inside.

Items began being brought out and placed in relating piles on the floor in the basement in an orderly fashion. All sorts of absurd items were found, whether they be weapons or remains of a formerly living thing, or some otherwise odd trinket. Luka informed the older demons when he found a dangerous-looking item, and they took care of it for him right away. It took a little over two hours, but eventually, enough was out of the room for Sebastian to start scrubbing a bit and Alois began cataloging the items. He had a book with him that he wrote down everything and how many of each artifact there were.

"What is this?" he questioned, mostly to himself as he crouched down and picked up a small box. Carefully, he cracked the lid and rolled his eyes.

"Ciel?" he called out, facing the room that the Watchdog and the others were cleaning.

"Yes love?" he received in reply as his husband peeked his head through the door.

"I'm not going to ask where you got these _teeth_ or why you decided to keep them, but are they human or something else?" the blonde asked, holding up the box. With a confused expression, the bluenette decided to walk over to the menace, who then presented him with the offending object for him to examine. After a few moments of examining the teeth, Ciel finally made a face and shook his head.

"I have no idea what these are." he said, placing the tooth in his hand back in the box. "I don't remember where those are from at all." Ciel handed the item back to Alois, who then proceeded to carefully put it back on the ground and take out his book.

"Alright… I'll just put _'thirteen teeth of unknown origin'_ in the book..." Alois said while jotting that down. "What about that skull over there?"

"Vampire skull." answered his husband without even thinking. "From Liverpool, I think."

The objects were ridiculous, but knowing the Phantomhives, that is to be expected. There were many stolen Nazi-related items. Most of them came off of soldiers. There was an entire box of SS patches and several daggers. There were also many items from Britain as well, such as uniforms and Ciel had the flag. It was old, beaten up, and the colours had faded and yellowed. There was another box of Sir Integra's lighters, which Ciel had stolen for laughs when he was still on rocky terms with her. He said that he might return them to her some day as a joke. There were books and photo albums in several other larger boxes and Alois had to go through each one.

Once again, Alois found something that he didn't recognise. It was an old, old, book with yellow pages and a beaten up spine. It was obviously cheap and it was surprising that it was in decent shape, given the date on it. It said it was from the 1800s! The only problem was, Alois had no idea what kind of book it was, so he was left with no choice but to take a careful peek inside. He read a little bit of his contents before his head finally wrapped around what it was saying. A blush appeared on his cheeks as he set the object back down and took out his pen.

"One Victorian era 'erotic novel'..." he said to himself, only to hear a light chuckle from over his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw the butler smirking at him before the man finally shook his head.

"Those were popular back in the day." the older man explained. "They were mostly sold out of sight, so it's only natural for a member of the underworld to come across a copy somehow. I'm honestly surprised he didn't throw it away."

"I'm not. He must have been curious. Most teenage boys would be."

"It looks as though its been in there for ages… I can dispose of it, if you'd like."

"I'm sure somebody might want it for a good deal of money, actually." Alois replied. "Best to sell it. Then again, I really don't feel right about selling Ciel's things without him knowing, even if he hasn't used it in a hundred years."

"I will ask him, then." Sebastian stated with a small bow. Before the menace could say a single thing, the butler was calling Ciel over.

"Master," he began, retrieving the bluenette's attention. "Could you come here for a moment?"

Naturally, Ciel thought nothing of the request and casually walked over to the pair without knowing where it would lead. He rubbed his hands together, trying to shake some of the dust and grime off of them as he approached. "Yes?"

"We were wondering if you would be opposed to selling this artifact." spoke the man clad in black while presenting the offending article to the Watchdog. "It does qualify as a historical document, after all, and I doubt you would be interested in holding onto it."

Arching an eyebrow, the bluenette looked at the book in his butler's hand, only to immediately recognise it. The poor man's face heated up as his cheeks turned a slight shade of red. He remembered the object. Ciel had thought that it was destroyed long ago, but here it was, much to his dismay.

Coughing, Ciel made an attempt to compose himself before finally answering. "Go ahead." he replied. "I don't need it..."

"Very well, then. I'll see to it finding a new home." Sebastian answered with a polite grin that barely hid any of the demon's amusement. With this, he walked away, leaving the couple to interact knowing what they do now. An almost suffocatingly awkward silence loomed in the air as both of them tried to think of something to say. It was finally broken, however, as the menace could no longer hold in a snort.

"What's so funny?" indignantly questioned the blue Phantomhive despite already knowing the answer.

"You." bluntly stated his spouse. "I didn't think you were the kind to have something like that."

"I'm not, really… Most books like that were disgusting. Sick and twisted stuff..."

"So you kept the one that was tame?"

"I..." Ciel began, only to realise that there was no getting out of this. Clearing his throat, he said: "Well… Yes… I was curious about that sort of thing, too, even though I would never dare acknowledge it. I'm not into the sort of violence and depravity commonly featured in erotica… It's disgusting. I have no idea how anyone could possibly sexualise that..."

"I know. You're not that kind of guy. You're too sweet to be able to bear that."

"Indeed..."

"You sure you don't want to keep that book?" Alois questioned, looking up at his husband from his place on the floor. "You did keep it for a hundred years."

"No. I thought I got _rid_ of it a hundred years ago." answered the bluenette. "It's been useless for that long. Now I have something that works a lot better to pique my interests."

"Oh yeah? What's that?" the menace inquired further with a big grin. He already knew the answer, but he was going to bother his spouse regardless. Knowing this was his intention, Ciel rolled his eye.

"I liked it, so I put a ring on it." he said jokingly before turning to walk away and resume working. Mostly, it was to conceal his smile as he was satisfied with his remark. Alois simply shook his head.

"You're gonna get it later, you know!" the blonde called after him.

"I know. Do your worst."

After this bizarre find, Alois resumed working as well and walked around, counting and cataloging everything he found. He moved from one end of the basement to the other, and documented new items that came out of the room as well. Guns, swords, bayonets, amulets, body parts animals and humanoids alike, and other trinkets that were so great in amount that it really did fill up almost an entire book to write them all down. In every single one, however, the blonde took great interest. They were places his husband had been and things he had seen. There was a long, complicated story, here, and he was completely enthralled in it.

Reaching a new pile, the menace crouched down once again to inspect it. There were a lot of large books carefully piled on top of each other. The menace reached out and cracked one open, only to find out that it was a photo album. It looked old, but not _too_ old. It was a few decades, at best. He saw pictures of his spouse looking much younger than he did now, dressed in a much sillier fashion. There were often grumpy old men in the picture with him. At one particular image, however, he stopped. He recognised the room that Ciel and the man accompanying him were sitting in. It was the office at the Hellsing estate!

"Must be Arthur..." Alois thought to himself, sitting down with his legs crossed and placing the album in his lap. The man in the photo who Alois assumed was the late Sir Arthur Hellsing was sitting behind the desk in the Hellsing office. He was a cocky looking man, but seemed kind. His hair was completely white, including his mustache. Green eyes stared at the camera along with Ciel's. It was interesting to think that this was the father of Sir Integra. The woman must take more after her mother, as they look nothing alike!

Turning the page, he found more stuffy looking individuals, including a man who looked like Sir Penwood, but wasn't. It must have been the man's father. Most of them, Alois did not have the faintest idea as to who they were, but he turned to another page and had to stop for a moment. Once again, Ciel was standing next to a man, but he wasn't old like the others. He looked as though he were in his late twenties or early thirties. The strange part about this man, however, was the fact that he looked familiar to the menace, but he couldn't place him.

The man was obviously a police officer and was wearing a formal uniform. He and Ciel must have been at a special event when the picture was taken. Still, he looked odd for a cop, with thick black hair that was a touch on the long side. Ordinarily, that would have been considered unprofessional, but when one was friends with the Watchdog, professionalism did not matter. He had dark eyes, a square jaw, and a cleft chin that made the menace believe that he knew him. The blonde just couldn't decide who it was! Alois had to remember that this photo was taken decades ago, so the man was probably older with more wrinkles, now. In his mind, Alois tried to age the man's image, only for a name to finally come to him.

 _"_ _Bailey!"_ he said aloud with raised eyebrows. Now that he said that, he could finally see it. This was a photo of a young Detective Gabriel Bailey, Alois' most favourite of Ciel's old friends.

With great enthusiasm, Alois dedicated his time to looking through the photos. He had completely gotten side-tracked while everyone else was diligently working on moving shelves, pedestals, and glass cases into the memorabilia room. This was important as well, however. It was important to the menace, anyway. After each book, he did catalog them, but it took him a while to complete each one. Soon, however, he came across an old and decrepit photo album; one that he had to handle with extreme care so it didn't completely fall apart.

These photos were older. Much older. They were older than Ciel and Alois knowing each other. These were pictures of Ciel when he was still human. Still, Alois looked upon them fondly. Oh, how the bluenette has changed. Even his expressions were completely different. Poor thing. He was so serious- much more so than he is now. His husband was friendly and outgoing compared to the boy he used to be. It was very interesting to see these portraits, even if there were a few of Ciel and Elizabeth in there as "future spouses" amoung the bunch.

"Who's that?" asked a voice behind him. It was much closer to Alois' head this time, as its owner was much shorter. Luka was looking at the pictures from over the blonde's shoulder. In response, Alois simply smiled at him.

"It's Ciel and Elizabeth when they were humans." he replied, moving a bit to invite his sibling to sit with him. "Ain't they cute? They're so tiny!"

"Ciel looks angry..." the younger Macken brother noted, causing his sibling to snort.

"He was. Very angry. The guy ran on it when he was a kid." Alois answered. "I don't really blame him. He had a lot to be angry about."

"He doesn't look right as a kid."

"Luka..."

"It's because he's a grown up! Grown ups always look weird when you see pictures of them as kids." the boy clarified, prompting his brother to shake his head.

"I think he's cute." the blonde stated.

"You always think he looks cute..."

"Yeah, but this time, he's cute like a puppy."

"Maybe..." Luka said, staring down at the page. He had to quickly find something else to talk about before his older brother began rambling and being mushy about his husband. Silently, he coaxed the man to turn the page, only to find a picture that was even older, if only by a few years.

"Who's that?" the brunet questioned, pointing to the group of people.

"Huh… I think that's the Phantomhives and the extended family..." Alois answered, staring carefully at the portrait.

"How do you know?"

"Well, I remember that Vincent, Ciel's dad, looks a lot like Sebastian. Since he's in the center, he must be the family head." the blonde began to explain. "Then there's Ciel right there. The woman with her hand on his shoulder must be his mum. They look alike. Then there's Elizabeth over there with her parents… Damn, her mum looks like a white Integra..."

"That's Ciel?" inquired the other with disbelief conspicuously lacing his tone. "He looks normal."

"That's when he was around your age." the older demon stated. "He was normal, for the most part; As normal as a Phantomhive can be, really."

"He looks fun."

"Maybe you would've gotten along?"

"Probably. We get along now." said Luka.

"True. If you can get along with him now, it should be easy." The blonde said, turning his attention back to the photograph. He couldn't help but smile at it, despite his attempts to keep a semi-straight face. Mostly, he was just trying not to look like a complete dope, but was failing badly.

"Ugh, he's just so cute!" He finally let out as he was unable to contain himself any longer. "Look at this face! I wanna pinch his little cheeks!"

"Why are you so excited about it?" questioned poor Luka, who was unable to understand his sibling's carrying on.

"Do you not see him?" asked the other in return, showing the photo to his brother. "He's just a wee baby! I want to squish him! I can't help it, he's too cute!"

"If you had a baby, it would look like him. You could make weird faces over that."

"Unfortunately, that's an impossibility..." Alois sighed. "And I don't make weird faces..."

"You're making them right now!" protested Luka. "I know you can't make a baby. Neither of you have the right organs."

"Where did you learn about that?"

"I didn't. You're both boys, so it can't work."

"No, about… making babies?" the blonde tried to clarify.

"Sebastian taught me for biology." Luka bluntly answered. "He said it was important to know, so he told me."

Alois couldn't argue with that logic. Mostly, he was grateful that he wouldn't be the one to have to explain it to the boy, and knowing Sebastian, the butler probably did it better than he could even hope to. The blonde Phantomhive's discomfort simply came from the thought of his younger sibling knowing about such things. He didn't like the idea of the lad growing up. There was no reason for it. Luka was just his little brother and the knowledge that one day he was going to grow up was a lot for Alois to bear.

"Oh, well… That's fine, I guess." Alois answered, closing the book and putting it back in the pile. "You're not old enough for any of that, though. Understand?"

"I know. I haven't finished puberty yet and the age of consent is seventeen." the younger demon said before wandering off. He left Alois there to ponder that for a moment, but then the man needed to say something.

_"Sebastian!"_

That was a very odd conversation that ensued. All it consisted of was Sebastian consoling Alois and ensuring him that he hadn't taught the blonde's younger brother of anything questionable. The butler had to take a break from moving in shelves to do this and after a while, the conversation shifted from this to making digital copies of all of the photos in the albums. Sebastian didn't mind as long as Alois wasn't in a tizzy.

After everything was moved in, everyone turned their attention to cataloging and cleaning. They hoped to get everything done before nightfall, but that simply didn't happen. Luka and Revy eventually had to go to bed, but the adults remained and managed to get everything jotted down. Once that was done, they were able to start moving in the items that were ready to be displayed. The duo worked on this while Sebastian was left with cleaning. It actually worked faster this way since he didn't have to hold himself back.

Swords, guns, knives, bayonets and other types of weapons were moved behind glass cases and arranged by time period and country of origin. Then came organic material such as skulls, teeth, hands, and mummified remains. Everything was arranged thus so. The pair had to be very careful about dressing a mannequin with Ciel's old war uniform. There were others for both mens' Warwick uniforms as well. The BlackJack mask was displayed on a wall and the costume was placed next to it. All of the photographs and portraits were left out for now, as copies needed to be made. They had to be handled carefully, as the majority were of immensely deep sentimental importance, while others were simply one of a kind. One of the only clear photographs of a Sasquatch was amoung the pile. That one, however, would not be staying with the Phantomhives. Instead, it would be sent to the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. research department.

"If you ever want to open up a museum about yourself, you certainly have enough to do it." said the menace, placing his hands on his hips with a short sigh.

All of them had been working into the wee hours of the morning, but they were finished at last. All three of them had to take a step back and admire their handiwork. The room was impressive and state of the art. It was kept at a certain temperature to ensure that the items last and the walls were made so that they could not be broken and nothing could get inside. If a fire breaks out upstairs, this room will always survive. Even the door that leads to the tunnels beneath the estate which house the most dangerous and accursed of objects was hidden better and reinforced with both technological and magical means. It was an absurd amount of work, but the trio managed.

"I know, but I'm too selfish to give it up just yet." the bluenette stated, looking at his room. "Everything in here has a story. It's hard to give up physical evidence of it."

"Even the teeth that you don't recognise?" questioned the menace.

"Now those should probably be sent to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. for analysis..."

"And the vampire skull?"

"No, they have plenty."

"I'm actually impressed that you managed to collect this much stuff, master." the butler chimed in. "I never really noticed how sentimental you were."

"I'm not, really..."

"'Everything has a story. It's hard to give up physical evidence of it.'" quoted Alois.

"Alright, maybe a little..." the Watchdog sighed in defeat. "Where's the catalog? If you want, I can enter everything into the computer while you're at school."

"Ugh… I forgot about school… I don't wanna go..."

"Too bad. Go and learn. How many years have you got left?"

"Two, maybe? I don't even know..." answered the blonde while shaking his head. "Summer classes are an option, but as soon as spring comes, everything always goes awry. It's like spring fever causes bloodlust or something."

"That just means more for the room." Ciel jested, patting his husband's shoulder. "Time for bed, everyone. It's almost three in the morning."

"I suppose I should be getting things sorted for tomorrow, then." Sebastian said as the trio headed toward the door. "Luka never puts his coat where it belongs, and there are still other things that need cleaning."

"Damn, Sebastian, take a nap." insisted the menace, prompting the older demon to shake his head.

"Naps are a luxury that a Phantomhive butler does not have."

"I disagree. The butler before you was extremely fond of them." said Ciel.

"Tanaka was old." stated Sebastian. "That is to be expected."

"You're old too..."

"Well, I never..."

* * *


	278. Sound The Alarm

Fingers tapped on keyboards and faces peered into screens just as always at the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. Intelligence Department as they underwent another day at work. Hands ached from writing and ears hurt from headphones as the Scarlet Order Taskforce continued transcribing their whereabouts and major campaigns as well as details about their ranks. Audrey was on the phone with an outpost toward the north of England about a suspected routine vampire attack and put the information on file. He would have to report the information to the head of the department for further action when the woman wasn't busy with other cases. A heavy sigh escaped the man as his eyes glanced toward the Scarlet Taskforce and dreamed of being able to assist. At the very least, he hoped for news.

It wasn't to be, however, especially after he was caught eavesdropping on the group and attempting to tune into the radio station. Fortunately, it was just his coworkers who caught him, and the leader of the Taskforce, Hadia Darzi, was merciful. The woman didn't report him and only warned him to stay away. Audrey was grateful, but still, he wanted more. He wanted to know about Preston.

His curiosity burned fiercely as he was burdened with the incessant need to know. Fortunately, he did have another resource for information. It was perhaps more reliable and easier to come by, but Audrey prided himself on being able to gather information without the help of a former client. With no other options, he asked the Phantomhives if they had any news of their former mutual friend.

"Well, what do you know already?" asked the menace. Defeated, Bones hung his head and sighed.

"Not much." he admitted. "I know that they're hanging around Scandinavia and we've been attacking their ships and their troops."

"Do you know how many we've taken out?"

"No."

"A lot." Alois answered rather vaguely. "I don't have exact numbers, but last I heard, they wiped out almost everybody on the list our mole gave intel."

"That's not all of their forces, however." the blonde's husband added. "The mole is keeping some information away from us. It's understandable. They don't know if we really are going to pardon them or not."

"Are we?" questioned Audrey.

"The council hasn't decided." Ciel informed. "It will probably be a while until then. For the time being, we need to keep them alive in case they have more to share."

"They've been quiet for a while, though..." the menace said. "We might have hit them on accident, or maybe they were caught and disposed of by the order..."

"Could be either one."

"That's not good enough information..." Bones complained, folding his arms. "We need accuracy. There needs to be a way to contact the mole..."

"If you find one out, I'm sure H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. would be thrilled." the Watchdog replied. Pausing, he took a moment to think about the reaper's situation. "When does your lunch break end, again?" he inquired, prompting the intelligence agent to abruptly stand.

"Holy shit, is it time already?!" Audrey asked, mostly to himself as he looked at his watch. His two friends still sat in the booth as the other scrambled to collect his things.

"Go on ahead. We'll take care of the bill." offered the menace, prompting their friend to respond with a slew of apologies and promises to pay them back. With that, he left in a hurry, knowing that if he was late returning to work, Lieutenant Chu would notice even if she was busy. The blonde shook his head and leaned back in the seat where his husband's arm was resting behind him.

"Nosy as always..." Alois said once the door was closed.

"That could be a good thing." replied the Watchdog. "Audrey always was good at finding information from all kinds of places. If he tries hard enough, he might just be able to come up with something."

"True. It would be great if he would." sighed the other demon. "I'd kind of like to put this whole thing behind us..."

"Indeed, but I'm afraid things happen when they happen. Patience is a virtue."

"We're demons, so shouldn't we worry more about sin?"

"There can be virtuous demons." stated the bluenette, collecting his husband's hand in his own as he spoke. "It simply depends on the demon."

"Oh yeah? Who's a virtuous demon?"

"You, for one." Ciel said. With a pause, he pressed the back of Alois' hand to his lips briefly before returning the man's gaze. "Diligent, humble, patient, charitable, kind, and very brave…"

"Must you do this right now?" questioned Alois, smiling genuinely regardless.

"Always. Telling my husband good things about him is part of my duty. I also just like to, so I hope you'll forgive me."

"I dunno… It'll be difficult, but I suppose I'll manage..." sarcastically answered the menace without a shred of seriousness.

"Don't you have a doctor's appointment soon?" Ciel asked with a raised eyebrow, prompting his spouse to abruptly look at his watch.

"Fuck! I'm gonna be cutting it close..." Complained Alois as he quickly tried to shuffle out of his seat. He stood and gathered his jacket before putting it on. The man couldn't leave, however, until he bent over and kissed his husband.

"Gotta go, babe." he said before standing straight up. "I'll see you at home, okay?"

"Alright. Text me when you're done." the other replied with a smile.

"Why?"

"So I know you haven't been tested with rosemary." Ciel jokingly answered.

"Nosy..." snorted the menace. "Love you, bye~!" The blonde walked backwards while waving to his spouse, narrowly missing a table as he exited the cafe. The other Phantomhive simply smiled and shook his head at his husband's antics, but he still waved back all the same.

The trip to headquarters was uneventful, aside from the pedestrian that decided to cross the street and just stand there while talking on the phone. It didn't ruin Alois' day, however. He still made it on time. As he walked through the hallway of the research department, he did his usual habit of holding his breath as the passed the hallway that led down into Araneus' cell. There was no conscious thought to it. It was just something he did.

Alois was eagerly awaited by Miranda Ackerman, who did her routine tests. They tested his strength and his regenerative speed; both of which had improved. His reflexes and sixth sense were still keen. After answering standard questions about his habits, his sex life, and whether or not he was experiencing anything new, Alois had nothing relevant or necessary to report. Just like that, the appointment was over, although it took several hours. With this sort of testing, however, it was necessary. It wasn't minded.

With his routine checkup completed with no abnormalities, the menace left Miranda to process the results. Taking off down the hallway, Alois made his way toward the exit and back to his car. The linoleum tiles on the floor reflected the bright florescent lights on the ceiling, aiding in lighting the hallway. The light bounced off of grey walls as it searched for a splash of colour. Usually, it came from the clothing that the soldiers were wearing. Green uniforms and red berrets were the norm, but occasionally others were seen. A splash of red did capture the blonde's attention, but it came from no garment.

Alois saw a speck on the floor in the distance, but thought nothing of it. It was right in the intersection of the hallway that Alois held his breath nearby, and ordinarily, he wouldn't have slowed down. He would have looked at it but kept walking. However, something was severely wrong. The man's pace slowed as he approached, discovering that it was a footprint. There were a few more in front of it, but they faded as they stretched on. They led from the dreaded hallway, but the redness of the print disturbed Alois. As the man got closer, however, he could see that more were coming from the hallway. He dared to take a breath in and his heart dropped. The scent of iron seeped from that direction, and Alois could sense no life.

His legs were cold. He knew very well what he was going to see, but he needed to know. Alois needed to confirm it all. The footprints grew clearer with each step down the hallway he took. The clearer they became, the faster Alois walked. Then he started to run. The man almost slipped in the blood on the floor when he reached the room that housed the cell that the blood was coming from. It was a special cell that housed supernatural criminals that were used as live specimens. It was a cell commonly used by Araneus.

The door was thick and could only be opened with a key on both sides. Standing on his toes, however, Alois could peer through the glass. He saw red. Lots of it. It covered the window, but it was transparent enough that Alois could see the silhouettes of two people. His mouth became dry and he couldn't feel his fingers. Those people were humans. Moreover, they were dead. One of them was torn in half!

Shock consumed Alois as his mind completely went blank. Reeling back, the man stepped backwards until his shoulders hit the wall on the other side of the hallway. His unblinking eyes stayed transfixed on the door as he tried his best to think, but he couldn't. He couldn't form a single thought.

Fortunately, his body knew better. It was as though his fight or flight response kicked in with the way that he hit the alarm. The glass case that housed it up against the wall was smashed in with his bare hands and the stinging of broken glass cutting into flesh, the flashing red lights on the ceiling, and the blaring sound of the alarm system seemed to snap him awake. His mind returned to him, even if it was only slightly, and his legs began to move.

There was no time for Alois to process the sheer gravity of the situation. All he could do was make sure that something was done about it. In fact, he couldn't allow himself to. If he did, there was no way that he would be able to ensure the escapee's capture and execution.

He ran down the hall and appeared again in the main hall of the research department. His legs carried him swiftly, although he hadn't the foggiest idea as to where he was going. Soldiers were running around as well, trying to figure out what was happening. Eventually, he came across a security team that was tasked with getting to the bottom of the case for the alarm being activated.

"Specimen D-005 has escaped!" he bellowed out in their general direction. His movement was constant and the soldiers had to leap out of his way. He kept shouting it again and again. "D-005 has escaped! D-005 is gone! Find him!"

A few soldiers heeded his call to warn the higher ups while the security team ran tried to figure out whether to follow him or investigate the crime scene. Scientists, doctors, and researchers did their best to flee to safety, but the problem was, they didn't know where that would be. Only the demons appeared to be oblivious to all of this, as his gut was telling him where his foe would be.

Every nerve in Alois' body was screaming. His thoughts were screaming. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shut it out. Araneus, his arch-nemesis whom he despised with every fibre of his being, and who very existence repulses Alois, had escaped captivity.


	279. Order The Attack

* * *

Heart racing, blood pumping, and adrenaline rushing through Alois' veins, the man ran through the base while trying to find his sworn nemesis. He had to think. He had to think! The man was having trouble, however. If he thought, it would fully register who he was up against, and if he did, he may become fearful to the point where it would hinder his progress.

Still, his more practical side was able to reason a possible lead, despite his lack of reading into it. Alois' legs carried him to the parking garage. Last time someone attacked H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. from the inside, it was through here that they escaped. From this, it was a reasonable guess and from what he was sensing up ahead, it was going to be a correct one.

Alois burst through the door and came across a desolate garage. On the surface, it appeared as though the only ones here were himself and a sea of parked cars and trucks, but the menace knew better. He could feel that monster's presence around here somewhere. It was just up ahead. The man's ears piqued when he heard the jingling of car keys, causing his head to whip around to face that direction.

" _TRANCY!"_ he bellowed out, only to see a head peek out from between two cars.

The man looked nothing like Araneus. Instead of long, flaxen hair, this man had short, dark brown hair and a goatee. He wore a labcoat with a few red stains on it. He looked like an ordinary worker who was heading to his car, but Alois' sixth sense knew better. Looking unsuspecting is precisely how he was able to walk out of the building without being caught.

"Shit!" the man said before hurrying to his car. As soon as this was uttered, Alois was heading his way and quickly. Frantically, Araneus tried to match the emblem of the car keys he found in his victim's pocket to the correct car. That's how he managed to narrow it down to a specific brand. With a stroke of luck, Araneus was able to get in the driver's seat and start the vehicle just as the menace appeared on his tail.

Quickly, the villain backed up the car. He had tried to hit Alois with it but failed. Regardless, he had to flee. Unfortunately for him, Alois was still after him. The Phantomhive quickly grabbed the rack that was attached to the roof of the car for sports equipment and hung on for dear life as Araneus sped away.

Alois managed to climb on the roof of the car, and now dangled from the front of the rack as he laid down on his stomach. He could see the front gate approaching rapidly. Ordinarily, guards would stop the car, but Araneus drove by, smashing through the metal bars. It almost made the menace let go. Demons were resiliant, however, so getting struck in the head with metal was no problem for the menace. The wounds healed up in seconds, although the ache remained.

At least the organization was now alerted that the escapee was outside the building. Now all Alois needed to do was stop him. It was difficult to think of a solution with the way that Araneus wove in and out of traffic. It was an intentional move to evade any pursuing parties and shake Alois off of the roof. There were many times that it almost worked.

Hanging on with his right hand, Alois prayed to whatever force that rules the universe that the bar would not break on him. In his left hand, fire erupted from his hand, consuming the appendage in black flame. Then, the barrel of a gun peeked out. Soon it was followed by the rest as Alois gripped the handled tightly.

Clumsily, he tried aiming the barrel down on top of the roof, but was only able to hit the passenger seat with the position he was in. He would have to switch hands, but he couldn't now, as they were full. For the time being, he simply held fast. Araneus would either stop or be stopped eventually. With how erratically he was driving, Alois assumed that he was going to crash. Still, he tried his best to aim his gun. With two bullets left, he fired one through the roof once again, causing the car to swerve before being righted.

The revving of a lighter motor could be heard approaching the vehicle, causing Alois to struggle and twist himself so that he could see behind the car. A black motorcycle was following them closely. Despite the danger, Alois smiled all the same.

" _Ciel!"_ he called out and the bluenette pulled out his own pistol and aimed it at the back of the car. Ciel shot out the back window, but couldn't seem to land a hit on the driver. So, the blue Phantomhive tried to get closer.

Through the shattered window, the driver turned around to face the Watchdog. His hair was blonde once more and just as long as the last time they saw him. He had reverted back to his original shape and aimed his own weapon at Ciel. Pulling the trigger, he fired several shots at the other demon, forcing him to dodge. A bullet hit his bike, however. The front tire was punctured and Ciel was about to wreck, so he ditched it and stayed in pursuit.

With a mighty leap, he latched on to the back of the SUV and gripped the back rack on the roof. Quickly, he tried to pull himself up. Alois stretched his leg out as far as it could go for his husband to grasp.

"Grab onto me!" the blonde shouted. Ciel obliged and gripped the man's ankle tightly as he hoisted himself up. His grip only tightened as he was shot in the calf and stomach in the process, forcing from him a loud grunt. Steam seeped from the wounds, as the bullet was blessed. The injury festered as the bullet stayed embedded in his body, impeding his advancement.

While the bluenette pulled himself up onto the roof, the blonde took it as an opportunity to look ahead of the car to see what was coming next. Icy eyes widened as they were met with blue water approaching swiftly on the horizon. Even though this was impending, Araneus was showing no signs of stopping.

So this was how he was going to make his escape. He was just planning on throwing himself into the river and heading out to sea? Demons don't need to breathe, so in theory, he could simply walk along the floor. Even better, he could swim for hours without getting tired. Unfortunately, one person on this car could not. Ciel was proficient at swimming, but he still had a tendency to sink. Once he did, he had to be manually pulled up to the surface.

"Ciel! Let go!" the blonde shouted out, confusing his spouse.

"What?!" demanded Ciel. "Why?!"

"He's going to sink the car!" Alois answered. "You can't swim! You're hurt, too!"

"Doesn't matter! We have to stop Araneus!"

"Dumbass!" the blonde accused. He couldn't let Ciel get in the water. The man would have been a sitting duck! There was no way that the Watchdog could move quickly enough to evade any sort of attack with that leg. With his free leg, Alois attempted to kick Ciel's hands away.

"What are you doing?!" the bluenette called out.

"Saving your ass!" Alois answered, giving once last kick. It wasn't working. Ciel's grip was too strong. At this rate, Ciel was going to end up even worse.

"Jim?" Ciel questioned, staring up at the blonde as the menace pointed the barrel of his gun at him. "What are yo-?"

With his last bullet, Alois struck Ciel's hand and forced him to finally let go. The bluenette was rolling against the pavement as the car still barreled toward the river. It hit a concrete barrier, forcing the menace's grip on his gun and the bar to loosen. The weapon fell and Alois was launched into the Thames along with the vehicle, striking the water hard. Immediately, the man was ready to fight, however.

Floating amoung the waves just below the water's surface, Alois watched as the car slowly sank. Then, when a body hit the water, he immediately started swimming toward it. His foe was attempting to flee, but he was not going to allow that to happen without a fight.

On the surface, his husband was trying to recover from the fall as quickly as possible. Ciel could not believe his spouse for doing such a thing! His body ached, his wounds burned and festered, while his head spun uncontrollably. Still, he was on a mission, and clumsily tried to wobble to his feet. With his bad leg, it took him multiple tries. He stumbled and his flesh felt as though it were on fire. He was determined, however, as his beloved was in danger. Gritting his teeth, the Watchdog tried to walk, but was left with no other option but to crawl.

Ciel Phantomhive crawled on his bleeding belly to get to his husband. He had endured worse for the menace. Far worse. He would do it all over again as many times as he needed to, however, if it was for Alois' sake. There was no way that he would let the blonde fight Araneus alone! There was no way! Not after what the man did to him. Not ever! Ciel was determined to protect his beloved no matter what. He had promised him years ago that he would. They even had several contracts! One was of a diabolical nature, while the other was in holy matrimony. Thus, the Watchdog trudged onward despite the pain and the humiliation, leaving a trail of blood as his wounds were dragged along the rough concrete.

He came across the menace's gun along the way and paused to check it for ammunition. Sure enough, it was completely empty, which didn't help anyone. This was especially so as he dropped his own weapon during the chase.

Eventually, his moment of rest came to a screeching halt as he felt a massive pain in his chest. It was as though his heart had sunk into his bullet hole-ridden abdomen. Anxiety ran through every fiber of his being, forcing him forward at three times the pace he was going before. The contract on his tongue was burning. Something was severely wrong. Alois was hurt and Ciel knew it.

"Jim!" he shouted out, grunting as he managed to hoist himself into a kneeling position at the water's edge. Frantically, his eye scanned the water for any sign of the menace. There was nothing. He could still sense the menace out there, but he wasn't returning to the surface. He was hurt and he was hurt badly. Ciel's worry only grew as he sensed his husband moving further away, changing into horror.

"JIM!" he called out, even louder this time. "Jim! Where are you!? JIM!"

The sound of helicopters approaching to scan the area was deafening, but Ciel did not register it. He was too busy searching for his beloved, even as the armoured cars pulled up behind him. His fear only continued to grow.

It grew, and grew, and grew, and grew; warping the Watchdog's face and mind. The sound of the commotion around him aggitated him, as the menace would not be able to hear him as he called out for him. Even still, he called out anyway.

 _ **"JIM!"**_ Ciel roared, his voice barely registering above the sound of the helicopter from where he was standing. His throat hurt.

H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers began searching the area, but hardly anyone took notice of the terrified bluenette. Araneus was out there! Ciel didn't even want to think about what he could do to Alois! He couldn't think at all, really. The bluenette was desperate to protect his spouse and began crawling again. This time, he was closing in on the edge of the pier and intent on leaping off of it in pursuit of his husband. He was stopped despite his wishes, however, by a pair of hands firmly grasping his shoulders.

"Ciel! What are you doing?!" Elizabeth asked. Her voice was riddled with concern as she witnessed her cousin in such a state and she tried her best to maintain her hold on the man as he struggled against her.

"Jim is in there!" the Watchdog shouted. "I have to go get him! He's hurt! Araneus is in there with him! I have to help him!"

"We'll send in a team! Don't risk it! You're hurt, too, you know!" the woman argued. "You can't help him like that!"

"And what are your humans going to do against a demon?!" protested the other. "If can hurt Jim, he can tear them to pieces! Let me go!"

"I will not! You're in no condition to-"

A loud smack rang out as Elizabeth's cheek was harshly slapped by the back of a bloodied hand. For a moment, it looked as though Ciel was going to slip out of her clutches, but in a second, she recovered. Her foot stomped the pier as she wrapped her arms around the Phantomhive and attempted to pick him up. She lifted him, but he flailed and flailed and flailed. Ciel spat venom at her, saying things he really didn't mean and that he would surely regret later. For now, however, he showed no signs of calming down.

Once she got him a reasonable distance away from the water and the rest of the agents, she called over one of her troops and demanded a rosemary bomb. She specifically asked for a small one, but it was still effective. Quickly, she pulled the pin and held the device up to Ciel's face. The gas filled his lungs within a matter of seconds.

His anxiety lingered, but his mobility weakened and his speech began to slur. His wounds were healing slower as well, but he could hardly feel them. Within minutes, he was unable to speak at all and just sat there, staring out at the water with a dazed expression.

He needed to go. He needed to go help his husband. In his mind, he was still screaming, but he could not make a sound. Ciel could still see the copters scanning the waves and soldiers running about even as his vision blurred and his eyelids grew heavy. The gas eventually forced the Phantomhive to lose consciousness as he cursed Araneus and he cursed his cousin's supposed betrayal. All the while, his fear plagued him, even in his dreams.


	280. Calm, Cool, and Collected

"He's going to be upset when he wakes up..."

"Upset? He's going to be furious! How in blazes do we still have these security problems? Fix it, and find Alois!"

The voices sounded echoed and distorted as Ciel slowly began to regain conciousness. His body no longer had the piercing pain as it did before, but he still ached. His head was especially wonky as he tried his best to overcome grogginess. Taking in a deep breath, Ciel opened his eyes and saw white ceiling.

"He's waking up!" said one of the voices before shushing itself, alerting the bluenette's attention. Slowly, the man turned his head to see Elizabeth looking over her shoulder at him as she sat on the bed. With her was a soldier who seemed frightened as they stared at the Phantomhive as well.

"What's going on?" Ciel questioned while rubbing his contracted eye. His voice was groggy and his body was stiff as he tried to sit up. "Lizzie?"

"Ssh, just relax, now." the woman said, turning herself to face her cousin better while gesturing for him to lay back down. "You need to recover."

"Recover?" echoed the Phantomhive as he mentally retraced his steps. That's right, he was injured. That's why rough fabric was wrapped around his hand. Bringing the other to his abdomen, he applied pressure there, only to find that his wounds had closed, while a dull ache remained. Yes, he was shot while chasing Araneus.

"I'm sorry." he finally said. "I really lost my composure back there." Ignoring his relative's instructions, he remained seated. He was oblivious to the woman's concerned expression, as he was still not quite right. Sleep still had a bit of a hold on him, so he was oblivious to many things. Then, he finally asked the question that no one in that room wanted to hear.

"Where's Jim?" he casually inquired, looking to Elizabeth expectantly. When she didn't answer, he turned to the soldier. "I don't sense him. Has he gone home?"

Slowly but surely, confusion seeped in to the Phantomhive's expression as he was met with nothing but silence. His gaze turned back to Elizabeth as he beckoned her to answer without having words. His cousin couldn't even return his gaze right away. She turned her head to the side and took sudden interest in the floor.

As the sleep wore off even further, the man's concern grew. Shifting in bed, he moved so that he was sitting on his legs and could lean forward to grab the Hellsing's hand. Ciel was no fool. He could tell that something was severely wrong, and in the back of his mind, he knew what was going on. He knew what was happening. He simply didn't want to acknowledge it. The hope that he was mistaken was still there.

"Lizzie," he called, his voice soft but low. "Where is Jim?"

The woman opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She hesitated and closed it again, trying to take even just one more second to think of a way to explain what had happened. In the end, she knew that the harsh reality of things was that there was no way that she could lessen the blow to her cousin.

"We… We don't know..." she said finally. The Phantomhive blinked and took his hand away, allowing Elizabeth to fold hers in her lap.

The man looked befuddled. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he looked the woman over with a slight shake of his head. Then, a small, awkward smile appeared on his face as he let out a small chortle.

"Lizzie, this is no time for jokes." Ciel said. "Where is he? Has he got you in on one of his pranks?"

There was no answer right away. There was only more silence. Elizabeth brought a hand to her mouth in a subconscious attempt to hide her face, but her eyes were still watery.

"Oh, Ciel…" the woman began finally with a shake of her head. Her voice was strained as she tried to keep calm. "I'm so sorry..."

"What for?" questioned the bluenette. His smile as still there as his hope remained despite hanging on by a thread. Deep down, he knew. He knew it from the moment he saw her face. "Liz, just tell me where he is, okay?"

Taking in a deep breath, the Hellsing shook her head again. "I'm so sorry..." she repeated. "We… We couldn't..."

"Couldn't what?" Ciel blatantly interrupted her. In actuality, he didn't want to hear anything but what he wanted to hear and Elizabeth was about to contradict that.

Finally, the woman turned her head and looked her relative in the eye. Her face was flushed and her eyes looked as though they might leak at any moment. Her lips formed a thin line although they trembled somewhat. She knew. She knew how Ciel was going to react to the news. She knew it and there was nothing she could do to stop it. All that was left for her to do was tell the truth.

"Ciel," she began, "Jim's still missing. We're still searching for him."

"Come on, Elizabeth… It's not funny. The joke doesn't work, so… Just give it a rest..." the man's plea was met with silence, still, causing his smile to slowly fall. Suddenly, the room felt colder than before as Ciel's heart and body temperature fell. Reaching out, Ciel gently placed his hands on the woman's shoulders.

"Elizabeth, please..." he begged. "Are you serious? Please, just… Just tell me you're joking. Please. You can't be serious..."

"I'm so sorry, Ciel..." Elizabeth shook. "We're still searching for him."

"Araneus." the bluenette stated. "Where is he?"

"We don't know. He was in the Thames, too..."

With that, Ciel's grip tightened before rapidly relaxing. He returned to his original position, but remained seated on his knees. It was a joke. It had to be. Alois could swim. There was no way that he would be swept away. There was no way. Alois had to be somewhere. He would be found soon. But Araneus? The fact that he was missing was still worrisome.

Ciel's heart shook in his chest and his hands clenched and unclenched into fists. He stared blankly at the wall as he tried to remain calm. He needed to steady himself, but nothing was working. The turmoil and conflict began to show on his face as his jaw clenched and his breath became uneasy. Finally, his hands balled into fists once and for all, turning his knuckles completely white. Nothing but silence followed, apart from the rustling of blankets and the sound of bare feet hitting the floor.

"Ciel, you need to lay back down." Elizabeth called out as the man hastily put on slippers and grabbed a robe. Putting it on, he concealed the pajamas he was wearing a bit and tied the sash around his waist in a tight knot. "Ciel-!"

Her words fell on deaf ears as he forced his way past the soldier and walked out of the room. The woman stood up and made an attempt to follow him, but could see by the haste in his step that a storm was brewing. She just prayed for whoever he was going to speak with next.

Despite his attire, his presence alone was terrifying. The way he walked was imposing and his gaze tore through all that it set upon. His contract was exposed as he hadn't put on his eyepatch, frightening staff even further. Ciel made his way through the base like a raging inferno, sweeping everything around him into his rampage.

Making his way through the base, the Phantomhive stormed the Hellsing manor and made his way to the office of the organization's head. Placing both hands on the double door, he violently pushed them open and barged into Sir Integra's office. Although she was on the phone, he marched right up to her desk. He leaned forward and placed his knuckles on his surface, clenching his fists and glaring at the Hellsing until she decided to acknowledge him.

"He's here right now." Integra informed the person on the other end, telling them that she would take care of it before hanging up. Folding her hands in front of her, she didn't even have a chance to speak, for the moment she turned to face the demon, he did it for her.

"Where is Jim?" Ciel asked simply, but his expression indicated that there was much more there. With a sigh, Integra adjusted her spectacles and answered him.

"He is missing." She said plainly, getting straight to the point of things. "We haven't been able to recover him or Araneus and haven't the foggiest idea as to where they are."

"Why haven't you found them?" the Phantomhive hissed.

"We have helicopters and boats patrolling the Thames, but are unable to use divers. The current is too strong."

"Then I will go, myself!" Ciel insisted. "We have to find him."

"We will, Ciel, I assure you." Informed the Hellsing. Her voice was still calm, which annoyed the bluenette. Everything annoyed him at the moment and that would not change any time soon.

"Good, and while you're at it, fix the bloody security problems in this place!" barked the demon, raising his voice considerably. "For a military base, it is far to lax! Do you not have a security team?!"

"We do, but the guard watching the cameras fell asleep and did not catch Araneus escaping." Integra stated. "He has been dealt with and the footage has been analysed."

"Where is he?" demanded the demon. "Give him to _me!_ I'll set him right!" It was frightening, the way Ciel spoke, striking his fist against his chest like an animal.

"You will do no such thing." replied the Hellsing, standing up from her seat. "You will do well to calm yourself before you do something that you will regret, Ciel."

"Calm down?" the Phantomhive asked. His voice was soft before his face contorted into a snarl. "You want me to calm down? That is _my husband_ that's missing! You expect me to just calm down?! Do you know _who else_ went missing at the same time?! You think I can just calm down knowing this and the fact that my husband is missing?! Huh, Integra?! I cannot simply calm down!"

His voice boomed and he exposed his teeth as he roared. His eyes were aflame as he spoke, releasing all of his anxiety on Integra while the woman stood idle. True, the gesture did stir a bit of fear in Integra's heart, given what Ciel was and who he was combined with his rage. She waited for a brief moment of quiet as the man ran out of words to say to her before answering.

"Get out." she ordered. "You are not to come back to this office until you get yourself under control. Go back to the infirmary and gather your things. You are not to be involved with our search until you can maintain your composure."

"I will speak my mind!" Ciel snapped back. "The security in this facility is a joke! You will find Jim, or so help me..."

"Or so help you _what?"_ Integra questioned, catching the man completely off guard. She knew that he hadn't thought any of this through. He was just in a rage as a reaction to his fear for his spouse's well-being. She could understand that. What she would not do, however, is tolerate such treatment from anyone, whether they be damned, divine, or mundane.

Once that got out, Ciel's eyebrow twitched as he had nothing more to say. He had run out of ways to rant. There wasn't anything else he could say to Integra without getting in serious trouble or revealing what he was truly feeling.

Without another word, he hit his fist on the desk before promptly turning and storming back out the door again, leaving the woman alone. She wasn't fooled by his display. She knew that he hadn't anything more to say. She also knew that as he fumed, he was trying to come up with a plan to get his husband back. Sitting down in her seat again, Integra uttered a sigh. Although she wasn't as obvious as the Watchdog, she was worried as well, given the circumstance. Not only was she worried for the safety of her organization, she was worried for the menace as well, and prayed that a solution would come about swiftly.

Ciel, on the other hand, did not wait for the intelligence department to gather information or for the search team to complete their work. Instead, he went straight back to his room in the infirmary. Fortunately, he avoided Elizabeth in the process, as he did not feel like talking to her at the moment. Digging through his belongings, Ciel acquired his mobile phone and dialed his butler before placing the phone up against his ear.

"Sebastian?" he said as the butler picked up. "I assume you've heard the news." Ciel placed his hand against the dresser and leaned his weight on it as he tried his best to keep his tone relaxed.

"I need you to do something." the man added. "We're going to search the river near where Jim was captured, ourselves..."


	281. Class Reunion

With a loud gasp, Alois tried to fill his lungs with air as he awoke, only to cough up water. While he didn't need air to survive, it was still immensely uncomfortable. The poor man's entire body felt heavy, especially his head. He cranium throbbed and his neck felt as though it couldn't support it, which wasn't surprising given what had happened. Alois' neck was snapped during the fight, causing him to "die" in a sense before he regenerated. Slowly, he sat up and examined his surroundings, and he was by no means pleased.

It was dark; very dark, but he could see waves as the moon overhead bounced off of them. There was light that illuminated his immediate surroundings as well, alerting him that he was on a small fishing boat. After he managed to stand, he placed his hands on the side of the ship and stared out, but was unable to see even the slightest glimpse of land. The air was damp and smelled of salt, convincing him that he was no longer on fresh waters, but rather, the sea.

Naturally, he was afraid. Unease bubbled up from within his chest. He was far from home, no doubt, and he wasn't sure how would be able to get back. The man's body was on edge, and he couldn't figure out if it was concern or just his nerves reactivating. If he wasn't leaning on the side of the boat, he wouldn't be standing. His nervous system was still waking up as it had been cut off from his brain for several hours at the very least. Regardless, he did sense a disturbance. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end and rightfully so, as he saw a shadow stretching along the floor of the boat the wasn't his. Turning around, his eyes followed it, only for his heart to sink completely.

There, he saw Araneus standing in the doorway, causing the Phantomhive to feel faint. The older demon was still wearing the shirt and pants he was wearing before, although the labcoat was missing and so where his shoes. The fabric strained against his large build and obviously didn't fit him. The man was built like a gorilla, after all. Scars covered his exposed forearms where large patches of skin had been removed by blessed instruments for experimentation, and even his face was cut. A large scar ran across his forehead and over his right eye. For whatever reason, he kept them and failed to regenerate them away. It had to be a conscious choice on his part, but Alois was not exactly keen on understanding the inner machinations of the evil man's mind.

"Oh, you're awake." observed the villain. "Shame. Help hasn't arrived yet."

"What kind of help?" asked the menace, finding his voice. His eyes narrowed, expressing his skepticism toward the other man's "concern."

"The Order. I called them over the radio." Araneus said, leaning against the door frame. "Put up a flag to signal them. They didn't have a red one, but I found a sheet. I had to improvise…"

"Let me guess… You hijacked this ship and killed the crew, huh?"

"Sure did."

"So we're just going to float here until someone comes to get us?"

"Unless you want to jump out and swim back to England."

"Well..." Alois trailed off, neglecting to finish his sentence as he turned back around and began to hoist himself over the side of the ship. He froze, however, as he heard the click of a pistol.

"You're gonna stay right here until they haul your pretty ass off." Araneus stated as he pointed the gun directly at the menace. Letting out a breath, the Phantomhive's body relaxed and he allowed himself to look over his shoulder.

"How'd you get in with the order, anyhow?" Alois inquired.

"Your friend used to visit me. Told me about his plans. Naturally, I was glad to be thought of."

"Why break out now? Why didn't you go with them when they broke into the base?"

"Not enough time to get me out, I'm afraid. I didn't think he'd ever call for me after that, but he did."

"Call?" asked Alois, turning around to face his enemy. In response, the other man simply smiled and raised his left hand.

On the back of it was a pentagram with eight lines sticking out of the star like the legs of a spider. It was prominent. It was obvious what this meant. It's owner flashed his teeth in a maniacal grin as he stared right through Alois, reveling in the look of absolute shock on the younger demon's face.

"He called me with this." the demon said, his voice grainy. "It was a smart move, but at the same time, an incredibly stupid one. If I hadn't been called, he would have been able to die in peace without me being able to claim his soul. He must be desperate, if he would go this far… Now I'm gonna claim all of him. Hope it's worth it."

"You bastard..." With his face contorted in a dangerous snarl, Alois puffed himself up to look as big as possible as he glared at Araneus with everything he had. Teeth grit and fingers digging into the panel, Alois' mind raced for a way to kill this man on the spot like he should have the last time they met.

Flame appeared in his right hand before producing a weapon, and Alois immediately aimed it's barrel at the demon. He may have dropped one of his guns, but it was part of a matching pair. A roar escaped him as he prepared for combat.

"You _bastard!"_ Rapidly, Alois pulled the trigger, striking his enemy in the stomach before Araneus had the sense to duck behind the wall. Occasionally, his hand peeked out from around it in order to return fire, but his clumsy shots were easily avoided despite the menace not seeking shelter, himself. Alois was right on top of the older demon and closed in. Landing a hit on Araneus' arm, he forced the man to drop the gun and moved in for a killing blow, only to feel a piercing pain in his shoulder.

Turning around, he could see a ship approaching. It was big; far bigger than the fishing boat that he was currently trapped on. The ship had guns as well and was firing at him from above. Alois didn't have enough bullets for this. A searchlight shone down on top of the deck and landed right on him as the larger ship had him in it's sights. Immediately, he retracted his weapon, weaving it back into his invisible demonic garb.

"We are the Scarlet Order!" called a voice coming from the other ship. It was loud but and electronically muffled, indicating that they had a megaphone. "Put your hands on your head and surrender now!"

At the moment, Alois knew that he couldn't fight this. The Order had weapons for days, if H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. intel was by any means accurate, and on this tiny ship, he couldn't go anywhere. Thus, Alois did the reasonable thing and did as instructed, committing a tactical surrender. He did not even pretend to be at all pleased about it, however. His face was grim. Alois wore a scowl that could rival his husband's.

Withing minutes, the ship had approached and Scarlet Order forces boarded. They pointed guns in Alois' face and forced him onto the larger vessel while tending to Araneus' injuries. Once on the deck, he saw the commander in chief, marking the first time in almost half a year since the Phantomhive had seen his former friend.

There was no time to revel in his astonishment, however. He was swiftly forced to his knees in front of the leaders of the order. It didn't matter if he tried to shove the barrels of the guns aside. He was simply struck over the head with them when he did.

Preston looked terrible. The bags under his eyes looked worse and he seemed pale. Alois could only assume that his condition was worsening. He could see the outline of the black annis growths on his torso through his shirt, and could tell that they had gotten bigger. Seeing his former friend like this should have made him angry. Alois should have been angry, given the circumstance and what Preston had done, but seeing him like this, all the Phantomhive could feel was sadness. He longed for the days when they were in school. Oh, how kind Preston was back then, even if he could be pretentious. He was sweet, with a bright future ahead of him. Now what future lied before the man? Certain death at a young age. It was bound to be grisly. Alois could just tell. He had seen people like this go down before, but never did he ever suspect that one of them would have been his friend at some point.

"Long time no see, Alois." Preston said finally. A haughty grin graced his face as he flashed his teeth at the demon. "Welcome to the Brahmastra."

"Hello, Preston." the menace replied, his tone sweet. "I would love to say that it is nice to see you again, but sadly, that isn't the case."

"Excellent observation." his former friend stated. "I take it the detective business is going well?"

"Wonderfully. I should really be getting back to it, though."

"I'm afraid that I can't let you do that. You see, you're a good tool for me, now. I can't just let go of you."

"Ah, so you're going to use me as a bargaining piece so that H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. won't hit you as hard?" Alois observed before adding a light nod. "Clever."

"I'm glad you think so, because you're going to be staying with us for a bit." the Omid stated. "I'm really glad Araneus brought you. I was hoping we'd get our hands on one of you at some point. Taking turns getting captured, I see."

"Our relationship is built on equality."

"How are things going between you and Ciel, by the way?" Preston asked, crouching down to the blond's level and looking him in the eyes. "Did you ever get his little 'surprise'?"

"Indeed, I did." Alois answered. "We've been happily together, ever since."

"That's good." Preston said before looking up at his flunkies.

" _Take his ring._ " he instructed, causing Alois' eyes to widen. He tried to turn in order to protect himself, but the strongest of the bunch descended upon him.

Werewolves, vampires, and the like collaborated to bring the mighty demon down. That's what it took, as the menace was strong enough to lift several tons! His muscles strained to lift himself, prompting more to hold him down whenever he made progress. Baring his fangs, he growled, grunted, and cursed as he fought back, keeping his fist tightly clenched so that his wedding band was immovable. In truth, Alois would rather they take his fingers than that ring. That ring was proof of normalcy, love, and commitment. That ring signified his love for his husband and his husband's love for him. It was something that Alois was willing to fight tooth and nail for, and that is precisely what he did.

He was struck with blunt objects, he was shot, he was held down and pummeled. This went on for hours as there was no way that he was simply going to allow them to take his most prized possession; something that was so deeply valuable on a profound emotional level that he was willing to go through such pain to keep. Alois' blood stained the deck and his vision had blurred, but his hand remained clenched, although his fingers were starting to give in against prying hands.

Finally, the leaders of the order got bored with the display and Preston stepped forward. Alois's eye strained to look up at him, but could see him raise his foot. In an instant, it came down harshly on the blonde's cranium, forcing a yelp out of the demon. The boot came up again before crashing back down. Again and again, this happened, until the blonde's skull cracked and his body went limp.

"Stay away from his head." Preston instructed, pointing down at the blackened bone. "His skull is exposed. A demon's skeleton is dangerous. If you prefer your flesh to not be melted from your bones, I would suggest you don't touch it."

Bending down, he gently slid Alois' ring from his finger before righting himself and inspecting it. Eyeing the object, a small smile graced his face as he read the inscription. _"You will always be loved, forever and always."_ Preston read aloud before walking back to his fellow leaders.

"Take this and dispose of it." he ordered, handing the wedding band to Wink. "Throw it over the side of the boat, melt it down; I don't care. And make sure he is restrained until we can secure him at the base. He's not dead. He'll regenerate from that in a few hours."

"Yes, sir." the witch answered, looking down at the silver object in her hand. Closing it, Wink held it gently but securely.

"Return to your ship once we get back." the Omid instructed further. "We have to build ourselves back up again if we want to win this."

"Yes, sir." the woman replied before turning to do as she was instructed. Meanwhile, her boss turned to his other associate, Doctor Brent Hobbs.

"You take Araneus and tend to his wounds." Preston ordered of the doctor. "We need him in his best condition."

"You got it, boss." Hobbs replied, gesturing for the demon to follow him.

"Welcome aboard, Araneus." the head said to Araneus before he left. "I look forward to doing business with you."

"No, no..." replied the demon, despite being hunched over and clutching at his abdomen. "The pleasure is all mine."

* * *


	282. Prisoner of War

Once again, Alois woke up in a lot of pain. His head hurt and blood matted his blonde hair. He tried to get up, only to find that his arms were cuffed together. With what little strength he had, his muscles flexed as he tried to pull them apart, but to no avail. The fact that he couldn't break the cuffs frightened him. Once his eyes adjusted, he could see the runes and inscriptions on them, alerting him that they had somehow managed to create anti-freak cuffs.

Drat. What's worse, is that he rubbed his thumb against his ring finger on his left hand, only to find it empty. His heart felt empty with it. There was no doubt in his mind that Preston had it disposed of. To think that the man responsible for ensuring that the ring got to its owner safely in the fist place would throw it away just to crush Alois' spirit. Alois failed to see the irony, as he was too wrapped up in his loss. So far, it was working. The blonde knew it was silly to think that his spouse would be angry at him that it was disposed of, but the thought lingered, despite knowing better. Truthfully, he knew that Ciel would be more furious at Preston. Rings could be replaced, but not that one. That was the ring that his husband placed on his finger on their wedding day to signify their union. It was irreplaceable.

The loss hurt Alois more than he expected it to. He didn't even want to get up after this. He just wanted to lie down and mourn, and considering his situation, he had time. While he didn't know where exactly this "base" of Preston's was, he was sure that it wasn't nearby. What he was certain of, however, was that he was in for a rough time until his spouse found him. Alois didn't know how soon it would be, but he knew that it was inevitable and in the near future. By taking the blonde Phantomhive, Preston sealed his fate.

Eventually, a door opened and through it came the captain himself. Alois made no movement to address him, and instead followed the man with his eyes. In truth, the menace didn't have energy for much, as he had just underwent two "fatal" injuries only hours apart from one another.

"Why, if it isn't captain Omid?" the menace greeted, looking up at his former-friend. "How are things on the deck of the Bra-Master?"

"It's 'Brahmastra'." corrected Preston, remembering the blonde's mischeivious nature a tad late.

"That's what I said." mockingly fibbed Alois, speaking with great certainty over the matter. With a roll of his eyes, Preston brought his boot down on the demon's shoulder, causing the Phantomhive to grimace.

"I don't have to put up with your stupid jokes anymore." spoke the Omid as he ground his heel into the man beneath him. "Where did you put your gun? I know you had one. Did you drop it? We couldn't find it when we searched you..."

"Hmmm..." The menace made a sound as though he were pondering something, pursing his lips in thought before looking back up at the other again. "Maybe it's somewhere shoved up your ass? Have you tried there?"

The boot came down on Alois' shoulder again, this time more harshly. Despite this, the blonde smiled with satisfaction. Despite the pain that he was in, he still needed the last laugh.

"Don't fuck with me." Preston snapped, his voice rough.

"I wouldn't dream of it! Even if you took my ring, I'm still happily married." Alois answered, only to be stomped again.

"You won't be laughing for long. Once we get to the base, we have a special contraption that was put together just for you." the Omid warned.

"You won't be laughing, either. You fucked up by taking me, you know. If you thought I was bad when Ciel went missing, just wait until Ciel comes for ya. That man knows revenge like nobody else I've ever met. You would know that too, if Black Annis hadn't rotted your brains."

"Let him come. I have an army."

"And a very humble demeanor, obviously..." Alois said. "You're a fucking idiot, Preston. You're going to mess with the guy who was at one time blamed for killing the queen? He doesn't give a fuck who you are, or what you have. He's going to come for ya. It's not going to be pretty. Doesn't matter what kind of shitty army you have."

"It keeps getting bigger every day. I think we can handle it."

"Yeah, like you ' _handled_ ' those H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. air raids. Don't think I don't know about that, Bra-Master." scoffed the menace. "You've gotten really arrogant. In fact, you're deluded. Even members of your own crew want you dead. It was a stupid move, enlisting Araneus."

"Araneus is a demon. A powerful one, if he managed to survive you." Preston replied. "Having someone in our ranks is going to help us exponentially!"

"He's going to terrorise your other soldiers." the blonde said bluntly. "People like him can't be _'cured'_ or ' _rehabilitated_ '. They're going to do what they've always done because they think they can. You're probably gonna give him a leadership position, huh? That's just gonna make it easier for him."

"And what's that?" questioned the Omid. "What did Araneus do that's so bad?"

"Owned child sex slaves." the menace said, his brow furrowing. At last, his smile fell as he adopted a tone of severity. "Back when he was alive, Araneus was the Earl of Trancy, and I was his favourite. Use your head. How can you not have put that together by now?"

"You're making that up..."

"Ask him. He loves to brag about it."

"Stop it..."

"He's not going to take just your soul, you know." Alois stated. "He's going to take everything you have, breaking you mind, body, and eventually, your soul. That's how he gets his sick kicks. You don't know him like I know him. You will only know when it's too late."

"Stop it!" bellow the Omid, stomping his foot again. He kicked Alois while he was down again and again, but the blonde did not utter a peep. Preston's teeth were bared, his face in a snarl as he clenched his fists and kept thrashing the menace.

When he was finally done, he took a step back and glared down at the blonde. His chest and shoulders rose as he huffed and puffed, but he still didn't get the response he was looking for. In fact, Preston wasn't even really certain as to what that response would be.

" _Ugly._ " Alois finally said, his voice hoarse. He coughed as he stared at the other man's boots from his place on the floor. "Ugly as fuck."

Clenching his fists tighter, Preston grew angrier and angrier by the second. Abruptly the man reached down and grabbed Alois by the collar of his shirt and lifted him off the floor. He held the menace high up. The blonde was almost looking down at him from this position.

"So you are a lot stronger..." the menace mused.

"Shut up!" Ordered Preston, slamming the other's back against the wall. "Tell me about the gun!"

Veins protruded from the man's forehead as he screamed his demand at the menace. He grew angrier as the blonde smiled. A slight grin graced Alois' face as he peered down at his former friend, but then, his lips moved.

"Eat. A. Cock." Alois said simply, still wearing a haughty grin despite his condition.

_"You fucking-!"_

"Sir." called a voice from behind Preston, prompting his attention. Slowly, the man looked over his shoulder with eyes still aflame, sparking fear into the poor soul who had come to fetch him.

"The base is in sight, sir." the intruder said and Preston's gaze turned back to the menace. Harshly, he threw the blonde to the floor again before turning around to walk toward the door.

"Get him ready." Preston ordered. His likeness then disappeared through the doorway, leaving Alois and the flunkie alone for the time being.

It wasn't long before the menace was escorted out of his prison and into the sun. There, he awaited a new prison that was much harsher than the last. From the deck of the Brahmastra, he could see the base, and couldn't quite wrap his head around the fact that it was an actual place momentarily.

They were what looked like large, two-story buildings on stilts poking out of the water. From the outside, at least, they appeared old and decrepit. Brown rust coated each one, and it was a miracle that the structures were still sturdy. Connecting them were a series of zip-lines and bridges so that it's residents could get from one building to another. Alois could see people there, waving at the ship he was standing on. Reg banners flew above the buildings, brandishing the Scarlet Order's initials. This was indeed the order's base. The ship pulled up next to a building with an odd pavilion at it's top, and the crew began to board.

"Welcome to the Maunsell Forts." spoke one of the werewolves escorting him. Alois made a mental note of the name before he was rudely pushed forward so that he would start walking.

The Phantomhive was marched into the building and realised that it wasn't as bad as he initially had thought it would be. Certainly, it was not in the best of states. In fact, it was bad. That said, the order had cleaned it up and made it hospitable. There was furniture and there was electricity.

"There used to be people living here." one of the wolves said. "Some of 'em died. The rest are still here."

"Sometimes, human boats come by for a tour, but we're supposed to shoot them down or scare them off." said another. "Shame."

Alois had hoped that the group escorting him would disperse, but alas, he was being escorted by about fifteen werewolves up to the roof! They knew that he was dangerous and they knew that it was going to take a lot of muscle to keep him secured. Still, he was not afraid until they finally reached the roof and he discovered what was under the pavilion awaiting him. Instinctively, he began to back away, but he was met with being roughly pushed and dragged toward the restraint system.

It was custom-made to suit housing a supernatural of Alois' strength. Once he was immobile in the wolfmens' grip, his cuffs were separated from one another and he was pushed down into a kneeling position over the flat metal surface. His cuffs were then bolted to the table and he was strapped in. His ankles were cuffed to the floor as he was forced to sit on his legs. None of this was the worst part, however. Then came the spears.

Alois screamed and tried to shake himself free, but he was held down by the werewolves still as more restraints were put in place. One werewolf stood over him with what looked like a long spear with anti-freak inscriptions on it. He aimed it at the blonde's lower back on the right side before running it through. There were holes on the other side for it to slide through the metal and into the floor. Then, they repeated the action on the blonde's left. Alois screamed and shouted as the wounds burned, and he did his best not to let his tears fall, but inevitably, they did.

When he couldn't scream anymore, he simply panted and stared up at his captors with eyes of hatred. Even as the wolfmen wrapped a few strands of barbed wire, they were afraid. This beast was more frightening then they were and they had angered it beyond recognition. The cheeky young man who walked with them up all of those steps was gone and all that remained was this, a feral beast that was going to rip out their throat and dance on their bones as soon as something came loose. Alois would show them what it meant to be a monster.

After they had fled, Alois' gaze turned to Preston, who smiled over him with great pride. If there was one person who Alois wanted to destroy more than anyone at the moment, it was Preston. That bastard. That fool. Alois would show him the gravity of what he had done as well.

"Comfy?" mockingly asked the leader of the order.

 _"_ _Die._ " answered the menace, his throat raw from shouting and screaming.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'." Preston replied before turning to look at the woman behind him from over his shoulder.

"Wink," he called, "I want a few members of your crew guarding him."

"Yes, sir." the witch answered with a slight bow of her head, prompting a scoff from Doctor Hobbs.

"Isn't there a more brutal team who can handle him?" the doctor inquired.

"No one is more skilled than the crew of the Prudentia." Preston answered. "Now go tend to Araneus."

"Yes, sir..." Hobbs replied before shoving off. With no more instructions to give, Preston crouched down to Alois' level and gently placed a hand on the demon's cheek.

"Who's the tough one, now?" Preston asked his former friend. "You've always thought you were better than me. Now look at you. Who's hunting who, now?"

With no retort to the deranged man in front of him, Alois simply gathered the blood mixed with saliva in his mouth before launching it at the other man's face. It landed on Preston's cheek, and Preston's hand landed on Alois' hard. Despite being battered, bruised, bloody, and run through, Alois got the last chuckle for this encounter.

Standing up, the Omid wiped his cheek before turning to Wink. "Whoever you pick," he began, "Make sure they know that they can feel free to make his life a living hell."


	283. Barking and Talking

All was not well at Phantomhive manor. The head of the household was a wreck and it wasn't helping anyone. He hardly acknowledged the presence of either of the Mackens, and he only acknowledged Sebastian's presence when it was relevant to finding Alois. So far, they had found nothing.

The two demons swept the area of the Thames where Alois went missing for clues, but found nothing. Part of Ciel wanted to believe that it was the work of the Scarlet Order, but there was nothing to confirm that they had anything to do with this. With no leads, Ciel was forced to sit around and wait for Intel to find something, anything that could lead to Alois' whereabouts and it was starting to take it's toll.

Ciel never smiled anymore. He was aggressive and snapped at people easily. When discussing the findings of team who was officially assigned to the task of searching the river, Ciel picked up the man in charge of the project by the collar and lifted him to the air. He shouted, terrifying the poor man, for committing the sin of inadvertently suggesting that Alois may be dead. From then on, Ciel was temporarily banned from the operation completely and it was driving him mad.

Sometimes, Elizabeth would come visit him in hopes of reassuring him, but he did not want to see her. The time that she pushed past and did reach his office, she found the man seated on Alois' side of the dual desk. He was staring down blankly at his husband's recovered pistol as it rested on the desk's surface while fiddling with his ring. The man looked distraught beyond belief as if he might break at any moment.

"Cie-"

"I don't want to see anyone." the man said before Elizabeth could even get a word out. He didn't look up, or give any physical sign of acknowledgment. "Go away."

"Locking yourself away won't fix it." his cousin replied, walking into the room without his permission. "I've come all of this way this time, and don't you dare think you can get rid of me that easily."

Ciel didn't say anything right away. Instead, he lifted his head and looked in her direction. On his face was a rather testy expression, as he really wasn't keen on having company.

"What do you want?" he asked, trying to get her to leave as quickly as possible.

"I want you to talk to me." Elizabeth said. "You need to talk to someone. Anyone, really. I won't let you go back to your old ways."

"Until my husband is back home safely, I am allowed to be upset."

"That is true, but you need to process it and not let it fester."

"How can I not? I'm not allowed to investigate, and I have no leads." Ciel stated. "I have no resources. I have nothing. All I have is this gun! What good does that do me?!"

His voice raised as he spoke, forcing the woman to take a deep breath to keep her own composure. Taking a seat on one of the sofas, Elizabeth crossed one leg over the other and got comfortable, as she was not going anywhere until they talked about Ciel's problem. She was not going to allow him to slip any further. Alois wouldn't want it that way and neither does she.

"You were booted because of your behaviour." she reminded. "You have to go about things calmly on the business end."

"It's impossible to be calm. Not when he's missing and possibly in the clutches of that man." Ciel snapped. "He's been missing for days and there's been no sign of him!"

"Finding missing people is difficu-"

"I _know_ how hard it is!" shouted the Watchdog, slamming his hands on the desk. He snarled and bared his teeth, causing the woman's eyes to widen. This was not like Ciel. This was not like Ciel at all. His calm demeanor was nonexistent now as he immediately pounced on whoever dared to speak to him.

"Missing persons have been part of my job for years, Elizabeth, but it's never been like this!" He continued. "I've never been powerless against the forces at work. And Araneus! That man _cannot_ be with him! You know what he did! What he did to _my_ Jim!"

"Ciel..." Elizabeth tried to speak during a moment of pause, but she had nothing to say. She couldn't think of anything that would quell Ciel's rage or soothe his anxiety. The man was a mess. He tried to run a hand through his hair to calm himself, but it did nothing. Instead, it stayed there momentarily before he started to pull.

"That monster cannot be anywhere near Jim!" he stated. "He could be scared! Or worse! What if- Wh-what if..."

His hand fell to cover his face. It was flushed and his voice no longer sounded angry. He sounded afraid. He was, too; like he's never been. The thought of what could possibly be happening to his husband was almost too much for him to bear.

"Oh, Ciel..." the woman began, her voice laced with concern as she stood up and walked toward the desk. Slowly, she sat on it's edge and with much hesitation, placed a hand on his shoulder before rubbing it in a soothing fashion. "It's going to be okay..."

"But what if it isn't?" the bluenette asked, trying to conceal the strain in his voice. "What if… What if… _it…_ happens again? Jim's worked so hard… He's healed so much… He has the personal strength to move mountains… But… If it does happen… All of that would be undone… It would break him, and… I'm not sure if he can heal…" There was a pause before he concluded.

 _"_ _My Jim..."_ the Phantomhive said. His free hand moved to cover his face as well and Elizabeth looked away.

She pretended not to hear the crack in her cousin's tone. She wanted to preserve his dignity. Never before had she seen the man like this. Well, perhaps when they were little, before the fire. Ciel was so vulnerable. He appeared fragile, almost. All of that anger, aggression, and quickness to blame was only a front. Elizabeth knew it was. She knew it from a hundred years ago. This time, however, it wasn't from his own pain and suffering. It was from empathy and concern for the one he loved. Ciel had come a long way.

Never in her life did she expect to see Ciel expressing what he was feeling again. Deep down, he was the same as the child that he was before. He was still shy and he was still kind. He still cared about other people, especially those who were close to him. It was just that he never showed it. The man had built a tough shell around himself that was impenetrable to even the closest of relatives. It was Alois who broke it. It was Alois that drew him out now. At long last, Elizabeth could tell what her cousin was feeling, but she didn't want him to be feeling this. Ciel was afraid. He was distraught over his beloved and there was nothing anyone could do but return the menace to him safe and sound.

"I'm sorry..." the woman said. "I'm so, so, sorry, Ciel… We're doing everything we can. Just remember that Alois is tough. He's held his own against Araneus more than once."

"Still..." Ciel replied. "What if this time, he can't? The one time that I'm not there to help him?" Peeking through his fingers, he made sure that the woman wasn't looking his way before removing his hands and wiping his cheeks with his sleeve.

"Wouldn't you have sensed it?" Elizabeth inquired. "You can tell when he's injured and even when he's distressed with sixth sense. That contract of yours will do it."

"True…" the man answered. "I still can't help but worry… I want him home..."

"He'll come home." his cousin replied. "Sooner than you know it. Have faith."

"I have faith in him..." Ciel said. "That can't stop me from worrying about him, though..."


	284. Missed Connections

Without too many assignments to distract him from his thoughts, Audrey sat at his computer going through security footage that was on file. He watched as Araneus found an opportunity to escape, although he quickly closed his eyes when the demon went in for the kill. He still wasn't good with such violence, despite being a former Combat Division operative.

First Preston and now Alois; would their friend group ever stop diminishing? Are they all doomed to some horrible fate? So far, things seemed that way. Once again, however, Audrey was not assigned to an important case that involved a friend of his. He really did think he could contribute to both, but he was barred, regardless. Even Ciel was barred from aiding them find his spouse, but that was due to the fact that Ciel was expressing grief the only way he knew how at times when it wasn't considered "appropriate". Audrey thought it wasn't right for them to punish the man for having a heart like this, but what could he do?

Audrey wasn't even supposed to be viewing these tapes, but he was. The boss wasn't looking, so he was bending the rules on his own accord. He didn't like his information gathering being actual work. Part of him yearned for the days when it was only digging dirt on his classmates for candy. Things were much simpler back then.

There was no Scarlet Order. The gang was still together, having fun like ordinary teenagers, aside from the occasional supernatural hijinks. Unfortunately, they all had to grow up at some point. Then things changed. Mistakes were made and things were said that can never be taken back. Things simply fell apart and now, another one of them was gone, or missing, at the very least.

Before everything crumbled, Audrey remembered when Preston first joined H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. Bones was so excited that his friend was working at the same place as him, but Preston was not. Audrey knew that it wasn't a choice for him. Preston wasn't cut out for combat back then. Audrey still wasn't sure if the man was, but people change. All Bones knew was that when Preston joined the organization, his mind had gotten worse, but did it more quietly than before. There was a time when they thought that Omid had gotten better since his low point when he fraternized with Voros and their posse during the BlackJack incident. Alois had been missing, then, too. Araneus was involved as well.

Come to think of it, Preston knew Araneus, didn't he? Before he joined H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; but what about after? Once this thought was in Audrey's head, it could not escape until he had the information in his grip. He searched for the security footage of the research facility during the time that Preston was working at the organization. Audrey went back months and looked through many files before he finally saw a glimpse of the man. It was after the facility was attacked by his fake, back when they still thought him to be innocent. There he was, walking down the hallway of the Research Department.

Bones' eyes stayed fixed of the screen, waiting for him to turn the corner and venture down the hallway where Araneus was kept. Sure enough, Preston did and kept walking. He even managed to get into the same room as Araneus before crouching down in front of his cell. In the video, he appeared to be talking to the demon, but there was no audio.

Keeping that file open, Audrey looked for another. He wanted to know if Omid had done this before. Lo, the man found more footage of Preston doing the same thing the day before! Then there it was again, and again. Preston had visited Araneus multiple times after the facility was attacked and spoke with him casually. Audrey wasn't sure if it was significant, but it certainly felt that way. Turning his head, he tried to peek over heads in search of a red hijab.

"Darzi!" he called, waving his fellow agent over to him. The woman seemed skeptical, as Audrey had tried to infiltrate her operation to gather intel on the Scarlet Order before, but she made her way over, regardless.

"What is it, Baines?" she asked, bending over at the waist just a touch so that she could see the man's computer.

"It's footage of Araneus' cell while Preston Omid was still an agent, here." Audrey replied. It took everything the man had to contain his excitement, but it still showed through just a tad. "He did this several days a week for a while. He did it all the way up until he left."

"So you're saying that there could be a connection?" Darzi inquired, rubbing her chin.

"It's possible. Maybe that's where Araneus was headed."

"That would explain why he drove into the river." the woman said. "Can you send me those files. Wait, are you even allowed to be looking at those?"

"Nope." Audrey said. "I'm supposed to be working on other cases, but I started thinking and just couldn't stop. Just say that the idea was yours, okay?"

"I can live with that." the woman said. "I owe you."

"Nah. I'm just doing this for a friend."

* * *


	285. Our Nation's Youth

Alois' body was almost numb to what he was feeling. It was cold and for the first few hours of being locked in place, the wind felt as though it was cutting into his skin. Now there was nothing. The cold became his new normal. Thank goodness that the pavillion over him was shielding him from the sun, lest he be burned as well. The man was pale from the blood he lost and his lips were chapped. The demon's regenerative abilities kept him alive, but he didn't feel like doing much. In fact, there wasn't a lot he could do. He couldn't move.

After the first day, the werewolf gaurds were swapped out for a most peculiar one. Even they thought the situation was odd and argued against it, but the girl sent to replace all fifteen of them insisted. Eventually, she left and came back with an official notice and forced them to leave.

At first, Alois thought she was human. His senses were a tad dull, and she had no defining supernatural features, so he hadn't noticed that she was a witch right away. In fact, she was ordinary all around, looking like one of the girls Alois might've met in secondary school, but a little more dowdy. With shoulder-length, brown hair and a long coat covering her dress, the girl introduced herself as "Bonnibel Schwan", but insisted on being called "Bonnie".

"I'm not allowed to move your restraints." she said. "They'll, notice, but I can offer you a blanket."

She was met with no response, however. Alois only stared. He was too tired. Thus, the teen took the blanket that was tucked under her arm, and very gently put it around the blonde's shoulders and down his back, just missing the spears protruding from it. She was very careful not to cause the wire to dig into his skin further. There was a moment where the blonde finally closed his eyes to enjoy the slight warmth that radiated off of it as the girl sat down next to him.

"Should you really be this close to me?" he asked. His voice was hoarse and dry as he spoke, causing the girl to look his way. "I'm a dangerous demon, you know, and your enemy."

"Well, you're right about one of those things." Bonnie stated. "I've never met a demon before, so that's new. As for the other..."

The girl trailed off and showed the man the palm of her hand. At the gesture, the menace opened his eyes and raised his brows at the sight of the design drawn there in permenant marker. It was the silhouette of a heart with a dagger run through it. It was the design drawn on the letters sent to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.

"I see..." Alois said and nothing more. While he didn't express it, he was hopeful. Whoever the leader of the turncoats was, knew that they were all at risk now that Alois was here. They also knew that if he was treated badly, it didn't matter who was in the line of fire as long as the Watchdog was enraged.

The turncoat didn't seem to be expecting much from him in terms of a response. Instead, she reached into her bag. "Is there anything you need?" she asked. "Water? Anything?"

"Water would be nice..." the man replied. "Preferably not with salt."

"I've got you covered." the girl said while digging out a bottle of water. It was the kind that had a straw built in and it was greatly appreciated.

Bonnie was one of several guards who switched off every few hours. Each one flashed their captive their symbol before conversing with him. They all came equipped to keep the menace as comfortable as they could, but had to remove things like blankets and the like when non-turncoat guards clocked in. They always came in packs, unlike the others, and never gave their names.

For the time being, this was just playing the waiting game. Even if Alois was uncomfortable, he had no options. He had to wait for help to arrive, as there was no other way off of this structure out in the middle of the ocean. Unless he could hijack a boat and somehow manage to sail it, he simply didn't have any options, and that was assuming that he could even break out of his restraints. Part of him wondered if he could. These weren't like an anti-demon barrier. It was just metal that had been drawn on. Then again, that's what anti-freak bullets and blades were made of and those could kill him.

"So, how does a member of the order turn against the order?" asked the menace, finally. The question seemed to catch Bonnie off guard, as she hadn't even expected the menace to speak to her, given the silence he normally had. Pausing, the girl tried to come up with a decent answer.

"Everybody has their reasons." she said. "Most are just tired of fighting for no reason. People are getting hurt and dying. A lot of us are afraid that wherever we are, a plane is gonna come out of nowhere and bomb us..."

"Seems reasonable." replied Alois. "Preston doesn't have any vision. Maybe at one point, he really believed in this war, but now… It's obvious that it's about power. I'm pretty sure black annis has warped his brain. But… What's scarier is… I don't know if it has… Maybe he always had this in him, and we just never knew..."

There was a long silence after that. All that could be heard was the sound of wind and the crashing of waves. Bonnie pulled the collar of her coat up around her ears to block the cold. Taking in a deep breath, she finally spoke again.

"You wanna know why I'm not into it anymore?" the girl asked. She seemed hesitant in her manner of speaking, as if it were something that frightened her. Even from where Alois was lying, he could tell that this was personal.

"Shoot." he answered.

"My sister and I… We used to work on the Brahmastra with Preston." she said. "We were some of the original few from Gehenna to come here. Both of us… We both got swept up in his charm." The girl uttered a small laugh, but it seemed sad, somehow.

"It was back when H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. was doing the reformation. It was just so scary for us. Everything was changing and it was all because of the organization that had hurt us for so long." she contineud, gripping her arm tighter. "Then this guy comes along who promises us our own place, free of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; and that they would be done for good and not hurt anyone else. Noble cause, right?"

"That's kind of how it goes." Alois mused. "In the end, I don't think anybody's noble. I think there's just 'which side sucks less'. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. has changed a lot. People are a lot happier back home."

"I hope so. I hope I can still go back and see it..."

To this, Alois didn't have a definite answer. He didn't know if they would grant the turncoats amnesty. He didn't know if they would be spared. What he did know is that when he gets back, he's going to vouch for them. If it wasn't for them, they would never have gotten this close, nor would he as comfortable as the situation would allow.

"What happened?" he finally questioned, lifting his head somewhat so that he was no longer resting on his cheek. The girl hesitated to answer right away.

"Well..." she began. "Both of us, my sister and me… We both developed kind of a crush on him. A lot of girls did, and some boys, too. The only difference was; she was more fanatical about the whole thing than I was. She did everything she could to win his favour. It worked, for a while. As soon as he addressed me, though, no matter what it was for… Usually, it was an order for some minor task..."

Her face seemed strained somewhat. She smiled, but it was not one of joy. It was a smile to conceal pain and it was doing a shoddy job of it. Even the laugh the girl emitted lacked any sincerity as she held herself together.

"She pushed me..." the girl said with a sniffle. "She pushed me off of the boat. I broke a few bones when I hit the water, it was so high up… If my captain… My captain hadn't been there… I would have drowned. That's when I joined this crew, but… It was what happened afterward that my heart was set. Preston killed her. He killed my sister for what she did. Even though he had praised her. Even though they seemed close. I don't know what either of us were thinking. I know what she did was wrong, but… She was still my sister… She didn't have to..."

"You saw her die, didn't you?" Alois inquired although he already knew the answer. Her nod was all that he needed as a response. With a sigh, the man added: "It's going to be okay..." he said. "I'll vouch for you. It might not be pretty for you when you get back home, but you'll live, at the very least." By now, he was certain that the teen was crying. His soft spot for youngsters came to him at the oddest of times, but now was one of them.

"I'd put my hand on your shoulder, but I can't move." he offered, trying to joke with the girl to cheer her up.

"It's okay." she said. "We should be getting out of here soon..."

"Yeah… I sure hope so..."


	286. I Was Married

Frantically, Ciel made his way through the halls of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters like a madman. His butler came with him, as Sebastian was worried about Ciel's well-being. An update in Alois' capture had arisen and it was so important, that the Phantomhive was called back to the intelligence center. The poor man almost tripped over himself with the haste he was in. He certainly tripped several other people along the way.

Suddenly, he burst through the doors and whipped his head back and forth to find someone who was going to tell him the news. To his surprise, both Hellsing family members were in attendance, bringing Ciel both hope and concern. There was no way that he wasn't noticed as he came in and both Integra and Elizabeth turned to face him.

"Ciel..." Elizabeth began. "We know where he is." Ciel's face immediately melted from concern as he dared to feel a bit of joy.

"How?" he asked, and the head of the organisation held up an envelope.

"The turncoats sent us an update." Integra stated. "This time, with a return address from the micronation of Sealand. When we called in for clarification, we were informed that they had been given the envelope to be sent by a woman in a boat with a flag that matched that of the turncoats. They also said that they had been warned of the current occupants of the Red Sand forts south of them. If that's our mole, then they've just given us the Scarlet Order base."

"Are we going in?" the bluenette questioned with great enthusiasm.

"Yes, a plan of attack is being formulated as we speak." the organization's head replied before pulling a plastic bag out of the breast pocket of her jacket. "Before that, however… We need to return this to you..."

Suddenly, Ciel's slight smile faded as his eyes landed on the bag. Carefully, he took it, unsure of the contents but doubtful that it was anything good. Opening the bag, he reached his hand inside and felt cold metal. He didn't have to look at it to know what it was. One could see the man's heart sinking just by the change in expression on his face. Carefully, gently, delicately, he gripped the object with feather-like touches of his fingertips as he pulled it out of it's prison.

The hand with the bag in it fell limply to his side as he peered at the object. The colour was drained from his face. It was Alois' wedding ring. Ciel knew it was, and he didn't even have to read the inscription on the inside. He didn't want to. It would only remind him of his concern for the blonde's emotional state. There was no way that he could shield himself from these thoughts, however. They crept in and stayed there as Ciel stared down at the ring in his palm. Dried blood covered it, rendering the bluenette speechless. He was almost without life as the world moved around him without his mental presence, and it caused those who knew him to ache.

"The blood was a positive match to Jim's DNA." Integra informed, clarifying what the man already knew. "According to the letter, Omid ordered it to be removed from Jim and disposed of, but it ended up in the hands of our author, who felt it best returned to his spouse."

"Thank you..." was all Ciel said in response, trying to hold himself together while amoung people. The others turned to look at the many screens and discuss the best methods of extracting the menace, but the bluenette stayed silent, entranced by his husband's ring.

He had no input to give. His mind could not manage it. Others noticed it, but failed to acknowledge it; all but Elizabeth, who turned her head. The woman looked over her shoulder at her cousin, watching him as he turned around so that his back was facing the others. What was in his hand was all that he was really needed for. Putting his hand on Elizabeth's shoulder, Sebastian startled the woman by grabbing her attention.

"Leave him to his devices." the butler said in a hushed tone. "He can be filled in on the plan later."

Heeding his advice, Elizabeth looked forward once again and tried her best to ignore her cousin's status. She did not see him as he gazed longingly at the ring or caressed it gently. Ciel held it with care, as if it were the most valuable and delicate thing in the world. This was as close as Ciel could be to his husband for the time being and he was going to savour it the very best he could.

It was uncertain how much longer Ciel was going to be able to hold out, but it definitely wasn't a great amount of time. He ached to have his spouse back in his arms safely and to see his face every day. He was being torn to pieces worse and worse by the minute as he agonised over the blonde's well-being. At this moment, Ciel wanted nothing more than Alois to be alright. Finally, he was going to see his beloved again, and even if he wasn't in the best of shape, Ciel would do everything in his power to make him well.

"The author of the letter says that they are supposed to do more reconnesance, but are waiting for or arrival instead. They will join us during the attack and ask that we do not attack their crew." Integra stated. She signaled for the person operating the computer to put the image of a black heart with a sword run through it on the screen. "They will be wearing this logo or something similar. For now, it's best to keep them alive. They could possibly be an asset during combat. After all, we can only send in so many people. Elizabeth, Ciel, and August will be going in. Once we have taken that base, we will acquire coordinates to the Brahmastra and take it down."

"Can you pull up the map again?" politely asked Elizbeth, prompting the technician to do so. With a lazer pointer, she drew attention to a specific building. "This building houses the radio, so we need to clear it first. We can't have them calling for reinforcements."

"It's a good idea, but not essential." the other Hellsing said. "If they do call, it may bring Preston right to us."

"It's easier if we can strike them down from above. There's less risk of injury."

"Right. But as a backup plan, the option exists."

"Oh, I didn't know you were talking about backups."

"It's alright, I didn't make it clear."

The two Hellsings discussed the plan in as much detail as they could along with the Phantomhive butler. When both Sebastian and Integra were occupied, however, Elizabeth took the opportunity to look over her shoulder at her cousin once again. She couldn't help but worry about the man. She wanted to make sure he was alright, still.

It wasn't surprising, but the man still looked down. Elizabeth wasn't sure if he was oblivious to being watched, or if he just didn't care. Gently, Ciel pressed the ring to his lips, blood and all, and began to walk away.

He didn't announce his departure to anyone, nor did he give any indication of where he was going. All that Elizabeth was certain of was that he would return when it was time to depart. Ciel wouldn't miss rescuing Alois for the world and it was probably his anxiousness to do so that made him so restless and impatient. He would be back and so would Alois. Most likely, the Phantomhive was going to prepare himself for combating the Omid once again. This time, he would end it for sure.


	287. Gladiator

"Are we clear on the plan?" asked Alois from his place pinned down on the altar. The only other person with him on the roof nodded.

"I'll pass it on to the others." answered Bonnie.

"Good. Just know that this is gonna get ugly. You can mentally prepare yourself all you like, but you still might freeze up when the time comes. We can't afford that." the blonde stated.

Already, the blonde was discussing the turncoat's plan of action with them and planning his escape. Thing were sounding good to him so far and although he was tired and wasn't sure if he could jump around and such after getting free, he was sure that he could hold a gun and shoot people from the rooftops while H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. did their thing. The roof was a perfect point of attack, as the fort was made for that purpose. Walls surrounded the rooftop from all sides and it was easy to stick guns through the slits in the barrier. As long as the crew kept no one from getting through the door, they would be safe until it was time for pickup. Alois couldn't wait.

His body ached to move, but when he tried to stretch and flex his muscles, the spears in his back hurt even worse. He knew that his wounds were going to take a long time to heal and he was most likely going to have scars for a while. He was going to make the order pay for putting him in such a position. But then again, he was grateful that his nemesis hadn't seen him.

Alois wasn't sure what was going on with Araneus. He didn't know if the other demon was under orders to leave him be, or if he was up to something. He knew that he was still on the base, as he could sense him, but he was always several buildings away across the water. Alois prayed to whatever higher power that existed to please be merciful for once and ensure that he would escape without seeing him while bound. As long as he was able to fight the man freely, he would be fine. In this state however, he was disappointed that he wouldn't be the one to kill Araneus once and for all. At least he could be certain of who it was going to be instead. Ciel was going to beat the Trancy Earl to a pulp and ensure that he suffered before he died.

The menace knew that he shouldn't have let him live. There was no point in it. It wasn't as though Alois ever thought that making the man suffer just as he had would somehow change him. That kind of monster cannot be changed. Even if he could, Alois didn't want himself to. He wanted Araneus to rot forever and feel unending agony, but it could never be. Araneus had to die. There was no way around that. Somehow, someway, the Trancy would perish, and should he ever return, he would be killed once again and a thousand times over.

Suddenly, Alois froze and his eyes stared in the direction of the other tower despite not being able to see through the wall. He could sense Araneus and that he was on the move. Since arriving, the demon hadn't left that building, but now he moved on to the next, and then the next. Alois was hoping that he would stop at some point as sweat began seeping from his pores. The lion's hands curled into fists and he twisted his body in hopes of finding a way to defend himself.

"What's wrong?" asked the turncoat beside him. "Alois?"

"He's getting closer..." Alois said with a slight tremor in his voice. "He's too close. Loosen the cuffs!"

"But Alois… The plan? We need to make sure that nobody notices anything..."

"Keep him away from me!" the menace warned. There was no way that Araneus could see him in this state, weakened and defenseless.

"Who?!" demanded Bonnie. "Who is coming?!"

Now, the blonde was shaking violently, worsening his wounds. He lost a lot of blood this way as the holes through his body were disturbed and allowed to leak onto the floor. Loudly, the metal steps beyond the door were stepped upon, the sound growing closer and closer. With every step that was taken, Alois grew more afraid.

Of course Araneus was going to seek him out. He always did. He did when he knew that Alois was alive. He did when Alois was undercover as BlackJack, but back then he could fight back. Now, he was anchored in place against his will with nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and no way to defend himself from his life-long nemesis. The only thing that he was able to shake was his head and he snarled like a wild animal caught in a trap, gnashing his teeth and puffing himself up the best he could. All the while, his eyes never strayed from the door in front of him.

Slowly, it creaked open, causing him to thrash even more and the witch next to him to freeze as she too feared whatever it was that frightened the demon so. The surprise at the hand the gripped the door through the crack didn't register with Alois right away. Araneus was definitely on the other side, but there was no way that the delicate hand belonged to him. It was soft and smooth with long, blackened fingernails, and it was a person suiting of such a style that finally revealed themselves.

It was a woman with long, flaxen hair and pale blue eyes. She was dressed like any other female crew member in practical clothing, but she walked like a supermodel. Red lipstick stained her lips as the corners turned upwards into a smile. As Alois gathered his thoughts, he realised that he recognised this woman. He didn't know her personally, but he certainly saw her picture around the Trancy estate. She was always in pictures with the Earl, holding a child. At the time, Alois knew her to be the wife of the vulgar Earl, and he was never surprised by the knowledge that she ended her own life after the loss of their child.

Now, her face was worn. It was definitely Araneus before the menace, but not in his usual form. Seeing this, Alois was able to relax somewhat, but knew that there was still a cause for concern. His brow was still furrowed and his teeth were still grit as he tried to kill the other demon with his eyes. The creature before him only chuckled.

"That's not a good look for you." Araneus said finally. "You were much cuter when you were young and sweet."

"Like I give a fuck about what you find appealing." the menace spat. "What's with the stupid getup?"

"You used to care." the other replied. "You were just using me the whole time, weren't you?"

"Oh, no, you were being used for your personal assets and not regarded as a real person? Gosh golly gee willikers, mister, I can't possibly even begin imagine what that must feel like!"

"But you still have a mouth on you..." The older demon said with a slight frown. "Bet your husband _loves_ it, doesn't he?"

"Choke on shit." retorted the menace, winceing as he was grabbed my the hair. Tightly, Araneus gripped the man's locks, towering over him with ease as he slammed Alois' head down on the table. The Phantomhive's world was spinning from just that as it brought back a lot of memories that he would rather be destroyed.

"You." Araneus called out, addressing the witch guard. "Leave."

"But… I'm not supposed to leave him unatten-" Bonnibel began before being cut off.

 _"_ _Out!"_ the demon roared, startling the poor girl. Quickly, she fled, looking back at the menace as he laid there and regretting her weakness. With that, Araneus turned back to the menace with a wicked grin.

"Alone at last." the older demon said with a wicked grin. "I've got some exciting news for you."

"Are you dying of supernatural testicular cancer?" asked Alois, prompting the other to slam his head down once again.

"You watch your pretty little mouth, son." said his foe. "Or I'll do it for you."

"Probably a good idea, since I spat on Preston's face a few days ago."

"Laugh it up now, boy. It's not going to last very long." Araneus said with a snarl before regaining his smile once more. "I still haven't explained why I look like this yet, have I? I've had a little work done."

"I really don't care as long as you stay far away from me and other people. Preferably in a hole in the ground. Or eaten my sharks."

"Are you sure about that? Considering what I'm carrying and all."

"Do I want to know?"

"Probably, since it concerns your husband." Araneus said, letting go of the blonde's hair and crouching down so that he was on the menace's level. "Did you know that genetic samples taken from demons can last ages? In all kind of environments, too. It's kind of amazing how it's lasted this long."

"You mean the DNA samples we took back?" scoffed Alois, appearing haughty, but still not quite looking his foe directly in the eyes.

"No, the sample that you _missed_ when cleaning up."

Suddenly, the Phantomhive's smirk faded. A look of confusion washed over his face as he appeared baffled. He wasn't quite able to piece together what Araneus was implying; or rather, he didn't want to.

"The fuck are you talking about?" the menace asked.

"Hobbs is an interesting guy. Seems like he tested this on several women, but it failed every time. Now that it's with a demon, it looks like it's sure to be successful. That is: the natural creation of a living, breathing demon through biological means. Not only that, it's going to be a blue-blood. Isn't that lucky?"

"What are you saying?!" demanded Alois, tugging at his restraints and baring his teeth. He didn't want to accept it. There is no way that he would.

"The creation of an heir. Both Phantomhive and Trancy combining. Did you know that demonic fetuses develop faster than humans? It's quite amazing, really. Isn't it wonderful? Your husband will finally receive an heir, and not only that, it will be of noble blood. Isn't that marvelous?"

"You're lying!" barked the menace, his blood beginning to boil. Right now, he was the warmest he had been in a week and it was from anger; sheer, unbridled anger. "You're just messing with me! Stay outta my head!"

"The whole reason I did this was to mess with you." Araneus replied sweetly. "The thought of you failing so greatly… It brings me such joy. You know that your husband wants a child. It's what every noble of our time ever wanted. Do you think that this need that has been drilled into our skulls from our own birth simply goes away?" Standing up, Araneus bend forward so that he was still directly in Alois' face, locking eyes with the man.

"Do you think he will simply give up what is his? This child is of Phantomhive blood! No longer will he be the last of his kind!" the older demon continued. "If it weren't for you, it would have been much sooner. I will succeed where you have failed." Pausing, Araneus straightened his back and rubbed his chin in thought.

"You know, having a kid wouldn't be so bad for me, either." he said. "It'll be just like old times."

Alois' body jerked, causing metal to creak. The loud noise sparked the older demon's attention as the menace fumed. Araneus' eyes couldn't help but widen at the sight of the Lion. Veins protruded from Alois' forehead, his nostrils flared, and his fangs were exposed as he grit his teeth in a snarl. Steam hissed from the small gaps as he breathed out heavily, while blood dripped rapidly from his wounds. The thing that frightened the older demon the most, however, was the fact that the metal was bent.

"You bastard…" Alois accused in a distorted growl. "I'll kill you..."

Muscles flexed and unflexed as Alois tried to move. With a swift movement, more metal complained as it warped, and the lion was growing more wild by the second. These restraints were designed with demons in mind, but they were not tested on them beforehand. They were effective, but only up to a certain point. Now, it would appear that this moment has passed, as the demon it was housing was breaking free.

Crimson eyes burning with hatred stayed transfixed on Araneus as the man backed away. With another motion, the cuff on Alois' right hand had broken off and fell to the side, hitting the ground with a loud thud. With one hand free, he grabbed the other cuff and tore it off before discarding it as well. The table was positioned at a sharp angle so that Alois was crouching and sitting on his legs, so to remove the two spears, he leaned back slightly, scrunching his face in acute pain and uttering a sound of agony. With both hands, he reached between the space between the table and his body and pulled on the spear, easing it out. Once that was done, he paused to draw in ragged, laboured breaths before working on the other. The barbed wire cut into his back the entire time, but it was nothing compared to those spears.

All the older demon could do was stand there and watch in horrified awe. The power that was displayed before him was, in a word: ungodly. In a few more moments, the menace's ankles were free and wire was torn, and there stood the Lion in all of his glory as he leaned against what remained of his prison to right himself and catch his breath.

Now there was nothing between them. Araneus knew. He knew and it scared him. This man before him whom he had wronged as a boy hated him with every fibre of his being. He hated everything about him. Araneus stood for everything Alois was opposed to and has caused him suffering long enough. Now, he must die, and Araneus knew. There was nothing there to save the older demon.

"N-now, Alois..." the older demon began. "Let's be reasonable! If I die, then Phantomhive might never have a child? Could you live with depriving your husband of that?"

"I couldn't live..." began Alois, taking his first step forward in an entire week, "I couldn't live with myself… If I allowed you to continue to exist… I made that mistake once. It'll only happen once. I'm never going to let that happen ever again."

"But what about Phantomhive?!" pleaded Araneus. "Think of him!"

"I _AM_ PHANTOMHIVE!" Roared the lion, baring his teeth and claws. With all of his strength, the beast attacked his prey with all that he could offer.

Araneus pulled out a pistol, but Alois' teeth latched into his arm. The menace didn't care about the state of Araneus' body. He only cared that it was destroyed. With Araneus' arm in his teeth, Alois used his hand to form a fist, and struck the older demon repeatedly whereever he could hit. Without even thinking, his attention was focused on Araneus' stomach, but the menace finally bit through the flesh of the other's arm, tearing out a large piece. He was disgusted and spit it to the side.

Now the lion was above the spider, and brought his hands to Araneus' head. Holding it steady with both sides, the menace took his thumbs and placed them over the older demon's eyes before boring them into the sockets, putting all of his weight into it. Oh, how Araneus screamed and flailed, kicking his legs and fingers desperately prying at the blonde's hands. Claw marks appeared on Alois' flesh, but he paid no notice. All that mattered was that Araneus must die, and once he was satisfied with blinding the monster, he picked up his head before forcing it back down onto the ground roughly.

"It's dark, isn't it?" mockingly asked the menace. "You're trapped, aren't you? You're helpless, aren't you? How does it feel? Huh?! How does it feel, Araneus Trancy?! How does it feel?!"

"STOOOP!" Araneus screamed. Blood trickled from the sockets in place of tears as he begged. "PLEASE! PLEASE STOP!"

"Die." Alois said. "Die and don't come back. If you ever even think about it, remember who killed you. Remember who made you suffer. Remember who hates you like no one else has hated before! Remember the man who killed you! Say my name!"

"A-ALOIS!"

"Wrong!" The lion bellowed, digging his thumbs deeper.

"JIM! JIM MACKEN!" sobbed the older demon. "JIM MACKEENN!"

"Wrong!" The lion roared. "What is my name?!"

"PHA-PHANTOMHIVE! JIM! JI-! JIM PHA-ANTOMHIVE!"

"Very good!" answered the menace, finally removing his hands and allowing his nemesis to clutch at his injuries. With that, the Phantomhive stood, and black fire appeared in his hand before brandishing the gun known as "Poena".

 _"_ _Here is your reward."_ he said before promptly pulling the trigger.

He unloaded the entire weapon into the Trancy's body, and even reloaded to shoot it some more. The torso was filled with bullet wounds, and the face was torn. This creature was hardly recognisable as the terrifying Araneus Trancy, but it certainly was as true as the sky was blue.

When at last the gun clicked and proved empty, Jim froze for a moment and took in a shaky breath. His arm then dropped to the side, and his strength seemed to fade. Where he stood sure before, he now wobbled over to the wall and leaned with his back against it, staring at the body before him. As time passed, he slid down the wall and finally landed on the floor of the rooftop and sat there for a long while, trying to take it all in.

He wasn't sure how to feel, in truth. There was relief. There were the aftershocks of rage. There was fear, too. Most of all, however, there was the feeling that an important, yet excruciatingly long chapter in the man's life had ended, leaving him open for another. The blonde's breath was still uneven as he tried to calm down, but part of him wanted to savour this feeling; to seer it into his mind and never let go. Jim Phantomhive, formerly Macken, had finally gotten justice.

Old wounds would still remain as scars, but knowing that this monstrosity was dead gave him peace of mind. He felt serene, almost. There was calm. For the first time in his life, however, the man finally seemed to understand what the concept of "honour" meant.

The wind picked up, whipping flaxen locks around as the helicopters approached. Slowly, a smile crept upon the menace's face as he sensed an all-too-familiar presence drawing near. He heard people shouting, and more gunshots rang out. The champions had arrived to free the prince and the man was happy with this.

"So you finally decided to show up, huh, darling?"

* * *


	288. Cold Feet

People on the ground scrambled and screamed as the helicopters whirled over head. Most took up arms, some cowered, and some were looking for a way to desert the battlefield. The trio of terror peeked out of their helicopter and eyed the terrain while trying to decide where to drop themselves. Pointing to one building, Elizabeth launched an idea.

"That building should be the one where the radio is located." she said, raising her voice over the loud sound of the vehicle. "We should hurry there before they can relay a message, if they haven't already. I'll drop there."

"What about us?" Ciel called back.

"You go look for Alois." The Hellsing instructed. "August, it'll probably be ideal if you can fan out to one of the other buildings and take out as many as you can. Can you handle that on your own?"

"Depends on what's inside." the lesser demon replied. "I can't handle werewolves."

"Then come with me." Elizabeth said before putting her foot forward. "Let's go!"

With that, Elizabeth jumped from the copter, shortly followed by August. While the lesser demon wore standard military gear such as a bullet-proof vest and helmet, Elizabeth changed in mid-air to her angelic form. Both landed on the roof of the building and drew their weapons before slashing and shooting their way inside.

Meanwhile, Ciel hesitated, as he had to figure out which building housed the menace. His sixth sense wasn't as pronounced as the blonde's and the movement of the helicopter did not help him. He was nervous about getting it wrong, but knew that he could fight his way through if he did. Thus, he jumped out of the helicopter at random, landing on a building that coincidentally wasn't Alois'. It was only upon touching ground that he realised that it was just the building next to his.

Internally, he kicked himself for making such a silly mistake and rolled his eye, but his moment of pause was cut short. Looking over his shoulder, Ciel could see that he was surrounded by members of the order who had taken up arms. A long sigh escaped the bluenette at the sight and he hunched his shoulders.

"I just want to see my damn husband..." he muttered under his breath before facing the mob. With that, he leaped into the fray, dodging bullets from all sides. Meanwhile, he had not gone unnoticed, as the menace saw him descend and hit the roof. While Alois couldn't see around the wall on the other roof, he could see people flying and hear gunfire going off.

"Heeey, baby..." Alois said to himself as he tried to get a glimpse of the battle through the vents in his own wall. His attention was soon captured, however, by the door behind him opening suddenly.

It swung open almost violently as people quickly filed in. Alois was not afraid, however, as this was part of the plan. These people wore patches stitched to their clothing that had the flag of the Prudentia, marking them as turncoats. They carried weapons and bags of supplies. Quickly, they filed in and held the door, making sure no one could follow. Turning around, Alois faced them.

"If anybody gets through that door, you gotta shoot them, alright?" the menace said. "Don't wimp out. And use their bodies to hold the door."

"Is that Araneus?" asked one, looking to the ground.

"Oh my god, it is!"

"How did the Lion get out?"

"I broke out." Alois said, answering their questions at once. "Araneus and I go way back. He's a monster that needed to die. That's why I killed him. Now hurry up and take your positions!"

"Yes, sir!"

Immediately, the group dispersed and took on their pre-discussed positions. Several guarded the door while others held it shut, and then the rest took up offensive positions. Admittedly, Alois found it odd how a group that was his enemy for such a long time would suddenly treat him as their commanding officer. Regardless, the man had work to do.

"Take out as many members of the order as you can, if you want to go home." he instructed. "Watch out for H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agents. You'll know them when you see them."

Before taking her position, Bonnie distributed ammunition and walked over to the menace, holding two rifles. Holding out one to the man's reach, she asked: "Can you still shoot?"

"You know I can." Alois said, taking the weapon. With that, he turned around and slipped the barrel through one of the vents and took aim.

Much to his surprise, the order was so disorganized and inexperienced that they couldn't figure out where the shots were coming from. Soldier after soldier fell, some of them into the water. Alois even took out members of the order who were trying to flee by boat as they were shot in the head as soon as their feet touched the deck. Alois' injuries did not affect his marksman abilities in the slightest.

The only ones who did notice were the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. operatives, who were able to figure out where the bullets were coming from. The members of the Prudentia had their backs, much to their delight. Three people were sent to take out an entire base, which was more than just a tad unfair, despite their powers and abilities.

Elizabeth slashed through all that was in her path, taking out one soldier and sometimes two per swing of her blade. Not far behind her was August, who needed a bit more help. The Prudentia crew focused their fire around her, taking out all that she could not see. Meanwhile, the Watchdog had butchered the inhabitants of an entire building. The ones that got away ran outside during the mayhem, only to be struck down by other forces.

At first, the turncoats were afraid and had to suppress their urge to fire at him as well. He was still known as the terrifying Watchdog to them and the sight of him covered in blood with flaming eyes staring directly in their direction was almost enough to make them cower. In reality, he was simply looking at the tower that his spouse was located in and was trying to come up with the best way to cross.

In the end, the bridge was looking favourable, but was covered in swine, so the Phantomhive, determined more so than ever by his proximity to his treasure, drew his sword. Those who stood in his path were visibly taken aback by the sight of it's blackened blade, but they weren't given much time to respond. In an instant, Ciel charged, staying low to avoid being hit. He cut through the barricade one person at a time, cutting some in half while others only at the legs. Ultimately, all of them wound up falling into the water below as his arm swung swiftly and true.

Once he was at the other side, he did not sheath his weapon and instead burst into the building swinging it. The gunfire had become increasingly heavy, making it difficult for him to dodge all of it. Several bullets made it into his flesh, but he remained undeterred. Hearing the sound, the demon above him decided to take action, himself.

"You!" Alois said, pointing to one of the turncoats. "Trade me guns!"

Without question, the overwhelmed traitor did as he was told, giving the menace a less than legally acquired assault rifle in exchange for his hunting one. Despite his own injuries, once this was in the blonde Phantomhive's possession, the man shuffled his way to the door and instructed those guarding it to let him through.

There was protest, but it was ignored. Alois was going to make his way through that door and provide cover no matter what the others said, and at that top of the stairs, he did just that. From his doing, it rained bullets from above, taking out a good portion of his husband's opponents and limiting the amount of bullets the Watchdog himself took.

Ciel didn't have to look at the menace to know that this was because of him. He couldn't, with the amount of chaos that was going on around him. Still, a smile graced his face as he sensed the blonde sitting on the stairs above him, and the menace did the same. Satisfied with his contribution, the blonde retreated back behind the door and instructed his team to allow the bluenette through.

Sure enough, when the last bullet was fired and the last body dropped, Ciel was left all alone inside the building, with nowhere to go but up. Hastily, he nearly flew up the steps to the roof, where he burst through the door and caused the ones holding it shut to go flying. Immediately, his eye fell on the menace and drowned out all else. The sight of Alois smiling back at him was enough to make the demon's hear melt, despite the circumstances. The man who had just cut through a little over fifty people to get here was now lunging at his husband with a genuine grin. No longer was he a warmonger at this moment. Right now he was nothing more than Alois' spouse.

"Jim!" he called, outstretching both arms as he approached while the blonde met him with a similar greeting.

"Ciel!" the blonde Phantomhive answered before grunting as a pair of strong arms wrapped around him and nearly crushed him. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Watch the injuries." he gently reminded, prompting his love to hold him more softly.

His touch was gentle and intimate, despite only being a hug. Ciel was trying to physically convey how he felt when words failed him. He was so relieved to see his spouse, that he almost couldn't contain himself. For days, he had agonised over his husband's well-being and had been deprived of his very presence, but now, he was finally able to hold Alois again. That alone was cause for excitement.

"Sorry." Ciel apologised although he still smiled. It soon faded somewhat as he examined the menace and noticed the extent of his wounds.

Blood got onto the front of Ciel's coat as he embraced the man and the holes that ran through the blonde were clearly visible to him, now. They looked as though they were just now starting to heal and where healing slowly, at that. In his excitement to see Alois, the Watchdog had failed to notice just how pale he was. The amount of blood that Alois had lost and was forced to regenerate was colossal. Had he been human, the quantity was enough to be the death of him fifty times over.

"What happened?!" he demanded. "Are you alright?! Who did this?!"

"Relax, I'm going to be fine..." Alois tried to reassure, although it was very evident on the blutnette's face that he was less than convinced. "I'm hurt pretty bad, but it's nothing I can't heal from. I just need time to regenerate, is all."

"I'm getting you out of here right now." his husband replied, causing him to chuckle a bit. Ciel didn't see any humour in the situation and spoke with severe gravity.

"Well, hello to you, too..." playfully said the menace, causing the bluenette to freeze. Immediately, Ciel realised that he had missed several steps in his worrying. A smile returned to his face as he kissed his husband's.

"God, I missed you..." Ciel lovingly sighed, pausing between kisses. His grip on the blonde was firm but gentle as to not irritate the other man's wounds. He pulled away, however, once coming across and important discovery.

"Christ, you're freezing!" the blue Phantomhive declared, ceasing his ministrations and letting go of Alois momentarily. He then proceeded to unbutton his coat and remove it before affectionately wrapping it around his beloved's shoulders.

"Oh..." Alois said, closing his eyes as he was unable to keep them open. "I didn't know how much I needed that..."

The blonde Phantomhive basked in his husband's warmth as it lingered in his coat and graced the blonde's skin. Freezing had become his new normal, but as he grew increasingly comfortable wearing Ciel's coat as the man went right back to hugging him, Alois was in ecstasy. Ciel's warmth radiated off of him and seeped into the blonde's frozen flesh and bones, causing him to sigh. At last, he felt safe for the first time in days, and was rather content on staying in this exact spot for a while. He loved this man. He loved him so much. Part of Alois couldn't help but feel like he had been rescued by a prince and was about to be whisked away to a happily ever after once this was over. In away, this was correct, as he would be able to go home to his family at last. Alas, this fleeting moment was not to last, as just as Alois had just nuzzled into his husband's shoulder and gotten comfortable, the duo were rudely interrupted.

"Uhm… Sir? We're still fighting..." reminded one of the turncoats, alerting both demons of the gunfire around them.

With a long, drawn out whine, Alois replied: "Yes… well… We should get back to work, then..."

"You'll have to let go of me." informed the blunette, but his husband shook his head what little he could.

"No can do, sweetheart." answered the Lion. "It's hard to hold myself up and I'm not sure if I can if I let go."

"Lay down, you idiot!"

"Help me! I'll fall! I have two gaping holes in my torso!"

"How have you been standing, then?!"

"Lots of adrenaline and sheer rage. Or in this case, happiness from seeing you!"

"I'm laying you down!"

"I love you, you jackass!"

"I love you more!"

Despite their petty, playful bickering, the bluenette set his husband down on the ground and laid him on top of his long coat. He tried to wrap the man in it, but there wasn't enough fabric. Therefore, the blue Phantomhive sacrificed his jacket as well. Blinking, Alois couldn't help but insist to himself that there was no need for his spouse to do that. He wasn't going to die and he had already been given the man's coat. What good was it?

"Aren't you going to freeze your ass off?" questioned the menace, prompting the other to shake his head.

"I've been jumping around and all kinds of nonsense." Ciel answered. In reality, he simply wished for the other demon to be as comfortable as possible despite the circumstances. He figured that Alois had gone through enough over the past few days and deserved it. "I'm about to go back, too."

"Then I'll see you at home?" Alois asked further and the Watchdog paused.

"Probably at the clinic, actually."

"True… Will you at least kiss me before you go?"

With a roll of his eye, Ciel leaned down and pressed his lips tenderly against his husband's. He took more time than he really needed to, but he desperately needed it. After pulling away, Ciel planted a kiss on the man's cheek as well.

"I'm not going yet, though. We need to get rid of that pavilion so the helicopter can land." he said. "Who here has the most muscle?"

"I dunno. You'll have to ask around." Alois stated, and that the bluenette did.

Placing his hands on his hips, the Watchdog looked around and took on a business-like tone. "Listen up!" he said. "I need anybody who's got some supernatural strength to help me get rid of that pavillion. The helicopter needs a place to land. That is, unless you wish to go outside and walk to a different building."

That's all it took to round up his volunteers. While Ciel was not particularly good at building things, he could certainly smash them to pieces. Very quickly, he took out the legs of the pavilion before the others aided him in tossing the roof over the wall. As strange as it was in timing, Alois very much enjoyed the display. He wasn't too disappointed himself, however, as he reasoned that since he hadn't seen the man in a long while, it was permissible to ogle him under these circumstances.

Then came the removal of the restraint system after the structure overhead was nudged into the sea. Ciel's brow furrowed and his nose wrinkled in disgust at the sight. Almost immediately, he could see how the device was used and grew angry at the sight of his husband's blood coating both it and a large portion of the floor around it. A puddle still remained that the bluenette had to step in as he approached. Leaning down, Ciel's teeth grit and his muscles flexed as he gripped the device, straining a little harder against it than he did the pavilion. While the other structure was large, this one was bolted into the rooftop thoroughly. With a grunt and some effort, he managed to rip the restraint system off of the metal rooftop and lob it up over the wall and into the ocean below. Satisfied with this, the Watchdog returned to his husband's side and crouched down.

"There's another headset for you in one of those pockets." he said, pointing to his jacket. "Use it to call the helicopter when you're ready."

"Aye aye, captain." Alois said with a smile as he looked up at his beau. Absent-mindedly, his hand reached for the other man's and gripped it gently. As soon as he did, Ciel gave it a squeeze before pressing the back of his husband's hand to his lips.

"I'll see you soon. I mean it, this time."

"I know. Love you." answered the menace as the other stood. Both of them held on to the other's hand until they were pulled apart by their opposing missions.

"I love you too, darling." Grinned Ciel, playfully blowing his beloved a kiss before taking off. With a running start, he leaped over the wall and into the air. He seemed to fly for a moment before he began to descend and was out of the rebel's sights. Alois grinned after him before realising that the sound of his crew's guns had stopped.

"What?" he asked as he was stared at.

"That..." began one of his allies. "That was the Watchdog?"

"Yes." nodded Alois with complete certainty. He could understand why the others would be confused, but he was quick to alleviate this. "He's my husband. We got married in July. He's a good guy. Now that that explanation is out of the way, I don't hear any gunshots coming from you lot. Are there still enemies outside?"

"Well… Yes, but..."

"But what?"

"It looks like those three have it handled..."

"Keep firing! No slacking off!" ordered the menace from his place laying on the ground bundled in his husband's clothes. "Watch out for ships trying to leave, too. Fire at them with everything you have!"

Immediately, his temporary crew turned around and did as instructed. The loud gunshots filled the air as the menace tried not to fall asleep. He preoccupied himself with finding the headset that he was promised by the bluenette. He rummaged through all of the pockets and then rummaged through them again as he missed the device the first time. With a sigh, he placed the item on his head and spoke while still relaxing.

"This is the Lion, agent Jim Phantomhive speaking," he began, "requesting pickup."


	289. Red Sea Pirates

Dropping down, Ciel landed below the fortress on top of the deck of a boat trying to flee. It's passengers quickly attempted to react, but were swiftly dispatched by the bluenette's blade. Upon seeing other boats doing the same, Ciel took out his husband's gun and began to fire, taking out as many people as possible. Unfortunately, he could only do so much where he was standing. Thus, he pressed two fingers to his ear piece and tried to contact the others.

"People are trying to get away by boat." he said, the message being relayed to his teammates. "We need to do something about that and fast."

"Working on it." Elizabeth replied, taking a deceased soldier's gun. Golden threads burst from her back and tightly wove together to form wings as she ran. Once she no longer had any more fort to run on, she took off to the skies, circling the whole thing in search of boats. She was aided by a helicopter that was taking out as many boats as they could. Their missiles were much more effective than her assault rifle, but she had to make do with what she had, getting much closer to the ships than she would like as she tried to punch holes in them.

Soon, she realised that this wasn't working, however, but was far more effective at taking out any passengers that were standing on the deck. When she ran out of bullets, she went back to her sword, and pierced the sides of many ships and caused them to sink. With a swipe of her blade, she sent ships to a watery grave, but when she elevated herself and flew high, she could see the aftermath of this attack. The waters around the base were red with the blood of the Scarlet Order.

It was a horrific sight, with bodies floating before eventually sinking in the water, or simply laying sprawled out on the floors of the fortress. This was merely a battlefield, however. It was simply the way things were.

Then, out of the blue, Elizabeth's attention was abruptly grabbed as a beam of light struck the side of a boat. From the impact area, large chunks of ice began to grow before the weight eventually caused the ship to tip over. At first, Elizabeth had no idea where the light came from, but the light soon was fired again, striking another ship. This time, the angel was able to see the source of the strange phenomenon, spotting a ship flying two flags. One was the union jack, but above it was a red flag with the silhouette of a heart with a dagger through it on it's face. On top of the boat stood a figure, who soon stepped down from the roof of the vessel and back to safety after a moment.

"It's the turncoat ship!" Elizabeth declared. "Watch out for a ship with the turncoat flag as well as England's. Do not fire at it. I repeat: Do not fire. It is an ally."

Swiftly, the Prudentia sailed about, getting extremely close to other ships without drawing suspicion. From there, it's crew would open fire onto the deck and through the windows of the order's ship. For larger vessels, magic was used, and the figure would step up on the roof again and wield their ice magic. The shadow of Elizabeth above them caught the magic-wielder's eye, and they looked up. Upon seeing the angel, the witch guessed as to which side she was on and gave her a thumbs up.

Indeed, this was an ally ship and they were doing a fantastic job at keeping members of the order from escaping. Elizabeth did her best to keep the ship protected from opposing forces, and the pair made a smashing team. Unfortunately for them, however, a storm was coming, bringing with it more ships.

On the horizon, several smaller ships were visible along with a great big one. It wasn't clear, at first, but all members of the team were notified of the threat and told to prepare for combat once more. Airial reinforcements were sent for as it would appear that the final boss was coming.

"It's the Brahmastra!" shouted the witch of the Prudentia. "They're bringing in more ships."

Once she was certain that the angel had heard her, the witch jumped down from the roof and stepped inside of her boat. She was careful not to slip on it's wet surface and ducked below the small doorframe. Quickly, the witch made her way to the control room of the vessel to speak with the pilot.

"Captain!" called the poor man behind the wheel. "Look at the crystal! It's going nuts!" He pointed to a small purple gem that hung from the ceiling by a firmly bound string. Light was emitting from it's surface from all sorts of different angles, but the captain paid no mind and sat down.

"That's because the Brahmastra is coming." the witch informed. "They're bringing company with them. We've got to put a stop to this or it's our asses on the line as well."

Picking up a headset, she put it on and positioned the microphone in front of her mouth. With that, she reached over to the radio and switched it on, waiting for it to warm up before she spoke,

"Prudentia to the Brahmastra; Prudentia to the Brahmastra; this is Captain Wink speaking, do you copy?" She paused for a moment as she waited for a response, and sure enough, she heard a brief bit of static before she heard a voice.

"This is the Brahmastra radio room speaking to Captain Wink; we read you loud and clear, over."

"The Prudentia is currently circling the Maunsell Fort. There is no sign of life. I repeat: There is no sign of life. The water is completely red. Over." she said, nervously looking to her copilot briefly as she waited for a response.

"Captain Preston wishes to inspect the building for the bodies of Doctor Hobbs and Araneus." said the voice. "Can you verify their status? Over."

Wink froze in an instant as she couldn't answer that question. In truth, she had no idea whether or not those two were alive. She actually hoped that they weren't. Yet she knew that they were essential to Preston's plan, so the man would obviously want to check and see if they were alive. Even if she said that they weren't, however, Preston would want the bodies. It was a lose-lose situation. That ship was coming no matter what.

"No." she finally answered. "I cannot verify the status of Hobbs and Araneus."

"The Brahmastra is on it's way over there." the voice said. "Three kilometers and counting. Over."

"Over and out." Wink said, removing her headset and switching off the radio with a sigh. For a moment, she just sat there and stared at the headset in her hands, contemplating what needed to be done.

"Captain?" called the copilot, beckoning her attention. The woman did not speak right away. Instead, she remained silent until she thought of an answer.

"Pull up under the fort." she instructed before finally standing up "Doesn't matter where. Just hide us. I'm going to talk to that angel."

Turning around, she left the cabin and stepped back out on top of the deck and scanned the skies for her angel. Once she spotted the woman, she waved her arms at her, signaling for her to come closer. It took quite a bit longer than she would have liked to get Elizabeth's attention, but eventually, she succeeded. Gently, the angel descended and landed on the deck in front of her with a curious tilt to her head.

"Captain Wink of the Prudentia." the witch said to give the other woman a name to put to her face.

"Dame Elizabeth Midford." the angel replied. "Do you have any information on the Brahmastra?"

"I tried to get them to think that there was no point in coming, but they want to verify that our scientist, doctor Brent Hobbs, and Preston's newest favourite, Araneus are dead or alive." Wink explained. "They're a little less than three kilometers away. They're bringing backup. I can't take out all of those ships by myself."

"I sent for air support. It should be with us shortly." Elizabeth replied. "Any idea what we're up against?"

"Yes. And it's bad..."

* * *


	290. Show and Hell

* * *

Many ships were sailing across the ocean to the base, many of which were the most dangerous in the fleet. There was the Order of Rose, who manned a large boat and often would set sail on jet skis to attack small vessels. was the Naked Gun, a ship that actually possessed canons and was sailed by people itching to use them. There was the Saint Aphrodite, the Black Emperor, the Sabretooth, the Ramona, the Jackson Juniour, and many, many others. All of them would need to be sunk before the day ran out, along with the Brahmastra, which was the most fearsome ship of them all.

The entire ship was a madhouse and not for the weak of heart, mind, or body. If one wasn't careful, they could very quickly be torn apart. It was the place where all of the creatures that were too dangerous to work with others went. The man-eating Norwegian trolls, and the vampires that where untamed. Many of the vampires and werewolves on the ship were former humans that willingly gave up their humanity so that they could have power and an outlet to be the monster that they truly were at heart freely. Most of Doctor Hobb's deplorable experiments were housed here. New breeds of werewolves and humans that struggled to balance between man and ungodly creature existed on the Brahmastra. The ones that had this done to them by choice, anyway. Some of them joined the crew of the Prudentia when they were forced to fight for the order, and they were welcomed with open arms.

On the deck of the Brahmastra, dogs and monsters roared and howled as they saw the helicopters in the distance. They shot rounds into the air and anticipated the battle that was about to ensue. They rejoiced as the conflict drew near. At last, a chance for them to truly exert their power has arrived.

All at once, they were rendered silent as a voice boomed over the deck, prompting them to listen. They paused and stared up at the control room as their leader spoke. Preston stood, staring down at the deck from behind the glass as he held the microphone up to his mouth and stirred the cauldron further.

"Crew of the Brahmastra! I have exciting news." he began. "Today is the day of a battle. A bloody battle that will shake the very foundation of the order. Today isn't the day of simply another battle where we win land, resources, or allies. No, today is the day of a battle where we crush the dogs of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. once and for all!"

The crowd roared in response, raising their guns and fists in the air while baring their teeth in eager smiles. Such a smile graced Preston's face as well at the sight. A glint appeared in his golden eyes. Indeed, the thought of this battle made his heart tremble with delight as well as the monster inside of him grew bigger.

"The Watchdog has come to collect his beloved pet, making the foolish mistake to enter our territory. Let us show this so-called _'demon'_ what hell really is! Let us make him regret ever being born into this mortal world of beasts and men! Let us remind him why the night is frightening and why the day is no better! Let us show the Watchdog how to fear, just as we have! Let us show H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.! Let us show humanity! We will remind them why they were once afraid of us, the creatures who went bump in the night!

Preston's eyes were wide as he trumpeted their attack. His voice boomed and caused a stirring in the hearts of his fellow beasts. Their frenzy was amplified after each word.

"Raise the flag! Fire flares! Announce our arrival! We, the Scarlet Order, will show them the face of fear! Go! Go and wreak havoc! The Scarlet Order is the order of the new world! A world for our kind without humans! Without their pets! Announce the arrival of this new world with joy! We, the Scarlet Order, will usher in this new world after today! Today is the day where we destroy the strongest pillars of the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization! Today is a day of triumph!"

Preston smiled down on the deck with the face of a madman as his crew erupted in an almost uncontrollable frenzy. The flew the flag of the order and raised the flag of the Brahmastra just as instructed. They fired bullets and emergency flares into the air as well. They manned their own vessels and set forth toward the fort for the small team.

The H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agents and crewmembers of the Prudentia could see them as they approached, and fear started to sink in. They were powerful, yes, but could they handle such a massive army all on their own? Their support had not yet come in, and their enemy was coming in fast. Many members of the Prudentia sunk to the floor and sat there, wide-eyed as despair took hold of them and wouldn't let go. There was no way that they were going to make it out of there, they thought. They were all going to die and there was no doubt between them that it wasn't going to be quick.

"We're doomed..." they kept saying. Again and again, the words escaped their lips. "We're doomed..."

"Shut the fuck up..." Alois said, trying to sit up. His wounds had healed up some in the few hours that the spears had been removed, but he was still in no condition to be moving around. "You're not dead yet, are you? Are you just going to roll over and die?"

"What's the point in it?" one of them asked. "There's no escape. There's no way to win. We're all going to die and there's nothing we can do!"

"There is! All you have to do is quit wallowing in fear and pick up your guns! Even if you're afraid- even if you think there is no point in living, you have to fight! Fighting is the only way that even a slim chance of survival exists! You're giving up before the fight has even begun!"

Sitting up, he put on his husband's jacket, and then he wobble to his knees, where he put on the other demon's coat. Then, he struggled to stand up, eventually having to prop himself up against a wall. He struggled to breathe, having to give his most effort to take in every breath.

"Giving up is what kills people." he said. "I am a man who just refuses to die. Do you think I won't fight with everything I have? As long as I have fingernails, I'll scratch. As long as I have hands and feet, I'll punch and kick. As long as I have teeth, I'll bite. I am a struggler. I will struggle until the day I can't struggle anymore, and that day just isn't coming. Do you think that I'm going to give up on standing just because I've been stabbed? Do you think that I'm going to give up on fighting, too? Never. That's just not who I am. If you want to give up and die, be my guest. It's a shame, since you've come so far."

"We put everything on the line for this..." answered Bonnie, tired and worn out as she sat and tried to capture her breath. "I don't want to give up yet… I just don't know how much longer I can hold up..."

"Rest for now. They aren't here yet. Just be ready to give it everything you got once they get close. The day isn't over yet." Alois replied, putting his fingers to his headpiece.

"Forget the pickup for now. Use the copter to strike enemy forces." the menace instructed the pilot, causing his allies to gasp audibly at the knowledge that they weren't going to be carried to safety right away.

"You're going to leave us to die?!"

"No, I'm stalling. That copter can keep them back a bit to better ensure our escape. They're gonna come after us, but we need to take out as many of them as we can."

"You bastard!" accused one of the crewmen.

"So? We're still gonna make it, whether I'm a bastard or not." the blonde stated. "You lot should probably reload your weapons first."

With no choice, the turncoats were forced to do as instructed. Meanwhile, the menace listened in on what his comrades were saying. He braced himself for an argument with his husband over the copter.

"Jim, get off the battlefield." the Watchdog said sternly, only to frown deeper at his spouse's nonchalance.

"You might need me, though. I can't leave you hanging." the blonde answered. "I can't stay away knowing that. Besides, the copter really will help you, won't it?"

"Yes it will, but you really do need to get out of here and rest. Your wounds are-"

"-Not a problem." Alois interrupted. "Let's finish this today, alright? Then we can go home, and everything's all ticketyboo. Take the copter."

There was a pause before the blonde heard a long sigh from his husband. "You're not budging on this, are you?" Ciel asked.

"Not a bit." bluntly stated the other. "Elizabeth, are you there?"

"Yes I am." the angel replied.

"What's the sitch on your end?"

"Well, we're not really well-equipped for any of this." Elizabeth answered, sounding uncertain. "One boat just isn't enough for all that's coming."

"Even when backed up by two helicopters?" asked the meance.

"Not really."

"How long until backup arrives?"

"About thirty minutes."

"We can stall for that long." nodded the blonde knowingly. "You made it sound like such a big deal..."

"It _is_ a big deal." the Hellsing woman stated with a slight sterness to her voice. "There's an entire army heading right toward us, and it's only a kilometer-and-a-half away!"

"That's part of the fun!" Alois grinned. "A challenge worthy of us. Isn't it grand?"

"Honestly, I can't tell if you're joking or not."

"That makes two of us."

"I do not wish to interrupt, but..." August began, piping in on the conversation. She stood on the outside of one of the buildings, peering out at the ships on the horizon through binoculars. "There are speedboats closing in rapidly. They're going to reach us in a minute or so."

"Machine guns should do the trick." Elizabeth informed.

"Then machine guns, they will get!" Announced the blonde before turning back to his temporary crew.

"Look alive, party people! We've got speedboats!" he said. "We can actually get rid of them pretty easy. Just keep your fire focused on them. They can't hit you from down there."

"What if they make it to the ladder?" questioned one of the turncoats, to which Alois replied:

"Keep your fire focused on them and they won't." With a haughty grin, the man raised his fist in the air. "Show them what hell looks like!"


	291. The Day Hope Died

Armed with guns, several members of the Scarlet Order approached in speedboats, trying to keep the salty spray of water out of their eyes as they rapidly cut through the waves. As they drew closer, the loaded their weapons and prepared for combat as they tried to get to one of the ladders that lead to the buildings above. It was cold and it was wet. It was miserable, but after today, they will reach what they had been promised. Today was the day.

Alas, they did not see the crew of the Prudentia stationed in one of the towers above, and most were cut down in a hail of machine gun fire. The boats simply fell apart, leaving those inside who were not just as riddled with bullets to fend for themselves. Several of them desperately swam to the base, only to meet the Watchdog in the darkness below. He shot them execution style at close range and left them there in cold blood.

Some boats simply hit a wave wrong while trying to evade and were sent rolling violently against the water's surface until they finally crashed and fell apart. Some were struck down with magic from the Prudentia. The Prudentia, however, eventually decided that they needed to pull up underneath the fortress.

"I have people in here who could be more useful up there with guns." Wink informed the Watchdog as he stood guarding the entrance.

He paused momentarily before asking: "Are they marked?"

"With our logo, yes."

With that, the bluenette did not answer her directly. Instead, he thought about it for a moment before placing his fingers up against his earpiece. "More Prudentia crewmembers are coming up on the base with guns. Which tower is best for them to be stationed at?"

"We have plenty of people over here." answered Alois.

"I need people on tower B." said August over the headset. "I'm currently manning it myself, and there are a lot of boats coming this way."

"Right, Wink, was it?" questioned the bluenette.

"Yes." answered the captain of the Prudentia.

"See that tower right there?" he asked, pointing to the underside of one of the towers. "We need your gunmen to be stationed at it's top. You'll find one of our operatives up there as well. She will keep them posted."

"Alright." the witch said, turning back to her crew. "You heard the man! Let's go!"

Her ship pulled out and moved to the other tower. She sent members of her crew up the ladder with guns to aid August before quickly moving out again. Her crew was essential, as now there were no speedboats making it to the ladders below for the Watchdog to deal with. He did however, snipe drivers of boats as they drove by.

The speedboats were easily dispatched, but the Scarlet Order's fleet was still approaching. They were close enough that the copters could fire missiles, taking out several of them at once. Still, the fleet closed in.

"We've got company!" shouted Wink from the Prudentia. "It's the rose jetskis! Watch out!"

She was referring to one of the order's most vicious bands of marine fighters, a band of witches known as "The Order of the Rose". They rode in on jetskis dispatched from their main ship and would attack boats, killing the crew and taking everything that the ship had to offer for the Scarlet Order. Oftentimes, this included the ship itself as well. Several ships in the fleet were acquired this way from this very band, and they were going to be difficult to dispatch.

They avoided the machine-gun fire with bizarre precision. Occasionally, they would fire back, but the bullets bounds off the metal building. The boat that followed suit was too large for Wink to take down herself. The windows were shattered, however, by the machine guns on the roofs of the fortress.

"They've got guns up there!" the driver of the ship screamed into her headset, alerting her comrades below.

"Meg! Which tower?" called back another as she circled the area.

"It's the one to your left!"

"Don't do it, Dianne!" shouted another. "Don't be stupid!"

Despite the warning, the witch began chanting into her headset and took one hand off of the handlebars. The ring on her hand began to glow as she pointed it at the tower. It grew brighter and brighter by the second, but her speed grew slower. She slowed down in order to take better aim, but this was a mistake. The slower she drove, the more able her enemy was at lining up a clear shot.

Sure enough, a shot rang out from below the fort and struck the witch in the chest. Her hands went up in the air as her body recoiled and fell back before landing in the water. The light from her ring shot up into the air and burst into a spectacle of green light like a firework. Similarly, it died out in an instant like one.

From the roof, the members of the Prudentia could see the shot higher than the wall they were sitting behind. They all paused for a moment and watched the display. This is what they were up against. They had to shoot them down.

The fire came on heavier after that, striking down more of the jetskis. A trio of them were staying close together; it was a tactic they used when attacking ships. They would disperse when they got close and surround a ship, but they didn't have a target. Instead, they were circling around the base, unable to complete their next step, only to be brought down. One of them was shot in the side of the head while the other was shot in the back.

"Susan!" called out the one in front. "Amanda!"

"They're down, Elanor!" shouted the witch in the main ship. "Pull back! We need to get away!"

"No!" Elanor barked. "It's not over yet!"

"You stupid bitch! Get back here!"

Elanor quickly made her way to the underside of the base, zigging and zagging so that none of those firing at her could lock on. A bullet grazed her arm, but she carried on. Once she was close to the ladder, she leaped from the jetski and swam through the blood soiled water, staining her skin and clothes red in the process. With a grunt, she made it onto the metal floor just below the ladder and pulled herself up. She took a moment to make sure she had everything she needed before reaching out and wrapping her fingers around one of the bars.

"Hello, there." called a voice from the shadows, prompting her attention.

She turned her head and her eyes widened at the sight of the Watchdog pointing his gun at her. The next thing she knew, a bullet had torn through her life vest and into her chest before exiting out the other side. Elanor fell back and landed on the floor just below the ladder. As she laid there, she could see the light pouring down from the entrance to the building above. Blood dribbled from her mouth and her vision was getting blurry, but she could see it. She was so close to the next stage.

Her gaze shifted, however, as her killer stepped into view. Standing over her, Ciel assessed the damage before deciding that there was no need for a second bullet. She would bleed out very soon. The witch only had minutes left. Thus, with his foot, he nudged her body off of the platform and into the water. He left her floating aimlessly until she was gone entirely.

"Elanor?" called the witch in the Rose order's ship. She stared blankly at the floor as she tried to contact her comrade. "Elanor?! Elanor, are you still there?! Please! Please answer!"

She did not hear the other woman's voice, but she did seemingly get a response. A sound alerted her attention, and prompted her to climb out from underneath the table in the control room and look ahead of her through the windshield. There, she saw a missile heading right toward her as it launched from the helicopter. Taking off her headset, she stared straight ahead with a stunned expression, completely numbed by what she was seeing. Then, the mircophone fell from her grasp and landed on the floor.

"Preston lied." she mumbled just before impact.

A massive ball of fire erupted from the ship of the Order of Rose, and it was not the only one to meet this fate. Many more ships were sunk in the same manner by the circling helicopters. The more boats that approached, the more that sank. None of them could even launch a counter attack as they were out of range.

Hope was becoming scarce for the Scarlet Order, but the turncoats and H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. rejoiced as home seemed to be coming. The bombs kept dropping and the blood-stained ocean was now bursting into flame. Some ships started to sink, while others just continued to burn until they couldn't anymore. The first wave of forces from the Scarlet order were almost completely wiped out and the boats toward the back could see. Those on the radio were unfortunate enough to hear the last panicked messages of the crewmen on those ships as they went down or as the radio on the other end was destroyed. Hours went by like this, and in the meantime, more helicopters arrived from both H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and British military forces.

In the bleakest hours of it, some ships of the Scarlet Order's fleet broke from formation and attempted to flee, only to isolate and draw attention to themselves. Very quickly, they were dispatched. Sometimes, other ships on their own side would fire at them for their betrayal. The armada was shrinking fast and no one was convinced that they were going to prevail. Not even the organization's leader.

Preston looked out as he stood on the deck of the Brahmastra. He looked out at his fleet, as they sank, as the burned, as they perished. His brow furrowed and the metal bar he was leaning against crumpled in this grasp. He saw more ships flying the wrong flag as they approached. They flew the flag of the Prudentia, much to his astonishment, and were allowed to pass. Once near the base, Preston saw them circle around and begin to attack his forces. Their comrades! The man's face warped as he snarled and bared his teeth.

 _"_ _TRAITORS!"_ he roared at the top of his lungs. He turned around to climb all the way back to the control room in order to notify his remaining forces of the discovery, but then, things took a turn for the worse, for Preston.

The missile traveled so fast that the man could barely see it as it hit. In an instant, the Brahmastra had lost its radio but had caught fire. The pressure from the blast knocked Preston back on his rear, but he could see it. He could see his ambition go up in flames.

"The Brahmastra is burning!" shouted crewmembers of the neighbouring ships, and at once, they began assembling their witches to put out the fire with magic. The Brahmastra had no witches. It was too dangerous for them aboard.

The monsters that were on the ship scrambled as they hadn't the foggiest idea as to what to do. Some tried manning lifeboats, and others shot those trying to get to the lifeboats so that they could take them as their own. Others caught fire and burned with the control room. More still tried to put out the blaze with buckets, but without much luck. Some leaped from the ship and swam to nearby ones to escape. They were pulled aboard by their neighbours and carried on in their mission.

All of this was lost on the Omid as he simply stared at everything in awe. This was not how things were supposed to go. He didn't know what success was going to look like yet, but he knew that this was not it. He never wanted this. He doesn't want this to be the end!

With nothing more to say, he merely howled at the sky like a wild beast. He had no clever remark. He had no backup plan. There were no tricks. There were no trump cards. This was his only hand. This was all that Preston had and it still wasn't enough. It would never be enough.

No! Preston was determined not to die here. Today wasn't the day! He would not give in! He could still fight! This was not how it would end! So long as he was still here, still breathing, it was not the end! The H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. dogs would die!

His yell was cut short as pain shot through him, radiating though his entire body. The black growth on his torso had crawled up his shoulder and covered most of his chest, save for the pentagram-shaped scar burned into his skin.

"Uwooo…!" Air was pushed from his lungs, making a hollow sound as he doubled over. The Black Annis was crawling up his neck and had reached his chin. It began to wrap around his head as it made its way down his arm as well. More growths appeared on his body, tearing the skin and ripping his flesh away. Preston stared at the surface of the deck beneath his feet and saw his own saliva drip as he continued to gasp for air. His body was covering itself in black armour, replacing his skin with the substance.

"AAAAAGGHH!" The back of Preston's head was completely covered and all that remained visible of his skin was his face and ears. He straightened his back, trying to maintain control of himself, but the pain was almost too much for him to bear. The Black Annis growths amassed on his back and grew long, forming two sets of arms just as it did last time he faced the Phantomhives.

It was not over. None of this was over. Only when Preston was no longer standing would it be over. He would fight them. He would fight them all until his last breath. All of the bridges had burned just like the flames to his back as he looked out at his ships; as he looked toward the end! The only direction Preston could move was forward. Onward! There was nothing left for him. There was nothing left of Preston. All that remained with a pitch black, golden-eyed monster who wanted to hold the world in the grasp of his six arms. If he could not have it, the world could burn with him.


	292. Demons of Wrath

The water around the Maunsell base was dyed red with blood and fire floated atop it's surface as Scarlet Order ships continued to sink. The crew of the Prudentia were growing tired and simply wanted to lie down and rest. Their bodies ached and their eyelids grew heavy. Their minds were exhausted and none of them knew how much longer they could hold out until they began to crack.

They began cycling out teams within the team so that one group will be able to rest while the other fights. Then they would switch. Even Alois pitched in and fired however he could, sitting propped up against the wall and aiming though one of the vents in the wall. Thankfully, the helicopters over head were doing most of the work. It was thanks to them that everything was going so smoothly.

In one of the towers, however, a filing cabinet was lifted by a massive clawed hand. Grunting, the hairy, dog-like beast of a man tossed it to the side and rubbed the side of his head. Doctor Hobbs wasn't able to stand up right away. He had yet to regain his vision completely and everything blurred. Taking his hand away from his head, however, he could see his fingers being covered in red. That explained the throbbing pain in the back of it. At least now the man knew that he possessed regenerative capabilities, despite it taking almost a full day to recover from having his skull bashed in. Groggily, he stumbled to his feet and looked outside, only to see the mayhem.

Bodies littered the floors of the towers and the bridges connecting them. The metal surfaces were stained red with blood and the sea was on fire. Ghost ships floated on its surface before eventually sinking beneath the reddened waters. At the sight of all of this put the doctor under arrest, capturing him in a state of pure awe.

Sadness didn't come to him. Neither did fear. If anything, there was confusion. He was disoriented to begin with, but now he was confronted with surroundings that were similar to the ones he knew, but were more horrific.

In this state, he stumbled forward, stepping over corpses and trying not to slip in puddles. It was only due to the fact that the turncoats were watching the sea, that he didn't get gunned down on the spot. Crossing the bridge before him he reached a new tower, and from it's top he heard gunfire.

"Still fighting..." he mumbled. He addressed no one as he spoke with slurred speech. In truth, he thought of his own side when he heard the shots, luring him up the stairs to the rooftop. The door was heavy, but he managed.

At the top, however, he found the crewmembers of the Prudentia, staring at him with stunned eyes. He was not supposed to be there, but he was oblivious to this fact. The sole reason why he made it passed that door was because no one was guarding it. They figured that all of the other inhabitants of the base that were not on their side where deceased.

"What's the latest status report?" Hobbs questioned. "What's going on?"

A sound alerted his attention, causing his head to turn and his eyes to focus. It was the sound of a gun clicking as it became live. The hand that held the weapon belonged to none other than Jim Phantomhive, supposed prisoner of the order.

"Why is he out?!" demanded the doctor in disbelief. "What is going on here!?"

"A coup de'tat, good doctor." spoke the menace. "The Order has fallen."

"What are you talking about?" Hobbs asked before turning to the others. "What is he talking about!?"

More guns aimed at the man as everyone there knew that he could not make it out of here alive. It was impossible. Furthermore, it was dangerous to have him here. In response to this, the doctor simply looked around, still shocked that all of this could be happening. Then, his eyes fell to the ground, where they honed in on the body of one of his experiments.

"Araneus!" he shrieked, grasping at the sides of his head. For a moment, he stared down at the corpse before taking a step forward. In doing so, he earned himself a gunshot wound to the shoulder.

"He's dead, Hobbs, and the world is a better place because of it." Alois stated. His tone was sharp and icy.

"He would have created the first ever 'natural' birth of a demon ever recorded!" the wolfman replied. "That isn't better! It's a loss!"

"Nah. One less monster is always a win."

In a flash, the doctor was right I front of the demon, his massive body looming over him. Hobbs' eyes were wide and his brow was furrowed as he stared down at the menace, grabbing his arm when Alois tried to aim his weapon. He then lifted the Phantomhive up off the ground by his wrist, gun still in hand.

"He was no monster!" the doctor declared. "He was beautiful! He was a creator of life! Life that has never been seen by the world before! And you murdered it! You're the monster! Demon! How dare you touch what is mine?!"

"Pretty easily." bluntly answered the menace, raising his free hand. "It's a lot like this!" In an instant, the blonde's fingers were lodged into the wolfman's eye-socket, causing the beastman to cry out in pain.

"Shoot him!" ordered the menace as he was swung around. Several shots fired into Hobbs' back, furthering his desperation. With one mighty movement, the doctor swung his arm and let go of Alois' wrist, sending him over the wall and off of the roof.

Alois' eyes widened in horror as he hadn't the faintest idea as to what lied below. Hearing gunshots all the way down, he fell, and he fell fast. Instead of hitting water, however, he struck metal, hitting the deck of a passing ship with crushing force. His body dented the floor and his wounds reopened. As air was forced from his lungs, he coughed up large amounts of blood as well. His vision was blurred and his head was spinning. He tried to get up, but his body betrayed him, causing him to crumple into a heap.

"Jim?" the other Phantomhive said aloud, sensing that something was wrong. His head shot up and he tried to lock on to the menace's signature as he stared toward the ceiling, only to find nothing. Then he looked around, finding that Alois' presence was coming from a new direction entirely.

"Shit..." It registered that Alois was on one of the nearby ships. Immediately, he began to head out, talking into his headset along the way. "Jim fell from the tower! He's on one of the boats!"

"What?!" called Elizabeth, shocked at the news. "Which one?!"

"It's near the tower he was stationed at!" informed the bluenette, alerting those who were airbourne.

"I see it! Do you want me to handle it?"

"No! He's mine!" declared the bluenette as he made his way up the ladder. "I mean, I'll take care of it."

"You're so sweet, but so crazy..."

"Shut up!"

Elizabeth could be heard laughing on the other end, watching as glided through the air and circled the base. She could see the menace and she could see her cousin going after him. She could tell Alois was alive, so she wasn't too concerned in that regard. Instead, her concern came from another source as one of the helicopter pilots began screaming into his headset.

"Something's got me! Fuck, fuck, fuck! Something's got me!" He screamed, his voice breaking in the process. Turning her head, Elizabeth could see the copter in question. "I'm going down!"

"What's going on?!" the woman demanded, trying to see what was wrong with the aircraft as it spun with smoke trailing behind it. Squinting, she could see a blackened figure clinging onto the helicopter before finally releasing it just as it was past the point of recovery. The pilot's microphone was cut off as he hit the water.

"Hello?!" asked Elizabeth. "Hello?!"

Her gaze fell to the figure as it fell with purpose, heading straight for the ship that the two demons were on. With a loud _boom_ the figure struck the ships surface as it continued to burn. Ciel called out to his husband from his place on the ladder, even though he wasn't sure if the other man could hear him. The blonde Phantomhive looked up to see that the figure had landed in front of him and stared down at him.

"Oh..." Alois said absent-mindedly. "It's you… You look terrible..."

Preston stared down at his former friend with his teeth bared and his eyes aflame. His pupils were slit and his golden eyes glowed against the blackness of the armour that concealed all but his face. The Omid looked like a less elegant version of his nightmares. Six fists clenched and unclenched as Preston tried to kill the demon with his eyes to no avail.

"Get up."Preston ordered in a grainy voice. "Get up, demon!"

"Do I have to?" questioned the menace, only to be picked up by the neck and hoisted into the air. This time, there was no wall to lean on, so the Omid was supporting his weight on his own. Alois' feet dangled inches from the ground and he choked momentarily as he attempted to maintain a steady flow of air into his lungs. "Oh, you're still mad?"

"You stole my victory!" Preston accused. "My army… Look at what you've done!"

"More like what _you_ have done." retorted the menace. "None of this had to happen. I told you that they would come if you had me. Furthermore, none of this would have happened if you stayed in London. It is _your_ fault."

"There was nothing for me in London. My future was taken from me!"

"Oh, don't give me that. Your future was limitless, if you just tried." Alois stated. "You threw it all away because you wanted to wallow in whatever funk you were feeling."

"You did this!"

"No, I didn't. Sometimes, things aren't anybody's fault and life just sucks. You got dealt a shitty hand. I know what that's like, pal, but you don't see me raising an army just to jerk my own ego and make me feel strong."

 _"_ _Rraagh!"_ Swinging his arm downward, Preston slammed the blonde's head into the ground, forcing out a pained noise from the menace. As he laid there, Alois looked into the other man's eyes and saw that all reason was gone from him.

"Boo-hoo..." Alois coughed. "Go ahead… Cry… Cry about how shitty your life is… How you can't go back home to your family… How you can't even step foot in your country… Oh, maybe you should cry about how you're being hunted by the government, too… Also how your army is failing… Boo-hoo… Oh, woe is me… My life is so hard just because I decided to become an international criminal… Boo-hoo-hoo!"

His head was slammed into the ground again and the grip on his throat tightened. Raising his hands, he gripped Preston's and tried to slip his fingers underneath the man's palm to pry it off. The blonde's smile faded with this and his eyes clenched shut. Then, he moved his right hand up the man's arm in hopes of pushing him away.

"I was dying!" Preston hissed between clenched teeth. "I was dying and there was no other choice! I still have no choice!"

_"_ _Whose… fault... is that?"_

"Yours!"

_"How?"_

"It just is!"

There was no logic to be found in Preston's arguments. He had lost all reason long ago. The fact of the matter is, it was uncertain if Preston himself truly believed what he was spouting. What lied beyond the path he had chosen was nothing but a dead end. Every single bridge had been burned and the inferno was drawing closer to Preston. There was simply nothing left, he was right. Things didn't need to be this way, but despair was a powerful thing. It can cause madness to creep into the minds of the most sound of men. There was nothing left for Preston now.

He had no home, no family, no friends. He had no army. He had no ships. He had nothing but his body and his soul left of him. That was all he had to fight with and all he had to lose.

"What happened to Araneus?" he asked, letting up off the blonde's neck slightly.

"I killed him." the menace answered. "Killed him and enjoyed every bit of it."

"And Hobbs?"

"Dead."

With that, the Omid's grip returned and he swung his fist, striking the menace in the face. Then he swung another, and another. If Alois wasn't careful, he was going to have a hard time recovering from this.

He did his best to obtain at least one good eye, although his vision was blurred and he occasionally only saw white. With one hand, he tried to pry the other's away, while with the other, he felt along Preston's arm. His fingers lingered over the underside of the Omid's elbow while Preston continued his assault. It took everything Alois had to drown out the feeling of the punches, while he instead focused on his own index and middle fingers. He began focusing a lot of energy there as his arm began to glow. Taking his arm away again, he cocked it back as much as he could, before letting go and stabbing through the weak spot in the armour with all of his might, breaking the skin.

Preston let out a yell before letting go of the blonde and taking a step back. Alois didn't have time to regain his senses. He needed to sit up and crawl away while the seed took hold. While the menace had only used this technique on a person once, he knew it was affective. Preston would soon know as well as greenery began to sprout from the wound. The Omid's face contorted further, this time adding more pain. Quickly, he clutched at his arm and grabbed the vine before attempting to yank it out, but it was too late. It had already began to bore into his flesh and take root.

_"_ _What did you do?!"_

"Fuck you, that's what!" Alois replied, being unwilling to stick around and answer Preston properly. He was in no condition to fight, so he needed to create as much distance from them as possible.

The vines dug into Preston's muscle beneath his armour and wrapped around his bones. Indeed, Alois had once used this same technique on none other than Araneus, but decided it was necessary again now. His former friend screamed in pain and clawed at his arm, but he could not rid himself of the parasitic plants. They began burrowing up his arm, reaching his bicep, now. Preston had all five of his remaining arms to attempt to rid himself of this horrific pain, but nothing worked. It was going to spread, if he didn't do something fast.

With one hand, he stuck his fingers through the crack in his armour and attempted to pull the piece away for better access, only to cry out in pain as his flesh was revealed. The Black Annis armour had torn parts of his skin off with it. His teeth ground together and his face contorted in pain as he removed an adequately sized piece so that he could reach inside. Boring his clawed fingertips inside and grasping hold of the seed.

Eyes stayed locked on one another; golden on icy blue, as with a swift movement of the arm, the beast yanked out the offending seed along with many vines. The rest of the plant matter soon died within his appendage, causing him pain still, but it mattered not. Preston's skin regenerated and so did his armour. Steam escaped between his teeth and from his nostrils as he huffed out.

"Disgusting..." Alois said. "Preston has died completely, hasn't he?"

"No! I am here! Still here!" roared the beast.

"No… My friend is dead."

"We're! Not! Friends!" The monster lunged at the menace, it's legs carrying it at inhuman speeds. Preston cocked back three of his arms and prepared to strike, aiming directly for the incapacitated Phantomhive. Closing his eyes, Alois prepared for impact, but it came in a different form than expected.

Alois let out a sound of surprise as he was swiftly picked up and carried out of Preston's line of fire. The arms around him felt familiar and safe, bringing him a renewed sense of calm. He knew why. Opening his eyes, he confirmed his suspicions, seeing his spouse concentrating on getting him to safety. Once Ciel noticed the blonde looking at him, however, he stopped his movement and smiled.

"Hello, honey." the Watchdog said. "I got to see you sooner than expected."

"You got lucky." Alois grinned back. "Unfortunately, I'm not. I don't think I can fight that _thing._ "

"I'll handle it." his beau said as he kissed his cheek. Gently, he set the blonde down so that his wounds weren't disturbed. The bluenette even tried to wipe the other man's dirtied cheek with his thumb, but to no avail. "There should be a handkerchief in one of those pockets, if you want it."

"I'll be fine. I wish I could say the same for _him_." Pointing his finger, he drew the Watchdog's attention away from himself and onto their shared foe. Their former friend continued to seethe and snarl, prompting Ciel's attention.

"I'll take care of it." he said. "You rest, now."

"Be safe." Alois replied, causing a genuine smile to grace the Watchdog's face. The bluenette stood and faced his foe, but not before answering.

"I will." Ciel said before he began walking.

He walked toward the blackened beast with his head held high. His chest was out, his shoulders back, and his fists clenching and unclenching. As he drew further from his husband and closer to his opponent, his smile fell, leaving him with a scowl.

It was a face that held no sympathy for the Omid. Not one single shred of it. Preston made his choice. From there, he continued to make choices; all of them bad. Even now, he wasn't making the wisest description, nor was he even in the right.

"Preston Omid..." he began, using his thumb to press down on his knuckles, cracking them. "You have betrayed your country, turn you back on your friends and family, claimed land that was not yours to claim, and led over a hundred supernaturals to their death needlessly… All of that demands punishment, but none of that is the true reason why I am furious right now."

His tone was not firey but icy and cold. While Preston burned, his rage consuming all in his path, Ciel's anger; his fury, was cruel in intent and contained with deadly precision. Ciel's chest burned, indeed, but was a ticking time-bomb. Once his thick layer of ice melted away, his eruption would burn so brightly, that it would smother Preston's and reduce him to ash.

"You have disrespected and brought harm to the Phantomhive family." the bluenette continued, his fist finally clenching. "For that alone, you must pay. As to whatever goal you're hoping to accomplish in all of this, I quite frankly don't give a damn. Whatever it was, however, it certainly wasn't worth putting your hands on my husband for."

In a flash, Ciel's eye glowed crimson. The ice had begun to crack, as his rage was becoming clear. That eye revealed it. With it came flame coming off of the man's body; black as night. All at once, it erupted, transforming Ciel's appearance as he donned his demonic garb. His horns grew, as did fangs. The Phantomhive was not wasting any time with playing games. He was going to finish this now.

"Whatever the hell you're planning doesn't matter." snarled the Watchdog. His teeth were bared, his body took a fighting stance and he roared with all of his might. His calm demeanor had crumbled away.

_"I'll destroy you for making Jim cry!"_

Preston clenched his own fists, all six of them, as he prepared for combat. "Once I'm finished, _I_ will stop _all_ of the cries!"


	293. As The Sun Sets

Muscles tensing, the two combatants launched themselves forward, teeth bared and fists clenched. Preston cocked back three of his arms and once his opponent was in range, he swung them at Ciel's head. Ducking down low, the bluenette was able to evade and prepared an attack of his own.

With all of his might, he swung his fist into the Omid's abdomen. The force of the great demon's blow cracked Preston's armour easily, forcing the air out of his lungs. Without giving the six-armed beast the chance to recover, Ciel followed through and gave the man an uppercut with his other fist. Preston bit down as to not bite his tongue, but then tried to throw his own punch.

Bringing his arms up, he swung them all down on top of the bluenette. While Ciel was able to block two of them, he couldn't defend against them all. Thus, he was struck down with his face on the floor. Swiftly, the Omid grabbed the back of his cloak and lifted the Phantomhive off of the ground. He then spun around, creating greater momentum for when he let go of the bluenette and sent him flying. Having Ciel in a vulnerable state in the air, he ran at him as fast as he could. When he caught up, he leaped into the air and cocked back his arms on his right side in preparation to strike.

Lifting his leg, Ciel was able to block one of the arms whilst catching the other two. His other foot slammed into the side of Preston's face and he pushed against it while pulling on the arms. Leaning back, he was able to spin them around so that when they began to descend, Ciel landed firmly on top of the Omid while the beast harshly hit the ground.

The impact dented the metal floor considerably and Preston's head was spinning. Ciel released one of the arms and took hold of the other with both hands, now before giving it a rough pull. The armour around the Omid's wrist began to crack from the force of Ciel's grasp, and the arm started to weaken where it was connected to Preston's back.

 _"_ _GAH!"_ Preston roared, and in one movement, he swung both of his remaining right arms at the bluenette, causing the man to surrender his place standing on top of the Omid, but as he did, he used the movement to spin and swing the man by the arm. Preston as forced to utter another guttural sound of pain as he struck the ground again. This time, however, his arm was twisted and could no longer be used until it was repaired.

Slamming his foot into the metal floor, Preston lifted himself and grabbed hold of the bluenette with four of his remaining limbs and swinging at him with the fifth. His fist struck the side of the Phantomhive's face, causing a loud booming sound to ring out. Once again, he cocked his arm back to strike the other man a second time, only for Ciel to catch his fist before impact could be made. With his own free hand, Ciel struck Preston right in the nose. He could feel the bone break as the action caused the leader of the Scarlet Order to release him.

Reeling back, Preston clutched at his face with his main arms. He had to inspect the damage as well as quell the pain. Once he took his hands away, however, he glared directly into the demon's mismatched eyes with a snarl. His teeth were bared, and black liquid dripped from his nose and down his face. Witnessing this, the Phantomhive's eyebrows raised before his face adopted a more somber look.

"So… even your blood has been blackened by Black Annis..." Ciel observed. "Is there anything left of you?"

"I am still here." Preston answered. "If I'm still here, that's all that matters! I will fight you, no matter what! Even if it costs me my body… Even if it costs me my soul!"

"So says someone who does not understand the weight of a soul..." the Phantomhive said. He looked at the other man coldly. "Such a valuable thing shouldn't be wasted on a pursuit so petty and meaningless."

"It isn't meaningless! I will bring H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. to it's knees! And when I do, I will create a place where supernaturals can live without fear of humans!"

"Listen to yourself… _'I will do this', 'I will do that',_ but the question is how? You have no army. You have no support. You have nothing. You threw it all away. Even your wretched self… All of this suffering… All of this anguish… It is completely self-inflicted. You are responsible for your own actions, Preston. You had a new lease on life, but you threw it away so that you could wallow in self-pity."

"Be quiet..." Presten growled. " _You_ did this! _You_ and the others! I could have lived a normal, happy, life, but then _you_ came along! _You and him!_ With your monsters and nightmares… _You_ did this!"

Scoffing, the demon stared right through the beast as he straightened his back, staring him down. "Oh?" Ciel asked. "So it was supernaturals who caused you such misery? If it weren't for supernaturals, you would have lived happily? But you're trying to save them, are you not?"

"Shut up!"

"Why? So you won't have to acknowledge your own contradictions? You've been so caught up in this bizarre revenge story that you haven't even figured out a plot! You just want to throw a tantrum on a massive scale."

"I said shut up!"

"Never." the Phantomhive retorted. "I won't ask you why you did all of this, however. I already know. You're afraid and feel powerless, so you sought out as much power as possible so that you can lash out. You got greedy and became arrogant. That led you here when you didn't have the means to defeat us. This was a last hurrah for you and you knew it."

Furrowing his brow, the Omid growled at the man before him, clenching his fists. Indeed, he did know, and knew that it was futile. All of this was. Preston simply went in too deep in his darkest hour, and was suffering the consequences, even now. He felt hopless, powerless, like everything was for naught. His time at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. was time in hell. He was not a fighter. He became one! Preston wanted nothing more but to lash out at the organization for shoving him around through bureaucratic systems that didn't perceive him as a person with thoughts, hopes, dreams, and feelings. Thus, he started the Order, and everything grew out of hand rapidly until it was no longer sustainable. Really, the Omid should have quit while he was ahead.

It all fell apart before he knew the weight of what he had done. Quickly, he had to flee, and he did, growing angrier by the mile sailed away from England. That anger was misdirected, however. It was focused on H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and the Phantomhives. He placed the blame on those two families when in reality, the blame belonged to no one but himself. His rage was to distract him from his own fault. So was this army. So was everything! It was a diversion so that he could forget fear and sorrow. Thus, he became the source of it! Then, yet another unexpected element came into play.

Before long, Preston realised that he liked the power of being the ruler of these people. He learned the pleasure of claiming land and gaining followers who would help him in supporting his ego. Truly, it was a delight that most are not sick enough to partake of. It was the monsters' drug. Preston was transforming into something truly heinous; a monster of greed and anger!

So! It was Preston who had become what he claimed to despise most! He is a monster, and the sweet whisper of Black Annis helped him along the way. The power of being able to crush bones with a single blow was intoxicating. Most men would either crumble from the burden, or give in to the temptation to use it for evil. That is exactly what Preston did.

He sacrificed everything to pursue his ego. His friends, his family, his homeland, his body, his mind, his soul, and the lives of over a hundred beings were all sacrificed to advance his growing lust for power. Now he is back again before his old friend, who was bringing reality crashing down around him.

No! He would not be persuaded! Preston knew that he was in the right! He was just! He was fair! He was above the likes of Phantomhive, and he would show him that this truth is indeed real!

"If that's what it takes to destroy you," he began, _" so be it!"_

Once again, the Omid lunged with all of his might, swinging his fists wildly. This time, however, it was different. Ciel was ready for him. With ungodly speed, Ciel met every single one of the Omid's punches, blocking them with his fists. The Phantomhive swung his fists wildly, causing his knuckles to bleed, but still he persisted. This monster would be vanquished before the sun sets!

With every blow, Ciel chipped away at the Black Annis arms, causing cracks to form and small pieces to fall off. With one last punch, one of them shattered completely, sparking a chain reaction. Preston reeled back, but recovered and tried once more, only to have two more taken from him.

"GRAH!" the beast cried out as he took a step back.

In that moment, Ciel drew his sword from black flame and swung upward. The soiled blood of Preston Omid painted the ground black as well as one of his arms of flesh was severed from him. With his free hand, he grabbed hold of Preston's last arm of Annis, placed just below his true right arm. Raising his leg, he kicked the man in the stomach, shattering his armour as well as he pulled with all of his might. Eventually, the Phantomhive conceeded that he did not have the momentum to sever the arm with brute force, so he slammed the metal handle of his blade, guard and all, down on a particularly large crack. Thus, he ridded the arm of its owner and tossed it to the side. With another swing, he slammed the guard of the sword into the side of Preston's face, sending him falling helplessly to the ground with only one arm to reach out and catch himself with.

Emitting a loud grunt on impact, Preston laid there for a moment longer before hearing the bluenette's footsteps growing closer. His blood continued to seep onto the deck as he was unable to regenerate just yet. He was too tired and in too much pain. Still, he propped himself up on what he had left and looked up, only to find the end of a sword in his face.

As he looked up, he could see Ciel's face. It was stern, but not cold. In fact, hints of melancholy showed through, giving the Omid a bit of insight into what the man was thinking. He was an enemy, and yet, a former friend; that is why there was hesitation before the bluenette dealt the final blow.

"I won't ask you why." Ciel said again, his voice softer now. "Nor will I forgive you. You made your choice. You decided to commit all of those crimes and to harm the man I love. That fact cannot be changed." Pausing, he waited so that the other would have the chance to say something back. When no words came, however, Ciel simply carried on.

"What I will ask of you is that you hold your head high." he said. "You fought long and hard, but you will still fall. Fall with dignity, at the very least."

There was no way that Preston could conceal the terror on his face as he looked up at his former friend. It had dawned on him for the first time in ages that this was checkmate. He could no longer run. He could no longer hide. He could no longer fight.

In fact, Preston knew that Ciel had gone easy on him. And he was ashamed. There was no way that he could have won. He isn't quick or clever enough. He lacked power, too, even after spending so long gathering it up. It wasn't enough. It never would be.

What for was the Phantomhive asking this of him? All he needed to do was thrust the blade forward. But, despite all of this and despite everything that had happened; deep down, Ciel still felt a smidgen of familiarity with the Omid. It was for this reason that the man did not end things right then and there. Ciel, being the old, noble soul that he is, was not giving Preston the chance to live, but the chance to die with some degree of grace.

The tip of the blade lingered over the scar on Preston's chest where a diabolic signature once was, as it was the only place on his torso where the Black Annis refused to grow. Still, Preston thought and he thought hard. He didn't know how to do what was asked of him. He didn't know what it meant. Still, he had to act, and act quickly.

He moved so that he was sitting on his legs and raised his remaining arm. With it, he wrapped his fingers around the Phantomhive's blade, gripping it tightly, even as it embedded the shards of cracked armour into his skin further. He held the weapon steady in place and looked up, meeting the bluenettes' gaze.

"If you're going to kill me, look at me when you do it..." Preston said. "Show me that you won't hesitate. Show me that you aren't afraid. We aren't friends. There is no reason for you to back down. There is no reason for you to give me your pity! Spare me that honour crap and just do it!"

Once those words reached the bluenette's ears, a somber smile graced his face. That was it. That was everything that Ciel needed to hear. With that, the grip on the handle of his sword tightened and he moved forward. The blade slipped through Preston's hand and pierced his chest. It stuck out the other side, dripping blackness onto the ground as the leader of the Scarlet Order's eyes widened and he choked on air.

Golden eyes stared into crimson as they began to lose focus. The hand that was on the blade now clasped at the Phantomhive's arm, digging its fingers into the fabric of his coat. Then, Ciel retrieved his sword, pulling it out quickly and causing more blood to spurt. Preston's eyes then slowly traveled to the ground, where he observed the black, inky substance mixing with small pools of red.

"Ha..." Preston began. He interrupted himself as he coughed violently, but he managed to calm himself down. His eyes lost their glow and his pupils grew round, but still, he spoke with a weak smile.

"Looks like there was some scarlet left in me after all."

He held onto the Phantomhive until he no longer had the strength, causing him to fall backward. Preston landed on his back with a hollow _thud._ There, he laid motionless. Glassy eyes stared unblinking up at the sky, but they were unable to admire the blend of colour that the setting sun brought, as they could see nothing but black.


	294. Roll The Tape

Warwick Academy, the crème de la crème of academia, where the children of the social elite of Britain go to receive their education. These familiar halls are the scene of many strange happenings, usually happening to a very particular group of seven students. On this day, however, nothing particularly remarkable occurred. It was a lazy Monday morning and most of the school was recovering from the weekend, yet students conversed with one another regardless. Some did so simply to wake themselves up! One particular student was a fifteen-year-old boy who went by the name of Preston Omid.

Preston was the son of the owner of SOMA Electronics, which sold various electronic devices and appliances at high quality. As he sat in the classroom, he listened to his friends as they chatted about this, that, and the other. There was the loud-mouthed and somewhat obnoxious Daniel Westley, whose father was a popular politician running for public office at the time. There was Kristopherson Miles, the son of a famous movie star and fashion designer. Next to them sat Travis Sullivan, the son of the CEO of a jewelry company that wrote romance novels on the side and a former professional wrestler, followed by the son of the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, Audrey Baines. Then last but not least were the mysterious but inseparable Ciel Phantomhive and Alois Trancy.

"I dunno what I wanna do when I graduate." said Daniel, leaning back in his seat. "I guess I'll become a politician like my dad."

"You guess?" questioned Kristopherson, arching his brow at his friend with earned skepticism. "You don't seem very committed to the idea."

"Oh yeah? And what do you wanna do, Krissy-boy?"

"Probably become a fashion designer." stated the Miles lad. "Not because of my parents, or anything, I just like it."

"Lucky." said Audrey. "I doubt I could do anything like become a professional gamer. My mum wouldn't care for that, much."

"None of us need to have it figured out right away." piped up Travis on a rare occasion where he actually decided to speak. "We have time to think about it."

"Yeah, you do that, Travis." snorted the Westley boy. "How am I supposed to find my trophy wife if I'm old and wrinkly? I know I can probably find a gold digger, but I want something real."

"Not likely to happen, since you're fake as fuuuuuuuccckkkk." retorted another lad, Alois Trancy. He spoke with a big grin and sat on the edge of his boyfriend's desk.

"Fuck you!"

"No, thanks…"

"What are you gonna be doing after school, Alois?" asked Preston, curious as to what the strange blonde had in store. Surely it must be something peculiar, knowing the menace and his hijinks, but he was about to be disappointed.

"I dunno. I kind of want to go to university." answered the menace. "I want to be a grade A detective, someday."

"You? A detective?" scoffed Daniel. "And me being a politician is weird?"

"Yes, actually." said Audrey. "Who in their right mind would vote for you?"

The conversation carried on with the boys arguing back and forth about their hopes and aspirations. Alois was laughing as Daniel was grilled about his politician idea, while the more quiet members of the seven looked on. They were content with just observing, listening in, but eventually, they started talking amoungst themselves.

"What about you, Preston?" inquired Travis. "What do you want to do?"

It took a while before Preston came up with an answer for him, however. He had thought about it extensively, yet he still didn't have a sure-fire plan for the future. He could not see beyond the present, so he didn't know what was in store for him.

"I don't really know." he finally stated. "I kinda want what most people want. Get a good job, make enough money to live comfortably, find a nice girl and start a family… That kind of stuff. I don't know what I'm going to end up doing for sure, though."

Initially, he expected to be met with the same treatment as Daniel, but soon found himself to be pleasantly surprised. Even Ciel cracked a small smile in response. His expression, although hard to read, wasn't mocking in the slightest.

"That's perfectly alright." Ciel said. "Like Travis said earlier, you have time. Most people don't know what they're going to wind up doing. Even I don't know what the future holds."

"Do you have any ideas, at least?" asked the Omid, raising an eyebrow as the bluenette turned his head away. It was only when he followed the Phantomhive's eye did he observe that Ciel was looking at his boyfriend.

"A couple." replied the Phantomhive, leaving it at that. The bluenette always was somewhat hard to read, although it would become easier to do so over time.

Time would pass, and things would happen. Friendships would be tried, strengthened, and tried again before eventually falling apart. Milestones would be reached and tragedy would occur. Good things would, too, as Preston's story carried on, but ultimately it would come to an end just like that of most mortal beings. Replaying his final moments, the cinematic reel grew shorter and shorter by the second before eventually running out.

Nudging her glasses with a sigh, the reaper viewing the reel would make her judgment while standing in the autopsy room of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters. She paused to tuck her long red hair behind her ear before digging around for her stamp. With that, she marked the evaluation of Preston Omid "Complete".

"What a tragic end..." the grim reaper shook. "Then again, that's why it is also beautiful. Such cruelty! Such betrayal! It really gets my blood pumping!"

"I'm not sure if I'll ever understand your aesthetic, Miss Sutcliffe..." sighed Miranda as she put away her gloves and washed her hands. "I think it's better that way. The Black Annis was starting to spread all over his body. It would have been much more painful."

"Is that what those spots on the x-rays are?" asked the red-headed reaper as she pointed up at the display. On it were several x-rays and scans illuminated from the back, showing how the infection had progressed throughout Preston's body. _"E_ _e_ _ugh_ … In his brain, too..."

"Yes, it's a mild tumor, so he was still very coherent, but still serious, in the long run." answered the physician. "Many of the original Black Annis sufferers had the same thing."

"You kept those ghastly things? You lot are a lot more morbid than me! And that's saying something, considering the fact that I am death! Are you going to keep his body, too?"

"No, after he's cleaned up, his body is going to be given back to his family." Miranda informed. "We will be taking samples of his DNA and of the armour, however."

"Nasty..." Grell replied with a shudder. "I really don't understand humans, but it's not my place to judge… wait… Nevermind, it is. It's my job."

"That's concerning..." Ackerman said.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much. All kinds of researchers get positively judged in the end." answered the other. "That other doctor out at Maunsell, on the other hand, is going to be having some problems. I don't know how they judged him, but it couldn't bave been a decent verdict."

"So reapers evaluate the souls of supernaturals as well, do they?"

"Of course! Who else would do it? They have souls too, so it has to be someone!"

"I just wanted to confirm." replied the other, turning to a page in her personal journal and making a note.

"I wonder, though, how those two are doing… The Phantomhive boy and his blonde friend." Grell mused, rubbing her chin. "Those two keep evading death, right down to dodging the to-die list. I got in serious trouble for not harvesting that blonde kid's soul a hundred years ago. What was his name, again?"

"Which one? He has several. His original name was _'Jim Macken'_ , but later he went by _'Alois Trancy'."_

"Ah! That sounds right. Does he still go by ' _Trancy'?"_

"No, he goes by ' _Jim Phantomhive'_ now. He got married last year and took his husband's name." Miranda informed, capturing the reaper's attention. Blinking, Grell halted her actions momentarily in order to ponder the meaning of this.

"' _Phantomhive'?"_ she asked.

"Yep. He's married to Sir Ciel Phantomhive." nodded the researcher. "The whole operation at Maunsell was actually sped up because of this. Sir Phantomhive was in a hurry to rescue his husband, so things got a little bit messy."

Folding her arms, Grell continued to ponder this, but eventually, she nodded. "Somehow I knew that boy wouldn't be wedding a woman. I think he asked me to help save the woman he was seeing once, but I didn't see it going anywhere. I got vibes from him."

"Really? It came to a surprise to everyone else. Well, except maybe his butler."

"Ugh!" the reaper huffed, turning her nose up. "I don't even want to think about that horrible butler again! That horrible, beautiful, attractive beast!"

"Did something happen?" asked Miranda.

"A hundred years of receiving the cold shoulder would make anyone cross, dearie."

"I see..."

"The Phantomhive boy has gotten eas on the eyes, though… Is he committed?"

"Very. I wouldn't try it."

"Drat." said Sutcliffe before sighing. "Then again, as much as I adore cruel men, I'm not sure if I would mess with someone who did this to his friend. How terrible! Right through the heart!"

"He did what he had to." stated the other. "He had a duty to fulfill, both to England, and to himself."

"Indeed, he felt responsible, didn't he? Such a shame." Multicoloured eye flickered back to the x-ray on the wall. "I wonder how he will carry the weight with him from now on..."


	295. At Long Last

For an entire day, Alois was finally able to enjoy the bliss of rest and sleep. He was tired, and his wounds were still bad, despite being nothing he couldn't recover from. It was the recovering that was the worst part about them. When he finally woke up, his family was contacted and they rushed over to visit him. As he waited, he wondered what would be said. With great sadness, he rubbed his naked ring finger, realising how bizarre it felt for it to be empty. By the time his family arrived, the menace was looking around the room, bored out of his wits.

As the Macken brothers stepped through the door with the Phantomhive butler in tow, Alois smiled warmly at them and held out his arms. Immediately, the two younger boys began to tear up at the sight of their eldest brother and ran to him. Both Luka and Revy held onto him tightly, and he held back despite his discomfort. He would endure, however, as his siblings needed him right then and there. Even Revy, who was often "too cool" for emotional meetings was sobbing uncontrollably.

"I'm okay." cooed the menace with a smile. In a soothing motion, he rubbed the boys' backs as they clung to him. "It wasn't anything I couldn't handle."

"But still!" Luka protested, trying to control his sobbing long enough to speak. Tears streamed down his face, staining his cheeks. "You were gone for days and- and- you're in the hospital..."

"It's going to be okay. All I need to do is relax and regenerate." Alois replied. "Then I'll be back home, good as new. Very soon, I promise."

"But… But Araneus..." began Revy, unable to see through the fogged lens of his sunglasses.

"Araneus is dead. I killed him before he could try anything." the eldest brother stated. "Gouged out his eyes and filled him with bullet holes."

As the younger Mackens blubbered and hugged the menace, Alois looked up to glance at the butler, who was smiling warmly at him. Alois shot him a smile, which was sincerely returned by the man clad in black. Sebastian, too, was worried, while he failed to show it throughout the ordeal.

"Welcome back, Master Alois." the older demon said.

"Good to be back. I can't wait to be home, though." the blonde Phantomhive replied. He still held his brothers against him gently as he addressed the butler, but Sebastian didn't mind in the slightest. The man knew that the little ones missed Alois dearly and were worried for his life! It was best to spoil them a bit, for now.

"The Master is looking forward to your return." the butler answered with a smile. "He will be along shortly. He has to stop by the mansion and prepare something."

"Oh no, what has he got?"

"I can't tell you. It'll ruin the surprise."

"As long as it's not too exciting." Alois smiled. "I'm kinda feeling a bit low-key for the time being..."

"I'm sure that what he has planned will be wonderful."

The crying eventually began to wane and the Phantomhive and his siblings were all sitting on his bed discussing what all had happened while he was away. He told them of what he saw, omitting the particularly gruesome details, of course, and they told him how things were doing around the house. Revy told of how he brought doughnuts to work as a joke, only for everyone to love them and pool money to buy more. Luka talked about how school was going and everything that was happening there. He told his brother about how he gave his friend one of his hotwheels and how he was getting better at sign language. He even showed what he knew to Alois, earning a big grin from the menace. Sebastian sat on the edge of the bed and occasionally offered input when asked for or needed.

All of them, however, talked about Ciel. They talked about how his gloom and doom had returned while he was away, but abruptly vanished when he came back. Alois was informed that the extra blankets were provided by his husband, as well as a change of clothes when he needed it. The Watchdog even threw in a few of the blonde's favourite snacks, much to Alois' amusement. All he could do was nod, smile, and occasionally chuckle or offer a sympathetic sound while hearing about his husband's behaviour. Knowing the man, however, Alois was not surprised in the slightest and honestly hadn't expected anything less.

Hours passed like this, and eventually, it was time for the others to go home. So, they waved "goodbye" and bid the blonde "farewell" while wishing him a comfortable stay and a swift recovery. Then, he was left alone once more.

Truth be told, he was surprised that his spouse wasn't there yet, and was a bit concerned. Ciel was swift, and knowing him, he would be hasty in visiting the menace as quickly as he could. It was out of character. Another hour passed, however, and a blue head eventually peeked in the doorway, practically beaming at Alois.

Ciel made the trip from the doorway to the bed in three large steps before wrapping his arms firmly around the man. His hug was returned with equal enthusiasm before he pulled away to plant a kiss on the blonde's lips. Both of them lingered like this for a while before eventually breaking it, but still maintained their hold.

"Hello, dear." greeted the bluenette. "I'm here, just as promised."

"I'm glad." Alois answered, pecking the other man's lips once more. "The others left already."

"I can see that. I'm sorry. It took me longer than I thought it would to get your _'welcome home'_ gift in order."

"Sebastian told me you had something planned."

"He didn't tell you what it was, did he?"

Smilng, the menace reached up to stroke his beloved's hair. With amusement lacing his tone, he said: "No, he wouldn't tell me no matter how many times I asked. Show me."

"Alright, but first, give me your hand." instructed the Watchdog, and with an arched eyebrow, the blonde did as told, and offered the man his left hand. "Now close your eyes and cover them with your other hand."

Giggling, Alois shook his head, but still did it. He closed his eyes and covered them with his right hand, not looking at what his silly husband had in store. With this, Ciel reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, black, box. He very quietly opened it, revealing a freshly cleaned ring. After taking the object out of it's container, the box went back into his pocket and he very gently turned Alois' hand over so that their palms were touching.

Alois' brows furrowed momentarily before they raised in shock. Once his mind had a guess as to what his husband was doing, he uttered a small gasp. He could feel Ciel very tenderly slipping a ring onto his vacant finger, and was dying to open his eyes. Once the ring was firmly in place, Ciel took his hand away and looked up at the menace with a wide grin.

"You can open them now." he said, watching as his husband very eagerly did so. Icy blue eyes widened as Alois looked at his hand, uttering a loud squeak in surprise. With his other hand, he covered his mouth, covering his impossibly big smile.

"My ring!" Alois exclaimed, overjoyed at being reunited with his wedding band. "Where did you get it?!"

"The captain of the Prudentia sent it in her last letter." his husband informed. "She said she couldn't bear to have it destroyed. I would have given it to you sooner, but it really needed cleaned. It was very difficult to find a jewelry place who would do it without asking to many questions about the blood, so that's why I'm la-"

"Ssssh." hushed the menace, placing a finger to the other's lips. "Just c'mere and kiss me, you silly thing."

Ciel's eyebrows raised momentarily, but soon fell as the menace gently held the sides of his head, tangling his fingers in blueish-black locks as he guided the Watchdog closer. Standing up slightly by placing his knee on the side of the bed, Ciel obliged his husband while reaching an arm around to press against the blonde's back and hold the back of his head. Their eyes fluttered closed and their lips met in a much-needed kiss. It lasted seemingly for ages with the occasional separation for them to adjust their head or turn it a different way. Sometimes, they would rub noses, but they would go right back to kissing like they weren't going to be able to for a while. Really, it was just making up for lost time.

Finally, they did separate at last, only to touch foreheads instead. Their grins persisted as the two of them simply paused to enjoy their closeness. The silence was broken, however, when Ciel couldn't bear it anymore.

"I missed you so much..." he said, his tone hushed and soft. "I was so worried..."

"I heard." answered his spouse. "I'm sorry, baby..."

"It's not your fault. I highly doubt you chose to be kidnapped this time." Opening his eye, Ciel uttered a sigh as he gazed upon the other's face. As soon as he did, he immediately wanted to move back in for another kiss, but settled for stroking the other man's cheek affectionately with his thumb.

"That's true..." Alois said, pausing. Slowly, his smile dropped as his thoughts wandered back to what happened. "I heard about Preston..."

"I don't want to talk about him right now." the other replied. "We'll discuss everything when we're back home. Right now, all I want to think about is you."

"Good. I want to talk about it, but… I also don't… Kinda need to take a moment, don't we?"

"Yes..." Ciel agreed. "Right now, it's just us."

"I don't really have anything else to talk about, though..." A slight hint of pink tinted Alois' cheeks for the first time in a week. "Is it okay if we just… cuddle?"

Pulling away, Ciel pecked the other's forehead before answering. "I'd like that." he said.

"You're going to have to lay down with me, then." Alois reminded. "I need to still lay on my back, though."

"That's fine." the Watchdog stated before releasing the menace.

He shifted his weight on the bed and adjusted his position before laying down. He was on top of the blonde's covers, still, but he didn't mind. Neither of them did. His head rested between the blonde's neck and shoulder, where he breathed in the man's scent without drawing it to his spouse's attention while laying an arm across his torso. The two stayed like this for ages, just enjoying each other's presence. Occasionally they would say something or lean up to kiss, but for the most part, they were content like this.

Time escaped them as they healed themselves from the battle before. Things weighed heavily on their minds, and this was the best medicine they had. It was a particularly bad one, this time and they desperately needed it. At last, they were reunited, but there was much discussion to be had. There were many things to process, but that would have to wait until later. Right then, the Phantomhives wanted nothing more than to have a well-deserved rest with the man they love.


	296. Alavida

The aftermath of Preston's death reached further than one would initially think. The Phantomhive family returned home and contemplated the matter while keeping a stiff upper lip for the younger ones in the household. The rest of their friends were eventually informed when Alois got around to telling Kristopherson. Then, as the chain of communication goes, it soon spread to the others. Hellsing documented the death extensively along with the mayhem that surrounded it. Gehenna reported on it as well.

"The Leader of the Scarlet Order is DEAD!" was printed on the front page of the newspaper, and it sold out almost immediately. The demand was so high that the print shop had to print more. There was cheering by the citizens who remembered the terror of the order in their home, and cheers, some a tad half-hearted, from former allies of the order who lived there.

Careful evaluation of each of the members of the Prudentia were carried out, especially on the captain. It had to be done before it could be decided where they were allowed to go. Additionally, there were quite a few turncoats, and increasingly smaller space to put them. Gehenna was starting to run out of room. This was a matter, however, that will be discussed at a later time.

Then there were Preston's parents. Oh, his parents… They didn't know what to feel. They were sad, they were angry, they were happy, and they were longing for better times all at once. Naturally, they did not approve of what he has done. They weren't happy with how he lived, or even how he died. A bit of anger was directed at the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization for this, but then there was the fact that he made this choice. Their son was finally home, even if it wasn't in the most ideal of circumstance. There were tears when they first saw him. They came slowly, but then all at once.

Those at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. sewed the man's severed arm back on and removed the growths on his skin. In some places, skin had to be replaced with latex or something else to conceal gore. They made him up before showing him to his family, and then he was made up again for the funeral. Despite everything that happened, his friends were invited and they went, clad in black. In fact, Audrey bought a suit specifically for the occasion, thinking that his H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. formal wear would be monstrously inappropriate.

The demonic duo went, despite knowing what had transpired. They hadn't quite recovered from it all just yet, either. There was still much to discuss between them. Looking into that open casket and seeing Preston lying peacefully inside was almost too much to bear. Even demons as grizzled and accustomed to death as they were had their limits.

"He looks just like he used to." Ciel observed, holding onto his spouse's hand with a firm grip. "They did a really good job."

"It's kind of nice to see him at peace." added Audrey. "I remember him being so sickly, before. It's horrible, but he looks healthier now."

"Keep your voice down. Don't let anyone hear you say that." Kristopherson scolded.

"Sorry. I just really don't know what to say..."

"I don't think any of us do." said Travis. "It's hard to know what to say at times like this, and most people just don't."

"Have you been to a lot of funerals, Travis?" questioned the reaper.

"My dad's wrestler friends, usually." Sullivan answered, prompting no further questions on the matter.

It was difficult to see. For the most part, the blonde Phantomhive kept his eyes dry throughout the ordeal at the expense of saying nothing. Yet when they arrived at the grave site and prayers were made, his could not help but allow his tears to fall as he stifled a whimper. He knew that Preston's fate had been decided. He knew that prayers would not help him reach nirvana. With his knowledge of how life and death works in this world, it was no difficult feat to speculate on what the Omid's fate would be.

And yet, right then and there, as he heard the prayers of his former friend's family, he wanted to believe that they would make a difference. He wanted to believe that Preston's suffering was over, despite everything he had done. His rational mind that could not forgive Preston for what he had done, using hundreds as pawns and leading them to a battle that could not be won, taking land, terrorizing innocent people, and perhaps most of all: summoning Araneus Trancy, was gone if only just for today.

Now was the time to remember Preston for the goodness that he did have in his heart. Now was the time to look back on fond memories with the man in their youth. It was the day to remember the Preston who would leap in front of a supernatural monstrosity in order to save the life of his friend; the Preston who liked gadgets and playing ping-pong.

These are the memories that would linger in the hearts of his friends and family, even if he would go down in supernatural history as a monster. His files at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. would have no kind words, and the Gehenna newspapers rejoiced. Even though the organization would berate his death and complain about all of the cleaning up they would have to do as a result, moving citizens, screening new residents, and trying to drum up housing for them, Preston would be missed by at least someone. There were people who cared and wished that they had done better for him. Surely, if he had gotten the help he needed long ago, things would have happened differently.

Tears were shed and ties were mended, even if it was temporary. Alois wasn't the only member of the original Sensational Seven to cry for him. Almost all of them shed a tear for Preston. It was only Ciel who stayed stoic, or rather, numb to what was happening.

He killed this man. The man whose family and friends were mourning was put in that box by Ciel Phantomhive. It was a lot to take in. He felt directly responsible, even though there was nothing more that could be done. Preston needed to die. It was unavoidable, and yet Ciel could feel this weight on his shoulders and chest. It was guilt. Once more, Ciel had killed someone that affected himself personally. Once more, Ciel could see the affects afterward. Even his husband was crying because he thrusted his blade.

Preston's parents didn't know. The seven did, but not the gruesome details of it. In the heat of the moment, some of them wondered if there could have been another way. Could Preston have been spared? Their realistic minds said "no". He had done too much harm and continued to do harm until his end. They wanted to believe that he was good, but in truth, none of them knew. Not even Ciel himself knew for certain. It was a horrendous place to be.

Before they had all agreed to get together once the funeral was over, but when the time came, none of them did. They didn't want to talk about it anymore, especially when the man's killer was amoung them. None of them said it, but Ciel knew it. To his surprise, it actually stung a bit.

Thus, the Phantomhives had no other option but to return home. The trip was deathly quiet, although Alois wanted to talk. He knew the full gravity of the situation, so he understood what Ciel had to do. He didn't blame him for it in the slightest, but knew the bluenette felt as though it was completely his fault; like he didn't try hard enough to think of another way.

In the corner of his eye, Alois could see his husband slouched while leaning against the car door, wearing the most melancholy of expressions. With this, the blonde decided that he could stand this quiet no more. He took in a deep breath to collect himself.

"Are you okay over there?" he asked, prompting a shrug from the other.

"I haven't been this sad after a funeral in a long time." the other answered. "I forgot what it's like."

"That's normal, I guess." nodded the menace. "But are you okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"I think you know what I mean..."

Ciel stiffened at the suggestion, sitting up slightly. He didn't answer right away, but didn't feel particularly threatened by his husband asking. "It was a lot..." the bluenette said. "I couldn't help but feel like they all knew..."

"None of them did. Everything is under wraps." Alois stated. "You're not a bad person or anything. You did what you needed to."

"It's getting harder to see the families as time goes on… Probably because I knew the person..."

"That's understandable."

"It was my duty and there was no way around it. Preston would have suffered if time went on." Ciel began. "I just can't help but feel guilty, however..."

"That's also understandable." his spouse replied. "I don't blame you. You're not a bad person. It's okay to feel like he was still a friend; at least I hope so. I kind of feel that way, myself..."

"Even after summoning you-know-who?"

"I don't think he was aware of the kind of person Araneus was." Alois replied. "He probably got a vibe, though. I'd be pissed if he got a funeral."

"Hobbs won't be getting a funeral, either." the bluenette said. "His body was altered beyond repair, so his family can't bury him."

"What happened to his research?"

"H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. kept it. He created a few subspecies of werewolf. That has to be kept. There's still new developments coming in regularly. I just want it to end..."

"Are you talking to that bunch that keeps trying to radio in?"

"Yeah… Blackwood is amoung them, I think. They're still somewhere in Norway, but we don't have any coordinates."

"It's out of our hands, for now." said Alois. "We did everything required of us."

"Integra wants us to come in and talk about what to do with the influx of supernaturals in Gehenna, though..."

"Shit… I forgot..."

"We'll deal with it later…" answered Ciel. "For now, let's just go home and relax for a bit..." Pausing, his eye wandered over to the menace, looking the man over.

"By the way, how are your scars doing?" he questioned, unexpectedly prompting a cheerful response from his spouse.

"They're going away nicely. Just a little longer, and they'll be completely gone." With a sly grin, he added: "Why? Want me to show you later?"

"No, I'm sorry. I'm not really in the mood."

"Neither am I, really. I just wanted to mess with you." the menace said, turning his attention back to the road ahead. "Didn't work, though, it seems."

"Sorry." his husband said insincerely with a smile of his own. It was brief, however, as the man's thoughts wandered further. "I didn't think you'd be up to anything like that for a while."

"Why? Because of Araneus?"

"All of it, really."

"Probably not." Alois answered truthfully. "This has all been a lot to handle."

"Well..." the bluenette began, reaching over to hold the other's hand, even if it was for a brief moment. "I'll be here for you if you need me."

"We'll talk about it in detail some other time." Squeezing his husband's hand back, Alois kept his eye trained on the road. "Just not today. A lot has happened for today."

The Watchdog nodded and agreed with him, and the pair left things as they were, for now. They would talk to each other about what had transpired and how they felt about it all soon. Right after the funeral of their former-friend was simply not the time.

As they drove, Alois' smile eventually faded. Like the demon at his side, his mind was racing with thoughts on everything as well. He thought of Preston and he thought of the man's family. He thought of Araneus and he thought of Ciel. Then his thoughts lingered on those two and the heir that Araneus allegedly held. If Araneus wasn't fibbing, then Alois had killed it along with it's host. In truth, Araneus' words did get to him a bit. Indeed, it would have been an heir to Phantomhive of pure, blue blood, but Alois couldn't bear the thought. There was guilt and Alois knew that if he didn't tell Ciel, it was going to eat him alive.

Would Ciel react negatively? Would he feel a loss? Would he be angry at Alois for doing what he needed to in order to maintain his sanity? These were all questions that would need to be answered on another day. For now, however, the pair would return home to the Phantomhive estate, where Alois was the red blooded nobleman who was loved and praised by blue.


	297. Blood Of The Covenant

Days passed and discussion was scattered out throughout. The duo would converse about their feelings on the incident every so often, spanning it over short, but frequent intervals. Before long, they gradually started to become comfortable with the concept of Preston no longer being alive. They decided to look back on the good while accepting the bad. Both were facts that were unavoidable, but they didn't have to be mutually exclusive. Still, there was one last thing that was a cause for his concern.

The only subject that his husband had been slightly evasive on was that of Araneus and what happened. He shied away from it, which made the Watchdog nervous. Alois assured him quite firmly that Araneus did not touch him, but his behaviour made the already prone to worry Ciel nervous. Alois told him how he was restrained and how he killed Araneus in detail, claiming that he was angry at something that the Trancy had said. The only thing was, Alois wouldn't tell his spouse exactly what it was, causing the man's imagination to run wild, conjuring up all kinds of horrific scenarios that he would rather not.

Alois was hesitant to tell him the truth of the matter. He knew that while his husband had changed dramatically over the years, Ciel still retained some of his old habits, values, and morals when it came to class and family. Even when fighting Preston, he talked about defending Alois' honour and subsequently, that of the Phantomhive family. The fact that Araneus, a bona fide monster, had used Phantomhive DNA to create an heir of pure blood may have an effect on Ciel. The only thing was that Alois wasn't sure what that effect would be.

Would he be angry that Alois killed a Phantomhive? Would he be devastated? Perhaps he wouldn't mind or even be bothered, but there was still the chance that he would be, in Alois' mind. Ciel was a noble from the Victoran age, after all, and nobles had been indoctrinated from their own birth with the idea that they, too, must create an heir. Preferably, this heir would be bred well with the blood of nobles and nobles alone. And as much as he didn't seem like it, Araneus was indeed of noble blood. Not only that, it was the blood of a Trancy, who was similar in rank to the Phantomhive. Truly, it would have been perfect, wouldn't it have been? But Alois could not allow it.

Despite his own initial low status, Alois loved Ciel and by virtue, the Phantomhive family. Ciel was his, and his only. The thought of Ciel mixed with that abomination of a living creature made Alois feel ill, but also angry. Even if he loved Ciel, he could not love anything related to Araneus and would have held nothing but hatred and contempt for any offspring related to him. It didn't matter if it had Ciel's blood. It would have that of Araneus.

It disgusted him. Yet, Alois felt guilty for depriving his husband of this potential child. The words of Araneus lingered in his thoughts, reminding him how this is the way that nobles were. Ciel, too, had all of his life expected an heir of his own one day. But Alois destroyed it. How could he confront the bluenette now?

He wouldn't have to. Ciel would do it for him. The Watchdog pressed him for answers, his face and tone riddled with concern. Poor Alois couldn't deny him like this. He had to give in. Ciel followed him down the hallway, trying desperately to be let in by the menace, but Alois continued to walk away.

"Jim, please..." the bluenette pleaded. "I know it's hard, but… I need you to talk to me… For both of our sake..."

"For your sake, you mean." Alois retorted, looking over his shoulder to see his spouse halt his movement to think about his actions.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean it like that..." The man looked down and rubbed the back of his neck, realising how pushy he was being. It was then that another twinge of guilt passed through the menace, prompting him to turn around.

"I know, you don't… I'm sorry I'm testy..." apologised the menace. "I do want to talk about this, I really do. In fact, I really want to talk about it, but I just… I don't know how… I'm afraid of how you'll react to it..."

"Oh, Jim..." Ciel cooed, stretching out his arms while walking toward the other man. He gave the man a quick hug before pulling away. He kept one arm around Alois' waist while he used the other to cup the blonde's cheek. "I could never think less of you, if that's your concern."

"It's that, and… I just don't want you to be upset..." sighed Alois. To this, Ciel really didn't have a definite answer, so that is what he said.

"I can't guarantee you whether I will or I won't." he replied. "All I can promise you is that I will love you no matter what. Alright?"

Letting out a breath, Alois' eyes looked down, looking at the other man's chest without seeing it. He wore a vexed expression, indicating his hesitation over the matter. Indeed, he did want to tell his spouse everything, but was worried. Regardless of any of it, however, he knew he needed to just go through with it for both of their sakes.

"Okay..." Alois finally said. "Let's go somewhere that's not out in the middle of the hallway to talk, though..."

"Certainly." nodded the Watchdog as the lion took his hand. They both said nothing as Alois led the way to their shared office, where he invited Ciel to sit down on one of the sofas while he shut the door. After twisting the lock to ensure that they would not be intruded upon, the menace joined Ciel, sitting on the other cushion but maintaining some distance. While Ciel rested his arm on the back of the couch, Alois leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Are you alright?" Ciel asked, leaning forward to have a look at his husband's face, only to see the man shake his head.

"No really." Alois answered, nearly causing the Watchdog to internally panic due to the vagueness of his statement. Seeing this on the other's face, he put his hands up and tried to clarify. "I mean, nothing bad happened to _me_ , so don't worry about that! It's just… It's something I _did_ , instead..."

"Oh..." There was nothing else Ciel could say, but this did leave the blonde room to gather his courage.

"Remember… Remember how when you saw Araneus' body, he was in the form of a woman?" the blonde asked, earning a nod.

"Yes?"

"Well…. Well- ugh… Lemme start further back..."

"Take your time." Ciel said reassuringly, taking his husband's hand. It worked to an extent, but also made the other feel more guilty. As he sat there, Alois' face grew hot and his throat constricted, making it hard to speak.

"You know… You know how we were sent to get those DNA samples back when the Scarlet Order started to become a thing?"

"Yes?"

"Well, apparently, we missed one, and from that…" Alois paused, the corners of his mouth twitching as he tried to finish what he was going to say. Seeing this, his husband took his hand away from Alois' and rubbed the man's back in a soothing fashion instead. "From that… Araneus… He… I'm sorry… It's really fucked up and hard to say… He told me that… That he was… Pregnant from that sample..."

Blinking, Ciel did his best to process what he was hearing, but couldn't quite get there on his own. "Wait… Araneus? He used the stolen sample to get… pregnant? Why?"

"I don't know!" the menace snapped, his voice cracking. "I don't know why he would do that, but that's what he said!"

For a moment, Ciel recoiled, understanding the implications of this alone. Araneus being in charge of a child of any sort was horrific even in concept alone. There was no further explanation needed, if this was all there was to it. Gently, Ciel continued to rub his husband's back, reaching for the other man's hand with his own.

"It's alright..." he cooed in a hushed tone. "It's over, now. You took care of it..."

"It's not just that..." Alois insisted before turning to face the Watchdog. The water that had collected in his eyes and threatened to spill out was now visible to Ciel, capturing his undivided attention. "It's worse and… Oh, Ciel… I'm sorry..."

"What is it?" questioned the other demon with a concerned look. With his thumb, Ciel wiped away the tear that did fall and stream down his beloved's cheek without even giving it a second thought. "It's going to be okay, Jim..."

"But… But-!" began the menace, sniffling before hiccuping painfully. "The sample that was used… It was… It was yours… And I killed it!"

An odd clash of feelings abruptly washed over the blue Phantomhive in that moment as he processed what was just said. It was bad enough that his genetic mateirial had been used without his consent. That alone was invasive and irksome on a profound level, but it was only the tip of the iceberg as it was used by none other than the repugnant Araneus Trancy. That amplified it all to a one hundred. In that moment, Ciel actually felt a bit sick at the revelation, but not for the reason that Alois had expected.

"He… H-he what?" was all the Watchdog could say despite believing the other completely.

"I'm sorry..." Alois sobbed, his face contorting. "Ciel, I'm so sorry… I… I just got so mad… I couldn't stand him saying that, so I killed him..."

"No… No, I don't mind that at all." informed the bluenette. "It's just… Araneus? That's just… Disgusting..."

"The Phantomhive would have had a blood heir, though..." the menace sniffled. "A blue-blood, too..."

Ciel's brow furrowed in confusion as he processed what he was hearing from the menace. This was all extremely perplexing and overwhelming, but he had to focus on his spouse first and foremost. Alois was the most important part of the conversation right then and there.

"Jim..?" he began, trying to figure out what exactly he was trying to say. "Wha- what are you talking about?"

"Isn't that important to nobles? What they're supposed to do? It could have been the only chance..."

"It was a terrible chance, if it was, then. I'd rather have no child than a child with _him."_ indignantly stated Ciel, prompting bewilderment from the menace. The change in his husband's tone startled Alois somewhat, making him mistakenly perceive Ciel as yelling at him at first until he actually listened to what he was saying. He flinched, but he soon recovered. The action, however, did not go unnoticed by the Watchdog, however. Reaching out his hand, he grabbed the blonde's before raising it and pressing it to his lips.

"I'm not upset with you at all, you know..." Ciel said. "In fact, I'm glad you did what you did… There is no way I could accept a child born from him, let alone love it. It's impossible, knowing what he has done..."

"Bu-but still..."

"It's true that we nobles have been raised with the idea that we must create an heir. That is fact. However, I'm not exactly the most conventional noble, as you can tell. I take delight in having you as a part of the Phantomhive family. You're much more important to me than some potential child by a man I despise with every ounce of my being."

"Even if it means that you might never have another chance to have a child?" tentatively questioned the menace.

"Even then." his beau answered indefinitely. "Now, I would be lying if I said that I wouldn't want children sometime down the line, but we have all of the time in the world for that, and it isn't as though the Phantomhive family is in danger of dying out anytime soon. There are other options, as well. I would be just as happy raising a child that wasn't of the same blood, as long as it was with you."

"Are you sure? Bloodline isn't important?"

"As proud as I am of my bloodline, when it comes to us, it's not nearly as important. I picked you because I love you, not because of how well you can produce me a child. That's an outdated ideal that's rather disturbing when thought about. I don't like the idea of people being breeding stock. Besides, that beast's blood is about as desirable as raw sewage. Just because he's a noble doesn't mean that he's _'pure'_."

At last, Ciel was able to get the other man to crack the smallest of smiles, causing his own to grow as well. Ciel stopped rubbing his husband's back and put his arm around the blonde's shoulders, pulling him a bit closer so that he could kiss his cheek. Nuzzling his spouse, he continued.

"And yes, you are extremely desirable." he added. "If there's anyone I would want my genes to mix with, it's you. If it's impossible, though, so be it. I still have you, regardless, and that's the most important thing."

"Well… I suppose that if he could swap his sex, then so could I..." Alois thought aloud before shaking his head. "I'm not sure if I want to do that, though..."

"It would be okay, if you didn't." the blue Phantomhive said. "I think we should wait a few years before we start talking about having kids, anyway."

"Agreed. I kinda just wanna be married for a while..." stated the blonde with a slightly bigger smile. It only grew as his face was kissed and he was lovingly held by his husband. He finally leaned back comfortably against the other man's chest, relieved that Ciel wasn't upset with him. Letting out a sigh, he shut his eyes as he finally calmed down from his outburst.

"It's sweet that you were that worried, though." Ciel grinned. "Honestly, I'm flattered."

"You would have done the same..."

"True. Only difference is that I love you more."

Sitting up, the menace turned to face the bluenette, grinning playfully. "No, _I_ love _you_ more!"

"Au contraire, mon amour, it is impossible to not love you most, because you're absolutely perfect."

In a silly fashion, the two play-argued like this for a while, then simple deluded into cuddling. They talked as they did, discussing the future and what lies before them, as well as the futures that they were asked to plan. They still needed to come up with a solution to Gehenna's population problem, but that was a story for another day. Right then, they were simply enjoying each other's presence, both happy that the other was safe and secure in their arms, and content to stay like this for a long while.


	298. Making The World Go 'Round

Days passed and gradually, things began to return to normal. Alois was still elated to be home, uttering deep, content sighs as he put his feet up after school. Even those godawful couches in the office felt comfortable. That was expected, however, given his previous arrangement.

He started sleeping again, laying contently in his own bed with his spouse. Even if he wasn't sleeping, there was just something about it that was welcoming. Being in his husband's presence again was pleasant as well. It had been weeks and Ciel was still doting on him profusely. It wasn't as though the menace minded, however. He missed the bluenette's soft touches and the sound of his voice, causing him to take great pleasure in the other man's presence. It relaxed him. He felt safe again.

Alois really noticed the things that he missed. Even the smallest of gestures, like the way Ciel would absent-mindedly tuck a stray hair of the blonde's behind his ear while listening to him talk. The menace noticed how Ciel would wear earrings that he picked out for him, even if Ciel wasn't really into the style, just because Alois was the one who gave them to him. Alois missed holding hands and leaning against his husband as they sat on the couch, and he missed everyone coming together to watch their favourite shows every week. He missed the way Luka would try to lean on him and gain his attention. He missed the way Revy pretended not to care, but feigning not feeling left out poorly. Really, Alois missed everything, and he was glad to be home again.

He didn't even mind that work had to be done. While Alois still had school and such, he was content with the time he had at home afterward. There was enjoyment to be found in discussion of work as well. The demonic duo were asked to come up with ideas for a solution to the problem of Gehenna's sudden increase in population. With all of the supernaturals coming in due to the Scarlet Order, both in turncoats and in immigrants and refugees, they were running out of buildings to house them in.

Many buildings already housed multiple families at once, and business owners typically lived upstairs from their stores. The church housed as many as Sister Dorothy could take in, and it broke her heart that she couldn't house all of them herself. Some took to building makeshift shelters out of whatever they could find, despite it being the tail end of January. Gehenna was booming in both positive and negative ways. If a solution was no found, the problem ran the risk of getting out of hand.

"Well, where can you put them?" questioned the menace. "Are there no more old buildings at all?"

"There's a handful, but most of those are in disrepair…" answered his beau.

"Surely there's more abandonned places in London… Supernaturals seem to draw to places like that like flies."

"That's true, but it's very dangerous to have multiple Gehenna's in a densely populated city like London." informed Ciel. "But I get what you're saying. Existing structures can be made use of in ways that are long term. That's what Gehenna started out as, after all."

"Surely there's some old military base or whatever that can be renovated." suggested Alois. "Instead of building things that are new, one can simply fix things that are old!"

"Still, that would take quite a bit of money."

"It's going to take cash, either way. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. took the Scarlet Order's funds, didn't it? I'm willing to shell out some cash too, if I have to."

"That's true as well." nodded the bluenette with a small grin as his husband fiddled with his cell phone. "How much money do you have, though."

"This." Alois said simply, showing the bluenette his screen. Ciel took the device from his hand so that he could see better, only to raise his eyebrows.

"How did you get this much?" questioned the Watchdog.

"Scotland Yard and H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. work don't exactly pay minimum wage, you know." the blonde replied with a smug smile. "That, and I hardly ever spend it, so it's been collecting interest for a while."

"Impressive. Maybe I should start having you pay a few bills, then." Ciel teased, only to earn a shrug from his husband.

"I wouldn't mind, you know. It's my house, too."

"I'm kidding. You don't have to." said the Watchdog, shaking his head. "Or, we could come to some kind of arrangment. I can handle bills and other expenses to keep things up and running, and you could handle the family stuff, fun stuff, and personal projects. Sound fair?"

"Not really. What do you mean _'fun stuff'?"_ questioned the blonde.

"Trips, and that sort of thing. Recreational stuff."

"And ' _family stuff'?_ "

To this, Ciel paused, furrowing his brow as he came up with an answer. In truth, he really didn't know what he meant. However, his mind caught up as he saw the nasty smirk appearing on his husband's face.

"I thought you said we should be married a while before we start a family, Ciel~?" Alois teased as he poked the other man's shoulder. His beau's face changed in shade as the other Phantomhive jumped to defend himself.

"We were talking about it the other day. Shut up." he said. "There's other stuff, too, like Luka. Luka is family. So is Revy. Even Sebastian."

"What would I buy for Sebastian?"

"You bought his Christmas presents, didn't you?"

"Ah… That's right. Are you just not as family oriented?"

"I'm plenty, I think… It's just that you wanted to pay for something."

"You're a total goof, you know that?" giggled the menace as he leaned back and rested his head on his spouse's shoulder. "That's why I love you, though."

"Jerk."

This conversation lasted a while longer, covering this and various other topics along the way. Mostly, they tried to come up with ideas for how a new community would be created, forcing Ciel to look back and remember what little he did about the formation of the original "Special Supernatural Containment Zone." In truth, he wasn't a very big part of this, so he couldn't recall much. Some, however, was still something.

It was decided that this idea would be brought to the attention of the council as soon a possible. After they sorted out quite a few points and figured out how to explain the idea, they called Integra that afternoon. As always, she was difficult to read, but said that she would bring it up for debate in the next meeting and would consider it.

For now, that was all that they could do. Hopefully, something would be sorted out soon, however. It was uncertain as to how much longer things would stay stable, as the threads were beginning to snap. People were suffering in the conditions they were forced to live in, so it was imperative that a solution be reached soon.


	299. For A Good Cause

The cold January air bit into the skin, flesh, and bone of ll who were unfortunate enough to be forced to stay out in it. In a vacant lot in Gehenna, members of the Prudentia as well as other turncoats and new residents camped out around a fire. They had built crude shelter out of whatever materials they could find. It was fortunate that many of them were accustomed to camping out in cold weather from their travels, but it wasn't enough. People were getting sick and slowly freezing to death. They were starving, too.

Between all of them, they had hardly any money, and finding a job in Gehenna was now impossible for them. No one wanted to hire Scarlet scum. No one wanted anything to do with them at all. While the others who came before them were welcomed with open arms and allowed to seek shelter as invited guests in people's homes, the turncoats were not so fortunate. Alas, they were active members of the order, while the others were mere bystanders who were swept up in their current. Even if they betrayed the order, they still had red on them. That was enough for the citizens of Gehenna.

Many resorted to begging while others debated theft. They were dissuaded from the latter, however, as while Gehenna had no jail, criminals would be kept in the dungeon of the Hellsing estate, and none of them liked the sound of that. Was it worth it? Others pressed on and kept trying. They tried their very best to get jobs, and some succeeded, while it was hard. Most who did lied about their status as a turncoat, or were granted mercy by one of the consultants at the Wellfare Center.

Those who succeeded added their funds to the pool, more often than not. Some kept it all to themselves and tried to gain a normal life in Gehenna while their former comrades froze. Fingers burned from the cold before becoming numb. Sleep was lost. People were shivering. They were told that help was coming soon, but hope was becoming a scarce resource.

When they returned, they thought they would be able to return to life as it was or gain something better, but many soon began to think that they had things better with the order, despite the organization being morally in the wrong. They would have lived more comfortably. They would survive. Survival was everything, now, as food was running out and they were beginning to lack basic necessities. It was ridiculous. They needed a miracle to happen soon.

Wink was doing her best to hold everything together, but sometimes, it became too much. People fought over food and heat, and she was only one woman with so much energy. She was freezing and starving, herself, and it was starting to get to her.

"I'm going to check to see if there's any empty buildings." she announced, standing up from her seat near the fire pit.

"Again?" asked one of her colleges, a cynocephallus called "Mince". He spoke in sign, but struggled as his fingers were nearly frozen. "You went yesterday."

"Mince is right." said another, a witch known as "Bonnibel". "You know the story. There's no more room in Gehenna."

"It's still worth a shot." Wink replied. "Even if I don't find one, I might find somebody who's willing to take in at least some of us."

Thus, she moved on, exiting the lot and trying to bundle herself up the best she could. As she walked, she had to watch her step, as icy patches formed on the ground in some places. Still, this place was flourishing since she left. It was well-kept, colourful, and people were happy. She was foolish to oppose the redevelopment in the beginning, it seemed, as the town of Gehenna had grown to be self-sustaining. No longer did she or the others have a place here, anymore. They had nowhere to go, and nowhere to be. They seemed to be destined for misery, at this point, as the most comfortable they had been in ages was in the holding cell at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. headquarters, of all places, while they were being interrogated.

Being released from there was a terrible thing, as it turned out, as the base had heat and food that was provided to them for free. They were interrogated for ages about the order and possible whereabouts for the remaining forces for them to move in. She knew that Blackwood and his group was heading toward the skin thief village out in the Norwegian wilderness somewhere, but she knew nothing more. Ordinarily, they would be assigned housing, but there was none left. Gehenna was simply out of housing! It was for this reason that they were left on the streets after fighting to be released anyway, only to realise the mistake that was made. How foolish.

The neighbouring buildings around the vacant lot at least blocked some of the wind from all but one side. Now, Wink was walking out in the open and it was painful. The flesh on her nose felt as though it was going to peel away. She felt as though the wind was lashing her. Unfortunately, she had been out for so long that she couldn't go very far without needing to find somewhere reasonably warm. Wink would either have to go back, duck into store for a few minutes and hope no one asks her to leave, or find what she was looking for. Before long, however, she thought as though she might have.

It was an empty building on Macken street, right next to the bakery and on the corner that connected to the general store. It was dark inside. Completely pitch black. In a brave move, she took her stiff hands out of her pockets and used them to cup around her eye so that she could peer inside through the window. It was a store, but she could make it work. No one was inside, and the place looked like it wasn't in use.

Thus, she decided to go for it. Instead of going back to alert the others right away, she decided that it would be best to go inside and try to warm up some, first, so she could make the trip back. This would mean that she would have to grab the cold doorknob, however. It was certain to hurt her hands on contact, but she needed to try. Gritting her teeth, she reached out and grabbed the handle before attempting to wrap her fingers around it. Quickly, she tried to turn it, but it wouldn't budge.

" _Fuck..."_ she hissed under her breath, rapidly turning the handle back and forth. The door was locked. It wasn't going to open for anyone without a key. Before much longer, her hands could no longer bear the feeling of the cold metal and she was forced to take her hands away. Quickly, she tucked them underneath her armpits in hopes of warming them up faster.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" called a voice from behind her in an authoritative tone. In response, Wink whipped around and put her hands up, despite how much it hurt. Her eye clenched shut at the pain momentarily before opening them again to see a familiar face. She was shocked to see the other, but not as shocked as the police officer was to see her.

"Clara?!" Tegwen said aloud. She made no effort to conceal her surprise, As it was simply too much for her to bear in that moment.

"Tegwen?" the other asked, looking the elf over as she met her astonishment. Tegwen was wearing the winter uniform of the Gehenna police force, consisting of a long coat and a custodian helmet, which looked rather silly. Wink was by no means surprised that the elf was still in the police force, but the outfit was really something, nonetheless.

"I didn't know you were back. I was worried." the policewoman said, putting her hands on her hips. "What are you doing breaking into that building?"

"Well, it was empty, so I thought I could take it." the other replied. "Everyone's cold. We need to find somewhere to stay or else we won't last much longer."

"That's not how it works anymore, I'm afraid..." Tegwen shook. "Someone's bought that building. It's gonna be a clothing and sewing shop, soon."

"Shit…" grumbled the witch as she put her hands back under her arms. "We're all going to die because of some old ladies and their quilts!"

"Is there really no where else?"

"That's what we've been told. The church took up as many as they could, but the rest of us are still out here. Some were thinking about breaking the law just to go to jail, it's gotten so bad."

She saw the policewoman give her a sympathetic look in her typical Tegwen way. The Sybil was always like that. Sometimes, so much so that it wasn't good for her, last Wink remembered. Even when they weren't on good terms in the past, she would show her sympathy, even while Wink pushed her away and pointed her finger. Before the witch knew it, however, Tegwen was walking toward her and taking off her scarf.

"Well… I can't guarantee you anything, but you could probably stay the night at my place, if you want." Tegwen offered while wrapping her scarf around the other's neck. "The apartment's small, though, so I can't bring anyone else."

"I don't want to leave the others..." Wink said. "They need me."

"Well, I'll buy you some bread and you can take a warm bath, at least. I still can't leave you out here in the cold without doing anything."

Skepticism was written all over the witch's face as the other woman spoke. There was no reason for Tegwen to help her. They weren't especially close anymore and had hardly talked in years. It was weird, running into each other out of the blue, and even weirder fore her to offer Wink shelter at her home.

"Uh…. Tegwen?" asked the witch, adjusting the scarf. "You're not still…?"

"Still what?" questioned the other woman in return. With a pause, however, she thought about it and it clicked. "Oh, no. It's nothing like that. I mean this in a totally and completely platonic way." She insisted, causing the other woman to snort.

"Alright, then..." Wink replied. "I'm hungry enough to not turn down some bread."

With a smile appearing on her face, Tegwen turned and began to walk away. "It's this way!" she called over her shoulder, leading Win to her apartment. It was nearby on the intersecting main street. Tegwen nearly had to carry her old acquaintance up the stairs, however, as she was running out of strength. Somehow, they made it to the door, and while with one arm, Tegwen kept Wink propped up as best as she could, while she knocked with the other.

"Why are you knocking?" Wink asked, arching an eyebrow. "This is your place, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but my roommate should be here." answered Tegwen, quickly catching the other as she slumped. Sure enough, the door opened, and yet another woman stood inside.

She was asian with bleached hair and obviously a vampire. Yet, she was perfectly awake in the daytime, but dressed like she wasn't planning on going anywhere anytime soon. As soon as she opened her mouth, Wink knew that she was in fact, American.

"What's with you?" the woman in the doorway asked as she stepped to one side. She shut the door behind her as Tegwen and Wink stepped inside. "Who's this?"

"Well, hello, to you, too." Tegwen answered while helping the witch onto the couch. "Kyung-Soon, this is Clara; Clara, this is Kyung-Soon." she haphazardly introduced.

"Hey..." awkwardly waved the witch to be polite, but Kyung-Soon wasn't very impressed. "Call me _'Wink'._ "

"So… Why are you bringing random girls over?" questioned the vampire, hoping for clarity. Straightening her back, Tegwen let out a grunt before turning to her roommate.

"She's not random, she's an old acquaintance of mine." she said. "She's with that bunch who's been camping out in that vacant lot about a block from here."

"Oh. Former order member? Fantastic."

"She's only here for a warm bath and something to eat. Relax, Sue."

"I see she's friendly..." Wink butted in. "I didn't know you had a roommate, Tegs?"

"It's a new arrangement… We started hanging out, and little by little, she kinda started living here?" Tegwen tried to explain, only to pause. "That… Doesn't sound very good said aloud..."

"Nope." the Witch said, crossing one leg over the other while maintaining eye contact with the vampire. They appeared to be staring each other down, much to Tegwen's dismay.

"Uuuuhhh… Well… Bathroom is that way, so feel free to use it." stated the poor elf. "I'm going to go back to the bakery and get some bread."

"Aren't you on the clock?" asked Kyung-Soon.

"I'm also the police chief."

"Ooh, you've gotten bad..." cooed the vampire, finally breaking her gaze away from the witch and causing Wink to arch a brow.

"You wanna come with me?" Tegwen asked, unfortunately prompting her friend to turn back to Wink.

"No… I think I'll stay here…" slowly stated Kyung-Soon. "Guard the place, you know?"

"Whatever. You do you. I'll be back quick."

"You better." the vampire called after Tegwen as she stepped back out the door. With that, Tegwen was gone, leaving Kyung-Soon alone with this stranger. Turning around, Kyung-Soon placed her back to the door while she stared at Wink in some odd display of asserting dominance. Meanwhile, the object of her malice paid her no mind as she was too busy relaxing and enjoying the heater. The witch's eyes were closed, but before long, she could no longer stand the feeling of being watched so intently.

"I'm sorry?" she asked. "Am I bothering you?"

"No, it's just- A member of the Scarlet Order in the place where you live is kinda..."

" _Former_ member. I'm a turncoat." corrected Wink. "I'm the one who helped bring it all down. Can you really talk, though, Miss Girasol?"

Reflexively, Kyung-Soon reached back and touched the tattoo of a sunflower that was on her shoulder as the other woman pointed at it. With a roll of her eyes, she realised that she could not speak, given her own affiliation. Furthermore, it was current. With a sigh, Wink pulled the hair tie from her hair and began to unfasten her braid.

"I think I'm gonna go take up Tegs on her offer for a bath." she said, standing up. She then turned toward the direction of the bathroom while the other followed behind.

"I'm sorry I was rude, okay?" the vampire insisted despite coming across as insincere.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it."

"It's weird, though. Like, I've never really seen you and Tegwen talk before…"

"That's because we quit hanging out."

"Why?"

"Uh… That's kind of personal?" the witch stated as she turned the handle to the bathroom door.

"Sorry, I was just curious, is all." Kyung-Soon replied, folding her arms as the door was opened. Her reaction caused the other to briefly come to a halt. Slowly, Wink nodded.

"Oh… You fancy her. Got it." Wink said before stepping through the door and closing it. With a click, it was locked and the vampire was left on the other side of the door with a red face.

"So?!" she demanded, her nostrils flaring. She could hear nothing but the sound of the tub being filled and the shuffling of fabric for a while, but eventually, the witch decided to answer.

 _"'_ _So'_ nothing." Wink said. "Go for it. Tegwen is into girls. I get your concern, though. Must suck to have your crush bring her ex in."

"Wait, what?!" Kyung-Soon gawked, her brows raising in surprise momentarily before her hand gripped the doorhandle. "Open this door!"

"I'm naked, you know..." the witch said, dipping her toe in the water. "I guess Tegwen isn't the type to talk about that stuff. She really has moved on. Good for her. Don't worry about it. We're old news. There's nothing between her and me. We've been done for years and I don't want to go back."

"How do I know that?"

"Because I blamed Tegwen for taking my eye." Wink stated as she became completely submerged. She wasn't met with an answer right away, so she correctly assumed that the other woman was surprised. "I told you it was personal."

"Damn… Never knew she was secretly hardcore." Letting go of the handle, Kyung-Soon turned and leaned her back against the door before slumping downward until she was seated. To her statement, Wink chuckled.

"No, she was just there." she said. "I blamed her because she didn't do anything, but thinking back on it, I'm not sure if I would've had the guts to do anything, either. It was an ugly breakup."

"I can see that..."

"Rude."

"No, sorry, I mean I get it." Kyung-Soon apologised, earning another chuckle out of the woman in the tub.

"I know. I was messing with you."

"You bitch." said the vampire, cracking a small smile.

"Takes one to know one." Wink replied. "So, does Tegwen know?"

"Know what?"

"That you like her."

"Well..." Kyung-Soon began with a pause, already informing Wink of the status of things. "I've flirted with her a lot, but..."

"She's not really responsive to subtlety." informed the other.

"I didn't think I was being subtle." Kyung-Soon stated.

"You underestimated the thickness of her head, then."

"Then what do I do?"

"Tell her, obviously." Wink said, only to be met with silence once more. "You're shyer than you come across as, aren't you?"

"Shut up!"


	300. In It For The Long Haul

Wink ended up spending the night after all, as right after she exited the bath, she laid down on the couch and accidentally fell asleep. At first, Kyung-Soon minded, but minded less as she was now able to sleep in Tegwen's room with her. The only downside was that the elf opted to sleep on the floor. That was just the sort of person that Tegwen was. She was tired from working all day, however, and walked an extra block or so in order to inform Wink's compatriots of her whereabouts and whether or not she was fine. Then, the group parted ways the following morning after awkward goodbyes.

It had been a long time since Wink had slept that well. It was a shame, as she now had to go back to sleeping in a tent. Even worse, the group was running out of things to burn to keep the fire going. Luckily for them, the council was meeting that very day in order to work out an arrangement for them.

All members of the Round Table conference gathered and spoke with the two demons of their plan to create a new supernatural city. The plan was well-received, for the most part, but there were problems. The largest two concerns were finances as well as when they could get it done. There was no way to even begin building anything until early spring, due to the weather, and people needed shelter days ago. People were freezing. They were starving. They were literally dying in the streets. If aid did not come to them within the next few days, then they would eliminate the demand by simply dying out.

"Do you even have any ideas for a location?" asked sir Kirkland with one bushy eyebrow raised.

"There are several testing sites and bases still owned by the government with no plan for use." Ciel informed. "They have been abandoned. They serve no purpose other than to decay. Surely it would be no difficult task to spare one such place in order to house a few supernaturals?"

"What about shelter?" asked Sir Sharma, twirling his mustache. "Is there any garunteed place to stay?"

"We have seen firsthand what the resourcefulness of a group of supernaturals can do." the Watchdog spoke with confidence. He was absolutely certain of what he was saying. "They turned the Maunsell Fort into something habitable. Look at the ships that we captured. They built some of those. Give them tools, materials, and a few instruction manuals, and they can do anything."

"Sounds reasonable." Sharma said with a smile. "And you said that you would donate some funds for the cause?"

"Gladly." nodded the Phantomhive. "I can't give you much, but it should go a long way."

"My concern is in the now, however..." said Sir Midford, staring down at his folded hands that rested on the table. He wore a troubled expression as he spoke. "What are those people going to do? We still need to create a temporary fix before we can plan long-term."

This, Ciel did not have a plan for. There was no patch for him to apply. There was no instant fix that he could fathom. Or rather, he didn't want to fathom it. Alas, his husband, bless his heart, did.

"Surely there's space in one of our massive houses." suggested the menace, causing the others to recoil back a bit. He didn't understand the expressions on everyone else's faces right away. He was especially concerned because his husband had the same reaction as the others.

"Mister Phantomhive," addressed Sir Greendown after clearing his throat, "We aren't equipped to handle supernatural beings..."

"We are." Alois replied thoughtlessly, much to his husband's dismay. The palm of the bluenette's hand met his forehead as Integra smirked, but her sly expression did not last for long. "Integra is, too. In fact, she's more equipped than anybody."

"Jim," the Hellsing woman began, "I do not wish to have strange people in my home, especially when they were once sworn enemies of the state."

"You have a military base full of guards, though."

"Jim-"

"I understand Integra's sentiment entirely, which is why I do not wish to open up my home as well." Ciel interrupted, saving the Hellsing woman from having to justify herself. She did not appreciate being interrupted, but allowed it, regardless.

"True..." Alois conceded. "It's just that it's a quick solution to the problem. Most of us could be ready right away. Does anybody have like, a second home or a beach house or something nearby?"

The room was mostly filled with answers of "no", but there was the occasional shrug. Those who shrugged were obviously fibbing, but Alois said nothing out of politeness. Even Ciel was deep in thought, as he did recall owning one such property, but was uncertain as to whether or not it was still in his possession or even if it was still standing.

"Integra," the blue Phantomhive finally called. "Can you look back through files from the 1950's or so to see what all properties I was returned?"

"Do you have an idea?" questioned Integra.

"Possibly. If it's still standing, it's probably a mess, but that's nothing a little magic can't fix." the man replied. "At one time, I owned a townhouse in London. If I still own it, I would be willing to allow them to stay there."

"They would require supervision."

"Provide it to them, then." the Phantomhive replied, unknowing that his husband's mind was racing. Now he too, had a long-term plan, or rather, an idea for one.

"Ciel." he whispered, calling his husband over to him. It wasn't discreet, but it worked.

"What is it?" Ciel questioned, leaning so that the other demon could whisper in his ear. Those around them were simply left to watch as the duo conversed quietly to themselves. It was a good while until either of them looked back at the others, but they continued to talk.

"Is there something that you would like to share, hm?" asked Sir Kirkland, his tone dripping with passive-aggression. Before long, both demons turned around to face their audienc.

"Indeed there is, good sir!" playfully replied the menace. "We have a business proposition for you."

"Go on." allowed Integra with a wave of her hand. She, like everyone else at that table, was curious as to what ridiculous plan the Phantomhives had concocted this time.

"Well, you see, most homelessness in Gehenna occurs when people are trapped 'in between' our worlds. In other words, from the time they are in the system, to the time where they receive their housing assignment." Ciel explained with a smug grin on his face. "This townhouse could possibly be the solution to that problem long-term. It would be the 'in-between' for those who cannot find a supernatural family willing to take them in out of the goodness of their hearts. With a small injection of funds and man-power, we can make this happen."

"What do you mean?" asked Sharma. "I thought you were going to do it for free?"

"Well, people need to eat, don't they?" answered Alois with a question of his own. "Furthermore, there needs to be water and electricity. Maybe even wi-fi, if we hook them up to the system. As for staff, we will need H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. gaurds, and a way to provide a paycheck for everyone else."

_"'_ _Everyone else'?"_

"Indeed. It will be cleaned and maintained by supernaturals, thus providing them with income." stated the bluenette.

"That's your housekeeper, receptionist, handyman, gardener, cook…" Alois listed off. "All that good shit- I mean _stuff._ " he corrected, remembering that Integra was watching. "We'll also need the bus to run by there."

"And you'll take care of the rest?" questioned Greendown, raising a brow. "Recruitment and all?"

"Of course. The only thing that we cannot handle is the assignment of the guards." Ciel replied. "It is a simple task, so long as the property is still mine."

After a pause, Integra stood up and began collecting her things. "I will verify as to whether or not this townhouse you speak of was returned to you or not. In the meantime, please come up with a backup plan just in case."

"Yes, Sir." the Phantomhives answered in unison, although accidentally.

"Meeting adjourned." the Hellsing woman said as she stood up to leave. The rest soon followed.

Now, the demonic duo had no real intention of managing the townhouse if this plan came into fruition. That would befall to someone else. In actuality, the duo simply were offering the building for H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s use. Once they had worked out a system, they would most likely sell it to the organization if Ciel no longer felt any sentimental value in it.

Rather than a business deal, they were simply doing their duty. They were asked to come up with a solution, and they did, no matter how shoddy and reckless it was. Obviously, there was going to need some readjusting to this plan, but that was for another day. Right now, they had to wait until they were informed that it was feasible at all.


	301. Orange Bricks

Once the duo returned home, Sebastian was informed of their plot, and the butler wasn't very amused. True, it was a solution to a problem and would work very well in the short term, but there was no certainty that it would be able to sustain itself. Furthermore, most of the work restoring the townhouse was going to fall to him. While he would do it by magical means, it would still be quite a bit of work.

Alois, he could understand, but this sort of impulsiveness wasn't befitting of his master. Ciel was not the kind to go along with something so willy-nilly, and Sebastian couldn't figure out why he would. Perhaps it was just another way that the menace had influenced him. After all, they have lived in close proximity long enough to borrow mannerisms and speech from one another without thinking. Perhaps Ciel was adjusting to Alois' way, but Sebastian felt as though it was more than that. He didn't now why the bluenette was behaving this way, but he would find out soon enough.

After a day or so, Integra got back to the Phantomhives about the townhouse, and discovered that it was indeed still in the possession of the Phantomhive family. That said, it was by no means pretty. Standing at the front gate, they all stared up at the large, crummy Victorian era building as it was in shambles. It was rotting away and barely even had a roof in some places. The demons wore blank faces, but two of them gave sideways glances to the butler with a twinge of guilt. Sebastian was going to have to take this seriously.

Clapping his gloved hands together once, Sebastian cracked his knuckles and began walking toward the building. "I will have this sorted shortly." he said. "Come back in… three hours, perhaps?"

"We're not helping?" questioned Alois, while his husband had one of his own.

"Three?" asked the bluenette. "You fixed the mansion in two, and it was far worse off than this."

"Well, I do need to add a few extra things." bluntly stated the butler. "Worry not, it will be done soon. Just… Go of and do whatever it is you do when I'm not around."

"You got it, Bass-man." Alois replied, giving the older man a thumbs-up. "Dunno what, but we'll think of something."

"I'm almost out of pens for the office." Ciel recalled.

"Then we'll be at the office supply store!" the menace announced. "Go crazy, Sebastian. Just don't go too far."

"Yes, master." Sebastian answered with a polite bow as the other two demons turned to walk back to the car. Once they were out of sight, he uttered a sigh and turned to face the ruins with his hands on his hips.

"Of all of the impulsive..." he muttered before he started walking. "Is this your way of coping with guilt?"

Thus, he cracked his knuckles and got to work repairing the building. Fortunately, it was much smaller than the main house, so he was even able to start on the area around it, fixing the stone path and even adding new additional features like a tall, brick wall around the structure with spikes and barbed wire at the top. Two hours passed, and the house stood tall. It was two stories high with an odd orange colour on the outside, and inside, it was fully furnished exactly as it was when it was no longer inhabited. The only things that were missing was electricity and water, as he needed to call a company to provide those two things. He did just that when the hard work was finished and scheduled a day when they would come around. It was a record for Sebastian, leaving him with another hour before his masters would return.

In this time, he spent it fixing minor details that could be addressed right then and there. Some of the furnishing would have to be changed to suit the house's new purpose, but for the time being, this would suffice. He went through every single room as he did this, double-checking, then triple-checking, and then growing tired of waiting. He was tempted to call the others, but refrained as he didn't want to interrupt something.

He felt strange, having free time. He wasn't sure what to do with himself, so he simply found himself a comfortable chair to sit in and waited. Sebastian made no movement nor sound, sitting perfectly straight and still while staring straight ahead. He remained motionless until until he realised that he could use his phone to entertain himself.

While he was able to connect to the internet without connecting to wi-fi, it still took up a lot of data to play videos. Thus, he was left with simply looking at funny pictures of cats instead. Slowly, he believed himself to be starting to grasp the concept of these things called "memes", although he didn't understand the bizarre speech patterns on the pictures of cats. His favourites where when people dressed the animals up in clothes, especially suits. It made him ponder what it would be like to have a cat by his side while butlering. The thought made him smile, but it soon fell. Uttering a sigh, Sebastian recalled that his master would not allow him to keep a cat for the sole sake of depriving him of one.

Perhaps he could keep a cat at this facility? Surely, the residents wouldn't mind. If Sebastian were going to carry out this idea, first he was going to need a plan. Perhaps he could just ask if they would mind? Perhaps he could pretend it was a stray? Perhaps. Perhaps he should simply ask his master again.

It felt as though he was betraying lord Phantomhive, but the temptation was too strong. He needed this; this little happiness of his. Lately his desire to do things he found entertaining was growing stronger. He missed tutoring Luka. He needed something to do when not taking care of the mansion. Perhaps Sebastian would take up sleeping at night? What was he to do?

Eventually, he heard a sound of an approaching car whose engine sounded a lot like the Phantomhive Mercedes Benz. Standing up, he peeked out one of the front windows, only to confirm his suspicions. Thus, he exited the house and opened the front gate for them manually.

The car drove through and out came two very dumbfounded men. Their necks bent as they looked up with wide eyes and mouth agape. Never will there ever be a time when they are not astounded by the absurdity of Sebastian's abilities. Just as he said, three hours had passed and the townhouse was good as new from the pile of rubble that it was when they left.

"How do you do that?!" the menace asked aloud. Before Sebastian could say anything, Ciel answered for him.

"One hell of a butler and all that, obviously." the blue Phantomhive replied, causing the butler to instinctively wish to clutch at his pearls over his master's nonchalance toward his catchphrase. He recovered, however, clearing his throat.

"Everything is in order except the adjustments necessary to make this into a secret facility." the butler informed. "Also, there is no electricity or water, yet, but I called the company. Also, there was a stream here that no longer connects to anything, but is essential to the aesthetic of the structure. It will require a pump to provide water for it."

"I trust that it will be in ship-shape soon." said the bluenette, putting his hands on his hips with a slight nod. "It's really impressive… It's just as I remember it..."

"The inside is furnished as well." Sebastian added, his smug smile returning at the praise. "Would you like a tour?"

"You bet!" excitedly answered Alois, following Sebastian inside with great enthusiasm. There, Sebastian showed Alois around while the family head tailed far behind, simply taking everything in.

It was amazing, how little he regarded this place when he was younger. In fact, this is where he dumped people who were supposed to be his friends when he didn't want to deal with them. How foolish. He wondered what indeed happened to Prince Soma, but knows that he would never find out. Instead, all he was left with were memories.

He was not sad, however. Although he still had no personal use for the townhouse beyond letting other people live in it, he did not think that he would miss it too much. Indeed, he was happy that the history was still alive, but he was also happy that it was evolving to suit a greater cause. This house was going to change things for the better, now.

Some pieces may be lost when it was fully equipped for use, but it was all a part of it. It was all for the better, and he was proud. The house contained many memories, but it would create many more. Fingers brushed against the wooden railing on the stairway with great fondness as he remembered all the times he walked up and down it as a child, sometimes being chased by his parents so that he wouldn't hurt himself. The smallest of smiles crept onto his face as these memories surfaced, as it was uncommon for him to look back like this.

At first, Ciel was simply running away from what ailed his mind by rashly jumping into this, but now he was simply glad. By letting Preston get away before, heallowed the order to exist, but things were being made right, now. Yet, he still felt this gnawing ache in his chest at the fact that he had killed his former friend. He had fond memories of him as well, which got in the way of him letting go.

It was unavoidable. His rational mind knew better, but his emotional side did not care. Ciel could still remember the feeling of his blade piercing the Omid's chest. Furrowing his brow, Ciel attempted to shake these thoughts away and turn his attention back to the now.

His husband was excitedly looking around with joy seeping through every pore. The blonde was amazed with how this was another Phantomhive property, and felt kinship with it through this. He was also ecstatic at the idea that people were going to live here and this was going to become an "in-between" while new residents waited on their housing assignments. Alois was beaming and the grin on his face lit up the room. It lingered as he looked back at his husband, infecting the other man with a smile of his own.

"This is gonna be great!" he declared, walking over the bluenette and wrapping his arms around his waist. "Just think of all the people this will help!"

"I'm glad it can be of use." the other Phantomhive replied, hugging his spouse back. "I'll call Integra and tell her the status of the place."

"Okay." nodded the menace. "I kinda wanna look around a little more before we go, though."

"Knock yourself out." Ciel replied. "Tell me if you find anything particularly interesting."

"Alrighty, then~!" Alois chimed, pecking his beau on the cheek before releasing him and exploring the house once more. Ciel just shook his head with a smile as he pulled out his phone and dialed the head of the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization.

"The place is now standing."


	302. Terms And Conditions

The next day was spent fashioning the Phantomhive townhouse so that it was fit for supernatural beings to live in. The electricity and water were taken care of, and wi-fi for the computer at the front desk and in the office was set up. The front desk was installed and mailboxes were set up as well. The front gate was motorised as well, but a second behind that one was added as a checkpoint. A booth was set up within it for visitors and residents to check their cellphones into upon arrival as a security measure.

The demonic duo took out things that were of particularly sentimental value to the bluenette. Mostly family heirlooms and portraits. These would be stored in the mainhouse instead. Yet, the bluenette felt as though there should be a trace of the Phantomhive family left within the house. The walls were almost bare without the portraits. Thus, the man came up with the idea of taking a picture with his spouse in front of the house as the original owners, but he felt as though this would come across as silly if expressed.

Still, the Phantomhive coat-of-arms was still on display quite prominently. Although the Hellsing family's was added in a few places, it still remained as the most important. It made Ciel feel proud. The house even had a name in the council that was put on a plaque on the wall right next to the gate. It was now known simply as "Phantom House", which made the two Phantomhives feel amused. It worked, and soon the house itself would work as well, but the problem remained that they still needed staff.

They made a list of all of the things that would need maintained and the occupations that would be in charge of doing so. Then, they sent that list to the Gehenna Town Welfare Center's hiring agents, including a certain Mister Westley. Adds were placed around Gehenna for it, although quite a few members of the staff would in fact be H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agents. Restrictions were tough, but it was all for good reason. As the name implies, the townhouse is in town, after all, so there has to be a certain degree of discipline and professionalism in the matter.

Soon, the turncoats and refugees that were very nearly freezing and starving to death were informed that the house would be opened the very next evening. They would need to get on the bus and ride to the house in the dead of night as not to be seen. Naturally, they were elated and vowed to hold out just a little longer.

The night was colder than the day, but they still put out their fire and packed up everything they had. Wink stood by the door, helping people get on the bus, providing words of encouragement as hope slowly began to return to them. The bus ride was frightening, however, as none of them really knew what to expect. Most thought that the house would be some shoddy, prison-like place. The sight of the barbed wire and spikes on top of the brick wall surrounding the property did not help.

Following standard procedure, they stopped inside the inner gate after being dropped off in order to check in any electronic devices with the guards. This didn't take long, as very few of them had any, but the guards still needed to make sure. It was here that they saw their first glimpse at the house's exterior through the bars of the gate. It was hard to see, as it was dark, but they could see lights on inside the building.

"What kind of place is this?" one of them asked, baffled by the strangely nice-looking building.

"I don't know." answered Wink. "We're going to find out soon, though."

Slowly, the gate opened, and the group stepped into the courtyard. As they all drew nearer, the image of the building became clearer, and it was still oddly pleasant. It was like a place from a fairytale, almost. It didn't seem real. Even the door seemed too nice, as did it's handle. Still, when Wink grabbed hold of it, it did not vanish. She opened the heavy wooden door to reveal light coming from the inside, coming from a chandelier of all things.

Eyes narrowed to filter out some of the brightness, while others held up a hand or averted their gaze altogether. The inside of the building looked fancy and was not at all what any of them were expecting. This was lavish in comparison to Gehenna, even. They stared with their mouths agape at this bizarre place they had just crossed over into. The world had changed. There was a woman sitting at the front desk, looking at a computer, who stood up upon their arrival. She wore the uniform of a H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. Supernatural Affairs worker and did her job as such, while her employment was only temporary.

From the stairs came thunderous steps as someone quickly tried to make their way down them. It frightened the new residents, but eventually, they discovered it's source. A blonde man with a cat-like face appeared at the bottom of the steps and with a smile, he approached the others.

"Hello~!" he cheerfully greeted. "Welcome to Phantom House! I'm Alois Phantomhive, one of the owners of the house." the menace stated, introducing himself.

"This house was originally the Phantomhive Family townhouse in the 1800s, but was no longer in use. Now, it has been refurbished and repurposed in partnership with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. for the sake of temporarily housing those who do not yet have housing assignments. You will be allowed to stay here for as long as it takes until then." he explained further before gesturing to the woman behind the desk.

"Now, to check in, we're going to need all of you to give Jenny, here, your name and you need to confirm your information with her." Alois continued. "Then, you will receive your room assignments. Any questions so far?"

There was a long pause, as while there were many questions, it was hard to narrow it down to a few. Why was this place so fancy? Why was the Lion here, giving the introductions? It was all moving so fast. The leader of the group, however, managed to raise her hand.

"What are the rules of living here?" questioned Wink, causing the others to nod behind her.

"Excellent question." replied the menace. "There are booklets with all of the house rules in every room. There will also be a presentation in the drawing room at noon tomorrow that will explain that in detail. We will be having one tonight as well for any vampires in the group, or just anyone who just wants to know sooner."

Satisfied with this answer, Wink offered a nod to indicate her understanding. Clapping his hands together, Alois said: "Well, if that's all of the questions for right now, I'll leave you to check in, and I'll see whoever shows up in the drawing room." After he was done, he turned to head to the room in question in order to wait. Once he was out of sight, Wink moved forward and walked to the front desk first.

"Name?" asked the woman sitting there.

"Actual name?"

"Whatever you're entered into the computer as."

"Clara Saunders." answered Wink. The other woman typed at her keyboard, and lo and behold, the witch came up. After verifying some information to make sure that it was accurate, Wink was given a card with her room number on it.

"Do I need a key?" she asked, prompting the lady at the desk to shake her head.

"The only doors that lock are the office and the employee's rooms." she was told. "Sorry."

That wasn't very helpful, but Wink wasn't going to complain. The building was warm and there was a roof over her head. The witch walked forward, waiting on her compatriots to go through the procedure before she went in search. She waited on a few before she went with them to find their respective rooms. It seemed that women were on one end of the building and men were on the other. Once she found her room, she looked around, taking it in.

So this is where she would be staying for a while? It was simple, but Phantomhive standards, but elegant by hers. The witch put away what few items were in her possession before looking around even more. On the small desk, she found a paper booklet that had the rules of the house written inside.

It talked about the non-locking doors and all of the things that were provided. It talked about what times food would be served and where. The bus schedule was inside as well. In addition, it came to Wink's attention that each person had a small mailbox up at the front of the house with their room number on it. This is where they could send or receive mail from Gehenna, including notifications of employment or housing. There were no curfews, but they did have to tell where they were going before they left somewhere. If they did, they would need to be in disguise. The book also talked about employment at the house, as well. Wink only skimmed the book, as she figured that the Lion would go over the important parts, and she had all of the time in the world to read it.

She did believe it to be a good idea to head back downstairs to check on the others and to attend that meeting, however. She was more than willing to stay up a little longer, while a handful of people immediately collapsed upon entering their rooms. Her compatriots were still filing in, slowly but surely. It would probably take several hours before everyone was signed in, with only one computer going. During this time, she talked to the others and told them about the rooms and what she knew of the rules thus far. Everything was oddly relaxed inside, although there were guards all around the walls. People were falling asleep in line before it was over. Even Wink was getting drowsy.

At long last, the time came where everyone was either in their rooms asleep, or on their way to the meeting to go over the rules of the house. When they walked into the room, there were chairs and there was food, which was ransacked almost immediately. Then there was the Phantomhive man, typing away on his phone, obviously breaking the "no technology" rule. When the others came in, however, he looked up from the device and smiled.

"Hello, everyone~!" he greeted in a friendly manner. "I knew that snack table was a good idea." Standing up from his seat, he stood at the front of the room and waited for everyone to get settled.

"Good evening, everyone. What time is it? Four? Damn." Alois said, checking the time on his phone. "It's late. We're having a bit of complications getting the breakfast schedule for nocturnal residents sorted out for tonight, so feel free to eat as much as you want right now. Normally, breakfast will be served from twelve to two, while daytime breakfast will be from eight to ten. The full eating schedule is in your booklets as well as posted by the entrance of the dining room."

"Now, the point of this isn't really to go over eating schedules, though. It's to go over rules." he continued, walking back and forth. "The most important rule is that the same laws that apply in Gehenna apply here. If you sneak into somebody else's room and steal something, that is a criminal offense, and there will be no violence. That, I think is kind of a given, though. In addition, destruction of property is also a crime. You're not allowed behind the front desk or in the office unless you work there, or are called there for whatever reason the situation calls for. Sound good?"

Alois was met with a few nods from the crowd while a few whispered. He could hear what they were saying and found nothing of any interest. Thus, he moved on.

"Other than the blatantly illegal stuff, there's also the stuff that can get you kicked out." the menace said. "Noise complaints are a thing. If you're too loud consistently, and your neighbours continuously complain to staff about it, you can be kicked out of Phantom House. You can appeal to not be, though, but you need a really good reason. Like you have a baby or something and it's cryin'.

"Also, if you're constantly making messes and not cleaning up." he added. "If your room is in complete shambles with trash everywhere, you either need to pick it up, or be praying you don't get kicked out for it. That is a thing that can happen. On that note, room inspections are a thing that will happen once a month. There's no reason to really worry about this. It's to make sure you're not sneaking in weapons, drugs, or other contraband. Sound fair?"

He was met with a few more nods from the crowd, and people seemed to find this to be reasonable. A few conversed about it with those next to them, while others waited for him to carry on. He clapped his hands together and rubbed them in anticipation as he prepared to move onto the next thing.

"Now we're gonna talk about what you can do." the Phantomhive declared. "First thing is: this isn't a prison. You can come and go just like the residents of Gehenna. All you have to do is check in with the guys at the front gate and tell them where you're off to and when you plan to come back. You can also take the bus to and from Gehenna and H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. HQ for business reasons, or if you want to go shopping in Gehenna or just visit.

"If you're expecting a letter from H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. or somewhere in Gehenna, you are each assigned a mailbox with your room number on it. You can find them in the main entryway. This is for things like, if you need to be informed about your new housing assignment or are expecting news from a potential employer. If you need to send a letter, you can drop it off at the front desk, and it will be sent out for you. If letters are too slow, however, there is also a phone that you can use in the lobby as well."

There was a pause as Alois waited to see if everyone was keeping up with the information. He waited for them to process it, and he answered questions they had about what had been discussed. He went on to tell them that they had access to the garden whenever they pleased as well as the courtyard. They seemed to like that idea, and also liked the information that there was a suggestion box in the lobby as well. It was surprising how much freedom they were granted in this place. It was about the same as living in Gehenna, but all in only one building.

The time came for Alois to leave, eventually, forcing him to say his goodbyes and allow the residents to get their rest. Someone else would to the presentation that morning, but he insisted that he be there when they arrived that evening. The man got in his car and drove off into the early morning, getting home really late. His brothers were still asleep when he arrived, but neither his husband or the family butler was.

Tiredly, he took off his coat and shoes before heading up to the master bedroom to change into more comfortable clothes. He changed into pyjamas and headed to the office, where his spouse was killing time. Ciel was working, despite the time, as he felt no need to go to bed without the other there. His back was to the door, but he smiled as he heard it open and waited for the blonde to hug him from behind.

"Hello, darling." the Watchdog greeted, turning his head to peck the blonde on the lips. "How did it go?"

"I think it went really well." Alois answered, nuzzling Ciel's shoulder with his eyes closed. "Everybody was calm and had lots of questions. They seemed pretty happy with things for the time being."

"That's good. Think things will go according to plan?"

"After a while, maybe, once the place becomes more established. I think a few people might actually need to move out, first, so it's not just one big community, there."

"That sounds about right." the bluenette said. Taking the other's hand, he placed the back of it to his lips before turning around. "Ready to go to bed?"

"Oh, I was born ready." jokingly answered the menace, smiling as he earned a chuckle. With a sigh, he childishly said: "Carry me." while wrapping his arms around the other man's neck.

Although Ciel shook his head, he did as requested, all the same. He scooped the other up bridal style, allowing the Lion to stay close to his chest. "You're so needy." he teased.

"You're the one who stayed up for me."

"True. Let's turn in for the night."


	303. Magnum PI

At long last, January became February and life went on. The Phantom House was operating smoothly and things were progressing well. Occasionally, things would pop up about the Scarlet Order, and the original Sensational Seven would talk. The group needed to arrange to hang out together in the near future, but working out a schedule and what they were going to do was difficult to manage.

Audrey had work, and so did Daniel. Alois, Travis, and Kristopherson had school, while Kristopherson had his own projects he was working on. He was busily trying to open up a sewing shop in Gehenna, going through all of the procedures that any ordinary supernatural would go through to make it work.

There was still gloom that remained, but the group did their best to let it go. They got wrapped up in their own lives and sought to try and make the most of things. Individually, they would visit Preston where he was buried, but they hadn't gone together yet. There were always flowers at his site as his memory persisted.

New opportunities arose for the others, and they took them where they could. While Kristopherson had the opening of his store to worry about and the Phantomhives had their townhouse, the others worried about other things that were slightly less than extraordinary. Audrey was visiting the gym more often, as it had come to his attention that his sedentary job was causing him to lose muscle. Meanwhile, Daniel struggled with school and work, debating as to whether or not he should drop the former. As for Travis, Alois ran into him quite recently.

Alois had a task that was so intimidating and demanding of mental fortitude that it struck fear into the heart of many a man. Not even the fearsome Watchdog could complete this mission as he was far too weak in this regard, but it had to be done. Life as they knew it depended on Alois' success. Yet, the menace was unfazed, possessing a calm that many did not.

On that particular day, his quest brought him to the pharmacy. To be more specific, it was the contraception aisle. Yes, he and his husband had renewed activity since his capture once more, and they were low on necessities.

Now, when he rounded the corner, Alois didn't expect to see much. Perhaps an occasional embarrassed young man who would flee once the menace looked at him, or maybe a grown adult who didn't make much of a deal of it. What he certainly didn't expect to see, however, was someone he knew. His eyebrows raised as he saw a familiar head of black curly hair standing in the aisle. His surprise then shifted to amusement as a grin spread across his face. It took Alois everything he had not to snicker, but he didn't have to. His footsteps alerted the other man of his presence.

Travis had been reading a package rather diligently before he looked up to see the menace, and honestly, he would have been less embarrassed had he been caught by anyone other than Alois. Perhaps Daniel would have been far worse, but Alois was still embarrassing. Poor Travis' cheeks turned a little pink as he was approached, but not before Alois paused to grab a package that he was looking for.

"'Sup, Sully?" he greeted, prompting the other to clear his throat.

"Not much..." Travis bashfully answered.

"Of all of the Pharmacies in London..." Alois trailed off, shaking his head. "Oh, well. Fancy meeting you here, though."

"I guess..." the other replied. Under normal circumstances, Travis wasn't particularly talkative, but now he was especially dissuaded from speaking. Perhaps, though, this was a blessing in surprise, as he had been confused, here, for a while before the blonde showed up.

"Uuuhhh..." Travis began, prompting the other's attention while the menace looked around.

"Hm?"

"I'm new to this whole thing, so… I have no idea… What I'm doing..." the Sullivan bashfully admitted as he hoped that he would just keel over in that instant and save himself from pursuing the conversation.

"Sure thing. What do you need help with?" Alois casually replied, not making a big deal about it. He knew that Travis wasn't particularly talkative, and could see that he was embarrassed, so he wasn't going to ask about his personal business at that particular instant. There was no real reason to, and it wasn't as though it would be funny. Alois was there for the exact same reason, after all.

"Well… I don't know which ones to get… Brands..." There was a moment of hesitation in Travis' explanation. "Size..."

"Well, first, you need to know the circumference of your dick." bluntly informed the menace. "If you know that, you can pull up a size chart on your phone right now. It'll tell you what size in what brand you should get."

"Oh..." Travis answered, almost clumsily whipping out his phone. While he was typing into Google, Alois didn't stare. Instead, the menace was searching the shelves for the other item on his shopping list, but didn't seem to see it.

"Uh..." the Sullivan began again. "What kind do I need to get?"

"There's all kinds of condoms, but I like this brand." Alois answered, holding up his purchase. "I'd stay clear of that one right there, though. In fact, if it's some weird kind that says it'll make you better at sex, I'd stay clear of it. That kind says it'll make you last longer, right? But it actually has stuff on the inside that numbs you, so it'll do as advertised, but you won't feel a thing."

"Personal experience?"

"At the time it was kind of traumatic, but now it's kind of hilarious."

"Wait, you used them on Ciel?"

"That's my problem and not yours, Sullivan."

"Sorry." Travis answered. A small blush appeared on his face as the blonde's amused expression faded. Thankfully, it lit up again as Alois looked past him and spotted what he was looking for.

"Oh! There it is!" Alois said aloud. "Can I get past you for a second?"

"Sure?" confusedly answered Travis, taking a step back. His friend walked past him and grabbed another box that was on the shelf. Once Travis realised what it was, his face darkened.

"They moved it since last time." the blonde needlessly explained. "You should probably get some of this, too, by the way."

"But I'm with a woman? Doesn't- Isn't it okay on it's own?"

"You fool..." replied the menace, handing Travis the box in his hand and grabbing another for himself. "Heteros use this stuff all the time. Why do you think there's so much here?"

"Good point." answered Travis. "So… How much of this do I use? What happens if I use too much?"

"Sweetie, there's no such thing as ' _too much'_ lube..."

"I-I see..."

"If you don't mind my asking, though, isn't your girlfriend Catholic? Isn't this stuff a ' _no-no'_ or some shit?"

"She says that Jesus wasn't anti-condom and that that's a _'stupid-ass rule made by some dumbass old white man_ '." Travis stated.

"I like your girlfriend." Alois grinned. "She's cool as hell."

"I can agree with that." the Sullivan chuckled in return.

"Alright, I should probably get going. Gotta get back to the mister." the menace finally said. "Need any more advice before I go?"

"Uuuuhhh… Do you have any advice in general?"

"Ciel would be better for this, but basically, go slow, take your time, and have fun. If you go into it all serious and shit, you're going to have a bad time. First couple of times are super clumsy. That's just a fact. As long as you both have fun with it though, it's all good."

"Thanks..." sighed the other. "That helps a lot, actually."

"If it's not fun, don't do it." Alois reiterated as he began to walk away. He was almost out of the aisle, but then had to turn back around.

"Shit, I forgot we're both blokes..." he muttered, grabbing another box in a different size. He then backed out of the aisle again, waving at his friend with his purchase. "Laters~!"

"See you later." laughed his friend, despite shaking his head. He was actually surprised by how well that went. There was no mocking. Alois actually saved him from having to ask a stranger out of desperation. Naturally, he was going to have to do a lot more research once he returned home. Maybe asking Ciel about it would be a good idea. Then again, what experience did Ciel have with the opposite sex? It was all so confusing.

Once Alois was completely gone, however, Travis came to another, more terrifying realization, however. This was only the easy part. Now Travis had to take his items to the store clerk and pay for them. Oh, God give hims strength. If he hurried, however, maybe he could catch Alois again and observe his technique.


	304. Faulty Trousers

Over the weekend, Kristopherson was visiting his parents at their home in order to have aide on his project. He was designing clothing patterns that would suit fit supernaturals comfortably and opening a store in Gehenna that would sell them and other sewing supplies. Fabric, needles, pins, thread, and other things would become readily availible to the public along with other trinkets. His mother had also come up with designs as well, and it was essential that he receive them.

He sat in what used to be his room, sewing away at a prototype with the help of his friend, Logan, working on another. The poor incubus' hands were covered in adhesive bandages as he tried his best to make himself useful. With practise, he had gotten rather proficient at sewing on buttons, so that became his task.

"How are things going, darling?" questioned Missus Miles' as she walked into the room. She had clothes draped over her arm as she took a drag of her cigarette with her other hand.

"It's going." the wolfman replied. "I need to find people to try these on when I'm done, though."

"I could take some with me." offered Logan. "I can ask around."

"Good plan."

"Speaking of which, Logan dear, you have a tail, normally, yes?" inquired Kristopherson's mother. "Could you try these on and tell me how it fits?"

"Uuuh… Sure." bashfully answered the incubus, taking the clothes from the woman's hand.

"I'll leave you to it, then." the woman replied. "Oh, and Krissy darling, what did you think of those shirts I sent you?"

"The neck was too small after I transformed." her son stated, turning around and gesturing around his neck. "At the base. It got caught."

"Drat. Did you take new measurements?"

"Yeah." Kristopherson said, digging around on his desk. He pulled out a slip of paper before handing it to his mother.

"Thank you. I'll make adjustments." Missus Miles said, turning and walking out of the room. She waved a little at the incubus on her way out and shut the door.

With a small sigh, Logan held up the pants and examined the hole for the tail. His gaze then fell to Kristopherson as a slight blush appeared on his cheeks. Standing up, he replaced himself in the seat with the pants as he set them down momentarily.

"Uh… Can you look the other way for a second?" Logan asked, prompting the other to do as requested.

"Sure thing." Kristopherson answered, turning his gaze to the surface of his desk as he heard the sound of a zipper. He found it a bit odd that the other was so bashful about being seen without his pants on, as he had many people on call who had seen him fully nude. Now that thought made _Kristopherson_ blush.

"Shit..." he heard muttered behind him.

"Something wrong?"

"I can't… I can't get my tail through the hole and the pants don't fit..."

"Need help?"

"No! I mean… Kinda… It's embarrassing!"

"Why? You've got underwear on, don't you?" questioned the faux-blonde before pausing momentarily to speak. When he was met with silence, however, he raised an eyebrow. "Logan?"

"They don't make underwear with tail holes, you know..." answered the incubus with much hesitation.

"Oh my god..." Kristopherson said allowed. "Nothing?"

"No… It's not like you can just cut a hole… If it's too small, it'll cut into you, and if it's too big, there's no point in wearing underwear at all..."

"Well… Can you take off the pants and cover yourself? Give them to me, I'll figure them out..."

"Okay..." Logan replied, slipping off the trousers before putting his own back on. Rather, what he could fit, as these were his "running around in London" pants that didn't accommodate for a tail at all. He then handed them to Kristopherson, who's back was still turned, and the man examined them.

"The zipper is in the back." the faux blonde informed. "Unzip them and slip your tail through."

"Alright..." the incubus answered, waddling over to the Miles while pulling his shirt down over his front. He was about to take the garment back, but before he could, his brow raised and his blush returned twofold. "Is that a mirror?!" he asked, prompting the faux-blonde's attention.

"Huh?" the other asked, instinctively following the other's pointed finger. His eyes honed in on the object, catching a glimpse of Logan's face before snapping his eyes shut and covering his face.

"I forgot it was there!" he insisted. "I didn't look in it, I promise1"

"You did just now!"

"I didn't see anything."

"How do I know that?!"

"Just trust me!" Kristopherson said. "Why do you even care, anyway?!"

"Rude!" Logan accused, smacking the wolfman on the back of the head. "Is it because I'm an incubus? I'll have you know, that we don't like being seen naked by everyone!"

"So friends are a no?"

"Why? Do you _want_ to see me?"

"I feel like most people would. You're blue, Logan."

"So you want to know if all of me is?" the incubus questioned, taking the pants and walking backward. "It is, if you must know. I don't think you need to see it."

"I'm sorry..." Kristopherson said. Taking a deep breath, he lowered his hands and looked down at his desk. "That was really fucked up of me. I didn't mean… to imply anything. I'm sorry."

"You're still pretty new to all of this..." Logan began, making sure Kristopherson's back was turned and he wasn't looking, still. He slipped off his trousers and replaced them with the new pair, reaching behind him to zip them up. He was especially mindful to not get his skin caught in the zipper. "I'll let it slide, this time..."

"I thank you for your forgiveness..." the other sighed in relief. "All that stuff is personal. It's your business. I guess… I'm a bit curious, is all."

"About what? My sex life? Me?"

"I don't know. Just… In general, I guess? You don't really talk about that stuff."

"I didn't think you would be interested." the incubus stated. "People from your world kind of look down on this sort of thing. I don't even really like it, but I do what I have to."

"You don't?"

"Well, I prefer monogamy, but I'm not seeing anybody, so I have to go casual."

"Hmm..." hummed the wolfman was he thought. He wanted to know many things about Logan, but realised that most of it was extremely personal, and really none of his business. Things crossed his mind whenever he thought of the other man, although he felt as though he was being nosy or even perverse for doing so.

"What do you mean, 'hmm?'" questioned the other. "I thought I told you that?"

"Yeah, you did. I dunno what I'm 'hmm-ing' about."

With a moment of hesitation, Logan made sure that the other wasn't looking still, so that he wouldn't see his face. Logan's face flushed even worse than before, so he needed to be certain. "If you must know, you're attractive, too..."

He was anxious as he awaited the other's reply, but it came slow. The wait was agonising before Kristopherson finally asked: "Would I be an option if I weren't a virgin?"

"Do you want the honest answer or the one I made up?"

"Honest one, preferably."

"The answer is 'probably'." Logan mislead. He didn't flat-out lie, but he didn't tell the whole truth. "It's that 'virgin' thing that rules you out, though. Sorry, mate."

"What's the deal with that rule again?"

"It's part of our code of conduct." explained the incubus, sitting down. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as the metal of the zipper was extremely uncomfortable. "There's a couple reasons why that's a thing. The main one is that we believe that your first time should be with someone you care about and who cares about you. It's best if it means something."

"That's why the exception is that if you're dating?"

"Yep. I get that a lot of people don't see it that way, but it's one of our iron rules. Even dating is risky, because you need to have that conversation really early on."

"Right, because if the other person isn't ready, but still expects monogamy, that could be a problem." Kristopherson replied.

"Yeah, that's it, exactly. Though, I feel like it's kind of scummy when other species do that, though, since they don't actually _need_ it to live."

"Making sure your partner doesn't die is a good thing." the Miles said, finally turning around to face the other. "Is it difficult? Finding someone who works, I mean..."

"It is..." Logan sighed, folding his hands. "It's a bit demanding. We need to have sex with our partners on a regular basis or else we start to feel sick and weak. If it goes on for too long, we'll starve to death. I understand that it's too much to ask of quite a lot of people, and I'd honestly rather they not get into a relationship with an incubus or succubus if it is. Sometimes it feels like I'll be alone forever, though. Still, my sister got married, so there's still hope."

"Sounds rough..." Kristpoherson replied. "Being a supernatural and finding a relationship is just hard, isn't it?"

"It can be. I don't think it's that way for most, but I think that's because most don't have some weird affliction, and they tend to date other supernaturals."

"Well, I imagine that would be hard to explain. There's a few werewolves that are still married to humans in Ghenna, though."

"Isn't lycanthropy super contagious?"

"Through bodily fluid, and only on the full moon." answered the wolfman. "Any other time, it's fine, at least according the book. I don't have much hope for finding a human boyfriend, though."

"That's understandable..." Logan nodded, recalling what Kristopherson told him about his prior relationship with Daniel Westley. Both of them understood the Westley's hesitance with staying with someone infected with lycanthropy. Inter-species relationships always came with a degree of compromise and understanding. Quite a few people simply can't handle all of that. It's a responsibility. "I haven't heard of one of us who has a human partner."

"When I was… human… I probably would have been scared, too. Part of me is still kind of scared, if I'm honest."

"You're still new. You haven't even been a werewolf for a year. That's not weird. New vampires have kind of a similar reaction."

"I mean, I would be open to it." the wolfman insisted.

"But you shouldn't get into a relationship unless you're sure." Logan said almost scoldingly.

"I guess you're right..." Kristopherson replied. "I dunno if I am… I'd like to be, though..."

To this, he was met with a pause. The incubus was unsure of what to say. In truth, he had nothing to add. What was appropriate in this situation wasn't clear, and although there were things he wished he could say, if was evident that now was not the time. Thus, he moved on.

"I can't sit in these anymore." Logan said, standing up and tugging at the trousers. "The zipper is heinous, I'm sorry. I think they're designed for people who can wear underpants. The crotch is nice, though."

"Alright." the Miles answered. "Take those off and I'll tell my mum the problem."

"Turn around first. And get rid of that mirror!"

* * *


	305. Searching For Souls

Work ethic had become a problem for a certain employee of the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. Intelligence Department. He was having difficulty focusing on work as well as other things. When he got home, he didn't feel like doing anything. Things he used to enjoy just weren't appealing right then. Every day, Audrey would drag himself into work and do his best, but it just wasn't what it used to be. This slump came after news of Preston's end, and he couldn't seem to see any end in sight.

Perhaps it was Audrey who was hit hardest out of the original crew, given his relationship with Preston. Out of all of the members of the sensational seven, it was he who was closest to Preston. They came over to each others' houses and played videogames on a regular basis, and Audrey was one of the few in the group that shared interest in science-fiction. The pair had inside jokes that would never be told again. Hell, Preston's high scores were still on Audrey's gaming consoles. His ghost was still there.

He couldn't shake it. Even though he hadn't seen Preston in months, the fact that he truly was never coming back was a lot to take in. While Baines knew the his former friend would be killed for what he had done and known from the beginning wasn't enough to shield him. He felt bad. As much as he didn't want to, he missed his friend, even if he was never going to be the same person he was.

Audrey hated himself for missing Preston after everything he's done. Preston wasn't worth being missed, but still, it lingered. The thing about emotions is that they aren't rational. They can't be reasoned with. When someone feels something, it cannot be changed until the feeling passes. That is the way life works. Bones, being a person with emotions, was no different. The day would eventually come where he would be alright with this sequence of events, but this wasn't the day. He couldn't shake the feeling of life being unfair.

He could remember how good of a person he was. Preston was the kind who once risked his life for the life of a friend, but it was this that led to his downfall. Preston thought life wasn't fair as well. He felt punished for his good deed, and everything spiraled from there. Life just wasn't fair.

Thoughts like these made Audrey feel sluggish and unable to focus on anything, even when he heard things that would be fascinating to him. He heard about talk that the Americans were interested in what they were doing with supernaturals, which could mean many things, including funding. He was supposed to be following up on vampire attacks in Essex, and managed to do the job, but not with his usual quality. Thank goodness, he didn't fail, but the results could have been disastrous if he was too out of it.

"The psychiatrist says I'm having a bit of depression." he told a certain researcher as he was having his regular checkup. "Do I like, need any drugs for that, or..?"

"I wouldn't play with that." answered Miranda. "Medication can really mess you up. I think you're just having a natural response to death that will go away with time. Really, it will."

"Doesn't feel like it..." mumbled Audrey, causing the other to utter a sigh.

"It will, trust me. Just do your best." the woman replied. With a pause, she added: "If you'd like, I can offer you a paid medical leave."

"Regular paid leave is fine. I don't think it's serious enough to be medical."

"If that's what floats your boat. I really do think you need some time off, though."

"To do what? Sit alone in my room all day and wallow in it? There's nothing to do! Nothing is interesting anymore..."

With a concerned look, Miranda put down her clipboard on the counter as she crossed one leg over the other in her seat. "You need this." she insisted. "You need to go out and do things. Anything, really, even if it's hard. Lying around in your room is only going to make it worse. Go outside. Maybe you could stay with your family?"

"My mum would just complain and lecture me about it..." Audrey replied. "She'd say it's all because of supernaturals and H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and that I should just stay home and work at the company."

"Surely a friend can help you." suggested Miranda. "You can't let things spiral out of control. Bad things come when that happens. You need to go somewhere you can be doing things and staying active." Pausing, she added, "Have you been going to the gym, still?"

"I've felt to bad to go." Baines said, putting his hand on his stomach. "I need to, though. I'm starting to not be as tone as I used to."

"At least you _were_ tone. I've always been squishy."

"You're cute like that, though. I'm not. This is the best I can do." There was a pause after the reaper said that before he saw the woman's blush, prompting his own cheeks to turn pink in return. Indeed, that was a rather suspect thing to say. After all of this time, Audrey thought he had gotten better at talking around the opposite sex, but in an instant, all of that had flown out the window.

"U-u-uh… So… I wonder where I should go…" he said, abruptly changing the subject. In a rare moment, Miranda took off her glasses so that she could clean the lens with the fabric of her shirt, mostly so she wouldn't have to look at Audrey directly. This said, this meant that the man could see her entire face, and he was somewhat pleased, despite being embarrassed beyond belief.

"I don't know." the woman answered. "Do you have any other places you could stay?"

"We-well..." Audrey pondered. "I guess my family has a few other properties… I could probably stay at one of them for the time being..."

"The only problem is that I don't want you to go by yourself." Miranda said almost scoldingly. "It's better for you to be in contact with someone."

"I have a phone. Surely there's service at one of them. I can keep you updated, if you want."

Leaning back, Miranda tried to get comfortable, only to almost fall out of her chair. She managed to catch herself before Audrey could, even though he stood up to catch her. Clearing her throat, she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and tried to compose herself.

"I'd like that." she said. "You should have my number, but, let me give you my skype..."


	306. Runs In The Family

Daniel was not pleased. He was not pleased at all. Not only was he called at work, but he was called at work to pick up his sister early because of something she did. He had to give his excuses and persuade a coworker to take his next appointment so that he could do so.

Now, Daniel by no means had a spotless disciplinary record at Warwick. It was somewhat hypocritical of him to be so cross with his sibling, and yet, it was his responsibility as her guardian to do so. Unlike him, Samantha did have a spotless record, but for the first time in her entire school career, she has gotten in trouble. Has he failed her? Did he do something wrong? Certainly, he was going to get to the bottom of this if it was the last thing he did!

The car ride was silent as the man rehearsed in his head what he was going to say to his sibling once they both got home. "What were you thinking?!" he would say. "Why would you do that?! I've done some shit when I was younger, but I've never broken into a teacher's office!" Now he was the responsible one of the two. Indeed, once they did get in the door, words were exchanged, but not the ones that he had planned on.

"What were you thinking?" he began like he rehearsed.

"I had a good reason to do it, Dan." Samantha retorted. "I wouldn't do this for giggles. I had an objective in mind."

"Oh, yeah? And what's that? Get Geraldine and Revy in trouble too?"

"Revy wasn't even there. If he was, we wouldn't have gotten caught because he would have been guarding the door."

"And you went with it anyway? You're supposed to be the smart one!" Daniel accused with a roll of his eyes. He folded his arms and was a bit ashamed at the fact that he felt as though his sister was too much of an amateur for this kind of hijinks.

"I am! Unlike you, I didn't do it for just a stupid prank!" his sister snapped at him, brow furrowed and face obviously flustered. Her reaction startled Daniel enough to stun him, allowing her to stomp away to her room without much of a fight.

"Wait! Get back here!" the man demanded, following after her. "Sam-!"

Without another word from her, the girl slammed the door in her brother's face and locked it. It almost hit the older Westley's nose, but fortunately he was able to react fast enough to miss. He was shocked by his sister's strong reaction and had expected. He wasn't sure what he was hoping for, but as he thought about it, he hadn't accounted for the girl's strong will.

Samantha had been making her own rules for years and sneaking around Nathan's when he was around. They were typically good rules, however, that kept the household up and running. Their mother had no idea that the maid had quit a long time ago, and that Samantha was cleaning the house and taking the money. That, however, stopped when she moved in with Daniel. Now Daniel was trying to be a parent to her, when that's not what she wanted.

"Sam, come out of there!" Daniel instructed, only to be met with silence. He jiggled the doorhandle and called for her several times, only to not get a single response. Eventually, however, he checked his watch and realised that he needed to get back to work.

"I need to go. We'll talk about this later." the man said, receiving the same lack of answer he had been getting for the last fifteen minutes. It worried him. It stayed with him the entire drive back to Gehenna.

He continued to think about it during work, and had this worried feeling in the back of his mind for the rest of the day. Even while talking to clients. There was no other option but to bear with it just a little longer. During break, he did discuss it with his coworkers. The women who worked at the front desk also had siblings, so they had a bit to say.

"Sounds like you were being a jerk." bluntly said the ruthless Forsetti. The Elf leaned against the wall in the break room while the others sat down nearby.

"Huh?"

"I think what she's trying to say is that you were a little hostile." answered Helen, the succubus who worked closely with her at the front desk. "You didn't give her a chance to explain herself. She says she had a reason for doing it, didn't she?"

"Well… Yeah, but I just figured it was a prank." Daniel answered confusedly.

"You said she's not the kind to do that, though, and neither are her friends." said Sybil. "It doesn't add up."

"I just don't know what else to think about it..." the man said.

"Maybe try thinking of it from her perspective." suggested Helen. "That's what I did for Logan and Elvis."

"You know my sister, Dan?" asked Forsetti.

"The police chief?" answered the Westley with a question. "Yeah. I hear she's really nice."

"Do you think that we've never fought over stuff? When she started living with me, she got into some stuff a few times. Sometimes, it was bad." Began the elf. "In the beginning, I tried to be a parent and scold her without really listening to why. I figured that because I'm the oldest, I'm in charge and nothing else matters, but she only resented me for it." Daniel looked down at his hands, but said nothing, inviting the woman to finish what she was going to say.

"The thing is, she was going through some stuff that I had no idea about. She didn't feel safe talking to me about it anymore because of what I did. It was only when I tried talking to her- actually talking to her like a person, did things get better." she said. "I didn't sound like someone who was actually there for her anymore. I was just there to discipline her, not to help her. If your sister really is the kind of person you say she is, she's probably got something going on. It sounded like she wanted to tell you, too, but you were too busy trying to be a big-man to listen."

"Shit…" Daniel let out, shaking his head. Forsetti was right. He needed to fix this.

The rest of his shift was spent thinking about how he was going to do so, playing out various scenarios in his head as to how this was going to work. Even as the day ended and he stepped into his car, he was accounting for things like whether she was out of her room or not yet and how mad she was. He might even have to wait it out until the next day.

He walked slowly into the house, trying to make as little noise as possible. If his sister was still out, he didn't want to scare her off. Daniel was behaving as though he was dealing with a wild animal, but given his knowledge on how to handle the situation, he might as well have been.

Sure enough, Samantha was sitting in the living room, changed out of her uniform and into more comfortable clothes. She was sitting on the couch watching TV rather contently, but noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. They flickered over to her brother, taking in a good glance at him before turning back to the television.

"Hey..." Daniel greeted.

"Hey."

The man wasn't sure at all about how to start this conversation. Not matter what he thought of, all of it just sounded so awkward. There was no smooth progression. There was just diving right into things. Fortunately, that is what Daniel did best.

"Sam, I'm sorr-"

"I know." Samantha interrupted, keeping her eyes on the screen. "You're just trying to be a parent when you're not."

"How did you know?"

"I did some thinking while I was cooling off, too." she explained. "I'm guessing that's what you did?"

"Yeah..." the man replied, walking over to the girl and taking a seat next to her. "I did. I'm sorry for not listening to you."

"You better be." harshly replied his sister. "I didn't break into coach Ainsley's office for nothing, you know. I had a very good reason."

"What reason is that?" Daniel questioned, prompting his sibling to sigh.

"Gathering evidence." Samantha replied. "I was hoping to find his phone. There's probably damning texts and pictures on it."

"What for?" the other asked further. "What are you trying to prove?"

"Well, one of the second years got pregnant, y'see." The Westley girl continued. "She didn't say who it was, but she's been going in and out of his office on a regular basis. Other girls have done the same."

"Okay? And?"

"And he's super-creepy. He keeps making excuses to go into the girls' changing room after gym. He's got all kinds of nasty rumours surroundin' him, so we were trying to see if it was legit."

"He watches you change?!" demanded Daniel, standing up abruptly.

"Not me. Other girls." Samantha clarified, noting the panic on her sibling's face. "He would if he could, though. Geraldine and I have taken to wearing our gym clothes under our uniforms and the trend is catching on fast. He always makes up some excuse to come in there, but we all think it's creepy."

"Good! Listen to your creep-senses! They're there for a reason!" the older sibling said. Sitting back down, he grabbed Samantha's hand and held it tightly. "You tell me if anybody tips you off like that, okay? I'm going to call the bloody school and complain!"

"Probably won't do any good." the girl said as her brother stood up again and reached for his phone. "From the sounds of it, these rumours have been around for a while and the school hasn't done anything."

"I'm not going to call the school first." Daniel replied, looking over his shoulder at her with a cocky smile. His contact list was open on the phone's screen and he was going over the chain of communication in his group of friends. "It might not seem like it, but your big brother knows people. Those people know people, too. Geraldine is in on it too, isn't she? I highly doubt Sir Midford is going to like this, and the social elite of Britain isn't, either!"

Slowly, a wide grin spread across the Westley girl's face as she watched Daniel dial the phone with such a serious expression. Even though he wasn't always the most knowledgeable, and even though he wasn't the most perceptive, he was a good guy, despite his many faults. Although he wasn't quick to get it, once he was aware of such a serious problem, he was quick to do something about it. His brashness came in handy, sometimes. Daniel wasn't keen on subtlety, and in this situation, it was his greatest weapon.

"I have the best big brother." Samantha said aloud, alerting him that he was doing a good job.

"Damn straight, I am." Daniel replied. Although his back was turned to her, it was obvious just how much that meant to him.


	307. I Wanna Stay Home

Loudly, the alarm went off, abruptly waking the duo from their sleep. Alois' eyes didn't open right away. Instead, he clenched them tighter and squeezed his spouse tighter as he took in a deep breath through his nose. The Watchdog's scent filled his lungs, putting him back into a relaxed state as the annoying sound persisted. Reluctently, however, he eventually was forced to let go and roll over as the sound became too much to bear. The blonde reached over and grabbed his cell phone off of the nightstand, swiping the screen in order to shut off the alarm. Briefly, he laid there and checked the campus announcements in his e-mail before setting the phone back down and returning to his original location. He was not pleased with the thought of getting up at all.

Meanwhile, his husband simply wasn't pleased to be awake. Despite Ciel's sleepiness, he had enough sense to know that Alois needed to get up and go to school. With a sigh, his good eye opened and looked down at the man currently using his chest as a pillow. He wrapped his arms around Alois and leaned forward to kiss the blonde on top of his head, eliciting an incoherent mumble from the other demon.

"Good morning to you, too." the bluenette said, his voice indicative of him still being in the process of waking up. A smile graced his face as his beau sleepily propping himself up on his elbows as he still leaned over the Watchdog, looking down at him.

"Mornin'..." Alois greeted. "I don't wanna go to school."

"Participation points will come back to haunt you." the Watchdog warned. "You've missed a lot already."

"Not by choice." complained the other. "Is that any way to talk to your husband on Valentine's Day?"

"My mistake." Ciel chuckled, leaning up to properly kiss his beloved on the lips. "It's my turn to organize everything this year, right?"

"I hope it is, 'cause I don't have any plans."

"It is. I was just hoping that would bribe you to get up."

"Mmmmnn… It might..." Alois said, getting up and crawling over Ciel to climb off the bluenette's side of the bed. It was closest to the bathroom, after all.

Lazily, he sat on the edge of the bed for a while, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he psyched himself up to make the big jump from being in bed, to getting ready to leave. Behind him, the other stirred, sitting up as well. Ciel sat directly behind him, wrapping his arms around Alois' middle as he began to place light kisses on the back of the blonde's neck and shoulders.

"I'll get up with you, if you'd like." offered the Watchdog, causing a smile to grace his husband's face.

"No, I don't need you to suffer with me for my sake." Alois jested as he enjoyed the attention.

"As if that will ever stop me."

"I know. It's a nasty habit of yours." Patting the other's knee, he attempted to stand. "Let go. I have to get ready."

"Hold on a second." Ciel answered, nuzzling the blonde's shoulder. His arms tensed as he squeezed the menace closer to him and rocked them both momentarily. Then, he relaxed and finally let the other man go. "Okay. That should tide me over for a little bit."

"Needy." accused Alois as he finally stood, digging his toes into the carpet momentarily as he shivered at the cold.

"As if you aren't." answered the bluenette.

"If you _really_ loved me, you'd turn up the heat in here." the menace said on his way to the bathroom.

"That's not what you said last night." Ciel reminded, watching after him. "You wanted me to turn _down_ the temperature so that you could better sap up my body-heat like a little leech."

"It's cozier that way and you know it!" With that, Alois shut the door and stepped toward the shower. It wasn't as though his husband could argue. The bluenette agreed with that sentiment.

The sound of running water was heard, even out in the duo's shared bedroom for a few minutes while the menace got clean, only for him to release a cloud of steam behind him when he opened the door. Before the bedroom was the dressing room, as the master bedroom was actually several rooms in one suite. The dressing room stood between the actual bedroom and the bathroom and that is where Alois selected his outfit for the day and got dressed.

He stood in the mirror and fixed his hair just so, but was still not happy with his selection. Today, it was the accessories that were giving him trouble. He knew he needed something around his neck, but just didn't have a lot of necklaces or the like. What he did have, however, was his engagement ring and a chain. That was almost impossible to go wrong with. Alois kept the ring that he was proposed with, despite not being able to wear it on his finger with his wedding ring. It simply wouldn't fit. Still, it came in handy, although he was worried about losing it. Recently he had gained the fear of losing his wedding ring as well, in current events, but still was unable to remove it even temporarily. The only time he did was when he knew that he was in for a mission.

Reasonably satisfied with this, he turned around and walked through the door, only to find the bluenette dressed as well. He sat as though he had been waiting for a while, and must have gotten dressed while Alois was in the shower. What surprised Alois in all of this, however, was the man's attire. It was a simple combination of jeans and a t-shirt, but the rarity of these two items together being worn by the Watchdog at the same time made them seem special.

"What are you all dressed up for?" questioned the menace, prompting the other to stand.

"Well, I thought I would drive my husband to school today." Ciel replied. "Unless his highness disapproves. If that is the case, I'll just go back to sleep."

"No, that's sounds delightful." grinned the menace, pleased by the other's indirect acts of affection. "You may escort me."

"Well, then, here is your bag, good sir." his beau replied, handing him his backpack. Ciel then reached over and took his jacket off of the back of the chair, donning the thing made of leather for the second time that Alois has seen.

"Hold on, I need a coat, too." Alois said, going back in the dressing room and grabbing another one of Ciel's. Once he had it on, he put his backpack on over it and stepped back into the Watchdog's view. Ciel was not surprised by the blatant theft, but did not mind in the slightest. It was a common occurrence, and in truth, he found it cute. "Ready."

"Alright, let's go."

It was cold on the motorcycle, making both men somewhat regret their choices. They were freezing by the time they reached Alois' school, but the blonde was happy that he was able to cling to his husband a little longer. Once he hopped off of the bike, he gave his helmet back to Ciel, but he was not free to go just yet. Ciel took off his own helmet and seemed rather expectant, prompting the blonde to smile and lean over to kiss him. Despite being cold, Ciel's hand felt warm as it caressed Alois' cheek. Perhaps this was because Alois was freezing himself as well.

"I'll see you later then." Ciel said as they both pulled away. "Don't be surprised if Sebastian picks you up."

"I won't be too disappointed. The car has a heater, after all." smirked the blonde as he jested.

"Maybe I'll order him to pick you up on the bike as well? You never know..."

"You wouldn't, because that would be mean!"

"You know who I am, right?"

"Yeah, you're my loving husband who I love very much and who would never let anything bad happen to me." Alois said, pinning the bluenette into a corner.

"That's right." Having no other options, Ciel agreed. "Love you. Have a good day."

"You, too." answered the menace. "Love you~! Bye-bye~!"

Smiling, the blue Phantomhive put his helmet back on and drove off, leaving his husband to walk the rest of the way to class. Alois stayed behind to wave after him, but quickly high-tailed it to the classroom once he was out of sight. There was heat in the room, which caused the man to utter a content sigh once he made it into the building.

Taking his seat, he set his bag down beneath the table and got comfortable. Once he did, however, he saw everyone taking out the assignment that was due that day in preparation for the teacher's arrival. Now his sigh was in annoyance as he was forced to lean back down and dig it out of his backpack.

Upon opening the bag, he stopped as he saw something red that he didn't recognise. Curiously, he pulled the object out a bit, only to discover that it was a heart-shaped box. No further examination was needed before he smiled, knowing how it must have gotten there. Regardless, he pulled off the small tag on the box and looked it over.

" _I know going to school on a holiday is terrible, but bear with it a little while._ " it said. " _Love, Ciel."_

"Goof..." Alois said softly aloud, trying not to bother anyone else. His head shook as he slipped the item back in the bag for later use. For now, he had to follow instructions and tend to his education.

* * *


	308. Saint Chocolat

Alois did nothing to conceal his giddiness throughout the day and couldn't even if he wanted to. He was thrilled with how his day was going thus far, even if he was unfortunately stuck attending classes. He had been escorted there by his beloved and left chocolates as a surprise. There was nothing that could bring him down right then, even if he was afraid of being an annoyance to others. He had lunch with Kristopherson as usual, who was almost disturbed by the amount of happiness that radiated off of the menace.

"Can you tone it down a little?" the Miles questioned. "It's starting to hurt my eyes."

"I'm sorry. I've been trying this whole time." Alois answered as he sat across from the other man. "I'm just not really good at it."

"You're obsessed..."

"Wouldn't you be? Imagine if it were you for a second. The guy you're in love with dressing up to take you to school when he doesn't have to, and leaving candy in your bag while he plans your date in the afternoon. Tell me you wouldn't be a little crazy for that."

"That does sound nice..." Kristopherson sighed. "Just let my sorry single self be sorry and single, though. Not everybody has a perfect demonic husband, you know. Your mushiness is making me sick."

"Sorry. I'm trying."

"Well try _harder._ "

Alois laughed at his friend's unreasonable demand, knowing that Kristopherson was fibbing. Indeed, the Miles was sincerely happy for the demons, even if he was a little jealous of what they had sometimes. It must be nice, but Kristopherson, unfortunately, didn't see himself in a relationship anytime soon.

"Do you not have anybody you're into?" asked the menace, being nosy. The slight pink colour that dusted the faux-blonde's cheeks gave him his answer, but he was willing to wait for the man to tell him on his own.

"None of your business." Kristopherson replied. "Promise that you won't be an ass about it, and I might tell you."

"I promise~!" Alois answered.

"I don't believe that tone of yours. Shithead."

"Okay, okay, you don't have to tell me, then." the menace said. "Tell me when you're ready to tell me instead of when I need distracting from my own feelings."

"You have enough feelings for the both of us, right now." chuckled Kristopherson, creating a moment when Alois' restraint laxed, causing him to don a big grin once more. The Phantomhive tried not to smile. Really, he did. It just caused his cheeks to puff up a bit further the more he tried. "God, you're hopeless..."

"I can't help it! I'm just happy!"

"Well, I'm glad you're doing alright." the faux-blonde said. "You were out of it for a while..."

"Getting captured will do that to ya. Still, I've had worse." Alois replied, prompting the other's smile to fall. A look of concern came over Kristopherson's expression.

"Are you sure you're okay?" the wolfman inquired further.

"Yeah. The scars have all healed up and everything. I'm good."

"No, I mean, like… Mentally..."

"Well, I did need a lot of rest, and I didn't like staying in one spot for long, but I've calmed down a lot since then." the menace stated. "I feel safe and sound, and that's all that matters. If I collapsed into a heap with every mission, I'd never stand up long."

"I just worry about you, sometimes, is all..." Kristopherson sighed. "You're a busy guy. I don't know how you maintain your sanity."

"The answer to that will most likely disturb you, so I'm afraid I won't answer that." bluntly replied Alois, doing nothing for Kristopherson's worry. The two continued to chat, eventually moving back to lighter topics before parting ways once again.

Alois still had a few more classes to attend and he did so without much interest. His fascination was elsewhere as he anxiously awaited the end of the day. The menace couldn't sit still, becoming increasingly restless and fidgety as the lesson progressed. It didn't last forever, however, even if it felt like it. At last, Alois was free. His first reaction was to race home to his awaiting husband.

It wasn't out of curiosity for what the Watchdog had in store for him, although there was a touch of that there. In truth, he simply wanted to be with the other man. Part of him hoped that the date wouldn't get in the way of him canoodling with his spouse, holding and being held by the other man. If he knew Ciel, however, the bluenette most likely scheduled this date rather tightly, even though this wasn't always the case. At least he would be with Ciel. That was the most important thing.

He parked a little wonky in his haste, being at a slight angle in the garage. It wasn't hindering to others, so the blonde made the decision to walk inside anyway. Upon entering the home, he was greeted by the family butler, whom he secretly hoped didn't know about his bad parking.

"Welcome home, Master Alois." Sebastian said as he held out his hands to take the other demon's coat. "The Master is in the drawing room."

"Alright. Thanks." the menace replied, smiling as he made his way there. Pausing, however, he stopped to turn around and face the butler. "Sebastian?" he called, piquing the other's interest.

"Yes?"

"These girls in my class were talking about this thing called a 'cat cafe'." he explained. "It's just a place where to hang out with cats. You should probably go sometime this weekend."

"Are you giving me a day off, sir?"

"Mmmmaaayyybe~!"

"What of Luka?"

"I can handle him for a day." Grinned the menace as the older demon stared back at him in wonder. "Just make sure things can stand running without you before you go, and tell us in advance. We'll discuss it in detail then."

"Well..." Sebastian began, stiffening his posture as he struggled to hold in a smile. "I'll look forward to it, then."

With that, Alois left the older demon in search of his spouse. He hadn't even stopped to put up his school bag. As he got closer, he could sense the other man's presence. The feeling that his sixth sense was picking up only grew stronger as he drew nearer, reaching its peak as he stood before the door to the drawing room. As his fingertips dusted the handle of the door, however, he stopped.

Letting go of he handle, he took a moment to fuss with his appearance, making sure his hair was parted nicely and his clothes were straight. Well, he did what he could without a mirror, at the very least. Once he both decided that he had stalled enough and realised that his husband could sense him loitering on the other side of the door, the blonde Phantomhive took hold of the handle again and walked through the door.

"Hello~?" he called out, his pace slowing as he scanned the oddly dim room.

It confused the menace momentarily. The furniture that was ordinarily in the room was either taken out of moved up against the walls. On tables there were candles lit, illuminating the room a bit with the assistance of the fireplace. It didn't take Alois long to figure out what was going on, especially when he saw the figure standing in front of the fire. Calmly, he closed the door behind him with a smile and put down his bag. Shaking his head, he put his hands on his hips as he waited for his spouse to acknowledge him.

He knew that Ciel was aware of his presence, but then again, Ciel did have some degree of melodrama to him. The Watchdog turned, putting the needle in place on the record player so that music would waft into the room. He then fully faced Alois, smiling warmly at the sight of his spouse despite feeling a bit silly.

The Watchdog was dressed to kill in a classic tuxedo. His hair was done the way that Alois likes, with blue locks slicked back behind his ear on the side with his good eye. He was even wearing earrings and cufflinks that the menace had bought for him. Really, he looked like a man who would upstage James Bond at any party before killing him. Indeed, this was a look that Alois appreciated greatly.

Despite his intimidating appearance, his expression was inviting as he walked toward the menace with his hand outstretched. Alois met him halfway, doing the same before finally taking his hand. The Watchdog kissed his spouse's ring before pulling him into a firm embrace.

"Hello, darling." Ciel greeted. "How was your day."

"Long, but from the looks of things, I'd say it's worth it." Grinned the other, nuzzling Ciel's shoulder with great contentment. His eyes closed as he took in the Watchdog's scent, only to need another whiff as he caught something peculiar in the mix. "Are you wearing cologne?"

"You noticed?" questioned the bluenette. "I thought I was subtle..."

"You can't fool my nose. I know your smell anywhere."

"I love you too, dear." Ciel chuckled, pecking the blonde's forehead and prompting him to open his eyes again. "Is it a problem?"

"You put it on your neck, right?" asked Alois. "Well, I can't kiss it, now 'cause it tastes funny on my lips. I guess I can make due with your face, though." As he spoke, he stood up straight, caressing the other man's cheek with one hand while the other slid up to his shoulder. Affectionately, he pressed their lips together, although they both smiled into it.

"So…" he began, pulling away again. "What's on the agenda?"

"Well, I was hoping his highness wouldn't be too object to having a night in." the blue Phantomhive replied. "Most places are full up tonight, and selfishly, I just want to spend the evening with you. That said, we can go on a proper date tomorrow, if his highness finds it permissible."

"What are you talking about?" the blonde asked through a toothy grin. "This _is_ a date, isn't it? It certainly feels romantic. My only complaint is that I feel a bit underdressed. If you told me, I would have come dressed up too, you know..."

"You're perfect as you are. Besides, I wanted you to be surprised. Did it work?"

"It did. Goof. I found your chocolates, too, by the way."

"Were they good?"

"I haven't eaten them all yet." Alois stated. "I wanted to save them so that we could share them, but I had to sneak a couple of pieces." Tilting his chin upward, he placed another kiss to the side of his husband's mouth. "Now, are we going to talk all day or have you got somethin' else in mind?"

"Well, I was hoping his highness might grant me a dance." replied the bluenette, taking the other's hand off of his cheek and intertwining their fingers. His other arm stayed where it was around Alois' waist as the blonde's cheeks began to hurt from smiling.

"You have my blessing." the menace answered haughtily with a pleased expression.

Despite the first song being almost over, the two began to dance slowly, making no effort to be fancy. A pleased sigh escaped Alois's lips. He knew that his spouse wasn't exactly partial to dancing, but knew that Ciel was willing to make an effort for his happiness. When the next song hit, however, his eyes widened and his brows raised in surprise as the tempo changed. With it, Ciel's movements did as well.

Alois almost tripped over the Watchdog's feet with the sudden change, but there was no way that Ciel was going to allow him to fall. Inevitably, the menace's shock changed into delight as he began to laugh whole-heartedly from deep within his chest. The demon leading him flashed his teeth as well as he chuckled along with him. Then, Ciel let go of his hand.

There was nothing for the menace to worry about, however, as it wrapped around the blonde's middle and lifted him up at the song's climax. Alois let out a particularly loud laugh at being picked up by those strong arms, but the candles went out in that instant. All of them were extinguished, but quickly replaced by the chandelier coming to life, brightening the previously dim room and revealing the flowers on the tables. Alois could see the roses as they twirled, getting a good view at the change in scenery before he was gently set down and dipped so that his back was parallel to the floor.

The blonde was in no danger of falling, however, as he was firmly held by the man responsible. He could clearly see the somewhat smug expression on Ciel's face although he wore one of astonishment, himself. Alois' gaze was focused on the other's eye, even as he was lifted back into a standing position. Fortunately, he was eventually snapped out of his daze by this and he realised that he was spacing out. His cheeks flushed and his heart beat faster with hopes that the other man wouldn't notice flooding his mind.

Alas, Ciel was paying a great deal of attention to his husband and was not going to be fooled. However, a moment of worry shot through the Watchdog but was swiftly quelled when his husband smiled against all attempts to suppress it. With a kiss to Alois' cheek, Ciel held the man closely.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Jim." he said with a warm smile, but when he saw his beau's face, it immediately fell. "Jim? What's wrong?"

Watered gathered in the eyes of the menace before it became too much and it began to pour out. It streamed down his pained cheeks despite his joyous smile. His tears were not out of sadness, but of elation.

"Nothing." Alois answered, shaking his head. "I'm just happy. You really are a Prince Charming, you know."

"W-well… I wouldn't go that far..." replied Ciel with a slight pink tint to his own cheeks in return.

"Oh, c'mon, you know you're the best." the blonde stated. "I'm also impressed that you're so intent on dancing with me."

"I actually enjoy dancing, if it's with you."

"So before you just hadn't found the right partner?"

"Yes, and now that I've found him, I feel the need to keep him impressed so he won't tire of me."

"I could never." Alois said, pressing his face against the other's chest. "You're the best, after all."

"Is it really something to shed a tear over?"

"It is! I'm just happy! Sometimes I worry, though… It's all like a dream… I'm afraid that one day I'll wake up from it." His smile took on a more sombre look while that of the Watchdog fell completely. "Well, I feel like missions are a bit of reality, don't you think? Happiness can't last forever. There has to be hardship in between."

"Jim..." Ciel began, unsure of what to say. He wore a look of concern as he fretted over his husband's sudden shift in mood. He hadn't the faintest idea as to where this was all coming from. Was something troubling his beau? Quickly, he felt the compulsion to try and fix it. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." the menace answered, his smile brightening once again. His tears were dry as he looked at the Watchdog, now. "What I'm trying to say is that I love you. Things suck sometimes, but with you, I always feel happy."

Reaching up, he cupped the sides of Ciel's face and pressed their lips together again. He smiled into the kiss as he felt the bluenette's grip on him tighten. When he pulled away, however, his brow raised as he saw the other man's flushed face and twitching eye.

"What is it?"

Taking a deep breath, Ciel tried to contain himself, but the menace could very clearly feel the quick pace of his beating heart. It was no use. Looking the blonde straight in the eyes, Ciel answered him with the most serious expression he could muster.

"I am about to do something extremely uncool if you keep this up." the Watchdog said. "I can't keep up this suave charade much longer if you're going to be like that."

"Like what?" questioned the menace, tilting his head. "What am I doing?"

"Being ridiculously cute." Ciel replied. "That amount of cuteness should be a crime."

"What, are you going to arrest me, officer?" Alois giggled.

"Yes." the blue Phantomhive answered with a grin, leaning down slightly to kiss his husband's blushing cheeks. "You think this is some kind of game, Phantomhive?"

"What more can you do? You've already given me a life sentence." With this, Alois held up his hand and showed the other his ring, but the bluenette simply took hold of it and began to kiss it.

"I'm not sure, but I don't think I'll ever have enough." Releasing Alois' hand, the bluenette turned his attention to the chain around his beau's neck. He took the ring attached to it between his fingers and inspected it. "My little leo…" He smiled lovingly at his spouse before pecking his forehead. His kisses then moved to the blonde's cheeks and along his jaw, ending at his chin. "I love you."

"I love you, too. You've made me the happiest man in the world."

"I think that title belongs to me."

"Oh, hush." Alois playfully scolded. "Don't try to one-up me."

"Well, what should we do instead? Have you had your fill of dancing?"

"Knew you don't like dancing." the blonde smirked.

"Not at all!" defensively answered Ciel. "Like I said, it's fun when it's with you. I don't always have an ulterior motive."

"Unless it's those chocolates in my bag, huh?" There was a pause before Alois received an answer.

"Well, if you're not opposed to it..." the bluenette replied, prompting his spouse to snort.

"I'm not, but you have to let me feed you." instructed the menace, stepping out of his beau's embrace.

"Yes, your highness." said Ciel with a smile as he was dragged away by the hand.

"And sit in your lap."

"Yes, your highness."

"And tease you."

"Yes, your highne-" The bluenette paused and arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Pester you, what did you expect?"

"N-nothing at all." fibbed the blue Phantomhive. "I don't have any ulterior motives today."

"Good. That comes later."

"Yes, your high- Wait..."

"Dumb dog..." the menace said, leading Ciel away with a slight blush.


	309. The Busiest Day

While the demonic duo had plans of sleeping in, it simply wasn't meant to be. They were both awakened by the sound of Ciel's phone going off, causing them both to scrunch their faces in displeasure. Taking a deep breath to help wake him up, Ciel rolled over to glance at the name of his sleep's assailant.

"It's Daniel." he mumbled to his spouse, who stayed clutching to him. "I need to answer him."

"Then do it." Alois sleepily replied. It was obvious from his speech and mannerisms that he wasn't truly awake.

His husband had intended to get up and step into the other room in order to talk on the phone as to not disturb the blonde, but it seemed like the menace had other plans. Laying back down with phone in hand, Ciel allowed his beau to get comfortable and lay down on his chest as he placed the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" Ciel greeted while the other Phantomhive was still getting comfortable. As the menace slowly began to wake up, he listened in on the conversation for as long as he was able. When Ciel began absent-mindedly playing with the blonde's hair while talking, however, he was lulled back to the border between sleep and wakefulness. Still, he could vaguely hear his beau's responses. Whatever he was talking to the Westley about didn't sound good.

"Alright. I'll see you there." finally concluded the bluenette before bidding their mutual friend farewell. He set the phone back down on the table and sighed, laying there for a while longer.

"What did Dan want?" inquired the menace with his eyes still closed.

"He wants us to go down to Warwick with him." Ciel replied. "Apparently, one of the staffmembers has been a bit too 'friendly' with the students, according to his sister. He wants help going down there to have something done about it. I told him I'd investigate and help with negotiations." Rolling over on his side to face the menace, he kissed the blonde's cheek.

"Sorry, I know I said we'd go do something today." he said apologetically.

"It's fine. This is still ' _something_ ', even if it's not a date." Alois answered as his eyes opened and struggled to focus. "Do we wear work suits or business suits?"

"Business. We have to use wealth and influence as an intimidation tactic."

"Roger that, dear." the menace replied, sitting up on his knees as the covers slid off of him. He saw the other's eyes scanning the parts of him that were revealed with a pleased expression.

"Perv." accused the blonde before crawling over the bluenette and hopping off the bed. His spouse watched after him while sitting up, himself. Ciel's smirk widened as he saw the menace shiver. "It's so cold..."

"That's why clothes are a thing." Ciel stated as he stood up and followed behind him. Despite his talk, he shivered as well as he stepped into the dressing room. "Do you want to shower first or should I?"

"Whatever." Said Alois. "Doesn't matter to me. Why don't you go ahead?"

"Alright. I will, then." Grabbing his clothes, the bluenette took the other man up on his offer and grabbed his necessities before making his way to the bathroom, all the while ignorant to the fact that he was being watched.

Alois kept his eyes trained on the blue Phantomhive's figure, nodding to himself when the door finally closed. While he waited, he picked out his outfit and donned a pair of pyjama pants before proceeding to pick up clothes off of the floor. It was then that he realised there was a prescence looming outside of the door leading to the bedroom. It was not a source for concern, however. It was familiar, which prompted the menace to open the door without much worry.

"Hey, Bass-man." he greeted upon removing the barrier. He already knew that it was the butler on the other side, so he already knew how to address the visitor. That said, he was a bit surprised to see the man looking so eager. Sebastian wore a face of someone trying to conceal excitement, which was rare for the man. "How can I help you?"

"Revy is at work and everything is in order for the day with the ability of staying that way without maintenance for twenty-four hours." Sebastian answered. "If I may, I would like to inquire about the possibility of taking my trip to the cat cafe today."

"Oh..." said the menace, arching an eyebrow. It took him a moment to remember their conversation from the day prior. "Oh! Right. I have to talk to Ciel about that first… Also, we kind of have a thing to take care of..."

"I see..." In an instant, that hopeful twinkle in the butler's eyes was dashed to pieces. Alois was surprised by how quickly rainclouds formed around the poor man's head. "That's quite alright…"

Guilt washed over the blonde as rain began to pour. Sebastian had been excited about the potential of taking this trip and that was significant. Alois had seen Sebastian genuinely excited, but the sight was rare and far between. Naturally, he hated to take that away from the poor demon.

"Let me talk to Ciel real quick." he offered. "I'll see if we can work something out."

"You will?" Sebastian asked, perking up. His rare brightness returned before he immediately tried to contain it. Pressing his fist to his lips, he coughed in order to clear his throat. "Thank you for your generosity..."

"Wait here." Alois instructed with a chuckle and a smile. He turned around and walked through the bedroom and passed through the door of the dressing room on his way to see the other Phantomhive. Once he reached the bathroom door, he knocked, informing his beau that he wished to speak to him.

"Yes?" Ciel called out through the sound of running water.

"I need to talk to you." the menace replied. "Sebastian wants the day off." To this, Alois heard the water turn off and the shower curtain open. A few moments passed and the door opened with the bluenette wrapped in a towel peeking through the gap.

"He what?" the bluenette questioned at the unusual statement. He wasn't even sure if he heard the blonde correctly, it was so strange.

"Sebastian wants the day off." Alois repeated. "Yesterday, I told him about this thing called a cat cafe, and said that he should go one weekend. I said that I wouldn't be mad if he took one day over a weekend to go if everything was in order."

"Alright?" the other said, indicating that he was up to speed thus far. "And?"

"Only thing is, we need somebody to watch Luka." the blonde explained further. "I said that I would watch him if Sebastian wanted to go. Only thing is, I doubt I can take Luka to a meeting like this at Warwick."

"Then tell him he can go tomorrow."

"I could, but he's just so excited..."

"Sebastian?"

"Yes! He has this look on his face. When I said it might not happen today, he looked crushed."

"He's a demon."

"So are we." Alois reminded. "So, my question is: am I really needed for this meeting?"

"I don't know." the other said before pausing to think. He internally went over what all this sort of meeting entails before nodding. "I think I can handle it. You take care of your brother."

His eyes closed as he was kissed despite the awkward angle. "Thanks, baby."

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I am very cold."

"Go on. I'll tell Sebastian." the menace replied before leaving the bluenette to his own devices. Returning to the butler's view, he gave the man a thumbs up.

"He says it's cool." Alois stated. "Just be back by nightfall, okay?"

"Understood." Sebastian replied back with a bright smile. The man was practically sparkling at the news. "I will do just that."

Rather quickly, he turned to walk away, leaving the Phantomhive to shake his head. Sebastian had somehow managed to conceal his true feelings long enough to make it to his room, even though his grin persisted. Sebastian's room was as pristine and unused as ever, but it did hold his closet, which had all of his clothes inside. He knew that since this was his day off, he would need to change into something suitable for a civilian to wear.

"Oh, dear..." he said aloud upon opening the door and peering inside. All of his jackets, pants, and shirts were the same. All of them were simply multiples of his butler uniform, as he had no real need for other clothes. "Surely there's something in here..."

Digging around, he did find a pair of jeans and a leather jacket, but the shirt was a problem. He didn't have one that was plain. Thus, he had to make do with the dress shirts that he did have and unbuttoned the top two buttons. Perhaps he would have to purchase him some more "ordinary" clothes if he was going to have more days off in the future.

Either way, he would have to make haste. Naturally, Sebastian did his research on the establishment, and knew that if he should move quickly if he was going to make it in time for the place to open it's doors. He knew it would take him a while to meet each and every cat and make sure that the list that the cafe had online was accurate. With great haste, he got dressed in hopes of seeing Mittens, who was foretold to get up early.


	310. Wet Dog Smell

Alois, upon realising that he had no real need to be anywhere right away, went back to sleep while his husband was still in the shower. He did wake up and sit upright once his spouse was dressed in order to kiss the man before he left. Consistent with his odd ways, he pressed his face into the man's shoulder and inhaled deeply.

"Fresh out of the shower smell." he remarked with a smile, forcing out a laugh from the other.

"What is with you and smelling me?" shook the bluenette, despite finding the other man's antics amusing.

"You smell nice, is all. Is it a crime for enjoying the way my husband smells? Am I being interrogated?"

"No, it's just funny. I recognise it as one of your quirks."

"Oh yeah? What's another one of my quirks?" Alois asked before his spouse leaned in to peck his lips once again.

"You need to be kissed every morning and every night or else you can't function." stated the Watchdog, earning a scoff.

"And _you_ need to kiss me every morning and every night or else _you_ can't function!" retorted the menace. "And I want kisses _all_ of the time, not just at the beginning and end of the day. You know that. You also know that you need kisses, too."

"You got me, there." chuckled the bluenette before backing away. He and his beau held hands still until the distance became too great and they slipped away. "I'll see you when I get home."

"M'kay~! I'll go back to sleep, then. Love you~!"

"I love you, too, darling." Ciel said before closing the bedroom door. Now he had to put himself in business mode as he made his way downstairs to the garage. The trip to Warwick was going to be cold without the blonde driving.

It was nostalgic, being at the front gate of the notorious school once again. Of all of the school experiences the Phantomhive had gone to, it was Warwick that was the most pleasant and significant. After parking his vehicle, he met up with the others in front of the school where they were all waiting to walk in. The dream team consisted of all of the members of the original sensational seven aside from Alois and Ciel. Preston was obviously not there, but there were others who were present, including Sir Rupert Midford, Anastasia Miles, and Lawrence Rose. It seemed that Daniel had assembled the most influential people he knew that would also care about this school. In truth, the "caring" part was the biggest reason why the crowd wasn't bigger, as many of his father's old mates had children who also went to Warwick at one point, but none of them really cared about an instructor who was preying on students so long as it wasn't their children specifically. Heartless bastards.

Still, Daniel had assembled quite the posse. Upon seeing the bluenette by himself, however, he quickly looked around, particularly behind the man with confusion. "Where's Alois?"

"Sebastian has the day off, so he's watching Luka." Ciel answered.

"But he's the one that the headmaster is really afraid of!" the Westley whined. "How are we going to do this without him?!"

"By exerting the power of the most influential people here over him." bluntly stated the bluenette. "Hello, by the way."

"We should still be good." said Audrey. "I'm pretty sure that Ciel could have gone in himself and scared the shit out of the headmaster himself, really." Not surprisingly, Bones was met with a string of nods and utterances of agreement from the others in the group at this. Still, Daniel was determined to uphold some sense of honour that was a bit bizarre for him.

"We all have to go!" the Westley said. "There's still power with numbers!"

"Indeed, we must band together in order to solve this horrendous problem!" chimed in a certain man whom Daniel wasn't particularly fond of. Seemingly out of nowhere, rose petals formed around the actor's head as Lawrence spoke. "This is a matter of utmost important that effects all of us, here. Even if Phantomhive were to do most of the talking, we must give him all of our support!"

Daniel's eyebrow twitched at Lawrence's words despite the man being right and agreeing with him. While the Westley was at one time a fan of Lawrence Rose, he didn't appreciate having his ex-girlfriend "stolen" from him despite it being his own fault.

"Whatever. Let's go inside already." he distracted. Successfully, he got everyone to go through the gate and on their way to the headmaster's office.

The group traversed down the path to the school. Fortunately, there were hardly any children there due to it being the weekend, but the few there for club activities and such that saw them whispered at the odd crowd being there. They had no idea what all of these strange adults were doing there, but knew that it probably wasn't anything good. The alumni passed classrooms and a school blood drive while commenting on changes as they made their trip.

There was no waiting, fortunately. The headmaster was expecting them. Once they reached that familiar door, they opened it and marched inside, recognising the man in the chair immediately. In all of this time, Headmaster Horton had hardly changed. The man was portly with thin hair that was going grey. None of this was surprising for a man of his age, however. The man sat at his desk and sweated in his brown suit as the team appeared before him. It was unnerving, seeing his former students in a position of power over him. Standing up, he greeted his fear, regardless.

"Hello, everyone." he said, extending his hand to shake, but it went ignored. His hand then awkwardly fell back to his desk's surface. "Right… Thank you for coming. Your concerns are very important to us."

"Good, then this should be brief." the bluenette answered with crossed arms as he took command of the situation. "This is Sir Rupert Midford of British Royal Defense; his daughter goes to school here. Next to him is Daniel Westley, whose younger sister is a student. The rest of us are concerned Alumni. Audrey Baines, Kristopherson Miles, Anastasia Miles, Lawrence Rose, and myself; Ciel Phantomhive."

"H-headmaster Horton..." the staffmember said, introducing himself.

"We are aware." the Phantomhive stated, intentionally belittling the other man for the sake of wearing down his defenses. "We also assume that you are aware of the situation at your school?"

"Um, yes. I was made aware of it by Mister Westley..." answered the Headmaster. "I assure you, we are launching an investigation into the matter as we speak."

"Very good." Ciel replied, inviting himself to take a seat in one of the chairs. Crossing one leg over the other, he assumed his usual stance as her majesty's Guard Dog; imposing, unyielding, and lacking in mercy. "As an investigator, I would be very interested in knowing the details of this investigation. Who, specifically, is conducting it?"

"Well, I don't know exactly-"

"You don't?" interrupted the bluenette. The other members of the posse were almost impressed by how terrible he was. Even though they had known him for years, when he was working, he was able to send chills down their spines. "I'm sorry, but isn't it your job to know this?"

"I'm not really in the position to give out specific details of the case..."

"Then who is?"

"The security team."

"Security?" scoffed the Phantomhive. "I do hope you're joking. Anyone can be a security guard with only a week's worth of training. They aren't police and they are certainly not investigators, making this a very hard to believe concept."

"The security team is taking care of it." Horton reiterated, hoping that if he repeated the same thing, the argument would eventually be over. "They're highly skilled. We only have the best."

" _Rubbish."_ said Audrey. "If the kids from Tamworth can break into the school and deface a statue, then your security team isn't that great."

Momentarily, the headmaster was freed from Ciel's imposing stare for a moment as he turned to listen to Baines, but alas, it wasn't to last. Immediately after he was done speaking, the Phantomhive slowly turned to face Horton once more with a highly expectant expression. When the headmaster failed to provide an explanation or excuse, Ciel spoke for him.

"In other words, you haven't the means to investigate the matter and have no real intention of doing so, isn't it?" Ciel asked, his tone laced with frost.

"I-I..." the headmaster stammered.

"You are willing to let a potential threat to children interact freely with them without even trying to get to the bottom of this?!" demanded Sir Midford. "You should be ashamed!"

"If I had things my way, I would hire someone who _can_ do the job, if you won't." piped up Anastasia.

"Indeed, we will be saddened to see you go, but if this is what it takes, then we will have to find a way to make things right ourselves!" said Lawrence.

"Excellent proposition." stated Ciel, standing up. "Headmaster, if I may, I would like to launch my own investigation."

"That is unnecessary!" Horton snapped. "We have the situation under control!"

"Then I would like to speak to the school's chairman." While the Watchdog wore a smile, it was anything but friendly. "I would think that he would be concerned if the school's reputation were to fall as a result of this."

"Fine!" he headmaster finally conceded. "Go ahead and ask him! He's going to tell you the same thing- what are you doing?"

"Calling the chairman." Ciel replied with his phone pressed against his ear. As the headmaster sat down and stared up at him intently, he listened to the dial tone before the person on the other end picked up.

"Hello, this is the office of Thaddeus Wakefield." answered a woman's voice on the other end. "How may I be of service?"

"Yes, I would like to speak to Mister Wakefield about the school he is the chairman of; Warwick Academy." the bluenette said. "There is a problem that may result in a scandal, and I would like to alert him of this."

"Can I have a name?"

"Ciel Phantomhive."

There was a short pause, but not much else in between it and a man's voice speaking. "This is Wakefield." it said. "Now what is this about a scandal?"

"Phantomhive." the bluenette introduced. "It's one of your staffmembers on campus. An 'Ainsley' gentleman who teaches Physical Education. It would appear that one of the female students has been impregnated recently, and rumour has it that this man is a prime suspect."

"How awful..." the voice on the other end replied. The creaking of a chair being leaned back in was audible through the phone. "Has the headmaster been made aware?"

"Yes, I'm in his office right now. He seemed to think a bunch of security guards whose only experience is breaking up the occasional playground fights can investigate the matter proficiently, but I, an investigator myself, think this is extremely unlikely."

"Indeed. That won't cut it at all..."

"I offered my services, but he seems determined to keep this under a rug. It won't stay there very long, if these rumours are correct, however. With the large profile of your customers, it's only a matter of time before this becomes a media frenzy."

"This won't do at all..." tsked Thaddeus. "I would be grateful if you would do the honours. In fact, I would like to meet with you and discuss the details, if at all possible."

"I'm free whenever."

"I have an opening this afternoon. It's near the school, so it shouldn't be a long drive."

"Sounds delightful." Ciel stated. "I'll be there."

Right then and there in the headmaster's office, Ciel was given the chairman's address and made an appointment. With that, he hung up, leaving the poor headmaster of the school worried for his livelihood. Placing the phone back in his pocket, he smiled at the man before turning around to fill the others in on the situation. From what Horton could eavesdrop on, it didn't sound good for him.

"Good day, headmaster." the Watchdog waved as the room emptied. "I hope things go well for you."


	311. Alea iacta est

After leaving the headmaster's office at Warwick, the Phantomhive and the others ventured to the residence of the school's true head. Audrey was good to have discovered his phone number beforehand just in case, as it frightened the headmaster into doing what is right and got them an audience with the chairman. What was curious, however, is why it was so easy. Most of the others figured that it was the influence of the Phantomhive family, but internally, even Ciel was a tad surprised. Before he could do anything, however, he had to call his spouse and update him on the situation.

"Nyello?" greeted the menace, his voice causing the Watchdog to smile.

"Hello, Jim. I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to be a little later coming home." Ciel explained. "We're all going to visit the school's chairman."

"That's fine. I was going to take Luka out anyway." the blonde replied with a smile in his voice. "He needs actual food and I can't cook, so McDonald's is lookin' good."

"Sounds like a good plan."

"Do you need anything while we're out?"

"Hmmm… Somewhere to put all of those flowers." Ciel jested. "They were a good idea at the time, but once the effect is over, that's a lot of flowers."

"Pfft! They are _my_ flowers and _I_ will decide what to do with them." the menace replied. "I'll see you when you get home, though."

"See you. Love you." the Watchdog answered, entering a tug of war of sorts until they both decided that they both love each other and worked up the mental fortitude to hang up. Both had things that they needed to accomplish.

Once that task was complete, the blue Phantomhive hopped on his motorcycle and took off. The others were ahead of him a ways as a result of his dallying, but he wanted to alert the menace of the plan. In addition, he simply wanted to hear the man's voice. Separation had made him nervous since the blonde's latest abduction. Ciel tried to assure himself that everything was fine and focus on the task at hand, however, as difficult as it was. He even missed a turn once in his distracted state and had to turn around.

He did make it, however. The others were waiting as Ciel was the last to show up. Awkwardly, they loitered in front of the Wakefield house until their group leader arrived. The house wasn't as large as the Phantomhive estate, but it was certainly not small. This said, there was flair and trimmings on the structure that gave it a touch of elegance and the garden around back was massive. As Ciel parked and pulled off his helmet, Daniel crossed his arms.

"Where were you? We were standing here like a bunch of idiots waiting on you to show up!" the Westley said impatiently. "I had to listen to Lawrence talk about whatever it is he was talking about."

"Eugenics." clarified Lawrence. "The villain in the movie I'm working on is a big advocate for it. Nasty stuff."

"My apologies, I had to call Alois and tell him the change in plans." answered the bluenette, taking no interest in Daniel's complaining about the actor.

"You're so whipped..." the Westley teased.

"You would understand the importance of knowing where your loved ones are if you were me. Life is unpredictable." the bluenette stated bluntly. To this, a guilty expression crossed over Daniel's face as he recalled recent events as well.

"Yikes..." commented Kristopherson in regards to Daniel's insensitivity.

"Shut up… Let's just go already. I wanna get this over with." the Westley said, turning to walk up the steps leading toward the front door. As he reached for the handle, however, the door opened on it's own, revealing a young woman. Right away, the demon in the group was concerned.

He could sense what she was, even if he couldn't see it. Sharp teeth and red eyes were a tell-tale sign of several species, but sixth sense informed the Phantomhive that this woman was a vampire. She was careful not to step in the sunlight that poured into the house from the door being opened.

"Sir Phantomhive and friends, I assume." she said. "Please, come in. The master will be with you shortly."

Very quickly after they all stepped inside, the door was shut. It wasn't dark in the foyer as it was lit with lamps and an electric chandelier, but the windows were closed with the shutters drawn, blocking out all light. The drawing room was no better.

Internally, Ciel was already going over potential escape routes and concocting plans of how he was going to get the others out as well while walking. His eye scanned his surroundings very carefully while he considered the strengths of everyone in the group. Perhaps he was right to call his husband beforehand. There were supernaturals all over the place, and it was unfathomable how they amassed the wealth required to become the chairman of Warwick Academy, let alone own a house such as this one. Something was definitely amiss. He was the only one standing when the others sat down to wait on the master of the house. He was also the most on edge.

At last, the master of the house revealed himself. He stepped through the doorway with the woman from before in tow. Right away, Ciel knew that he, too, was of a vampiric persuasion; Red eyes and sharp canines being the obvious indicators. Yet Mister Wakefield didn't look at all like he expected. First and foremost, he expected someone older, but this man had the appearance of someone in his early twenties, if not his late teens. He possessed blond hair that was tied in a flowing ponytail in the back, but hung down in front of his face in the front. The man certainly wasn't dressed as a chairman, as he only wore a simple pair of pants and a dress shirt with the top button open. There was a sly look in his eyes that the Watchdog didn't trust.

"Well, if it isn't the notorious Sir Ciel Phantomhive!" the man greeted.

"Mister Wakefield, I presume." the bluenette answered back. "I highly doubt I am as notorious as you say."

"In my circle, you are." Wakefield stated. "I see you have brought the other concerned individuals as well."

"I have." the demon replied, gesturing to the others. "This is Sir Rupert Midford, Audrey Baines, Kristopherson and Anastasia Miles, Lawrence Rose, and Daniel Westley, the one who brought all of this to light."

"Good thing he did, too. This really is something that needs to be taken care of. The safety of the students should be our number one priority."

"Try telling that to the headmaster." Daniel butted in. "He seems keen on protecting the problem."

"We don't know if it's true yet, but an investigation must be launched." the Phantomhive clarified. "I have a hard time believing that the staff at your school has any intention of doing so, however."

"Unfortunately, I don't find that hard to believe. It seems to be common." Wakefield said. "You mentioned an offer to do the investigation yourself?"

"If I have your permission." Ciel answered.

"You have it. Whatever will get the problem solved the fastest. If your investigation finds these rumours to be true, then I will see to it that the appropriate action is taken."

While things seemed to end simply for the others, Ciel was immensely suspicious. He knew that Wakefield could most likely figure out that he wasn't human despite lacking sixth sense. Vampires could at the very least decipher human from non-human. While everyone else stood up to leave, both men kept their eyes trained on each other. Ciel saw the others to the door before the master of the house called after him.

"Sir Phantomhive?"

"Yes?" Ciel answered, stopping just short of the door. He made sure that everyone else was safely in their vehicles before he looked over his shoulder.

"I think you and I need to clarify a few things before you leave." Thaddeus said. "I don't want us to start off on the wrong foot."

"About what?" inquired the bluenette. "Your status as a vampire?"

"Yes… And your status as a demon associate of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G." the other replied. "My purposes are not nefarious. I'm a simple man with simple desires that are perfectly ordinary to the average person."

"How does a vampire acquire this much wealth, pray tell?"

"How does a demon? I was born into it."

"As was I."

"The Wakefield family has been around for hundreds of years. I remember the Phantomhive family. Everyone from my time does. Aren't you and Trancy close? I recall them as well." the vampire reminisced. "I recall a fellow by the name of 'Arnold' coming over and hoping for free wine from my wineyards. I simply maintained what I had and built upon it."

"As have I..."

"Is there still a problem?" questioned Thaddeus. "I assure you, I'm registered and everything. There is no law that says that I have to live in Gehenna, after all. Phantom House exists, after all."

"Those policies are new, however. If you have been around for as long as you say, then you've been flying under the radar for quite some time." stated the Phantomhive. "That is a reason for me to believe that you are at least somewhat sly."

"True, but what did you do?"

"I'm not here to swap personal stories." Ciel said. "My main objective is complete. If what you say is true, then it will show up in the database."

"Very well. I'll let you go, then." shrugged the other. "Keep in touch if you find anything wrong with my school. Oh, and Phantomhive..."

Trailing off, he waited for the other to start to turn before suddenly closing the distance between them. His arm shot out, but Ciel's reflexes allowed himself to grab his wrist just in time. The demon's eye glowed and his brow furrowed as he waited for the other's next move.

"There was a stray hair on your shoulder." Thaddeus informed, plucking the offending strand from the fabric of the demon's coat. He took it from his trapped hand with his free one, pinching it between his index finger and thumb before holding it up to the other man's view. With no choice, the Phantomhive begrudgingly released the man due to the fact that he hadn't really done anything.

"You could have just told me." Ciel answered, dusting off his coat.

" _Mea culpa._ " apologised the vampire. "It won't happen again."

Without anything else to say, the Phantomhive simply turned away and began to leave once more. What more was there to say? He didn't have a retort or remark. He didn't have any additional information to present. Really, there was nothing for him to do but go home and wait for his husband get back from his outing with Luka. Thus, he took his leave, abandoning the vampire without even a simple "goodbye".

Wakefield was undeterred, however. He stood there, watching after the Phantomhive where the light leaking in through the doorway came to a halt. Between his fingers, he twisted the stray blueish black strand of hair. All the while, he smiled shrewdly.

"Goodbye, Earl Phantomhive. May we meet again in the near future..."


	312. A Big Brother's Work

While his husband was busy with the matter of Warwick, Alois went back to sleep. He was asleep for several hours before he felt weight shift on the bed, forcing him awake. Startled, he flinched slightly before seeing it was just his little brother coming to see him.

"I didn't mean to scare you..." Luka said. "I'm sorry."

"You didn't scare me, lil bro, you just startled me a bit." answered the menace as he sat up. Sleepily, he rubbed his eye before reaching over for his phone. "What time is it?"

"I dunno. Sebastian just told me to come get you when I got hungry." the younger Macken said, capturing his brother's undivided attention.

"Well, then, we need to take care of that, now don't we?" Alois asked. "I can't cook, though. How does going out to eat sound?"

"Can we get McDonald's?"

"Hell yeah, we can get McDonald's. Go get your coat."

"Okay~!" Luka answered with the biggest of grins. Eagerly, he hopped off the bed and started for the door. "Put on a shirt!"

"Why? I thought I'd go out in the freezing cold like this?"

"No!" loudly protested the small demon, causing Alois to laugh. With that, he was out of the room, leaving Alois to get ready for the day. This time, he wasn't bluffing on it, either.

Very quickly, he took a shower. Alois knew that he couldn't loiter for too long, or else his brother would be back for him and bang on the door. The young demon was silly, but he was also cute, so even if the sound startled him, Alois couldn't be too annoyed.

Once he was out, he got dressed and went back into the bathroom to make sure his hair looked alright and to brush his teeth. He fussed with his appearance for a little while before spotting a strange bottle on the counter. Picking it up, he could smell what it was. A grin appeared on his face as he recognised it as the cologne that his husband was wearing the night before.

"He won't notice a little missing..." Alois thought to himself before playfully applying some to his own neck, only to cough at the overwhelming scent. Unfortunately, he applied way too much and was thus forced to spend several minutes desperately trying to wash it off with a damp rag. By the time he heard a knock on the bathroom door, he had removed most of it, but the smell was still present.

"Are you almost done?" asked Luka from the other side of the door before it opened. The younger demon's nose wrinkled as he was struck by the strong odor.

"What's that smell?" he was forced to question, knowing full well that this is not was bathrooms ordinarily smelled like.

"Luka, a word of advice:" began the menace, "If you ever get married, don't ever try on your spouse's products if you don't know how to use them."

"What did you do?"

"Tried on Ciel's cologne. Don't tell him."

"Isn't that part of your butt?" Luka inquired on their way out of the room.

"No, that's a ' _colon_ '." stated the blonde while turning off the lights and shutting the door behind them. "' _Cologne'_ is like perfume for men."

"Why does it have a different name?"

"If I knew, I would probably tell ya."

Before they got in the car, the blonde's phone rang. Pulling it out of his pocket, he read the screen to see who was calling, only to see that it was the other Phantomhive. Sliding his finger across the screen, he chose to answer it before placing the device up against his ear.

"Nyello?" he greeted. His lips turned upwards into a smile when he heard his husband's voice.

"Hello, Jim. I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to be a little later coming home." Ciel explained. "We're all going to visit the school's chairman."

"That's fine. I was going to take Luka out anyway." the blonde replied as his brother tugged him along by the sleeve. "He needs actual food and I can't cook, so McDonald's is lookin' good."

"Sounds like a good plan."

"Do you need anything while we're out?"

"Hmmm… Somewhere to put all of those flowers." Ciel jested, causing the menace's grin to widen. "They were a good idea at the time, but once the effect is over, that's a lot of flowers."

"Pfft! They are _my_ flowers and _I_ will decide what to do with them." Alois replied with playful defiance. "I'll see you when you get home, though."

"See you. Love you."

"Love you, too, dear."

The couple hung up when the blonde reached the door with Luka. Alois straightened his siblings attire before they headed out, making sure that the long part was covering his tail properly and that his hood concealed his horns. Most people wouldn't second-guess why a child still had their coat on indoors, so this is what the demons relied on until Luka gained the ability to change his shape. Then, they hopped in the car and left.

"So where are we gonna eat our food when we get it?" asked the menace while driving. "In the restaurant, in the car… we could also bring it home."

"What about the park?" suggested the lad.

"It's a bit cold for that."

"That means that the playground will be empty!"

"Is it normally crowded?" Alois questioned, looking at the boy through the rear-view mirror.

"No, it's just that I can't play there when humans are around in case they see my horns." the other answered, causing the blonde's smile to falter.

"Is there not a playground at school?"

"Nuh-uh. We usually just play inside."

To this, there was a long pause from the menace. While Luka had been making great strides in making friends, even if it was only one or two, Alois was still worried about his development. Furthermore, it was simply a sad thing to see kids without a playground. So, Alois thought and thought hard about how to remedy this.

"Hey, Luka, does the church have a yard?" he questioned.

"Out back, yeah." Luka answered. "Why?"

"Because after we're done eating, I think we should go talk to sister Dorothy."


	313. Sic Semper Tyrannis

Lunch was happily had by the Macken brothers, despite the younger one trying to both eat and play with his free toy at the same time. He was hungry, but playing was also important to him. It took him much longer to finish his food because of this along with the fact that Alois was talking to him at the same time.

His older brother talked to him about nothing in particular. Mostly, it was questions about how things were going at school and if he learned anything new. There was also simply the matter of what Luka was into at the moment. Alois was curious, especially since the lad seemed to be moving away from pokemon at the moment. There wasn't any particular reason for this other than he had found new things to be interested in. He quite liked _Star Wars_ and _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,_ it turns out, but he mostly wanted to talk about the prior. The lad was elated when he was told that there were more movies than just the newest one.

When the food was gone, Alois took the boy into the bathroom in order to wash the grease and salt off of his hands. He could tell that there was more than the lad was capable of removing with just a napkin. Messes were made.

Once that was finished, they loaded up into the car and headed to Gehenna. Riding with Alois was more fun than riding with Sebastian in some ways for Luka, while in others, it was the opposite. The lad enjoyed the conversation, but also liked it when Sebastian told him about things and let him play with the radio.

The ride was shorter than his usual commute to the church, however, as he and the blonde were already out in the city. Like everyone else who entered Gehenna, Alois had to give his name. Flashing his badge didn't hurt, either. The gate opened for them and they passed through, turning heads as the black Mercedes made its way down the street. It was an uncommon sight for Gehennians, while they recognised the car that Sebastian usually drove. The fact that they couldn't see through the tinted windows didn't help their curiosity, either. When the car stopped in front of the church, several people stopped in order to take a peek at whoever was inside.

When a blonde head of hair stepped out, people hooted and hollered at the sight of the infamous Lion. Alois forced out an awkward, yet polite smile accompanied with a wave. In truth, he still wasn't used to this and hadn't the faintest idea as to how to react. Still, he had an objective, so he opened the door of the backseat to let his brother out before taking the boy's hand and leading him inside.

"What's all of the commotion?" called out a voice from within the church as the Mackens stepped through the door. It would seem that she was asleep when they arrived, but she wasn't cross. She didn't have the opportunity to be as her eyes fixed on the two demons.

"Oh! If it isn't Luka and Mister Phantomhive!" she observed. "How can I help you two?"

"Hello, sister." the menace said with a wave. "I hope we haven't disturbed you."

"No. I was simply taking a nap." the woman said. "That's how I manage to stay up both day and night."

"Sounds exhausting." Alois replied. "I'm sorry we interrupted you. I really should have called ahead."

"Nonsense! The church is always open to those who need it."

"Well, it isn't that I _need_ it, but I was wanting to ask you something."

"Yes?"

"Luka tells me that there are no playgrounds in Gehenna." Alois explained. "I was wondering if you would care to have playground equipment on church grounds for the kids in the neighbourhood to play on."

"Oh, my!" Sister Dorothy exclaimed before laughing cheerfully. "Why, I would love it. How will we get the funds, though?"

"Leave that to me. I can take care of it no problem. In fact, I can pick up some today and haul them over." replied the man. "I can't promise anything too fancy, and I probably can't stay for assembly, but I can certainly purchase a few things."

"Gracious, if you did just that, it would still be amazing!" stated the nun. "I would be thrilled if you did!"

"My only real concern is that whether or not you'll be able to sleep through the sound of kids playing!"

"That's what church bells are for, child. I'm very hard to wake up."

"Didn't we wake you up when we came in?" questioned Luka, looking up at the woman.

"I was about to nap, not napping." Sister Dorothy clarified. "They would have to get into some serious trouble to wake me up."

"Then do we have a plan?" asked the menace with a smile.

"Well, if you can get the equipment, I'm sure we've got a few people lying about who can assemble and place it." answered the vampire. "That sounds like what works, to me, but I don't really know if that suits you."

"It does, perfectly." Alois said. "We'll be back to drop it all off this afternoon."

"I'll make sure someone is here to receive it." the nun replied, shaking the blonde's hand. "Thank you so much for your kindness, sir."

"Don't think anything of it." grinned the demon. "Kids need places where they can play outside and be creative. It's good for their development."

"You cerntainly know a lot."

"I took a psychology class in school, and we went over developmental psychology." explained Alois. "Though, I have to admit, I do have kind of a selfish reason for it. I want Luka to have a place where he can play outside with other kids."

"That's not selfish at all." Sister Dorothy stated. "You simply want your brother to have an enriching childhood. You're looking out for his sake."

"I guess I am. I want him to live as normally and happily as possible. Being a kid is essential to growing up to be a healthy adult. It's important, but once the time has passed, you can't really get it back."

"Oh, bless your heart…" the woman said. "If there's ever anything we can do for you or your family, you just say the word, child."

"I'll be fine. Things are going really well, now. I'm not sure if I could be happier!" grinned the menace with confidence. "Thank you for the offer."

"It stands if it's ever needed." the woman replied with a smile of her own.

"Thank you, sister." the Phantomhive said. "Well, I suppose we ought to be getting to work, then. We'll be back soon." With a small wave, he excused himself and his brother from the church, leaving the nun to get back to her slumber.

The two demons walked back outside and Alois unlocked the car door. He opened it to let his sibling inside, telling him to buckle his seatbelt before closing the door again. Then, the menace moved to get into his own seat, but was stopped when he noticed that he was being watched.

It was an old woman who stood before him, staring at him rather intensely. Her face was worn and wrinkled with dark circles around her eyes. Most worrisome, however, was the scar that traveled across her nose, and the way that she hunched over painfully. The woman's whole body shook as she was unable to stay still, but she remained focused.

"Can I help you?" Alois politely asked with a small smile.

"Is it really you?" the woman asked. "Are you mister Lion?"

"Yep, that's me." she was told in return. Her head then lowered as she reached into her coat.

"It's a shame what has happened to you." she said sadly. "Being in the clutches of that brute. My gift will make you forget him, however..."

Alois didn't have a real response, as he couldn't think of anything to say. All he could do was tilt his head in confusion and arch an eyebrow as he watched the woman dig around with shaking hands. Soon, she pulled out a small bag fastened shut with a string. She struggled to untie the knot, so the menace stepped forward.

"Let me help." he offered, holding out his hand. The bag was placed in his palm and he very quickly undid the string. Peering inside, a new wave of confusion came over him.

"Powder?" he said aloud, but as he went to hand the bag back to the old woman, the woman struck it from below, sending powder flying out in a large cloud directly in the demon's face. It burned his nose and made his eyes water.

"What the fuck?!" he let out between coughs. Taking a few steps back, he managed to open his eyes a little bit in order to look at the old woman for a brief moment before he was forced to close them again.

 _"_ _Hic manebimus optime!"_ the woman chanted, causing the ring on her hand to glow. Alois had assumed that the woman was a witch when she first appeared due to her human-like appearance, but never did he expect that she would attack him! _"Lapsus memoriae!"_

The light shot out from her ring and struck the menace in the stomach before he could regain his senses. The impact forced the air from his lungs and forced him back. All of this was witnessed by his brother inside the car. Luka was screaming with tears traveling down his cheeks as he struggled to unbuckle his seatbelt and open the door. As he got out, several other people on the scene were making their way over to help while others went after the old lady as she attempted to flee. She couldn't get very far, as she simply couldn't move fast enough. She was apprehended by citizens before the police was called and heckled for her actions.

Luka kneeled next to his brother as the menace laid on the ground. The blonde's eyes were forced shut as the powder solidified on his face. It clung to his eyelashes and to the area around his mouth and nose as he tried to get up but was obviously struggling. Even with the help of bystanders trying to get him to his feet, the menace simply couldn't do it as he seemed to be teetering on the between consciousness and unconsciousness. Poor Luka was crying the whole time as Alois used what fuzzy sixth sense he still had to grab his hand and hold it, mumbling to him how everything was going to be alright.

As H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. trucks arrived, the Phantomhive could no longer remain awake, and passed out despite soldiers trying their best to keep that from happening. Captain Debra Harland saw to the younger of the Macken brothers, doing her best to keep him calm while leading him into one of the trucks with his brother. The assailant was loaded up into another truck after being taken from the Gehenna Police. As the attack was on a high-ranking H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. operative, the organization had every right to assume jurisdiction and interview witnesses.

Once again, Alois had run into trouble on an ordinary day, but thus is the life of a Phantomhive. The only problem was whether or not he was alright. He was brought back to headquarters for medical attention, while someone was forced to make the phonecall to the Phantomhive household, knowing that all hell was about to break loose.


	314. Try Not To Worry

Ciel burst through the doors of Integra's office despite being told not to come. His husband hadn't awakened yet, so he could not see him, and Ciel was forbidden from interrogating the blonde's assailant. It wasn't as though Integra expected him to obey this, however. When it came to Alois, the Watchdog was least tame, as it was Alois who held his true loyalty when it boiled down to it. When Alois was in peril, that was when Ciel was most alert. Now, the bluenette was here to demand news on his husband's status.

"Where is he?" Ciel growled, his face in a snarl.

"In the infirmary, where else?" Integra replied. "Please don't go down there making a fuss. He's still being tended to."

"How? What care does he need?"

"Powder was thrown into his face before he was struck, which formed salt-like crystals when it came in contact when wet. That has to be cleaned off, and samples are being taken." the woman informed, leaning back in her seat while lighting a cigar. "He also has to undergo a physical examination to make sure that there are no other injuries."

"He lost consciousness."

"Which is why he also needs to have a brain scan. As well as other tests. This is all routine."

"Where is the old woman?" Ciel demanded.

"In our custody." his relative answered. "We wanted Dafydd to finish the examination first so he can be there for the interview to understand the type of magic she used. In the mean time, you need to take Luka home and wait."

"Sebastian is dealing with Luka. I want to know more about this."

"Then take a seat." Integra said, gesturing to a chair in front of the desk. Reluctantly, her offer was taken. Crossing his arms, Ciel sat down and stared intensely at the woman. "Please restrain yourself. You're acting as though this is directly my fault."

"I'm… sorry..." the Watchdog sighed. Taking a deep breath, he tried his best to calm down, but worry had already consumed him. "I know it's not your fault… I know all of these tests are necessary… It's just..."

"You're not as reserved as you used to be. You care deeply for Jim and he makes your emotions run wild, but there is still a procedure and there needs to be a certain degree of professionalism."

"I know..."

"Your knuckles are white." Integra observed, alerting the man that his fist was clenched. Ciel stretched his fingers, but it wasn't enough. His entire body was stiff.

"I'm terrified." Ciel stated. "I don't want to lose him again."

"We will do everything we can." the woman assured, noticing a red light on her phone come on. Pressing it, she answered the call.

"Yes?" she said, granting the person on the other end permission to speak.

"The Physical examination of D-003 is complete, ma'am." they informed. "No abnormalities to be reported. Blake is on his way to the interrogation room right now."

"Very good. Tell me if you find anything else."

"Yes, ma'am."

With that, Phantomhive and Hellsing sat and waited. Integra decided that it is best to not allow Ciel to wander about just yet. Thus, she asked him to stay with her in her office. Things were completely silent for the longest time. It was unbearable. Integra turned her attention to her computer while Ciel was left twiddling his thumbs. Eventually, the thought occurred to him to inquire about Wakefield, but he wasn't sure how to bring the subject up with grace. Thus, he simply threw it out in the open.

"I met a most curious vampire today." he said, while the other's gaze didn't stray from her screen.

"Oh? What was curious about him?" she asked.

"He is the chairman of one of Britain's most prestigious schools." Ciel informed. "He says he is of noble blood, but I have no way to confirm this. It was concerning, so I was wondering if you knew anything about that."

"What is the name?"

"Thaddeus Wakefield."

Quickly, Integra entered the name into the system and scanned the results. Leaning back to take a puff from her cigar, she shook her head. "The only thing we have for a 'Wakefield' is 'Leslie Wakefield.'"

"A fake name?"

"Perhaps." the woman said, going over the file. "Male. Blonde. No occupation listed. There is an address in Gehenna listed, however."

"Is it worth investigating?" the Phantomhive questioned.

"Perhaps." Integra replied. "Thank you for bringing this to our attention."

"It's a distraction, really." A heavy sigh escaped the bluenette. Pausing, he tried to think of something else to say, but couldn't.

"Just be sure not to neglect your duties. He is going to need your support when he wakes up."

"I know… I just hope that he'll be alright when that happens."

It was difficult. Ciel knew that he needed to have faith in Alois. The blonde was more resilient than most give him credit for, and it's been proven time and time again. Even though he knew this and knew it better than anyone, however, Ciel couldn't help but worry. It was his duty as the man's husband. He simply needed to find balance in it all. The Watchdog couldn't be overbearing, but he couldn't be apathetic. Unfortunately, Alois was the only thing in this world that could whip the bluenette's emotions up into a frenzy.

Ciel was anxious, despite doing everything he could to remain calm. He hoped it wasn't serious. He almost prayed to whatever powers that be. Alas, it sounded bad, between crystals forming around the eyes and the man losing consciousness. Demons do not pass out for no reason and magic is nothing to be trifled with. These are truths that the Watchdog couldn't ignore.

He wanted to see his husband. There was nothing more he desired at that moment than to get up and rush to the blonde's side. It wasn't to be, however. There was more that needed to be done. Even if he were simply permitted to peek inside the room to look at the menace for a brief moment, he would be somewhat satisfied, but he would have to wait, unfortunately.

The Phantomhive butler was ordered to look after Luka by the Watchdog. Oh, how the boy cried and cried… Luka cried until he wore himself out and even then, he didn't want to leave, either. He, too, wanted to know that his brother was alright. The boy fell asleep leaning against Sebastian while the two sat and waited outside the infirmary. They wouldn't be allowed in until the menace woke up, which could be hours, if not days, but still, they waited.

When it got late, they would leave to go home, while Ciel remained. The Phantomhive was offered a room at the Hellsing family residence in the meantime, but he wouldn't sleep until he knew Alois was fine.

In the meantime, the facility's magic expert, Dafydd Blake, made his way to one of the interrogation chambers, where the witch that attacked Alois was held. Her hands were cuffed and her magic ring had been confiscated; most likely to never be returned again because of what she had done. Still, the old woman protested.

She was positively identified as "Ruth Marchand" and was locally known to be rather eccentric. She had a granddaughter that looked after her, but was prone to wander off and get into trouble. Her file said that she didn't have the best health, but that was a while ago, as she refuses to see a doctor. Ruth was said to speak nonsensically at times without making sense and forget things, but the interrogators would have to try.

"How are we doing?" Dafydd asked the investigator seated across from her, but the man just sighed.

"I don't understand what she's talking about." answered the interrogator. "She keeps talking about a _'beast'_ , but I don't know how to interpret that. When I ask, she says that _'humans don't know'._ "

Looking up at the woman seated quietly across from them, Dafydd decided to give things a try. "What's this about a beast, Missus Marchand?" The woman seemed cross at the question.

"The beast that trapped the lion!" she declared. "I freed him from his clutches! This human cannot understand. No human ever can! They are far too feeble-minded."

"Who is the beast?" asked the man. "How did you free him?"

"Where have you been, boy? It is the Watchdog, the worst beast of them all." Ruth replied. She tried to fold her arms, but her restraints limited her to putting her hands on the table. "The Lion no longer has to associate with him."

"The Watchdog is pretty scary..." Dafydd said, trying to maintain trust. "Why doesn't the Lion have to, though?"

"He no longer recalls."

Dafydd had no idea what the witch meant by this. He folded his hands on the table and thought, but the action was hindered by his many rings. That said, the magic jewelry caught the attention of the other.

"You wear many magic rings." she observed. "Why is this?"

"Well, since boys usually have weaker magic, I have to try and make up for it." he answered. "Without them, I can't do much. Now I can do pretty advanced spells, but I'm always learning."

"That is as it should be." the woman nodded. "Full mastery of magic does not exist. I am impressed by your devotion."

"Thank you."

"The spell I used on the lion was difficult. It was all worth it, however. Now he will be plagued by the Watchdog no longer."

"You said he ' _won't recall'_. What does that mean?" the man questioned.

"It means as I said, boy." Ruth stated. "He will not recall that which plagues him."


	315. Certainly, Definately, Absolutely

The interrogation of the witch didn't produce a lot of information. She ranted and raved about the Watchdog and was difficult to get answers from. She wanted to talk about what she wanted to talk about and had trouble focusing. Occasionally, she would go on about how she wanted her ring back, despite being told that this was an impossibility due to her committing a violent crime.

Despite this, however, one piece of information was retrieved. Ruth wouldn't go into the details about how the spell was cast, but did reveal what the spell was supposed to do. It was supposed to cause memory loss, although she wouldn't say how extensive. The interrogation did not provide anything else. Her granddaughter would be questioned again at a later date, but not on that particular day. Everything was too messy right then.

Sebastian took Luka home after the boy fell asleep. The lad was not going to be happy when he woke up, but he couldn't stay there. Ciel, however, did. The Phantomhive stayed behind at the Hellsing residence to wait on both news and for the menace to wake up. It took more time than necessary for someone to come and inform him of what has been discovered. No one wanted to be in the same room as him when that happened. Even the thought of it was frightening.

Eventually, Seras Victoria was forced to break the news to him. "Badly" was not the word to describe how he reacted. There was a moment of shock. Seras had to repeat the message several times before it registered in his mind, then again for him to believe it. When he did, things took a turn. The Watchdog howled and roared, demanding to see his husband and getting angrier each time he was denied. Furniture was smashed, although it would be replaced when the man's head was clearer. For now, he could not be stopped from feeling.

Ciel brandished his fangs while demanding the witch to be burned for her actions. He wanted her head. He wanted her to pay. His rage was not helped when it was revealed that she was not in right enough mind to be held accountable for her actions. The old woman showed signs of having dementia and was not well.

He didn't care. His husband was hurt and he was not going to tolerate it. Seras did all she could to help calm him down, uttering reassuring words and the like. Ciel wasn't having it, however. He was still distraught and not listening to reason. What he didn't know, however, was that Alois had actually awakened a few hours prior.

The blonde was disoriented. He was dizzy and he had trouble with his thoughts. It felt as though his mind was in a fog for over an hour. When asked questions, he had trouble coming up with answers, but over time, he regained some clarity.

"Do you know where you are?" asked the attending nurse.

"Yeah, the infirmary, why?" replied the menace with a question of his own.

"Well, you were hit with a spell that supposedly causes memory loss." the woman said. "When you're well enough, we've devised several tests to decipher the extent of the damage."

"I feel like that explains this weird feeling I have." Alois answered, running a hand through his hair. "When do I start?"

"As soon as you feel ready, Mister Phantomhive."

"What?" the man asked. "That's not my name. Is that the right clipboard?"

"Oh, dear..." murmured the nurse. That was not a good sign. She had already heard of the chaos that has unfolded when the blonde's husband was alerted of the spell that was used, but this was going to unleash a second wave of terror upon H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. Still, the nurse had to think quickly.

"#D-003, Jim… Macken." the woman half-lied. The name really was on the file, but it was entered in as a "maiden" name. "It's right here. My mistake…"

"I'd like to get this over with as soon as possible so I can go home." the blonde stated with a sigh.

"The doctor wants you to rest a little longer. You should be able to start tomorrow."

"Dammit…" Alois said, falling back on the bed. "I don't wanna…"

"It's out of my hands, sir."

"I know… Guess I don't have much options..." Rolling over, he allowed the nurse to leave while he himself went over the events leading up to this in reverse.

He remembered being in Gehenna with his brother. He remembered Luka. He remembered the old woman, too. Come to think of it, he was probably going to be questioned about her before long. The thought caused him to groan. Why couldn't he just have an ordinary week for once with no conspiracy or violence? It was insane.

Going back further, he recalled getting ready for the day with Luka, putting on some kind of cologne. He could faintly smell it, still, but couldn't remember where he obtained it. He couldn't remember why he felt so mischievous while trying it on that morning, nor could he remember much of the first time he woke up. He recalled getting up because Daniel needed something, but he didn't remember answering the phone himself. He remembered giving Sebastian the day off and taking care of Luka because someone else was able to take care of Daniel's problem. The problem was: he couldn't remember who.

Who was it? The further back his memories went, the foggier they became. Vital details seemed to be missing from his memory. There were things missing from the final battle between H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and the Scarlet Order. Someone important killed Preston, but Alois didn't know who. It was someone powerful, he knew, but there was no face or name that came to mind.

The more and more he saw missing, the more frustrated he became and the more his head began to ache. Brow furrowing, Alois rubbed his forehead with his hand as he laid there. His hand eventually lingered over his eyes in order to block out any light. As he pondered, he felt uneasy. The feeling grew worse and worse as time went on. The worst part of it all was the fact that he could tell something was wrong, but not knowing what it was.

Alois was aware. The blonde knew that something was wrong and that he was missing critical parts of his memory, but the lack of attachment caused by it meant that he could not be sad as he thought he should be. Instead, he was frustrated. The man was perfectly aware that he was missing something. Important people, important events, and all of it was there but inaccessible to him. Life was about to become a lot more purposelessly difficult for him, he just knew.

These things would arise with time as he navigated the world without his memory, and perhaps then he would feel. He would know what he was missing. Alois would see the loss that those around him felt over him. Then he would feel sad, surely. Surely...


	316. Trial and Error

"Alright, mister Macken, we're going to do a simple exercise today." said the therapist sitting across from the menace while placing several cards on the table. "We will be repeating this test several times with different faces in order to get a semi-accurate measure of how much you remember about the people around you."

"Okay..." Alois answered, carefully watching the woman. The cards were neatly laid out in several rows. Each of them had photographs of a face on them, some of which he recognised right away.

"Now, what I want you to do is organise these people into three groups." the therapist began. "One of them is for people you recognise, one of them is for people whose faces you reconise, but aren't sure who they are, and the last one is for people you don't recognise at all."

"Sounds easy enough." the menace stated before shuffling all of the cards to one side. He moved all of them to the pile that would become the "do not recognise" pile before he took out the ones he knew.

One card he picked out had a photo of his brother Luka on it. The next had Sebastian, followed by Kristopherson Miles, Audrey Baines, Travis Sullivan, Sir Integra, Seras Victoria, and so on until he had a pile that was almost equal in size to the other. It was smaller by one card and none went into the pile that was for those whose faces Alois knew, but didn't have a name for. The extra card was placed in the "do not recognise" pile with the rest. Looking at the picture, the therapist frowned, knowing that this was not going to bode well.

Sir Hellsing and her grandmother, Elizabeth, were already having trouble dealing with their "guest" as he threw a fit with every piece of bad news. Over time, they had become smaller as the Watchdog tried to control himself better, as he was begged to by his cousin. Ciel had taken to focusing what wrath he had to the obstacle course, although it proved difficult to not destroy it completely.

His rage was entirely reactionary. It was a secondary emotion that spawned from hurt. The destruction he caused was an attempt to shield himself from the aching in his chest from his heart breaking and to make the stinging in his eyes not become tears. Ciel's limbs felt heavy and took all of his strength to move them. His sentences were incoherent. He didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to hear any of it. He wanted it to go away.

So he roared. The Watchdog roared while baring his fangs, cursing the gods for this, damning them, yet begging of them as to why it couldn't have been him instead. His voice boomed, shaking the building with it's force, but those who were knowledgeable of him knew that these were his cries. He cried. He cried, and cried, and cried like a wild beast until his throat was raw. Then it would heal and he would begin anew.

The despair he felt seeped through to his very core. It caused his bones to ache, his lungs to shiver, and his eyes to redden. Both his body and his soul were in unyielding agony as his happiness was violently torn from, completely ripping him apart. Eventually, the time came where he needed to be sedated before his self-restraint disintegrated completely. In the course of mere hours, Ciel Phantomhive had been defeated entirely. In his sleep, his tears fell freely.

His heart had crumbled. His soul had been crushed. His spirit and will were decimated. All it took to do this was merely the news that his husband did not recognise his face on a card.

The therapist tried to get Alois to think harder. "Very good! You got almost all of them right. The rest of them are people that you don't know who were selected randomly. In this set, you're only missing one person."

To this, the menace furrowed his brow and stared at the cards more intently. If he knew one of them, it would certainly come to him eventually. Thus, he thought long and hard. On occasion, the blonde's hand would linger over certain cards, usually because the person on them had a facial feature that was similar to someone he knew. Interestingly enough, however, the card he thought about hardest, however, was that of Ciel Phantomhive. Despite this, he did not pick the card.

"I'm sorry, I just can't figure out which one it is..." he said finally, moving his hand away in order to scratch his head.

"That's alright. There's always next time." the woman said, gathering up the cards again and putting them into a neat stack. "Now I'm going to pass you off to someone else, and they'll help you with another area."

"Aright." the menace said, standing up at the same time as the woman. Both of them exited the room and made their way down the hallway as Alois was led to his next appointment.

The hallway was long, but this was nothing new. Alois kept up a decent pace for the most part, but gradually, it began to slow as he felt something familiar in his gut. The man was aware that it was sixth sense and he could tell that he was sensing a demon that he did not recognise, but he did not feel concerned. The feeling grew stronger with each step, gradually becoming akin to butterflies in his stomach. His therapist noticed the change in pace and eventually looked over her shoulder.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I'm sensing a familiar presence with my sixth sense." the man replied. "I don't know what it is, though."

"Interesting… Tell me more when we get there."

Before Alois could answer, he noticed a familiar face stepping out of a room with several nurses. The woman separated from the group when she laid eyes on the menace before quickly jogging over to them. She was an angel and her name was Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Hellsing. Before Alois could so much as say "hello", however, she had her hand over his mouth.

"Please don't make noise." she said in a hushed tone, pausing before asking: "Wait, I'm sorry, do you remember me?"

"You're Elizabeth." Alois replied, causing the angel to utter a sigh of relief.

"What's the problem, milady?" questioned the therapist, prompting Elizabeth's attention.

"#D-001 needed to be sedated." Hellsing answered, earning a gasp from the other woman and a confused look from the man. "He's in that room I just came out of. Please, we need Alois to move through here quickly so he isn't sensed."

"Right." the therapist agreed as the angel put a hand to Alois' back and led him down the hall at a reasonably quick pace. The man's eyes stayed fixed on that door, but he didn't make a sound until their pace slowed.

"Who's D-001?" Alois asked in a whisper. "There's another demon?"

"You'll be reintroduced eventually." Elizabeth replied. "Right now, his condition is a little… fragile at the moment… You'll see him when he calms down some."

Alois, not knowing what she was talking about, simply trusted her. Yet he couldn't help but look over his shoulder at the door and wonder who was on the other side. There was also the curiosity as to why the presence that radiated from the other side seemed to draw him in.


	317. Grin And Bear It

Two days later and the blonde had completed various tests like the ones from before. H.E.L.L.S. ., between this and the speculation of their magic expert, had decided that the unwitting Phantomhive's memory loss was limited to only one person. This is what the old woman meant. She specifically impacted Alois' memories of Ciel, who was unfortunately a massive part of his life. They weren't sure if they could let him go home yet because of the bluenette. Ciel himself was going to need further evaluation before they could decide.

Still, Alois was thrilled when his family visited him. Luka ran up and practically pounced on him, holding him in a grip that he wasn't sure he could remove when it was time for them to leave. The boy was happy, however, with the biggest of grins. With him was Sebastian and Revy, who hung out in back.

"Man, am I glad to see you!" the menace declared. "I've been going mad in here! I miss being around you guys." With the last part, he hugged the boy clinging him and squeezed him tightly. Looking up, however, he noticed something.

"Revy, what are you doing? Come in!" the man called out before seeing the revenant's shoulders relax.

"I was worried you might not recognise me." Revy said, causing the menace to frown a bit.

"I can recognise almost everyone in the pictures I was given, and they gave me yours, too." Alois said. "I almost have a one hundred percent proficiency rate. I'm starting to wonder if it's actually a mistake and I just don't know the person."

Now it was the turn of the others in the room to frown. They knew who he was missing, and knew how important he was. All of them knew about Ciel's situation as well, which was another reason why they were there. Thus, Sebastian piped up.

"Well, you all must have a lot to talk about." he began. "I have business that I need to take care of elsewhere in the research department."

"What is it?" Alois questioned.

"He's going to see Ciel." bluntly answered Luka, pulling away from the menace slightly in order to look up at the man. He became quiet again when Sebastian gave him a warning look.

"Who's Ciel?" the blonde questioned, turning his gaze to Sebastian since it was obvious that he knew something. He didn't think the man would lie to him, but knew that he would give him at least a partial truth. "Is that the name of specimen D-001?"

"How do you know about D-001?" the butler asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Elizabeth mentioned him. She said he was sedated at the time and made me walk fast through the hall outside that room. Nobody will tell me much else about it."

"Well, that is correct." Stated Sebastian. "I'm going to go see him. If he's doing well, you will be able to see him soon."

"Why do I need to see him?"

"You live together." the butler said as he turned to leave. Before he did, however, he addressed the younger Mackens one last time.

"Be good, you two." he said. "Don't give him too much information. It might overwhelm him."

"Okay~!" Luka replied, and with that the man was gone.

Down the hall, the butler went and through several corridors. The research team was trying to keep the duo as far away from each other as possible, but it seemed like there was no need. In the room where the bluenette was supposed to dwell, it was almost lifeless. There was a heartbeat, but it was slow and it was weak. When Sebastian opened the door, he found Ciel, but Ciel was barely there.

The Watchdog was awake, but he did not want to be. He laid on his side in the small bed with his back facing the door. When Sebastian walked in the room, he did nothing to acknowledge his butler. He was perfectly still. Sebastian took a look at him and sighed, shaking his head.

"You have to get up sometime, you know." the butler said. "The nurse said you've been like this for forty-eight hours. It's not good for you."

When he didn't get a response, he continued. "Have you burned yourself out, master? Have you given up? Alois is still here. He's still alive and well. Are you just going to lie here and mope forever?"

Still nothing. Ciel didn't move. He didn't face his butler. There wasn't even a sound of acknowledgment. The Phantomhive was not in the mood to talk or hear a rousing speech. He didn't know what he was going to do. Whether or not he was going to give up was unknown even to himself, despite being sick of just lying there.

He needed to be sad. It was perfectly in Ciel's right to be sad. It was just going to take a little while longer for him to recover. His spouse did not know him, so he had plenty to be sad about. Ciel wasn't ready to talk about it and really didn't want to. His butler was not helping his morale, although he did remind him that there was a world outside this room.

"Master..." Sebastian pleaded. "Please do not give up hope… The fight is not lost. It hasn't even begun. It starts once you leave this room."

"Doesn't matter..." Ciel spoke for the first time in days, so his voice was weak both from that and the evidence left behind of the man weeping. "I'm not allowed to see him, anyway..."

"I'll see to that." the butler said. "You need to see him badly."

"How is he?"

"He's doing well. Right now, he's talking to the others." Sebastian said, tilting his head as he didn't get a reply. "He seems lonely, though. And he's curious about you. Someone mentioned ' _Specimen D-001_ ' to him, it seems. I couldn't give him the information he sought, however."

"Why?"

"Because you need to be the one to tell him. Remind him that you exist and who you are. He wants to know."

In actuality, Ciel agreed with the older demon somewhat. He needed to see Alois and to alert the man of his existence so that they could both go home. Oh, how Ciel wanted to see the menace, but he could not hold him in his arms. He might never. That is what scared Ciel. The Watchdog didn't know whether he could handle that or not. But he would have to try.

The first thing he needed to do, however, was get up and get out of his room. He needed to walk around and ground himself a bit better. Ciel needed to gather courage and mental fortitude before he could see Alois, but he would definitely try. With this, his muscles tensed and he clumsily sat himself up with his legs dangling over the side of the bed facing the wall still.

"I'm going to go to the training field." he said, indicating that he has made his choice. It was satisfactory enough for his butler, who donned a relieved smile.

"I'll be out of your way, then." Sebastian said with a small bow.

He left the Phantomhive alone to gather himself. Indeed, it would take time before the man was alright. Ciel was still mourning his loss and would be for a while. It could be days, weeks, months, or even years before he was alright. For now, however, he had to grit his teeth and trudge forward for his husband's sake, even if the blonde was unaware of it; even if his husband was no longer his.


	318. Nice To Meet You

Meeting with Luka and Revy had been the highlight of Alois' stay, thus far. The rest was filled with annoying tests that didn't tell him anything with the occasional chat with Elizabeth. He and the woman were on their way to the training field so that the menace could finally get some exercise. It had been days since he was out in the sun and it was a welcome change. He couldn't wait.

"I have no idea when the last time I was here was..." he said as the two conversed. "It's been a while. I don't really work out, I just work."

"That's no good!" Elizabeth replied despite her smile. "You need to practise your skill, even if you don't need to maintain muscle."

"Well, I don't really have enough room! Most of the backyard is garden, and if something happened to it, Sebastian would turn _me_ into a murder case!"

"I suppose that's true. Still, you're free to use the field whenever you like."

"Who the hell drives off to exercise?" questioned Alois.

"Humans go to gyms to work out every day." the Hellsing answered.

"Yeah, but they're weird."

"Weird, but clever." the woman said, her pace slowing as she sensed something. As they drew closer, he eyes honed in on it. "Oh..." she started. "He's here..."

Arching an eyebrow, the blonde tilted his head and tried to follow his companion's eyes to what was on the field. Both of them focused into a pair of figures, although their sights were primarily trained on one. The man wore a grey T-shirt with the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. crest on it tucked into a pair of green pants that were in turn tucked into boots. He sparred with a sword- a mortal blade, granted, but the style was familiar. Damp, blue-black locks stuck to his forehead from sweat as he furrowed his brow in concentration. One eye was covered by an eyepatch, while the other was trained on his opponent.

Alois stared at him for a while, watching him fight, before he realised that he was being stared at as well. Turning his head, he saw Elizabeth next to him, watching his face while lost in thought.

"What is it?" he asked, prompting her to glance back at the combat nearby.

"I was just wondering..." she began before pausing another second to think. "Would it be bad for you to be reintroduced to D-001, now, or..."

"That's him?" the menace questioned, quickly looking back to the bluenette. Now, he recognised the face.

Not from memory of his life, but memory of the faces in the cards. Alois recalled that the face of the man before them was in the mix, but he could never figure out if he knew him. From context clues, he could gather that he did, somehow, although he didn't remember him, personally.

Luka told him a few things during his visit after Sebastian left the room. The boy didn't reveal anything about their relationship, but did reveal that D-001's name was "Ciel Phantomhive", and that he owned the house that all of them lived in. That by itself was a lot to take in, although Alois honestly didn't recall how he got to the house or why any of them started living there. Mostly the problem came from adjusting to the fact that a virtual stranger owned the place where he lived and lived there with all of them. It made the blonde uneasy, especially since he didn't know what this "Phantomhive" looked or behaved like. His brother insisted that the man was "really nice" and "took good care of" them, but the menace was understandably uneasy.

It was pleasant to put a name to a face, but from what he was witnessing, he wasn't sure what to think of the part where his brother said the man was "nice". His brother said that he had a grumpy face, but mentioned nothing of his vicious combat skills. Alois recognised that the bluenette was sparring with a demon known as "August", who was armed with a halberd, her preferred weapon.

It was essentially a long spear accompanied by an axe on one side near the tip and it was doing poorly against the man's mere sword. Ciel was hardly using the blade as a defense, but rather, chose to leap out of the way instead. That is, until he decided to finally end it. Then, when the demoness swung her weapon, he stepped forward, missing the blade and grabbing the staff before giving a rough pull. He drew his foe in with this move and swung his own weapon, striking the woman in the side of the face with the butt of his handle. She was disoriented as he went in for his second strike, which was delivered on her hands where she held her weapon. She was forced to let go and the spear was now the bluenette's. Twirling it around, he pointed the spear end at his foe, startling her as it was inches from her face. Then, he dropped his fighting stance and spoke.

"Never let go of your weapon." the bluenette scolded. "Once you let go of your weapon in battle, consider it lost."

"Yes, sir." August dutifully replied. She stood up perfectly straight at attention as she was lectured, despite her swollen cheek and sore hands.

"Furthermore..." Ciel continued, slipping his own weapon into his belt before taking the halberd into both hands. "You're swinging too wide. It's leaving you open. Hold the weapon with both hands."

"Yes Sir." the woman said, accepting her weapon when the man handed it back to her. It was then that Ciel finally looked over his shoulder at the menace and locked eyes.

Without thinking, a small smile appeared on the Watchdog's face as he saw that his spouse simply because he was pleased with his presence here. He then looked down and adjusted his expression to be more neutral before looking up again and debating if he should walk over and greet him. Meanwhile, the other wasn't sure what to do, either.

Ciel was a lot more aesthetically pleasing than Alois expected and made him feel confused in more ways than one. A man should not be that pretty, especially one who supposedly was "nice" but with a temper large enough to need sedation. In truth, Alois wasn't sure what to think of him, but did want to make his acquaintance, considering how they were supposedly living together.

Looking back over to the angel at his side, Alois asked: "Is he always violent?"

"No." giggled Elizabeth. "He's usually very tame. He's just been in a rough spot recently. You two were close. I think out of everyone, he was the one to be the most upset over what happened."

"Even Luka?"

"Luka realised you were alright and still remembered him." she said. "Ciel didn't have that, not that it's anyone's fault."

"Why doesn't he come over and talk?" the blonde questioned further, prompting the woman's smile to widen.

" _He's shy_." Elizabeth replied, lowering the volume of her voice. "He knows you don't remember him, so he probably doesn't want to look silly."

"So in other words: he's rough on the outside, but sensitive on the inside." nodded the menace. "He's going to be a handful, isn't he?"

"That would be a severe understatement..." the woman stated before looking over at the bluenette, who was busily trying to pretend that he hadn't noticed them. She raised her arm and waved at the Watchdog.

"Hey, Ciel!" she called out, prompting her cousin's attention. "Come over!"

Now that he was invited, the Watchdog felt more comfortable approaching them. His combative stature disintegrated and was replaced with a walk that was graceful, sophisticated, and was so steady, that it made him seem as though he was gliding. Alois tried not to grin at the sudden change, even though he found it amusing.

"Good to see you both." Ciel greeted, focusing more on Elizabeth as the menace intimidated him. "It was strange not seeing you this week, Lizzie. You didn't get to visit."

"I did visit, but you were asleep." the woman noted, prompting a slight pink tint to stain the Watchdog's cheeks.

"Sorry about that..." he mumbled, clearing his throat and averting his gaze, despite keeping an otherwise dignified stance. Just watching him, Alois discovered that the man was an odd one, but believed that he would be able to get along with him just fine.

"It's alright." his cousin replied before turning her own gaze to the menace beside her.

"Alois, this is Ciel Phantomhive, the head of the Phantomhive household." she introduced, causing the bluenette to instinctively hold out his hand to shake as an act of politeness.

With a grin, Alois accepted the offer and said: "Good to finally connect a name to your face."

"The pleasure is all mine, Ji-" Ciel halted himself as he gripped the other man's hand, realising that he had just discovered a potential place to commit an error. "Uh… Sorry. What name do you prefer?"

"Alois." the blonde answered with a definite nod.

"Right. Alois, then."

"You're still holding onto my hand." Alois informed, causing the other man to hastily yank his hand away.

Poor Ciel. His cheeks grew pinker and his heart sped up at the realization that he did something strange. "I'm sorry." Ciel quickly apologised while putting both of his hands behind his back.

"It's alright." the blonde giggled, finding this man incredibly entertaining. "But why did you ask for my name? I'm the one who can't remember things!"

"You and Ciel were very close." Elizabeth stepped in. "You allowed him to call you by a different name."

"Like a nickname?"

"Sort of..."

"So I take it that you're a pretty funny guy, aren't you, Ciel?" the menace asked with a grin, causing the already nervous blue Phantomhive's racing heart to skip a beat.

"Most people would disagree with you." Ciel stated with complete seriousness, but somehow, he made the other man laugh.

"There it is." Alois replied, pointing with his index finger. "It's great."

Ciel couldn't conceal his discomfort at this whole conversation. He tried, but it still appeared in his body language and expression, even if it was subtle. Crossing his arms, the Watchdog shifted on his feet while trying to come up with something to say. It was very difficult to interact with Alois now that they were technically "separated", making it difficult for Ciel to know what to do. While Alois didn't understand the meaning behind it or the cause, the menace could still see it. Thus, it spread to him, as he, too, felt awkward and wondered what he was doing wrong. Both of them hoped that something would save them and promptly, answered their prayers.

"So! Um, Alois! We were thinking about letting you go home with Ciel soon, if that's alright." she said before turning to the Watchdog. "What do you think, Ciel?"

"Oh! Uh, that's fine by me." he quickly stated. "If he's ready to go, that is."

"I'm perfectly ready to go." the menace chimed in. "I've been ready to go for a while, but my therapists disagreed."

"I'll go have a talk with them, then!" Elizabeth declared before turning around to go back. "I can do it right now!"

"Lizzie, wait!" Alois called out to her back as she took off. "Where should _I_ go?"

"Oh, you can find your way back to your room, can't you?" she answered back over her shoulder. "If not, I'm sure Ciel can show you the way!"

"Elizabeth!" the other Phantomhive shouted in a tone that was slightly cross, but his cousin wasn't having any of it and ignored him. Both men were now alone together, and neither of them knew what to do.

"Uh..." Ciel began as he tried to think of something to say. Awkwardly, he reached up and rubbed the back of his neck while avoiding eye-contact with the menace. "So… What did you come out here for?"

"Well, there wasn't really a plan." the other answered as the two men began to walk side by side. "I was mostly just wanting to be outside a bit."

"Oh..." The Watchdog was dying. He had no idea how to answer that. He didn't know what to suggest, either. In truth, he wanted nothing more than to run away, bu he couldn't leave the menace on his own. It was tacky. Moreover, it would be a terrible impression.

This would be bad alone if it wasn't for the stress of consequence for messing it up. Ciel was scared. He was absolutely terrified of the man beside him. His stomach was in knots and his heart felt like it was going to vomit instead of him, himself. Thank goodness, Ciel had been sparring, or else the fact that he was sweating would have seemed weird. He just didn't know what to do in order to achieve the optimal results. He wanted his spouse back, but hadn't the faintest idea as to how to get there.

"So..." Alois began, starting to feel pressure as well. He couldn't think of anything either, aside from his curiosity. "Uhm… Tell me about yourself."

"What do you want to know?" Ciel questioned with about as much certainty as the other man on where to begin.

"Well… Like… ' _How old are you?' 'What kind of things do you like?'_ Stuff like that?"

"Oh. This year I'm going to be one hundred and forty one." The Watchdog's answer startled the menace, as he hadn't expected it.

"Dermatologists must hate you!" Alois jested, earning the slightest of smiles.

"Well, I _am_ a demon, so it's to be expected."

"Still, I wouldn't have guessed. You seem like you're around my age."

"Well, we are from the same time period." Ciel informed. "Queen Victoria's reign. I was born in 1875."

"1874." the menace replied before pausing. He needed to come up with another question before he spoke again. "So, does that mean you're a noble? Elizabeth said that you were the head of your family."

"I am. I was an Earl, but Earls are no longer fashionable, so I go by _'Sir'_ instead." the bluenette said before pausing, himself. "Elizabeth is actually my cousin on my father's side."

"Really? You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

"Oh, you're in for a lot..." Ciel said in an attempt at a joke, but it was apparently too heavy for the already tense mood. It took the menace a while to come up with something else to say. He looked down the entire time he thought, trying to shift the mood back to something lighter, and the bluenette noticed.

"Sorry." apologised the Watchdog. "If I may confess something… I'd like to inform you that I'm not the most sociable person, so I have trouble acting casual around people I've just met."

"But you haven't just met me?"

"Similar rules apply. I can't be too friendly or deep, or I risk making things awkward, but I also can't be too distant… I feel like you're most likely going to run into a lot of this, and for that, I apologise."

"At least you're honest." Alois replied, unable to help but allow his smile to return.

"I wasn't always." stated the other. "You're actually the one who taught me how. I… It doesn't really come naturally to me. I'm… I'm probably going to keep my distance for a while. Don't take that as meaning that I don't like you and that you're unwelcome."

"I imagine me forgetting you is going to take some processing, so I don't really blame you."

Silently, the pair continued to walk as uncertainty seeped in once again. Really, both sort of wanted to be alone from each other in order to process what they've learned, but at the same time, they wanted to be around each other. Even Alois, who didn't know Ciel anymore, wanted to be near him. The man felt safe. It was strange, but when they weren't worried about each other, they found each other's presence comforting.

They parted ways again upon reaching Alois' room. He almost wanted to invite Ciel inside, but didn't know if the other would appreciate that. In truth, he wouldn't have, as once Ciel reached his own room and closed the door, he began to unravel.

Leaning with his back to the door, he ran a hand through his hair and sighed before covering his face. Ciel didn't know if he was going to be able to keep this up. He didn't know if he had the strength. All throughout the conversation, he wanted to grab the blonde's hand, and savoured every second when they shook, inevitability creating an awkward situation. He thought about how pretty Alois was and how much he wanted to hold him. The realization of all of these thoughts made the bluenette feel sick to his stomach.

"I'm such a creep..."


	319. Home, Wherever That Is

At last, the day had arrived when both men were deemed well enough to return to their own home, despite all that was. The car ride was silent as neither Ciel or Alois really had anything to say. No, they did, but the time was not appropriate. Questions still remained in their heads, but now was not the time to ask. Still, both of them felt relief as they reached the gate and saw the house from the end of the driveway.

Luka was at school and so was Revy, making the house empty upon their arrival. Still, they had a chance to sit in their own room and reflect on everything for a while until they returned. Well, one of them did. Ciel headed to the master bedroom, while Alois was led in another direction, much to his confusion. Sebastian took him to a room that was pretty standard and was told that this is where he would be sleeping.

It was bizarre, as he did not recognise this room. He knew it was a guest room, but it didn't feel like his. It lacked any personal touch and the organization of his belongings didn't seem to be arranged like he would have placed them. In truth, Alois recalled staying in the master suite, so he was immensely befuddled to discover that his room had been commandeered by someone else, regardless to the fact that Ciel was indeed the master of the house. Alois wished to stay in this room no longer, and took to exploring the house.

Mostly he was wandering around for clues regarding things he had forgotten. Getting reacquainted with the house itself took no time at all, as he remembered the layout completely, and only a few details were "new". Primarily photographs on the walls decorating the manor on occasion. Ciel was in most of them, now, which the menace hadn't recalled. The Watchdog was in the Warwick class photo standing next to Alois, smiling with Alois' arm around his shoulder. It was surprising, but made sense. Most of the details that Alois were missing involved the bluenette one way or another, just as he was told.

He did expect Ciel to come out of his room eventually, however. When he didn't, he wondered the motivation behind it. Perhaps he was still uneasy. Either way, he was missing dinner. Everyone else had gathered around in their usual seats, but the chair at the end of the table was empty. The menace didn't know why he expected Ciel to sit there. It just made sense, seeing as though the bluenette was the head of the household, and that is where everyone just happened to be sitting. Truth be told, the menace couldn't help but be a little disappointed, despite still having the others to talk to.

"I cannot persuade him." Sebastian stated as he walked back into the dining room. "The master is intent on spending the evening alone, it seems."

"Probably still needs space." suggested Revy with his mouth half full. "He kinda gets like that when he's moody, doesn't he?"

"Does this happen often?" questioned the menace, looking around the table in hopes someone would answer him. After a pause, the butler took it upon himself to do the honours.

"No, it's quite rare." spoke the man clad in black. "He does this when he's upset. He'll come around, eventually."

"He seems to be a bit of the moody sort, thus far..." Alois stated, resting his chin in his palm.

"Elbows off the table." Sebastian scolded, prompting the menace to roll his eyes. Alois still corrected his posture and the butler continued. "He can be that way, at times. Still, it isn't as bad as the alternatives."

"How could it be worse?"

"I heard that when you and Ciel started living together originally, you both hated each other's guts." Revy chimed in, only to receive a stern look from the eldest of the household's demons.

"We did?"

"Your first encounter… Wasn't exactly the best." the butler said cryptically.

"How so?"

"You tried to kill each other." the second oldest Macken stated. "Literally."

"That was a long time ago." butted in Luka, taking a break from trying to get as many peas onto his fork as possible in order to give his two cents. "You like each other a lot, now. That's why Ciel's lonely."

"Luka, please stop." the butler said, surprising Alois. He hadn't expected something so rude from Sebastian. It was unlike him to tell Luka to stop talking when he wasn't doing any harm. "We musn't reveal too much. It's best for Master Alois' memory to return on it's own."

"So I'm just supposed to be in the dark about everything?" questioned the menace, sounding slightly frustrated. "I want to know what's going on. I need to know. Can't I ask questions."

"Certainly, but the answers may startle you." Sebastian said. "Perhaps you should employ your detective knowledge. That would be wise, I believe."

"Why's that?"

"Because then you would be making sense of everything as you go." Sebastian informed, but the menace couldn't help but think something was wrong. The fact of the matter was, Sebastian wasn't too pleased about the situation, himself.

The butler was like a father to both Ciel and Alois. Seeing them in turmoil did nothing for him. Rather, it saddened him, and the man did not like this emotion. Even Sebastian was frustrated with the situation, but honestly and truly, he wanted what was best for the younger demons, so he would be taking things slowly as well.

Alois was unhappy with this. He was tired already of missing pieces. The worst part was not knowing what he was even lacking in the first place. What beloved memories had he lost? What if he cherished them deeply? If he needed them? He wanted them back. In the meantime, he would heed the butler's suggestion and do some investigating. Whether anyone liked it or not, he was getting his pieces back. That was a promise he made to himself, and that was a promise that he was determined to fulfill.


	320. Long Distance Relationship

Ciel locked himself in his room as soon as he returned home. He needed time to readjust to being back, and also, he needed the time to reflect in a comfortable environment. Unfortunately, it wasn't as comfortable as it could have been, seeing as though the smell of roses polluted his room rather strongly. They belonged to Alois, and while Sebastian was ordered to remove blatant evidence of the duo's true relationship and hide it, the Watchdog couldn't bear the thought of throwing the flowers away.

Unfortunately, roses do not live long in floral arrangements. Despite being kept alive by magic, they still wilted and lost pedals, covering almost every flat surface in the frontroom and bedroom of the master suite. Ciel did not want to let them die. They were all that the bluenette had left of his last night with his beloved husband.

Yet, he could no longer stand to be in this room alone. This was their room. Ciel still had memories, here. He remembered sleepy mornings with the menace and ducking in and out of rooms while they both got ready. He remembered the sweetest of "good morning" kisses, and his carnal knowledge of Alois. Thoughts like these made his chest ache and his throat to tense up as he also remembered that he may never share these things with the menace again. This is why he needed to leave. It hurt too much. Ciel had to run away.

With a few phonecalls to the bizarre "chairman" of Warwick Academy, he explained that he hadn't started the case yet due to a family emergency, although he did not specify. He also informed Wakefield that he was going to start right then and there if it was permissible. Really, it was just an excuse to get out of the house. It was cowardly, he knew, but his heart was not strong enough just yet to bear living in the same house as the man he loved above all else while his most precious person did not know him.

"I'm going out." he announced, grabbing one of his coats and slipping it on as he made his way to the door. His statement captured the attention of the menace, who ducked his head through a doorway in order to watch the other demon.

"Where are you headed?" the blonde inquired, curious to know more about Ciel through his habits.

"I started a case before I was admitted to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. It's Warwick." answered the Watchdog. "I'm going to go investigate, now."

"Need a hand?"

"No, no. I've got it." Ciel insisted, oblivious to Alois' brow furrowing.

Certainly, the blonde knew that he was not in the best of states to be investigating, but he wanted to be helpful. It would have also been a chance to bond with the bluenette more. If they really were close, the menace was keen on rekindling their friendship. His arms folded as he watched the other walk away.

"Okay, good luck." he said almost half-heartedly.

"It should be over quickly." the bluenette replied. "I'll be back soon, unless I think I can get it done in one go."

"You do that..." Alois trailed off as the door was closed. With a heavy sigh, he decided to go into his plan of snooping while the other was out, even though he was a little disappointed. It almost felt like his skill as a detective was belittled, and he wasn't too thrilled about that, even if it wasn't Ciel's true intention.

It really didn't take long for the bluenette to conclude his investigation at all, much to his disappointment. He was even more upset at the fact that he had to see what he did. When he arrived at Warwick, he simply carried out Samantha Westley and Geraldine Midford's original plan of breaking into the coach's office while he wasn't there and stealing his cellphone. Or rather, waltzing into the coach's unlocked office and digging around in desk drawers and coat pockets until he found the man's mobile phone.

Once it was in his possession, he held it up to the light and tilted it so that he could see the smudges on the screen. Coach Ainsley didn't have a password protecting his phone, but a grid that he had to trace a pattern on. Holding the device up to the light gave the Watchdog the pattern he needed and he opened up the instructor's text messages and photo gallery. Both of which held incriminating evidence. Inappropriate messages were sent to students and similar photos were taken and saved. In some cases, he had sent images to the boys on the rugby team, making the man guilty of distribution of child pornography on top of his other offenses. What a fool.

Before he put the cell phone back, he changed the security settings so that the instructor couldn't access the device and erase any evidence. Then, Ciel put it back and took out his own cell phone in order to phone in an "anonymous" tip to the police. Given who the bluenette was, the authorities were bound to have motivation to investigate. Honestly, it wasn't necessary for the bluenette to be there at all. Everything was open and shut over the course of five minutes. His next move was to inform the chairman.

"Everything has been taken care of, on my end." the Phantomhive said over the phone while walking back to his vehicle. "The police should be down here, soon. Do I need to talk to them?"

"No need. You've done more than enough, and you have my gratitude." answered mister Wakefield. "You should get back to your family."

"Honestly, I came out here to avoid them." the bluenette said half-jokingly, despite the fact that it was true. He knew it was cowardly of him. He hated being apart from the blonde. Even more so, however, he couldn't stand being close to him while being so far away from his heart. That sensation was indescribably painful.

"Well, I wouldn't be opposed to having you over for a debriefing." replied the chairman. "I'd love to hear the details of your investigation."

"I could just do that over the phone. It's really short."

"Please, I insist. It's not everyday I get to talk to another blue blood, you know." He paused briefly before adding: "Unless, of course, you have other plans..."

"I don't..." the Phantomhive trailed off. Really, he had nothing else, nor did he have any ideas. Still, he didn't really want to socialise, either. "No disrespect, but I think I'll just go home after all. I just want to be alone."

"Do I frighten you?"

"The fact that you seem to have blood drives going on constantly at your school does."

"Touche', but there's nothing nefarious to it." Wakefield stated, shifting in his chair to get comfortable. "True, it is a primary source of food, but I believe that it is better than the alternative. Blood trucks simply don't come out here, and I'm certainly not going to resort to barbarism. I am a gentleman, after all."

"I suppose I can't talk, being a demon, myself." Ciel replied, reaching his vehicle.

"Are you sure you're alright?" the vampire asked once more. "You sound down."

"To tell you the truth, I don't think I am. Right now, I just need to accept that." stated the Phantomhive, causing the conversation to roll to a halt. He spoke with the other man a while longer about the business of the case before hanging up and carrying on their merry way.

"Playing hard to get, I see..." sighed Wakefield after the phone was back on the hook. "I suppose he really isn't that friendly..."


	321. The Appropriate Response

While the head of the house was away, Alois began his search anew. His gut told him to check the office, so that's what he did. Now he remembered why on earth they had a two-person desk. The one to the man's right belonged to Ciel! This made things tricky, as the Watchdog was a sly one. Alois could tell just by looking at the man. Thus, he had to be careful to make it appear as though Ciel's belongings had not been disturbed.

It wasn't easy, as the man had very few trinkets or the like on his desk, unlike Alois himself. The only thing was a plush lion that sat next to the computer monitor. Alois recognised it. In fact, at first, he thought it was his, since he recalled winning it, but that was not the entirety of the story. He remembered giving it to somebody. All clues led to Ciel, which was strange to the menace, considering he could have sworn this took place while on a date. That simply couldn't be right! Ridiculous.

That was an impossibility, as the menace was absolutely certain that he wasn't into men. Just because he thought that the Watchdog was a good looking man meant nothing. Some men are just attractive! That's all it was, therefore, that detail must have been fabricated while Alois was missing pieces. Yes, that had to be it. At least, that's how the menace rationalised it.

There were several drawers in the desk, but most didn't contain anything interesting. It was just files and office supplies and the like. There was one drawer, however, that seemed promising. Alas, it was locked and Alois didn't think he had the ability to pick it.

"That's probably where he keeps his goodies..." Alois thought, wondering how he can get access to the drawer without breaking it. Perhaps he could find the key, but he hadn't the faintest idea as to where it would be.

His attention then turned to the Watchdog's computer. Pressing a random key, he disturbed the screen-saver, only to face further disappointment. It was password protected. Furrowing his brow, he sat down in the chair and thought. Alois was certain that he knew this password at one point; He simply wasn't sure what it was. Most people used numbers that were significant to them for easy memory, whether they're birthdays or pop culture references, but Alois really didn't know enough about the man in order to guess.

Thus, he turned his attention elsewhere. This time, it was to his own cellphone. Getting up, he sat in his own seat after moving everything back where he found it. Pulling out the device, he unlocked the screen and found that his wallpaper was a photograph of himself and the bluenette sitting together closely. For a moment, Alois had to sit there and take it in, getting comfortable and crossing one leg over the other as he leaned back. He and the Watchdog looked so happy in the photo. Ciel was even smiling widely along with him.

Come to think of it, Alois hadn't seen the other man smile once since being reintroduced. Ciel had a wonderful smile; one that could be spread as the blonde's expression changed accordingly. It pleased the menace greatly and he hoped that he would be able to see it in person someday soon. Right now, the bluenette always looked sombre, at least during the rare instances where Alois saw him.

Ciel Phantomhive was an elusive crypid, it seemed, but the times when he was seen, the blonde wanted to see him more. Alas, the bluenette didn't want to be seen. Alois couldn't help but feel at fault, even though he didn't know whether or not this was usual behaviour for the other. It didn't feel right. If there was one thing that Alois knew he could trust, it was his gut, and his gut was telling him that something was wrong.

His investigation continued as he browsed his contacts, but oddly, he didn't have a "Ciel" entered in his phone. All of the other names were recognizable as he went down the list, including nicknames and silly things he entered into the device. "Pinky" for Kristopherson and "Bones" for Audrey. He still needed to delete Preston's name from the device, but somehow, he hasn't been able to motivate himself into doing it yet. There was one that was out of place, however, and it was a contact that had " _The Bae_ " written in as a name with a heart emoticon next to it. That was a cause for concern. Alois didn't remember dating anyone, although he could picture himself entering it in as a joke about a friend.

As he moved onto checking his recent text messages, there were a lot from his friends over the past few days. They were worried about his welling. Calls needed to be made. While he was thinking it, he might as well go for it. First person he ringed up was Kristopherson, and the man answered rather quickly, much to Alois' surprise. The blonde hadn't even been able to get comfortable in time.

"Alois?!" answered Kristopherson, his voice frantic.

"'Sup, dawg?" playfully greeted the menace, a smile appearing on his face.

"What the fuck do you mean 'Sup dawg'?! Fuck you!" barked the faux-blonde. "We were all worried sick about your ass!"

"Just my ass?"

"ALOIS!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I couldn't resist." Alois stated, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the desk as he held the phone up to his ear. "I haven't been able to joke around much the past few days. I'm deprived. I'm otherwise fine, though."

"Oh, thank God..." sighed the wolfman on the other end. "We thought we lost you..."

"It'll take more than that to wipe me out. I'm fine, really. There's no need to be worried."

"But what about your memories?"

"You heard about that?"

"Chain of communication. Started with Audrey." Kristopherson explained. "How's Ciel?"

"I have no idea… That's my main problem right now. That's what my memories affected. I have no idea how to act around this guy..."

"Fuck… That's right..." lamented the faux-blonde, rubbing his forehead. "I doubt it's good, in that case..."

"So he isn't always mopey and secluded?" questioned the menace, spinning around in his chair. He knew that Kristopherson had some information on the Watchdog, and hoped that he would be willing to dispense some of it."

"No. He's never like that. The most he is is awkward when we have a bunch of people in our group. That's not the same thing, though." Pausing, Kristopherson had to ask: "How much do you know?"

"Just that we were apparently ' _best friends_ ' or something and that he's not very sociable." the menace replied. "Other than that, I haven't had much luck even talking to him."

"Yeah, nobody expected him to take this well..."

"Why's that?"

"It's just who he is, along with the context. Listen, I'm not supposed to tell you much. We all were told not to."

"Shit…"

"Sorry, mate. You're on your own." said the wolfman apologetically.

"Uuuugh! Fine..." Alois groaned, slouching in his seat.

"I have to go, soon. I'm about to walk into a movie theater." Kristopherson warned, piquing the other's interest once more.

"Really? What movie?"

"' _Sweets Basket'?"_ he replied with a twinge of uncertainty in his tone. "It's got something to do with the Chinese zodiac. My sister's in it, so I figured I'd go see it with Logan."

"Ooh~!"

"Not like that, you prick."

"I guess I'll let you go, then." Alois said, completely ignoring his friend's insult. "Call me back when you get the chance."

"Alright, alright." Kristopherson answered. "Good luck with Ciel. Laters."

"Later days." the menace said before hanging up. He was then left alone in the quiet office.

He didn't want to be alone with his thoughts. The more he thought, the more he thought about his predicament, thus dwelling on the fact that large chunks of his life over the past six years was missing. It was terrifying! It was also sad. How much was gone? How many happy memories? He didn't know, nor did he have the slightest idea as to how to get them back again.

In an effort to occupy himself, he stared out the window at the garden below. Somehow, the view of the back of the house was prettier than that of the front, even though the flowers were not yet in bloom, and leaves were still gone from the trees. He had memories, there. Alois remembered discovering his ability to manipulate plants for the first time, and the many paintball fights he had there. Sometimes, however, it was just him and a face he did not recall. From what he had learned thus far, however, it was probably Ciel. The answer was going to be "Ciel" for a time to come, now. That's just how it was, as it was the Watchdog who had been erased.

Inserting Ciel into those memories made sense, however. It made the blonde able to build upon what he knew. Yes, he recalled that he would battle with the Watchdog with paint, colouring him purple while the other would use blue. Alois even remembered the two of them getting splattered with black once from the butler, although they could never prove that it was Sebastian. Ciel laughed as the menace's flaxen locks were matted with the dark colour, although the memory was still blurry. Alois still couldn't recall the other's exact expression. How did Ciel smile back then?

It gave him hope, knowing that he could recall things by filling in details. A smile appeared on Alois' face as he knew that he would have to tell the others—especially Ciel when he returned home. It was wonderful news, and the blonde was elated at this fact. Perhaps things could be restored back to normal, whatever his "normal" was before!

Movement captured his attention, however, interrupting his train of thought as he stared out the window. Scooting his chair closer to the glass, he leaned forward, being careful not to hit his nose while getting a better look. A familiar figure was lurking along the border between the forest and the garden before eventually disappearing into the trees. Ciel must have bypassed the front door and walked around the house, but really, what was the purpose of it? Alois hadn't the faintest idea. He didn't know what was in the forest, but watched it.

Half an hour later, Ciel hadn't come back out, and Alois was running out of things to snoop in inside the office. Curiosity was starting to get to the menace. After a few more minutes of watching the forest, the man got up and left the room, grabbing his coat on the way out of the house. The air was cold and the ground was damp as he walked through the garden and entered the forest where he saw the bluenette do so.

Alois couldn't imagine someone wanting to spend much time outside from the state of things. The forest wasn't as maintained as the area around the manor. It was unruly in some places, while thinned out in others. The menace could see trees stained with old paint while others were knocked over with a single point of impact the size of a fist. They had been like that for ages. Sometimes, there were ruins of old buildings that were only weathered rock walls that were falling over, now. While there was no discernible path, Alois knew that he was heading in the right direction. He could sense the bluenette, surprising himself in how well he could pick the other man's signature up with his sixth sense.

Eventually, he came to an iron gate covered in rust and grime. It was intimidating. Alois had no memory of this particular place, as he had never been here in the first place. The knowledge of it's existence was never given to him. From the looks of things, there was no intention to do so, either, as this place had not been touched in years. The gate was tall and appeared immovable, but the rust had been disturbed and the hinges on one side had been broken from being forced open very recently. The area that the fence had housed had no trees, but grass had taken it over, despite it being dead and turned brown by the change in seasons. Alois could see the stone fixtures littering the area in neat rows.

There were statues, crosses, and traditional headstones; Yes, this was a cemetery. It wasn't just any ordinary place for the dead to rest, however. This was were those of the Phantomhive family were buried.

Ciel was found here. He sat on top of a stone slab that was placed flat on the ground over one of the graves while leaning against the stone cross that was positioned above it on the lot. The slab wasn't the cleanest, as dirt started to bury it as well. The man sitting on it didn't look happy. In fact, he looked dead, himself, sitting there in silence. At first, he didn't move as the blonde approached, but his reddened eye cracked open as Alois got closer.

"Ciel?" the menace called, waking the other man up, some. Ciel took in a deep breath like he was just waking up after a long sleep.

"I'm surprised you found this place." said the Watchdog. "You've never been here before. Then again, I haven't in a hundred years."

Unsure of what to say, Alois simply asked: "Are you okay?"

"Do you want the honest answer, or the one I just made up?"

"The honest one."

"No." Ciel said bluntly. His expression was melancholic and it seemed impossible for this man to be the same who smiled so brightly in the photo on Alois' phone. A crushing feeling told Alois he wasn't supposed to be here- that he was intruding on an extremely private moment, and he felt guilty at that. His body tensed as he tried to think of something suitable to say.

"I'm sorry..." was all he could let out, his face reddening.

"I don't blame you." the Watchdog replied. "I'm upset, but I know it's not your fault that any of this happened."

"But I can't- I can't..." Alois trailed off, trying to figure out what to say. He didn't know what he was trying to convey. "Why are you in the cemetery?"

"Because that's where you go when someone dies." Ciel stated while getting up. His words made the menace regret changing his train of thought so suddenly.

"You don't need to do anything. All you need to do is try to be happy." continued the bluenette when the other didn't answer. "I can't stand it when you're sad. Just let me deal with it, okay?"

"But… I don't want you to be sad, either. I'm still here. I still want to be friends with you."

"It won't be the same."

"Can't I at least try?"

Pausing, the bluenette began to walk. "You really don't remember anything at all..." he sighed. Before he passed the man, however, he stopped and turned.

"Oh, yeah… I never introduced you." Ciel added. Gesturing to the graves next to the one he was sitting on, he spoke. "Alois, these are my parents." He then lowered his hand and continued onward. "It's customary, I think, although it's a bit late."

All Alois could do was stand frozen, staring straight ahead as the man walked past him. The blonde's eyes were fixated on those graves which matched the other. Moments passed, and Ciel was a ways off before he found it in himself to take a few steps forward, himself.

"Vincent… Rachel..." Alois read aloud. Then, his eyes slowly moved toward the right to see yet another name, the one on the grave that the Watchdog was seated on. "Ciel..."

Quickly, the man's head whipped around to look after the bluenette, watching Ciel's back as he disappeared into the trees again. Icy blue eyes were wide with shock and horror as Alois' blood ran cold as the air around him. Something was wrong- very wrong. He just didn't know what it was. What he was certain of, however, was that Ciel was a complicated man. Perhaps, he was just as complicated as the menace was, himself.


	322. Intention Versus Success

No sleep was to be had by either Ciel or Alois that night. Ciel had his usual problem. He locked himself in his room with his laptop and stayed up working, coming out occasionally only to get materials. Once again, he was trying to distract himself from his problems. Meanwhile, Alois was simply torn over what he had witnessed that afternoon and what had been said. There was no way that he could ignore it. Ciel had something in his heart that was heavy and could not be ignored. Alois could not deny that they shared the lack of parents in common, but what else was there? Perhaps more than Alois knew, or at the very least, could remember.

Laying on his back with his arms comfortably behind his head, Alois stared up at the ceiling in the room he knew wasn't his. He knew what happened to himself. That part had not been erased, but he wondered if Ciel had met a similar fate at one point in his life. Many scenarios came to mind, but none of them felt right, nor did he wish to dwell on them for very long. It was too much for him to bear, although from the looks of things, Ciel was in pain right now as well. As much as the bluenette avoids Alois, the blonde knew that he did have an impact on him. He felt as though he could ease Ciel's suffering if he were simply allowed to talk to him. Surely, the Watchdog couldn't lie around and mope forever.

Dissatisfied with merely thinking, Alois decided to do, instead. There was no chance of him sleeping, anyway, and there was much to uncover. Thus, he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed before standing. He didn't bother locking the door on his way out, as there was nothing of value to him in this room in the first place. Still wearing his pyjamas, he made his way down the hall in search of answers, or someone willing to supply them.

Unfortunately, if there was a place to look, he couldn't think of it. As embarrassing as it was, for a detective, he was having a hard time investigating. If no one was willing to cooperate and give him a lead, this was going to take far longer. With the massive holes in his memory he had, it could take years before he was restored to his former glory. Right now, the majority of his life in the twenty-first century was gone, leaving him in an almost perpetual state of unease. What's worse, is that while he had therapists and friends, he still felt completely alone in the endeavor.

Everyone was walking on eggshells to hide things from him. Where they bad? Where they harmful? Is there something he shouldn't know? He hated being treated like he was fragile, and that's what was happening, he felt. At the same time, everyone kept their distance. How was he supposed to do this when he could hardly remember the day he was struck with the spell? How was he supposed to fix everything on his own? Why did he have to? Even if he did, Alois couldn't see any guarantee that everything would be alright. In fact, with the way things were going, his relationships could be damaged forever.

Thoughts like these made his throat constrict and his eyes watery. At first, losing his memory didn't make him sad, but now the man was bordering on hopeless. Alois didn't want to be alone, especially when he was in need of help. As he walked, his pace began to slow as he had no destination to head toward. Eventually, he just stopped in the hallway with his head down and shoulders drooped. The blonde couldn't focus on searching at the moment. Instead, his focused turned to not allowing his tears to fall. Honestly, he felt stupid getting worked up like this by his own thoughts.

Sensing a presence behind him, he tried to wipe it away quickly, but that just made it worse. His eyes wouldn't stop releasing tears and he couldn't stop sniffling.

"Shit..." he swore under his breath as he sensed the bluenette getting closer.

Alois didn't know that Ciel had lingered for a moment before deciding to approach him. Ciel almost decided to turn around and take another route, but he couldn't walk away from the menace. Not like this. If there was one thing that motivated Ciel into doing things, it was the risk of Alois crying. Even if the blonde didn't remember him, it was unacceptable and there was no way that Ciel would be able to forgive himself if he left the man be.

"J-Alois?" Ciel quickly corrected himself as he drew closer.

"Yeah?" the blonde answered. It was a struggle to keep his voice sounding normal, and he kept his back turned in a vain attempt to conceal his predicament.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine..." Alois answered with false certainty. "Just fine."

Unfortunately for him, the Watchdog didn't believe that for a single moment. Taking a moment to pause and think, Ciel wondered how he was going to fix this. He didn't know what was appropriate, while he knew what he wanted to do. His first instinct was one that he had to stop and give serious thought about before doing it, running the risk of his gesture coming too late.

"Now, I know that you may not remember, but you can't lie to me." Ciel finally said, walking toward the other and stopping when he was at the man's side. Leaning forward, he turned his head so that he could peek at the menace's face. "I still know your tells."

"Oh yeah?" questioned the blonde, turning his head away despite trying to carry on his facade. "Like what?"

"Like not showing your face." the Watchdog informed. "No one expecting you to be alright. It's okay." He didn't receive an answer right away, so Ciel took it upon himself to keep things going.

"You're going through a rough time. It's perfectly alright to be upset and uneasy." Ciel said. Pausing, he pressed his lips into a thin line as he hesitated on the next part. "And… I want to say that I'm sorry..."

"For what?"

"This afternoon… At the cemetery… And for recently in general, really." the bluenette sighed, prompting the other to turn his head and glance in his direction out of curiosity. "I wasn't in the best of mental states at the time. I was upset and I said things that were insensitive. I was so caught up in my own nonsense that I wasn't thinking about how you might feel."

"I wasn't… I wasn't upset." Alois stated.

"But you are now." the Watchdog replied. "Are you scared?"

"I think that's kind of obvious by now."

"I'm sorry..."

"You don't need to say that…" Alois said with a sniffle. His head turned so that he was facing the other a little more, now. "It's not you're fault… I'm just… I can't remember hardly anything and it's all important… It's scary..." No matter how he tried to fight it, his tears fell anew, forcing him to look down to hide his face.

"I don't have anyone to tell me anything." he continued. "Nobody will. I can't find anything on my own, either. I'm just kind of a shitty detective, I guess… I know that it's probably better for me to figure it out, and I can. I've remembered a few things with the hints I've found. I just- I just need more..."

It pained the Watchdog to see his unwitting spouse struggle not to cry in front of him. "I'm sorry..." he replied, putting a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "I do need to say it. I've left you to fend for yourself this whole time… I shouldn't have done that… I'm sorry..."

On impulse, he pulled Alois into an embrace in an effort to comfort him only to realise his actions far too late. His force of habit could have cost him greatly. Carefully, Ciel made sure to keep his hands high enough on the other's back to not be suspect, but his heartrate was threatening to blow his cover. What he didn't see was the blonde's reaction, as Alois' chin was resting on his shoulder, allowing him to see behind him.

Alois was surprised, raising his eyebrows and widening his eyes, only to relax them again. The gesture was welcome, satisfying a craving that the menace didn't know he had. It was comforting and made him feel safer. Most notably, however, it made him feel like he was important- like he was wanted here. In a way, it was a relief.

He was surprised by how comfortable he was being held by the other man, or any man in general. It was so comfortable, that the man had trouble not closing his eyes and simply enjoying it, hoping that Ciel wouldn't notice. His heart sped up just a tad, leaving him conflicted, but for the most part, this was a pleasant experience. There was one thing in particular, however, that deeply concerned Alois. Among Alois' possessions was a coat that was slightly too big for him. It was an important object, as it's scent was soothing to him. Where the man's problem lied was with the fact that Ciel shared the same smell! That made things more than "a bit" awkward, seeing as though the coat was used as a security blanket by the menace on more than one occasion over the past few days. Now Alois was no longer crying, but his face was flushed as he became aware of just how suspect the situation was.

"You better appreciate this." Ciel said, bringing the other man's train of thought to a screeching halt. "I'm not usually a hugger."

"I-It's fine." stuttered the menace, failing to keep his facade up. "It's helping, a bit…"

"Good..." the Watchdog bashfully stated. Clearing his throat, he pulled away, believing himself to be overstaying his welcome. Still, he kept a firm, but reassuring grip on the other's shoulders. "Now, if there's anything you need, I want you to tell me, alright?"

"Alright..." Alois replied. Part of him was disappointed at the contact ending, but didn't like that he felt that way. It was too sudden and too strong. Furthermore, he had no idea where it was coming from, causing him to be concerned about himself. Still, he had to utilize this moment the most he could before it passed.

"Uhm, could we… y'know… talk?" he questioned, trying to keep himself on track.

"Of course." Ciel told him. "Do you have something you want to talk about?"

"Well… The thing is, I really don't know much about you..." the menace began. "I was wondering if… if you would maybe tell me about yourself? We're supposed to be friends, and it will be difficult sharing the same house, otherwise..."

"Oh, sure." A blush appeared on the bluenette's face as he really wasn't good at this sort of thing. Introductions were not his strong suit, as he had a tendency to get straight to the point. Dwelling on small parts was a challenge, even though that's almost exactly what he needed to do.

"Well… Why don't you walk with me?" he interrupted himself, putting an arm on the other's back and leading him. "We're kind of in the middle of things. Then again, it's three in the morning and no one should be up."

"And yet here we are." jested the menace in return as he followed. Even though they hadn't made much progress, the conversation had cheered him up a bit. "So… Phantomhive, huh?"

"Yes, I was born into the family." the bluenette stated. "I became the family head when I was ten."

" _Ten?_ "

"There was an accident. Or really, an assassination. I survived, but I was sold to a cult for a bit. That's where I met Sebastian."

"Sorry..." Alois apologised. His voice was sincere, and he was, as he knew that the topic was somewhat heavy. He was especially concerned, given the other man's behaviour in the cemetery that afternoon.

"It's alright. It's stuff that you'll need to know." Ciel replied. "Better to get it out of the way sooner than later. Especially since it was my reputation that caused all of this."

"What reputation?"

"I'm… Not exactly seen in the best of light by quite a few supernaturals. In fact, they think I'm a monster. I was only doing my job, but understandably, I got the reputation of being somewhat of a boogeyman from taking people away."

"Is that why the old woman called you a ' _brute'?"_

"Yes…" lamented the bluenette. "That is the case… From what we could gather, she didn't like me associating with a well-respected and important figure in Gehenna, so she decided to remove me from your memory."

"How come you're a monster and I'm not, though? We both work for H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; don't we?"

"I've been here longer, and have had more missions where I had to take people away. The head of the Phantomhive family is known for their position as ' _The Queen's Guard Dog'_ , so they started calling me ' _The Watchdog_ '. There's ballads about me and everything."

"Cool." smiled the menace. "Not that… It was inspiration to erase my memory for a crazy old lady- that you're that famous."

"I get you." Ciel said with a sad half-smile of his own. "Anything else you need to know right now?"

"I dunno..." Alois answered, trying to think. Really, he couldn't think of anything specific, nor did he really want to pry. Ciel made these horrible events seem so casual. It was like it didn't bother him, but from the bluenette's expression alone, Alois could tell that it did. "I can't think of anything..."

"Well, tell me if you come up with any questions." the bluenette replied. "I'll probably be in the office most of the night."

"Okay..." With that, the bluenette patted Alois' shoulder affectionately and turned to walk off. Before he could, however, he was interrupted as a thought occurred to the menace. "Hey, uhm… Ciel?"

"Yes?"

"Can we… Y'know… Hang out sometime?" he asked before clarifying. "So I can get to know you."

To this, the Watchdog smiled at him softly, but it didn't compare to the brightness of the one in Alois' picture. It was dull in comparison; still clouded with melancholy. Yet, it was genuine. It was a start, at the very least.

"I'd like that. Let me see what kind of work I need done and I'll tell you when I'm free." Ciel answered before pausing to think. "Well… I am right now, but I don't know what we would do this late..."

"I don't know, either..."

"Well… We could play pool or watch a movie… Something like that?"

"I don't think I've played pool in a while."

"Oh? Do I get something if I win?"

"Fat chance." Alois snickered. "I don't know what I have that you could possibly want."

Curiously, the Watchdog didn't reply. Instead, he thought. What did he want from the menace that the other man had to give?

"A favour." Ciel said. "I could owe you one favour to be cashed in at any time if you win and vice versa." Naturally, Alois found this most agreeable.

"Alright." the blonde said. "You're on. But I don't intend to lose."

"Intention and success are two different things."


	323. Conversation Starter

Alois was almost tired from all of the playing he did. He and Ciel played pool and had a laugh as they playfully engaged in banter. It was familiar to Alois, making him feel at ease. It was perhaps the most comfortable he'd felt over the past few days. Everything just seemed to fall back into place, while things were still abnormal. Yes, Alois was abnormal.

There was still massive gaps where his memories once were. As he spoke with Ciel, several pieces came back to him, forcing a grin on his face. As Ciel told him a story about them playing with a few of their friends, the blonde was almost completing his sentences for him, recalling how Ciel gloated and smirked as he creamed everyone else. Unfortunately, the others had bet money on the game.

It was the first time Alois had seen the man come so close to smiling all the way. It was a lovely face. With long lashes, a strong jaw, and deep blue eyes, Ciel was very handsome. His slightly muscular physique didn't hurt, either. He was undoubtedly popular with the ladies by his looks alone.

Alois shook his head at these thoughts. They were distracting him from the game. Regardless, he won, but he had a sinking suspicion that the other man let him. Still, he had one free wish from the bluenette that he could cash in at any time. Unfortunately, he hadn't the foggiest idea as to how to utilise it. If he could, he would probably use it to rid himself of his odd fixation on the Watchdog. Alas, it wasn't to be and he was left with no option but to try and ignore it. While it was true that a few of his friends were into men, that was _certainly_ not him! Deep in his heart, however, he knew something was wrong.

"So in the end, you had a good time, too." said Kristopherson as the two sat across from each other in their usual spot.

"Yeah. Sorry the movie sucked." Alois said.

 _"'_ _Suck_ ' isn't the word I would use. It was _'okay'_." the faux-blonde stated. "It just wasn't my thing. Too heterocentric."

"Aren't most movies heterocentric?"

"Unfortunately. It's a total waste."

To that, Alois had to utter a chuckle. Kristopherson was fun to talk about this sort of thing with because he was always so open and honest. There was a time that Alois could remember when the Miles hated himself over it. It was a wonderful improvement that obviously made Kristopherson a much happier person.

"True. I have that problem, too, for some reason."

"It's because you're bi, isn't it?" questioned the wolfman, raising his brow as the other raised his voice.

"What?!" Alois demanded with a red face. It took the other man a moment to understand his mistake. Kristopherson's expression changed drastically as he remembered Alois' lack of memory of Ciel. If Ciel is gone, then perhaps he hadn't discovered that part of himself.

"Oh! Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you with that!" he insisted, but Alois was having none of it.

"What did you mean?! What do you know?!" the menace called out, slamming his hand on the table while his face was flushed.

"Why are you so defensive? You're causing a scene!"

"I'm not!"

It would appear that Kristopherson's suspicions were correct. His stomach sank as he became full of guilt and he sighed. With a hand to his forehead, the wolfman tried to think of a way out of this.

"Okay, look..." he began, still not quite sure of what he was saying. "That was my fuck up just now. I'm sorry. That's something that you need to figure out on your own."

"All of this is stuff I need to figure out on my own.." the menace complained with a scoff. "This is stupid… I'm not gay..."

 _"'_ _Gay'_ and _'bisexual'_ are two different things..."

"I'm not bi, either!"

"Okay, okay..." Kristopherson said, holding up his hands in defeat despite knowing the truth. Still, he didn't like seeing his friend in denial. "I'm sorry."

"You don't seem sorry..."

What the faux-blonde wanted to say was something along the lines of: _"That's because I know you married a man!"_ but he refrained. Indeed, this was something that Alois had to discover on his own. He wasn't sure of where to go from here. Alois was determined to get some sort of resolution out of Kristopherson, and neither of them were sure what.

"I don't get why you're so defensive." the man stated. "There's nothing wrong with it. All you really needed to say was ' _no, I'm not'_ , and that's the end of it. Bring it down a notch."

Pausing, it was Alois' turn to ponder. He thought for a moment before finally coming out with: "I'm not saying I'm sorry..." With a scoff, he looked the other way and pouted.

He did not understand what he was feeling. It felt rushed, yet it felt familiar. Perhaps that was why. That said, he was reluctant to accept something so drastic so soon. The mansion, he could accept. Hell, he could accept the fact that Ciel lived with him, too! But what Alois could not accept, however, was something that shook his understanding of his very self. It was wrong. That was the end of it. Nothing else Kristopherson could say to him would change his mind.

As disappointing as it was, Kristopherson had no option but to go with it. Even if he knew that it would make Alois happier, he knew that this was something that had to be learned on one's own. Forcing something will only make the initial repulsion stronger.

"You don't have to." Kristopherson replied. "Like I said, that was out of line. I shouldn't have said that. I have to wonder, though, how is living with Ciel?"

"Fine, but that doesn't mean I want to shag him." the menace stated. "He's hard to read. Does he always look sad?"

"No. Usually it's just slightly grumpy." the other answered. "Ciel has a severe case of resting bitch face, but he never looks sad. He's worried, I bet. He also has to figure out how to talk to you again. He's probably lonely."

"How can he be lonely when I'm right here?"

"Can't tell you." spoke Kristopherson with a slight smile and a subtle glint in his eye. Resting his elbow on the table and his chin in his palm, he continued. "' _Spoilers'_ and all that."

"Is that a _Doctor Who_ reference?" questioned the menace, narrowing his eyes while raising a brow.

"Yep. Good eye. You told me that that's Ciel's favourite episode once. Then you went on to tell me how much Ciel hates Steven Moffat."

"Huh, so that's how I knew that… I didn't think I was really into that show. Moffat _is_ rubbish, though."

"Terrible." the wolfman nodded.

"I remember ranting."

The conversation carried on for a while longer before the two decided to part ways. Alois was almost hesitant to go to his next class, as he was certain that he wasn't going to pass any of them with the amount of absences he's had this semester. He's been gone for weeks at a time. Just how much of that is permissible, despite being deemed "medical leave"? Regardless, the blonde went anyway, trudging through it all. He hadn't the faintest idea what the lecture was supposed to be about, as he hadn't seen what led up to it. Even with his memory erased, he knew the difference.

With a heavy sigh, the man walked through the front door of the mansion. He put down his things in his room, but he still felt heavy. This strange feeling loomed over him, adding on to his current perpetual state of unease. His anxiousness hadn't vanished since he first woke up in the infirmary. It was only lessened at times when he felt safe. Right now, however, he couldn't shake this irrational sense of dread.

He hoped that walking around might help him work out some stress. Perhaps he would find Ciel and they would talk some more. It was with Ciel that he felt calmer. Yes, that is what he would do. He searched the manor for Ciel, knowing the general direction just from his sixth sense. With logical thinking, he assumed that the Watchdog would be in either the office or the master suite, like usual.

Since the office was closer and the suite was slightly intimidating, the menace decided that this is where he would start. Sure enough, as he drew closer, the bluenette's signature drew stronger, causing his tongue to tingle for reason's unknown to him. He had not yet discovered the seal on his person, but that was a discovery for another time. For now, Alois was focusing on the sound of voices from the room.

Light filtered from a crack in the door into the empty hallway. The door was ajar just enough for Alois to hear things clearly and even peek in if he wished to. When he did, he realised who the second signature he picked up belonged to. It was a lesser-demon named August. He recognised her primarily from the fact that he saw her and Ciel sparring at headquarters, but also had memories of her being a foe at some point as well. Memories of how she came to their side were vivid, yet at the same time, vague, as he wasn't personally there for her conversion, but rather in another part of the castle. He remembered being afraid and enraged as he felt hopeless, but the burning desire to find something drove him forward, nonetheless. Sadly, the memory of that force was gone now as well.

He didn't know what August's relationship with Ciel was or why she was there. All he knew was that Ciel seemed tense and uneasy as the woman stood before him very closely. The Watchdog's expression, however, seemed very cross.

"Master, please remember that I serve you." the woman said. "You gave me my name, so if there is something you desire, I will give it to you."

"I am not your ' _master'_." Ciel growled, his brow furrowing. "I will never be your master. The fact that I suggested your name is meaningless. I was merely giving you personhood, the ability to think freely. Furthermore, I do not ' _desire_ ' anything. Get out."

"Everyone is aware of your sadness." August replied. "How can I help to ease your suffering?"

"Leave."

"That doesn't seem right..."

"Leave!"

"Master," began the lesser-demon, "surely I can provide you temporary release at the very least… Help you forget, just for a little while..." She took a step closer and placed her hand on the man's chest, causing his visible eye to widen and his body to stiffen. "I can replace what you have lost-"

Alois flinched at the sound of an open hand smacking into the side of the August's face. The back of the Watchdog's hand stung, but not as much as the woman's cheek as she fell to the ground. Quickly, she sat up and looked up at the man with a confused expression, only for it to be replaced with fear as she was stared at with an eye that burned with malice. Ciel's hand turned into a fist that clenched tightly at his side.

 _"_ _Miserable wretch!"_ he roared, his booming voice seeming to shake the walls. "You know nothing! No one could ever replace what I have lost… _No one!_ Especially not a mindless woman who sees herself as nothing but a doll for another person's use! What makes you think that you could possibly compare to one whose valor and dignity surpasses that of the strongest and fairest of beings?! Get out. Get out and don't come back!"

"I can read what you desire, master. I cannot be the one you seek, but I can hel-" she did not get to finish what she had to say as the Watchdog grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and lifted her into the air. Witnessing this, Alois burst through the door in order to come to her aim.

"Ciel!" he called out, causing the Watchdog's attention to divert. He hadn't sensed the other at all. His abilities in regards to sixth sense were dull in comparison to the menace's, and he had simply been so distracted by the matter at hand that he could not register the other. Still, Ciel's expression softened considerably despite being scolded.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" the blonde demanded. "Put her down!"

Without a moment's hesitation, the Watchdog headed the other's instructions and released August, causing her to fall to the floor. He then turned his back to Alois with folded arms while the menace helped the woman too her feet. In that moment, the two men exchanged no words, as Alois was busy escorting her quickly out of the room.

"Are you alright?" he asked, still holding onto August's hand as he shut the door.

"I'm perfectly fine..." she answered. "I misjudged the situation."

"As if that gives him the right to put his hands on you!" Alois said. "I'm going to give him a talking to..."

"That won't be necessary. While I don't understand the emotions of others, I can see that talking will not resolve this, although I'm not certain what will."

"Do you want me to walk you to the door?"

"No need. I will leave and return to my duties." August stated, slipping her wrist out of the blonde's grasp before offering him a slight bow. "Goodbye."

With that, she walked off in an odd sort of manner, leaving Alois alone to ponder what had just occurred. He was furious at Ciel, yes, but perplexed at the same time by August's behaviour. There was no time for him to dwell on this, however. Right now, he had to get to the bottom of Ciel's actions and scold him if necessary. When he grabbed the doorhandle to the office again, however, it wouldn't budge.

"Very mature, Ciel!" he called from his side. "Unlock the goddamn door!"

"Why should I?" the bluenette replied as he sat down in his desk. While speaking, he matched the other man's volume as to be heard. "You're just going to yell at me for something you don't understand."

"Open the door so I can understand!" Alois instructed while rattling the handle. "I can't do it if we don't talk! Don't think I won't break it down!"

"If you break it, you're replacing it."

Recoiling at the reality of the hollowness of his own threat, Alois grumbled. It was true that he had broken down a door once to get to Kristopherson once before, causing Ciel to pay to replace it- Wait. Yes! This was true! The blonde remembered it!

When they were in school, he broke down a door in the boys' bathroom and Ciel had to replace it. Sebastian had to go to the headmaster's office to sort it out, and Ciel sat with him! Another memory was retrieved.

"I'm not a kid anymore!" Alois protested. "I can pay for my own doors! You and Sebastian don't need to go down to the headmaster's office for me anymore!"

There was a moment of silence. Then there was a soft click before the door opened with the bluenette standing in the doorway. His eye was wide and his brows were raised as he stared directly at the menace in astonishment. This was perhaps the first time Alois had seen a completely genuine expression on the man's face since waking up.

"You can remember?" Ciel said softly. It was mostly to himself, but the menace answered anyway, reaching up to pinch the Watchdog's cheek in order to snap him out of his trance.

"Yes, I can. I can remember things when something comes up that reminds me." the menace smugly stated. "Though, to return to the matter at hand, what the fuck it your problem? Slappin' girls around and locking doors… You've got problems, mate."

"Ninety-nine, to be exact." the bluenette said, swatting the other's hand away. "And you are _all_ of them."

"Then let's talk about them." Alois said, forcing his way into the room. "Let's start with you keeping your hands to yourself."

"Tell that to her, first." huffed the other, shutting the door before crossing his arms. "She came in here and started talking to me about my mood lately. Then she came onto me. Of course, she didn't take the hint when I said I wasn't interested."

"So that's why you hit her?"

"Yes, after she put her hand on me."

"Huh..." Alois pondered, replaying the scene in his mind again. It seemed to add up, but he wasn't certain. "What was all of that stuff you said about, though?"

"About what? Her lacking a sense of self?" questioned Ciel. "That's just how lesser-demons are. They're insanely loyal to the person who named them, which just happened to be me on accident. They don't really do much else but follow orders, wait for orders, and try to make their masters happy."

"Oh, that's not what I meant, but that's interesting… So sleeping with you was supposed to make you happy?"

"It was a poor attempt. Sex is pointless if it isn't with someone you care about."

"Oh, so you're a romantic, huh?" the blonde mischievously grinned, causing the other man to blush. "What? It suits you, weirdly."

"I haven't gotten any complaints thus far." the Watchdog stated, only to pause and shake his head. "Weren't we talking about your memories and slapping people?"

Despite the attempt to set things back on track, the man's words struck a chord with the menace, causing his face to heat up. He recalled his conversation with their mutual friend, Kristopherson, earlier that day with embarrassment. Alois did not want to see this man as a sexual being, and yet the conversation somehow miraculously landed on the subject. It made him feel anxious in a way that he did not like. Thus, the invitation to continue the conversation on a different topic was welcome.

"Well, yeah." he answered. "Don't slap people and continue to attack them."

"Even if they put their hands on me first?"

"Okay, a slap to stun them, but don't like, beat the shit out of them or anything."

"I wasn't going to..." Ciel replied, only to receive a questionable look from his partner. "What? I wasn't."

"You picked her up by the neck and you weren't going to rough her up?"

"Scare, maybe. Maim, no."

"You're so unbelievable..." the menace shook, putting a hand to his forehead. "I feel like you've always been like this, thought..."

"I have."

"I'm trying to remember other times, but it's sort of overwhelming. Did you do this a lot?"

"No, but pretty regularly."

"Oh my fucking god..." With a sigh, Alois regained his composure. "Let's just move onto the ' _memory'_ thing."

"That's what I wanted from the start." Ciel stated, taking a seat on one of the sofas. With one arm over the back of the seat and one leg crossed over the other, he made himself comfortable. "You can remember things if something triggers it, yes?"

"Most people can." the blonde answered. "But this is like, the shit isn't there to begin with and then _poof!_ It's there. I actually remembered a lot while talking to you last night."

"So in order to regain your memory, you need to be in situations that were similar to the one in the memory, or talk about things that are in reference to things you might know."

"That's kinda what I was trying to do since the beginning, but everybody was like: _'nooo, if we do that, it'll overwhelm you, nooo~!'"_

"There is weight to that. Some things are best to be discovered yourself." the other man stated. "Smaller things should be alright though, especially since they might lead to bigger things."

"Tell me some shit, then." the blonde said, taking a seat next to the bluenette and leaning toward him.

The bluenette's cheeks regained their prior pink hue as the other got closer to him, prompting him to fold his arms so his body was not open. It was times like this that made it difficult for Ciel to behave in a casual manner. Ordinarily, he would have pulled Alois closer so that he was sitting right up against him like always, but he had to refrain. While the blonde didn't remember, Ciel was fully aware of how he felt about the menace. Alois was beautiful as always, but the Watchdog had no choice but to keep it to himself.

"Well," he began, pausing to clear his throat, "like what?"

"Anything. Everything. Whatever you can." bluntly replied the blonde. "I'm tired of bumbling about with holes in my head, so I'm open to most things."

"There's a lot, so it's kind of hard to find a place to start."

"Just say whatever comes to mind first."

"Well..." Ciel began, "See that desk over there? It wasn't always there..."


	324. The Hounds of Zaroff

The sun had just set and the moon rose above the Wakefield household as a cab pulled up to the gate. From it stepped two men who were not entirely human. One of them had the image of a sunflower tattooed onto his neck, while the other was shorter and wore flashy shoes. Once again, the notorious "Babyface" Baldassare made an appearance. With him was one of his generals, "Fangless" Shaun.

They approached the front door of the mansion with caution, as always. When they reached it, they were greeted by the same vampire woman who always answered the door. With a small bow, she allowed them inside.

"Mister Baldassare." she greeted. "The Master has been waiting for you."

"Where is he, Crystal?" questioned the coven leader.

"Out back, on the patio." the woman answered. "I will lead you to him now."

"Why do we even have to visit this guy, anyway?" questioned Baldassare's own flunkie. Shaun put his hands in his pockets and wrinkled his nose at the sight of the overly-fancy abode. "You don't even like him."

"We have a mutual respect." Baldassare stated. "It's best to keep up appearances with the other covens."

"Psh, what good'll that do?"

"It prevents turf wars, for one thing."

The pair were led through the house and out the backdoor. Once more, they were out in the night air, but the moon was brighter than on the other side of the house, illuminating the garden maze. Wakefield sat in a chair on the concrete patio, waiting patiently for his guests. He stood up once they returned to his view.

"Ah, Baldassare! It's good to see you." the man greeted with his usual expression. Wakefield had a frustrating smile, it was like one that someone wears when they know something that others do not. Still, this was a meeting of diplomacy, so Baldassare looked beyond that and shook Thaddeus' hand, anyway. "It's been too long."

"It's good to see you, too, Thaddeus." the other coven leader said.

"Come! Have a seat, relax!" Wakefield offered, gesturing to the other's chair while taking his own. "Tell me what's new in your neck of the woods."

"Nothing in particular."

"Oh? Isn't one of your generals getting awfully friendly with the police chief in Gehenna."

"I don't see why that's a problem."

"With your activities?" Thaddeus questioned. Reaching over, he grabbed a glass bottle on ice.

"We are discreet." Baldassare said while the host pulled out the cork.

"Hmm… Sounds risky..." Wakefield stated while absent-mindedly pouring his drink. "Would you be willing to let her go?"

"Unlikely, but if that is what she wants."

"You're so soft..." grinned the other vampire, flashing his fangs. "I like that about you, however. It's amusing."

 _"'_ _Amusing'?_ " questioned the Girasol leader.

"Indeed. It isn't often one sees a vampire with your record trying to be an upstanding citizen."

"And what about you?"

"What about me?" asked Wakefield, arching an eyebrow. "I am a gentleman, and as such, I hold no secrets."

The man took a sip of his drink before uttering a content sigh. Looking up, however, he raised his brows. "Ah! How thoughtless of me! I claim to be a gentleman, but forgot to offer you a drink! How careless..." he said, picking up the bottle once more.

"What is it?"

"Blood from my personal supply." Thaddeus stated while pouring the slightly thick liquid into the glass in front of his guest. "This particular bottle is a blue type AB."

 _"'_ _Blue'?_ What makes it ' _blue'?"_ questioned Baldassare, lifting his glass and sniffing the contents.

"Because it is blue blood." chuckled the other, holding the label into view. "Geraldine Midford, a member of one of the last true old bloodlines of Britain, aside from the royals."

"Her father is on the council!" exclaimed the Girasol vampire, eyes wide as he swiftly put down the glass. That was dangerous territory! If something had happened to the girl and it had been discovered that they had sipped her blood, the Watchdog would grind them into mincemeat! "How did you get it?!"

"Relax, my friend. I acquired it willingly. Blood drives at Warwick Academy don't occur often for no reason, you know." Thaddeus explained. "It is a place where both old money and new money clash, but every single one of them is blessed with divine right. Some, however, moreso than others. Why do you think I took over after the former chairman was met with such an unfortunate accident."

"I really don't get you, sometimes..." the other replied. "Blood is blood. The only difference is rH factor."

"Don't be foolish. I know taste. My family has owned vineyards for centuries; most of which are still in production. Blood is wine. Even Christ knew that. There is subtlety in different tastes that can only be perceived by a seasoned palate."

"Maybe I'm just not classy enough to get it." shrugged the other coven leader.

"Perhaps. If you can't taste the difference between a Midford and a regular human, then I'm not sure why you eat at all." Pausing, he took another drink. "If she wasn't so young, I would consider making her one of my brides."

"You mean mistresses..." Baldassare scoffed.

"Is that a hint of jealousy, I'm detecting?"

"Never. I'm not interested in little girls."

"Oh, speaking of which..." Thaddeus began, setting down his glass. "I have something special planned..."

Looking off of the side, at his servant, the man tilted his head and gestured toward himself and his guest. With a bow, the woman, known as "Crystal", vanished inside, only to return momentarily with a few others, but most notably, a familiar face. The man was middle-aged with a slight gut and hairy arms that matched his goatee. He wore a Warwick Academy T-shirt that had been stained with sweat, as he, himself had been bruised and deprived of sleep.

"A former employee of my school." Wakefield introduced. "This is former coach Ainsley, who recently made the unfortunate decision to prey on _my_ precious students."

"Oh, I heard about him in the news..." Baldassare replied. "He's out on bail, isn't he?"

"Where do you think he got the money?" Thaddeus questioned before turning to his servants once more. He instructed them to remove the former teacher's chains, and just like that, they fell to the ground, allowing him to rub his sore wrists.

"What the fuck!?" demanded Ainsley with a deep frown. Yet his gruff demeanor couldn't conceal the fear in his voice. "Why am I here?! My family will be calling the police and they'll be showing up real soon, so you better let me go or come up with a real good excuse, mate!"

"But good sir," addressed Wakefield, crossing one leg over the other while leaning back in his chair, "you and I know that this isn't true. Your wife kicked you out of the house, did she not?"

To this, the teacher had no answer. Well, he did, but he didn't want to admit that the vampire was right. Thus, he simply averted his gaze downward. He didn't want to accept the fate that obviously lied before him. He was kidnapped off the street while seeking shelter and chained in a cellar. Most people would suspect this to be an omen of death. It was a rational conclusion. However, the man's captor was Leslie Thaddeus Wakefield, who believed himself to be a sporting man.

"Do not fret, good sir." the head of the household said. "Luck may not be on your side, but if you have the metal, you may be able to win at a game of skill."

"Wh-what do you mean?" questioned the former teacher, daring to look up.

"As a good man, I firmly believe that giving my guests a sporting chance." explained Thaddeus. "What I am proposing to you is a simple game of tag. If you make it until dawn without being caught, you win, and are free to leave."

Surely, a proposition like this was too good to be true. "What's the catch?" Ainsley rightfully asked, prompting the other to stand.

"I don't think clarification is really necessary for what happens if you should lose..." Wakefield stated. "There is good news, however, I have leveled the playing field somewhat. For throughout my maze are several weapons hidden. You are free to use them to keep those who are _'it_ ' away. You have a sixty-second head-start starting now. Use it wisely."

There was a moment of hesitation from the former instructor. He wasn't sure if Thaddeus was serious. When the vampire lifted his arm and glanced down at his watch, however, he took off jogging into the entrance of the maze. Once the sixty seconds were up, the head of the manor reached under the table and picked up a sheathed sword.

"Do you want in on this?" he questioned while looking at Baldassare.

"It seems weird..." stated the Girasol vampire. "You go on and on about blue blood, and then you hunt some random bloke who hasn't the slightest bit of the same 'importance' that you're looking for?"

"True, but right now, this isn't about that. This is about the hunt." Thaddeus said, tying his sword to his belt. "Small game can be fun as well. It's a good interlude to hunting larger game."

"Do you have something in mind?"

Chuckling, Thaddeus unsheathed his sword. "Oh, Baldassare… Larger than you could possibly imagine..."


	325. More Than You Thought

Dark was the sky over London; the city lights prevented any stars from being seen. But the sky lit up with bursts of colour as fireworks boomed. Alois' eyes sparkled as he looked out from the balcony, elated at the surprise and the end of an already wonderful day. It was his birthday, and the person who made his heart beat fastest had shown him a perfect day. With a big grin, he nuzzled up against his lover, basking in the warmth and comfort of their arms and taking in a familiar scent.

"Happy Birthday, Jim..." said a deep, but soothing voice, being the last thing Alois heard before he woke up.

Icy blue eyes snapped open before squinting at the light pouring into the room from the gap between the curtains. The strip was narrow, but aimed well as it struck the blonde directly in the face. Whining in discomfort, he pulled a cloth over his head, only to have his nose assailed by he same scent from his dream. With that, he took his face out of the cloth and examined it, only to recall that he had slept with a coat.

Since his return to the mansion, Alois had been using it as somewhat of a security blanket. It's familiar scent helped calm him, making it easier to sleep, but alas, it was fading as time moved on. Furthermore, Alois knew now who this coat belonged to along with that wonderful, familiar smell. It was his friend, housemate, and head of the estate he lived in, Sir Ciel Phantomhive.

It was clear that he enjoyed it and was sad that it was fading, but he didn't want to think too extensively as to why. To, him, there was none. There was only "it just is". Even still, there was a part of him deep down that knew better.

He hadn't the time to ponder this, however, as a knock came at the door. Frantically, Alois shoved the coat beneath his blankets so it was out of view. He then laid back down and pretended to just wake up.

"Come in..." he said, inviting the butler in. The door wasn't locked, so it opened with ease, allowing the older demon to slip inside.

"Good morning, master Alois." Sebastian greeted.

"It's Saturday..." the menace insincerely complained.

"My apologies, sir, but I thought you would like to know that the Master is about to leave to go attend to a case."

"So?"

"Well, if you are interested in going with him, you need to get ready quickly."

"I can go?!" questioned Alois, abruptly sitting up. All of his sleepiness vanished as a bright, excitable grin appeared on his face. It had been quite some time since he had been on a mission. He missed it. Admittedly, however, he was a little worried, as he was afraid that he might be out of practise.

"If you catch him before he sneaks away."

"That son of a bitch!" Alois declared, quickly tossing the covers aside and getting up, but carefully enough as to not reveal the coat underneath. He then proceeded to walk toward his cwardrobe. "Thanks, Sebastian."

"Always a pleasure, sir." Sebastian replied with a smile before slipping through the door again and closing it. Thus, he left the blonde alone to his own devices.

"Shiiiiiiittttt..." Alois said to himself as he quickly stumbled about. He picked out one of his worksuits and threw it on the bed before heading into the bathroom. Grabbing babywipes, he began to attempt to clean himself up that way. "No time for a shower… Fuuuuuuccckk… Deodorant… Where is it?"

Soon, he decided that this was the best that he could do. Thus, he fast-walked back into the bedroom, only to realise that he forgot underwear and socks. The small inconvenience caused him to groan before turning around to grab what he needed, taking off his shirt on the way. Once he returned, the man's boxers that he used to sleep in were replaced with briefs. He didn't recall why he felt the need to wear one type in the day and the other at night, but he didn't think it was a strange enough habit to question. Socks went on next, followed by pants, but they stayed at his knees so he could pull them up to tuck the shirt in rather than stuffing the excess fabric through the waist of his trousers.

"Goddammit..." the man muttered as the top button on his shirt proved difficult to unfasten, trapping it on the hanger. This was the least of his problems, however, as a small knock was briefly struck on the door before the person on the other side decided to barge in without waiting for an answer. The door was still unlocked, allowing Ciel inside.

"Hey, Alois, there's been a mur..." the bluenette began only to trail off at the sight of his beau. His deprived self couldn't help but stare for a moment, looking the man up and down. "...der."

"What the fuck, Ciel?!" Alois demanded, pulling the shirt close to him in order to cover himself. The poor blonde's face was crimson as he bent down and grabbed a shoe before throwing it at the door. "Get out!"

"I'm sorry!" hastily apologised the Watchdog after being snapped back to his senses. It was only then that embarrassment was able to sink in. In that instant, he slammed the door shut before retreating into the hallway.

That was embarrassing. With his back pressed against the wall, he covered his mouth and fretted over the situation. Ciel knew that he was probably staring. He would normally, and normally, there was no need for him to knock due to the fact that they were familiar with each other's nudity. This time, however, things were very different. It was no longer acceptable, even if they were both men. That made it even less acceptable to stare! The Watchdog worried over whether or not Alois noticed his eye traveling up and down the man's form, for if he did, that could be a serious problem. He didn't want Alois to suspect anything, as he didn't want to somehow accidentally push him away. Come to think of it, the blonde threw a shoe at him, didn't he? Rubbing his forehead, the bluenette was certain that the blonde hated him now.

He was ashamed at his own actions, underestimating his attraction to Alois. Ordinarily, he would simply be pleased and oogle his spouse for a moment. There was no shame in that, however, he knew full-well that this was no longer appropriate, but thoughtlessly did it anyway. Physically, he missed the menace as well, even if it was simply having the ability to appreciate his physique. Now, everything was "dirty", so he did his best to flush these thoughts and desires from his mind. Perhaps this is what the lesser-demon August was referring to, as her kind is perfectly capable of seeing into the inner desires and longings of her prey and her "master". Ciel had simply assumed that he was above it all and could somehow shut these thoughts off, but as he had just learned, repression only made them stronger when a suggestive situation arose.

After a few minutes, Alois finally came out of the room, fully dressed with his face as red as the other's, and his eyes not looking at Ciel directly. Really, this was an embarrassment. He didn't know why he was embarrassed so, as he had worn swimsuits that show some skin, and they were both men, so he assumed that it shouldn't matter. Alas, it did and he was struggling to justify why. Really, seeing one's vulnerable, naked state without there consent is the real difference. Alois was not expecting Ciel, and wasn't keen on the idea of being seen exposed by him. Then again, had it been Sebastian or Luka, he wouldn't have batted and eyelash, but the concept still stood. The blonde was embarrassed by the idea of being seen by the Watchdog, and when it happened, he reacted accordingly.

"Jesus, don't you know how knocking works?" he complained. "You wait a minute for the person to invite you in. That's common sense!"

"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking." bashfully apologised the other demon, witnessing the menace's cross, yet bashful body language.

"Just don't do it again..." Alois scolded. "Now what do you need that was so important?"

"Oh, I just wanted to tell you that I got a call from Scotland Yard." Ciel replied, changing gears. "Ainsley's body has washed up by the Thames River. We haven't had a case together in a while, so… I wanted to know if you wanted to come along..."

"Well, that's why I was getting dressed. Sebastian woke me up and told me you were gonna leave, so I was getting ready to crash the party."

"Again, I'm sorry..."

"It's not like you can unsee it." the menace sighed in defeat. He was embarrassed, but couldn't find any good in lingering on it. "Whatever… Let's just go..."

Turning, he made his way down the hallway and with a shrug, the other followed. Regardless, both were a bit excited about the possibility of a case with the other. It had certainly been a while. To Alois, it was a "new" experience. Still, it was one that he was looking forward to. As they reached the car, Alois was about to grab the door handle, when he was stopped by the other.

"They don't want you operating heavy machinery yet." Ciel said, causing his partner to groan.

"But I can still use a gun?"

"I know. It's not really sensible, but it's a rule."

"Nobody will know."

"I don't like taking chances." the bluenette stated, walking over to the shelf that housed the motorcycle helmets.

"It shows." Alois replied, tilting his head at the other. "Though I didn't know you drove a motorcycle. You don't seem like the type."

"I'm full of surprises." Ciel said, putting on his helmet and fiddling with the chin strap.

Looking into the reflective face covering, the blonde squinted, only to find that he could read the man just as well as he could when he could see him. "Just what kind of guy are you?"

"One of a kind." the other stated, tossing the other man's helmet over to him. "Put this on."

"Oof!" Alois grunted as he caught it. Pausing, he thought for a moment while the other hopped on the bike. "Wait, I'm riding with you?"

"Yes. On the back."

"Don't you have a sidecar or… uh… somethin'?"

"Is there a problem?"

"I could just take a cab..."

"Get on, you pansy." Ciel interrupted, smiling behind his visor and trying not to chuckle.

"Shut the fuck up." the menace grumbled, his cheeks tinting themselves pink as he put the helmet on and secured it.

"Is that your new favourite phrase?"

Alois opened his mouth to tell the other to "shut up" once more, but closed it as the other pointed to him, expecting him to let it out. Instead, he playfully slapped the bluenette's shoulder as he got on the bike.

"Prick." he accused. No longer was Ciel able to contain his amusement, causing him to let out a laugh. He got quiet once Alois was on the bike and tried to conceal the fact that his heart was beating faster. The proximity was certainly familiar to both of them.

"Hold on tight." Ciel instructed.

"Like… You mean… Onto you?"

"I mean, you can stay here, if you want."

"Fine." Alois huffed before wrapping his arms around the other demon's middle, his chest pressing against the Watchdog's back.

It was an unfortunate position, as his own heartrate quickened as well. Ciel's shoulders were so broad, and the man's coat didn't seem to fit him. It was too small, so it was snug. Come to think of it, this coat might actually belong to the blonde. Alois would have to tell him when they stopped, however, since the vehicle had already started moving. For now, he would simply have to savour the moment, as wrong as his mind led him to believe it was. Deep down, however, there was something there.


	326. Who Cares If He's Dead?

The ride to Scotland Yard headquarters was both pleasant, but unbearable for both demons. While Ciel was guilty over savouring this brief moment of closeness with the menace, Alois was feeling both a sense of enjoyment and unease. Riding on the back of a motorcycle with another man like this was not supposed to be nice. It was the feeling of enjoying something he knew he shouldn't and that he should instead be feeling repulsion toward.

But he didn't. Alois' face was hot and his heart beat fast as he held onto Ciel, wearing the man's coat without his knowledge, as far as he knew. Sometimes, the blonde would loosen his grip out of fear of making things awkward for the Watchdog, but when he did, Ciel noticed and took a hand off the steering in order to secure him in place again. To Alois' surprise, the bluenette didn't mind in the slightest, and even more alarming, the gesture made him happy.

What was wrong with him? He hardly remembered Ciel, but there was this bizarre attraction to him. His mind would focus on aspects of the Phantomhive's appearance- his long lashes, his deep blue eye, his strong jaw, his voice, and most concerningly, Ciel's physique. It made him feel confused and that upset him. To be fair, it wasn't all physical. Ciel was kind to him, even if he was distant at first. The bluenette seems to be the kind to feel without telling others out of fear of inconveniencing or making them upset. He is knowledgeable and makes Alois feel important. The fact remained, however, that the menace had absolutely no idea what to make of him and decipher how that related back unto himself.

Ciel was no better. Guilt affected him in that he believed that it wasn't right for him to treat Alois affectionately when the blonde's memories of them together were gone. It wasn't right for him to long for Alois, as the menace may not hold him in the same regard as he once did ever again. Perhaps he wouldn't fall in love with him twice, and as much as Ciel told himself that he would support the other if he did, the Watchdog couldn't help but feel saddened by the thought. Similarly, he couldn't help that he was still in love with Alois and missed him. Really, there was nothing wrong with this, but as always, the bluenette was overthinking things.

As tempted as he was to go the long way in order to preserve this moment, his restraint was still holding fast. Thus, they arrived at headquarters in a timely fashion. Parking the vehicle, they both got off and rid themselves of their helmets, both not looking directly at the other in hopes of concealing the truth that lied on each of their faces.

Once they entered the building, however, things were business as usual. Part of Alois held a fondness for the building. He recalled the first time he ever set foot in it. As he did, he inserted Ciel where the memory became unclear, and lo and behold, it was just as it was now. Ciel was the one who brought him there first. Yes, Ciel was his gateway into working as an agent.

His thoughts lingered on this all the way to the evidence room. He was so preoccupied, that he almost ran into Ciel when the bluenette stopped to open the door. Beyond it was detective Michael Bailey, the lesser-liked of the Bailey detectives, but the one who was still working. The man was sitting on a table with his arms crossed as he turned his head to face the demons. As always, he frowned.

"What took you so long?" the grouchy, mortal detective asked. "You're usually faster than this."

"My apologies, Bailey, but one can only clean blood out of the trunk of a car so fast." Ciel answered sarcastically, earning a poorly stifled giggle from the menace. He was obviously lying, but Michael was not amused.

"I don't want to know about the sort of nonsense that you get into when you're not here." the detective said. "As long as you catch whoever did this, none of it concerns me."

"And _'this'_ would be..?" questioned Alois while raising an eyebrow.

"This." Bailey said, handing the duo a file. "Jacob Ainsley, former p.e. instructor at Warwick Academy. As you know, he's recently been involved in a certain scandal at the school."

"I take it he's our victim?" asked the bluenette.

"I'm not really sure if that's a problem, to be honest." said the menace.

"Yeah, I don't really mind if paedophiles are being targeted." agreed the bluenette, earning a nod from his partner.

"We don't know if it was a specific target, but a man is dead." Micheal stated. "He washed up on the Thames. In the file, there's a list of his injuries and photographs."

 _"'_ _Carefully cut arteries on the wrists, legs, and neck..._ '" Ciel listed off, holding the file open while his partner read over his shoulder. "What's this? It's like he's been stabbed through the neck and into his mouth."

"His jaw is dislocated, too." Bailey replied. "He was killed methodically and precisely. Like a Jack the Ripper, but with paedos instead of hookers."

"Still an improvement." the Watchdog replied, wishing to drop the subject. "Anything else we need to know?"

"Well, he didn't drown." Michael answered. "He died from blood loss. Looks like he was drained."

"That certainly is suspicious..." the bluenette trailed off while thinking.

"Most violent deaths are." Alois quipped.

"True."

"So will you take the case or not?" Bailey asked.

"Naturally." the Watchdog stated. "We'll be taking our leave, now."

"See ya 'round, Juniour~!" chimed in the blonde, waving at the human before following his partner. As they walked out of the building, they discussed the case. It was odd, but very familiar. Alois felt perfectly comfortable while talking to Ciel, making silly quips along the way.

"So what d'ya think, boss man?" he asked as the two of them walked back to the parking garage.

"Could be vampires." Ciel said. "Or just a sick bastard."

"Think we should go check out the vamps, anyway?"

"Definitely. We'll go talk to Baldassare about it."

"Ugh, not Babyface..." groaned the menace, prompting Ciel to chuckle.

"He's abhorrent, I know, but if a vampire is up to no good, he'll know about it." the bluenette said with a smile as he glanced the other's way. It was closer to what Alois was looking for, but it was still not the luminous grin in the photo, much to the blonde's disappointment. It seems to be something that takes time.

"I guess…" Alois replied. "So… Are we just going home, or what?"

"There's not much else for us to do right now. We should wait until night to see Babyface." Ciel informed. "Is there anything else that you want to do while we're out?"

"Not really, but it seems like a shame. I haven't gone anywhere but school in a while."

"We could drive around until you get an idea."

"Sounds good." replied the blonde as they approached the motorcycle. Ciel reached for the blonde's helmet and handed it to Alois. Pausing, Alois hesitated. He didn't take it right away.

"Wait, I've been meaning to say something, but your jacket is really tight." Alois informed, pointing to the other's chest. "I think that might actually be mine. This one I've got on is too big."

"Huh… Probably..." answered the Watchdog. He didn't sound observant, but rather, a bit disappointed. He was, in a way. After all, he too, kept the other's garment for a reason similar to that of the menace. It was one of the last items belonging to Alois that he had in his possession and it had the blonde's scent on it, even if it was fading.

Still, he couldn't lie to Alois. Thus, he did the right thing and removed the coat in order to return it to it's rightful owner. Once it was off, he was hit by cold air, but soon, it was alleviated when he donned his own coat, which had been warmed by the menace.

Alois did the same. While the blonde's coat wasn't as cozy to him as his partner's, it fit better, and smelled like Ciel, too. As creepy as he felt it to be, he liked it. He was aware that he liked it. It couldn't be hidden from himself any longer. His feelings for Ciel were indeed strange- perhaps too strange to be that of a friend. Regardless of this acknowledgment, it was one that he did not want to accept. Still, if was difficult with his arms around Ciel's waist, holding onto him on the back of his bike. While he couldn't accept it, Ciel already had, but that didn't help the blonde's predicament. Alois didn't know if Ciel would accept him. He didn't know if anyone would. Most of all, he felt guilty about the way he felt, unknowing that the object of his affections felt the same way since long ago.


	327. Waaaaaaaaaaaahhh Baby

The demons drove around for a while, despite the freezing cold. They stopped once to sit in a warm restaurant and eat. Mostly, it was for the heat, as the menace hardly touched his food. He was too busy thinking. Of course, he spoke with the other man with him, but couldn't help but be distracted. There was a lot on his mind and being near the bluenette made things difficult.

He continuously noticed things about the other man as they talked- The way Ciel spoke, the way Ciel's face moved, and the way he moved his hands. The more Alois looked at the Watchdog, the more he was made aware of the fact that Ciel was a very pretty man. The more Alois listened to him, the more he thought well of him.

Ciel was smart, reasonable, and had many stories. Some of them didn't involve him at all, so they sparked no memories for the menace. Some of them were simply articles that the bluenette had read recently. He was also attentive, listening very carefully to whatever Alois had to say when he spoke, and held a few quirks. He was a little fussy, absent-mindedly leaning forward to brush a stray lock of hair out of the blonde's face. Poor Ciel caught his faux-pas too late and quickly took his hand away with a blush. He forgot that male friends didn't do that sort of thing, despite Alois secretly liking it. The menace's cheeks turned a light pink as he internally scolded himself.

Things carried on like this until both men were done. Awkwardly, they wrapped up their meal and headed home until dark. When night came, the pair set out again, this time on their way to the headquarters of the Girasol vampire coven. Neither of them were entirely thrilled to be seeing Baldassare, but they must, no matter what personal business they were going through.

Naturally, they were welcomed with open arms. After all, one does not deny H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. entry, especially when it was the Watchdog and Lion. Refusal was just misfortune waiting to happen. Baldassare wasn't happy about this, either, but he allowed them inside the slightly run-down, yet paradoxically maintained building in his own special way.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the ass-pirate and his ' _special friend_ '..." the coven leader asked. HE sat before them in a chair far too large for him as his feet dangled off the side. "How are you two? How's the memory? Still plundering booty?"

"I could always shoot you, you know." stated the Watchdog while his partner was puzzled over the meaning of the vampire's words.

"If I die, though, you can't get what you came here for." Baldassare answered. "I know you didn't just stop by to say _'hi'._ You're not that nice..."

"Neither are you." Ciel said, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a photo. "This man. I need to know if you or any of your vampires have seen him."

Glancing at the picture, Baldassare immediately recognised who was in it. It was Warwick Academy's former coach. The vampire had only seen him once, but the man's future looked both short and bleak at the time. In addition, the vampire knew that he would be implicated for not doing anything about it.

"Never seen 'im before..." he stated, his eyes dodging to the left.

"So you have." Ciel nodded, immediately calling his bluff.

"Hey! I just said I didn't!"

"Most people, when they lie, their eyes shift to their left." the bluenette said. Holding the image out further. "Now, think long and hard for me."

"Yeah, bet you'd like that, huh, queer?" Baldassare scoffed, snatching the photo out of the Watchdog's hand before pretending to look at it more carefully. Before long, he tossed it back.

"Yeah, I saw 'im." he admitted while folding his arms. "He was at another coven's place. I was visiting for political reasons. Didn't look like things were going too good for 'im."

"What do you mean?" questioned the meance, wishing to be included in the conversation. "Was he injured?"

"Dunno. He was made a deal by the owner of the place." Baldassare replied. "Something like… ' _stay alive until dawn and you're free to go_ '... I don't remember exactly what the guy said."

"Who was it?"

"I can't tell you that." the vampire stated. "If word gets back to him that you know, it'll be my ass."

"I thought Girasol was the strongest in London?" Alois stated confusedly while arching an eyebrow.

"Strength and man-power-wise, yes. When it comes to cash, though, we're beat."

"That gives me an idea." Ciel said, thinking aloud. "I know someone who fits that description..."

"Hey, hey, hey, don't mess with him." the Girasol leader scolded. "Remember: my ass."

"I have no interest in your ass, Baldassare. You flatter yourself too much." bluntly answered the Watchdog, prompting his informant to fume. Either way, the bluenette turned to walk away while his partner snickered. "Come along, Alois."

"Oi! Fuck off! I ain't a cock jockey like you and your-"

Before the man could say another word, a shot rang out and blood trickled down Baldassare's cheek. He sat in his chair with wide eyes as a bullet hole pierced it. Technically, it didn't miss him, but it didn't harm him. Baldassare had simply been grazed. Either way, he had been silenced by the bluenette as Ciel stood there with his gun aimed.

"Not. Another. Word." he said. He could see the vampire's nails digging into the arms of the chair out of fear. The glare Ciel gave him was enough to chill someone to the bone.

Putting his gun away, however, the Watchdog carried on with an astonished blonde in tow. Alois simply stared up at the man for a while, trying to figure him out. In all honesty, he didn't picture the man as being quick to violence, but Ciel pulled that trigger before any of them could blink.

"Didn't think you'd shoot at him for something like that." the blonde noted as they walked out of the building.

"I am allowed to take offense at such vulgarity." Ciel answered in a matter-of-fact tone. "Someone needs to remind him that he cannot behave like that, and this is the only language that he understands."

"True." Alois grinned. "Nice shot, by the way."

"Thank you."

"So, where's this _'idea'_ of yours leading to?"

"A certain vampire by the name of ' _Leslie'_." the Watchdog informed. "I met him once. He was rather… _'odd'_."

"Good way or bad way?"

"Leaning toward bad."

"Is he just the kind who gives you a feeling in your gut?" the blonde questioned.

"Yes, that's exactly it."

Although they were far from being done, Alois was content for the moment. He recoiled when Babyface said what he did, disgusted both with the vampire and himself. Ciel put an end to it, however. It felt safe around Ciel and Alois appreciated that about the man. Alas, he also felt nervous, but in a way that was most peculiar. He was starting to catch on, but for now, he still couldn't accept it. All he knew was that he liked being around Ciel, and although his memory had massive, gaping holes in it, that made things more bearable. He was slightly more at ease. However, Alois couldn't help but think that he was missing something extremely vital, and he hoped to remember soon.


	328. I Won't Say It

Not long after visiting Baldassare, the duo turned their attention to another vampire. After all, there was only one vampire wealthier than the Girasol vampires in London, and that was Leslie Thaddeus Wakefield. With that information and the suspicion that the man gave most people a concerning "gut feeling" despite him doing nothing to really provoke it. Still, if it was true that Wakefield was up to no good, the duo would need assistance.

They returned home and Ciel contacted H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. with the situation. There was a human who had been murdered. Their blood had been carefully drained and "Babyface" Baldassare, while not the most trustworthy of gents, had accidentally let it slip that the most wealthy vampire in London might be responsible. Thus, a plan of attack was needed.

The crew couldn't simply barge in with guns blazing. Sending the duo in on their own with the menace not in his best condition was not advisable, either. Yet, there was no way that Wake field was foolish enough to allow H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers inside his house without hiding any and all possible evidence. Indeed, quite a conundrum, this was. It would take a lot of discussion in order to come up with a solution, and ideally, they would have one fast. They couldn't give Wakefield time to be tipped off, after all.

While Ciel had a lengthy discussion with Intgra over the phone, Alois reclined on the sofa in the entertainment room and stared up at the ceiling. He was reflecting on the day, gathering memories as he reviewed events. Baldassare was a familiar face. Alois remembered him and remembered that he didn't like Ciel, but also that the feeling was mutual. There didn't seem to be a time that Alois could remember where the bluenette lashed out like that at Babyface, however. That was more of Alois' modus operandi when working with the Girasol vampire.

More about the shared past of the duo came to light as well. The first time Alois met with Baldassare with Ciel and the raid on the "Gentleman" vampires was recalled. Alois already had pieces of it, but not the parts were Ciel was there. Then, there were parts about the Bailey's, both seniour and juniour. Ciel was friends with Gabriel Bailey, he recalled, which suited him. Come to think of it, they had been on many missions together. Ciel was always there.

He was there when they went up against the "Gentleman" vampires and the trio of demons known as "Cerberus". Yes, Alois recalled that, too. That was when Elizabeth became a part of their lives again and Alois remembered being jealous of her. He wanted the bluenette's attention, he knew now. Yet, Ciel supported and reassured him, anyway, even when he acted rudely to his cousin. The bluenette supported him when Araneus came back for the first time, and aided and comforted him when he needed. Ciel was always there. He supported the blonde, and truly, the menace was grateful. Yet, there was more to it than that, and one possible explanation played at becoming his focus, but the menace fought it and tried to shake it away.

It was ridiculous. There was no way that Alois could have a crush, _especially_ on a man. He didn't care how kind, attentive, trustworthy, and aesthetically-pleasing Ciel was, Alois was not going to accept it right then and there. He couldn't bring himself to. The menace was not governed solely by emotion and impulse, he was inclined to give this serious thought before arriving at any conclusion.

Was it practical? Not really. Ciel was a noble, while Alois was a peasant. Ciel knew what he was, after all. Furthermore, Alois was determined to believe that his friend was not interested in the same sex, especially given his proper demeanor. Finally, the blonde wasn't sure if he could accept that, given what he knew of himself. The idea of a man was scary to him. It was for a good reason, too.

Part of it was trauma. The thought of being with a man scared him. It made him nervous. At the same time, he wanted to allow himself to relax around Ciel, as he didn't appear to be a threat. Again, it was unlikely that the other was even interested in the first place, Alois believed. In addition, as Alois thought about it, he knew that he was attracted to women. At the same time, he was attracted to Ciel.

All of this at once caused Alois' head to hurt. He shook it, trying to regain some control over his racing thoughts. There was something serious that he was missing here, but he didn't know what. All he did know was that it was vital. He didn't think he could accomplish much without whatever it was he was trying to remember. Alas, despite his mind going off in every which direction, he couldn't focus on what he was trying to remember.

It hurt. The man's skull was aching as it throbbed. It felt as though it was being crushed with weights. Bringing a hand up to his head, he rubbed it, trying to soothe the pain and right the dizziness he was experiencing. Nothing worked, but he was growing tired of laying about and doing nothing. He too, wished to help with the case, but was too busy being lead away by the stream of his own consciousness to think about the issue at hand.

Regardless, he tried to stand, only to wobble a bit from the dizziness. It caused him to lose balance altogether, forcing him downward. Fortunately, a gloved hand was there to catch him.

"Careful, master Alois." said the butler as he held onto the man by his arms. "You mustn't hit your head."

"If I did, it would probably explode." the menace replied, rubbing his cranium with his eyes clenched tightly shut. He was helped back onto the couch into a seated position, leaning back with his head tilted upward so that it was resting on the back of the seat. "Ugh… Is this what feeling sick is like? I totally forgot..."

"I'm not sure. I don't recall I time when I was sick." Sebastian stated. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Nah, I'm good. Just need to sit a minute… or two… or sixty..."

"Very well, then." smiled the man clad in black. "Please speak up if you think of anything."

"No thinking. Only sitting." Alois groaned while the older demon began straightening up around the room while doing his best not to make much noise or disturb the menace. Sebastian was fully aware that the blonde occasionally suffered from headaches as a result of his mind resurfacing, so in a way, he was glad. From the way Alois was behaving, the butler correctly assumed that he recalled quite a bit that day.

The two stayed this way for a while before the Lion felt like making another attempt to move. Taking his hand away from over his eyes, they opened, and Alois peeked around the room. He saw Sebastian looking around for something before Alois had the state of mind to figure out what. Lifting his rear, the blonde reached underneath himself and retrieved the TV remote.

"This what you're looking for?" he asked, prompting the butler's attention. For a moment, Sebastian's eyebrows raised before he pieced together what must have happened.

"Indeed, it is." he answered.

"It's always in the cushions, if it's not on the table or in the floor." quipped the menace, surrendering the device over to the older man, who put it in its proper place rather than tossed in some random direction. For a moment, Alois watched him, but his previous thoughts still lingered with new ones stemming from them.

"Hey, Sebastian?" he began, capturing the butler's attention again. Curiously, the butler looked up, straightening his back from his bent over position. "Can I ask you something?"

"Certainly, sir." Sebastian replied, patiently awaiting the blonde's inquiry despite the man's obvious hesitation.

"Well..." Alois' face became hot and he began to sweat. He was nervous, as he wasn't sure himself as to what it was he was trying to ask, but knew that there would be few opportunities like this one. "Uh… Hypothetically speaking… What would you call a guy who's attracted to girls, but also attracted to… to blokes a bit at the same time?"

" _'_ _Bisexual'_ , I would assume." bluntly answered the servant while attending to his duties once more. Still, his ears were open to the menace, especially since he had an idea as to where this was coming from. "Why do you ask?"

"Well… I was..." Pausing, the younger demon took a moment to gather his words, furrowing his brow as he thought. "I was wondering… What… What you would think of someone like that?"

"Depends on the person." the older stated. "If they are a nuisance, I would probably think badly of them."

"No, I mean someone who's… _Bisexual._ "

"You mean the orientation itself?"

"Yeah..."

"I am indifferent." Sebastian replied while dusting. "I would not think ill of someone who is bisexual _because_ they are bisexual, but rather, I would draw their character into consideration instead. Who they fancy is none of my business or concern, so long as I am excluded."

"So… You would be okay with that?" Alois questioned, perking up just a smidge.

"Of course." the other said. "After all, if I could not accept my own master, what kind of butler would I be?"

 _"_ _I-I-I never said I was!"_ protested the menace, standing up with a jolt. Instantly, he regretted his action as the dizziness that hit him was overwhelming. Thus, he sat down while holding his head.

"I was referring to Sir Phantomhive." Holding back a chuckle, the butler looked over his shoulder. No matter what, he would not miss Alois' reaction to this information for the world.

It took Alois a moment to register the butler's words, however. He stood there, confused with his brow furrowed and lips parted somewhat. Sebastian could see the exact moment when the implication began to sink in. Slowly, then all at once, the blonde's expression changed as shock hit him first, then a touch of joy, followed by crushing amounts of embarrassment.

"What?!" was all the poor young man could muster in response to the claim of the man clad in black.

"Oh, that's right, you don't recall..." Sebastian said, feigning surprise. "Well, I suppose the cat's out of the bag… Yes, that is how the master identifies himself. Please don't be too alarmed."

"Buh-but he's so-!" Alois didn't quite know what he was trying to say, here. He didn't know where he was going, or what was happening. All he knew was that his world had been flipped upside-down.

"Proper? Why, yes, but sexual orientation has nothing to do with that." the other said, finishing the sentence for him with what he felt was a logical next step. "At one time, he was actually engaged to Dame Elizabeth."

"Aren't they cousins?!"

"That was years ago. Their parents arranged it for them back during Queen Victoria's reign. It was... _Another time_..."

It took a few moments for Alois' mind to start to catch up with him as well as his sense. With it came some calm, as well as more confusion. Arching an eyebrow, he asked: "What happened with them?"

"Well, if I may be blunt: after a slew of events, the master had to falsify his end, thus ending the engagement." Sebastian informed, turning around fully to face the Lion with feather duster in hand. "Elizabeth eventually married someone else, but this time, out of love. They have no interest in each other, romantically, although they are still close, so worry not."

"Like I would worry..." the menace unconvincingly scoffed while folding his arms. "I don't care."

"If you say so, sir." smiled the man clad in black, taking much amusement in this. The seeds had been planted, and something was bound to bloom. "Are there any more questions?"

"No..." Alois answered, leaning back in his seat again. His cheeks were pink and his face somewhat dazed. "Nothing..."

"Very well, then. Please notify me if you require anything else." With a small bow, Sebastian took his leave. Really, it could not be determined if he was actually there to clean or simply to stir the pot. Either way, what's been done, had been done.

Alois sat for a while, gazing off into the distance, alone in the room while looking at nothing at all. He sighed as he was filled with a sense of longing. That said, he didn't want to think about the reason why. It was already known to him, but he still didn't want to. Leaning forward, the man placed his face in his hands while resting his elbows on his knees. He sighed and he swooned, thinking about the bluenette. Really, there was nothing more he could do. What has been done, had been done. Time would take care of the rest, but for now.

"Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuucccccckkkk..." he groaned. "Nooooooooooooo…."


	329. Acceptance Is Key

Sitting in bed in the master bedroom, Alois looked up from his phone and grinned with a light blush as he was approached by a familiar face. Ciel appeared from the doorway, peeking in at him. Closing the door behind him and locking it, the Watchdog slipped off his shoes at the foot of the bed and leaned over. His palms rested on the mattress, sinking in slightly by supporting his weight.

"Sorry I kept you waiting." he said, kissing Alois' cheek. "That e-mail had to be worded very carefully."

"It's fine." the menace replied. He turned to place his cellphone on the nightstand before returning his gaze to the bluenette. Meeting the other halfway, he cupped Ciel's cheek and pecked his lips. "Your attention is on me now, and that's all that matters."

"I'm gonna go get ready for bed." Ciel announced, but when he tried to get up, his partner tugged at his tie.

"Can't it wait a bit?"

"Do you want me to sit here in my work clothes?"

"No." Alois bluntly stated with a glint in his eye, earning a coy smile from the other. Ciel moved forward, placing a knee on the mattress while the blonde leaned back. Eventually, Alois was laying down with the Watchdog looking down at him.

"Care to help me out, then?"

"Certainly~!" giggled the menace, loosening Ciel's tie. As he did, the other demon bent down, placing a kiss to his lips. The tie came off, and several of the buttons on Ciel's shirt came unfastened while his hand made it's way to the blonde's side. Breaking the kiss, the Watchdog pressed their foreheads together, staring intently into icy blue eyes with a bright smile.

_"I love you, Jim..."_

In an instant, Alois' eyes shot open and he was staring at the ceiling. His heart was rattling against his ribcage as he tried his best to focus. A thin layer of sweat coated his skin as he laid their under the hot blankets. Soon, he realised that he was alone. Furthermore, it had come to his attention that he was in the bed of the room that still didn't feel like his own after a week, and that he had just awakened from a dream.

Sitting up, he put his bright red face in his hands. It wasn't the kind of dream that vanished upon waking. His mind was too cruel to grant him such mercy. That dream of his was so real, so vivid. He could almost feel the lingering sensation of a gentle hand on his side, while his lips tingled from a kiss that he never had.

What was wrong with him? How could he? Such dreams about his friend and coworker were incredibly inappropriate on both an interpersonal level, as well as a personal one. Needless to say, Alois felt absolutely ashamed and disgusted with himself. The night before, he discovered information about Ciel sexual orientation, and the first thing he does is have such thoughts, even without consciousness? Shameful! It made him feel guilty. In addition, he felt dirty. Truly, he was an awful friend. He was even holding his own coat with the Phantomhive's scent still on it. That was clearly suspect.

For the longest time, it felt like, Alois did nothing but sit there, unable to get up and face the day just yet. He could not see the bluenette, now. Not while being such a confused mess. Unfortunately, he had to. His alarm clock for noon went off, and although it was a Sunday, he had to check in on the case.

Thus, with copious amounts of reluctance, the menace pushed the blankets to one side and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Still, he didn't actually get dressed. Instead, he simply changed into fresh clothes that were still suitable for casually running around in the privacy of his own home in, as he knew he should probably wear shorts. They were a bit short for February, but the Phantomhive household was a comfortable temperature, and even if it wasn't, he still had blankets he could wrap around himself.

Trudging out into the hallway, shuffled against the carpet in his bare feet as he made his way to the office. Granted, the blonde's pace was almost painstakingly slow. Had he been walking with someone, they would probably have felt compelled to push against his back. His reasoning was sound, however. While he was obligated to, every part of him was telling him not to see Ciel. Alois wanted to turn back and lock himself away until he had this figured out, but somehow, he knew that the bluenette would come after him, if he vanished for too long. That's just the sort of man Ciel is.

How bothersome. Couldn't Alois have been stuck with an unattractive, inattentive man instead? Alas, it wasn't to be. As soon as Alois stepped through the door and saw Ciel seated at his desk, his blush returned and his heart sped up, remembering the dream. He briefly froze, unsure of what to do next or how to handle this. He knew he should try to appear as "normal" as possible, but that was gong to be an impossibility.

Sensing the blonde's presence, Ciel looked up, locking eyes with the other. "Afternoon." he greeted.

"Morning..." Alois said, lacking his wits as he tried to think of something to say. He walked over to his desk, but not before making himself feel worse. "H-how are you?"

"I'm good." sighed the bluenette, doing the same as he did since the accident. He was still upset. He was still distraught. He still missed his spouse, but he knew he needed to have strength to pull through. Alas, he was weak, and his eye honed in on Alois' exposed legs. With a blush, he caught himself and corrected his actions, but the menace did notice it.

"That's good..." the menace awkwardly replied while quickly making his way over to his own desk. He pulled his chair up so that his abdomen was touching the edge of the furniture in order to hide his legs. While he wasn't sure what Ciel's intentions were, he did feel extremely self conscious, and wished that he chose different garments.

The silence that followed was too long to be comfortable, but neither of them really knew what to say. It was true that they had made incredible progress over the past few days, growing closer with the more time that they spent together, but they still had a lot of distance between them. Alois still didn't know Ciel very well, despite knowing things about him and observing some of the ways he behaved. The bluenette himself, however, was internally chastising himself for allowing his eye to wander. How on earth could he have been so brazen?! Surely, by this point, he could control himself better!

He could not. The habit was already there from before and it wasn't as though Ciel could simply decide that he was no longer attracted to the blonde. To Ciel, Alois was just as breathtaking and gorgeous as ever, but now, he could no longer express it. He had begun to wonder how on earth he lasted so long without telling Alois how he feels about him before, because this is agonising. Even complimenting the man felt out of place now, as he was afraid that he would come across as being "forward" and make the menace uncomfortable. Ciel still didn't know what his ultimate goal was.

Of course he wanted Alois back. He wanted his husband to be his husband again. He craved it so much that it made him ache. At the same time, however, he did not want to pressure the man into giving him affection. At the end of it all, Ciel wanted Alois to choose him on his own. If he did, then he would be elated, but if he didn't… Ciel had resigned himself to accept it no matter how much it hurt. No matter how agonising it was or how much he didn't want to live without him, Alois' happiness was still important to Ciel. Even if he wasn't remembered, Ciel did, and was completely, hopelessly, and undoubtedly in love with Alois, still. Even now, he was having trouble, since he felt compelled to glace over at the blonde just for the sake of seeing his face.

His mind was still too foggy to formulate plans, and he wasn't even sure if he could complete this case at all. Sluggishness and the tendency to stare blankly into space plagued him as he lamented his situation. He desperately wanted to look. He needed to feel what he was feeling. Most of all, he needed to end this silence.

"Still no plan on how to deal with Wakefield." he casually brought up. "H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. said they would handle the plan making and fill us in."

"Huh..." absent-mindedly replied the other. "Do we usually not make the plan?"

"We usually have some involvement, but I'm just not up to it at the moment."

"Brain fart?"

"Sort of." Ciel sighed with raised eyebrows to indicate that he was still being sociable. "I want to work, but I just don't really feel up to it. I was hoping this case would help, but..."

"No dice?"

"Nope."

"Sucks..." Alois answered, resting his chin in his palm. "So we wait?"

"Yeah. Looks like it."

"Anything I can do to help?" asked the menace.

"I don't know. If you can come up with a plan..."

"No, I've got nothin' for that. I was talking about you." Alois corrected, surprising both the bluenette and himself. Ciel actually thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"I can't think of anything." he said. "Thanks, though."

"Well, tell me if you do."

"I will." smiled the Watchdog softly. "You tell me if you need anything too, alright?"

"Well, I would like the usual answers about the past, but I dunno how inclined you are to answer them."

"Depends on the question."

Humming, Alois paused to think, looking up at the ceiling as he did. In actuality, he had nothing in particular that he felt comfortable asking the other, as the majority of his memory was hidden. Alois simply didn't know what to ask about.

"I dunno. What all did we do together?" the asked. "I don't really know what I'm missing, so I can't think to ask about anything specific."

"We did almost everything together." the Watchdog answered without missing a beat. A slight blush appeared on his face when he thought about it, but managed to maintain a casual demeanor about it. "School, trips, hanging out, just name it."

"Oh? I thought Kristopherson was my best friend?" Alois teased.

"Well, he does loan us his beach house sometimes in the summer."

"We haven't gone in a while though. We should this time."

"Oh, so you remember that?" inquired the bluenette, turning to face the other formally. He could remember the many times they've gone to their friends' beach houses for a few weeks in the summer and how much fun they always had. After graduating, however, the group hasn't gone in a long time.

"Yeah- well, not a lot, but I remember that we used to go in summer." Alois admitted. "I remember the others getting the shit scared out with scary stories… I'm guessing you're the one who told them, huh?"

"Guilty." chuckled Ciel, finding himself pleased with the fact that Alois could remember things if he put his mind to it. "

"It was you who couldn't swim, too, wasn't it?"

"Yes, and you would enlist the others to try and throw me into the water." the bluenette reminded, causing the other to laugh.

"True." the menace grinned. He was beginning to relax again, allowing his prior concerns to drift away while he was having a good time. "The others almost drowned once, didn't they? Because they tried to prank us?"

"Yeah. I don't remember how we got out of that one. I remember you crying afterwards because you were so scared."

"My friends could have died! Of course I was scared. You were quite the gentleman, though, letting me cry on your shoulder." In an instant, his blush returned as he worried about that coming across as flirtatious. But even if it did, would if have mattered? Alois now knew that Ciel had an interest in men, but that didn't mean that he was interested in Alois. What if it ruined what they had? That would be the worst!

Fortunately, that sort of response was normal to Ciel, so it went over his head. "I had to. I would have felt bad, otherwise."

"I don't need yer stinkin' pity."

"That was years ago. You've grown up a lot since then, even if you do cry at sad movies."

"Sad movies are sad, Ciel. They're just doing what they're designed to do." stated the menace. "Besides, I have you to wipe my tears on, so it's all good."

There he goes again. Alois' brow furrowed slightly, cursing himself for letting these things slip out. They just felt so natural. Was this the way he normally joked with Ciel? He didn't know. He was still in the dark about most things when it came to Ciel, but inserting him in various situations in his memory helped.

But as he looked over at the bluenette, the way the man looked back at him told him differently. He should not be embarrassed or think badly of himself for saying such things. Ciel was actually smiling. This time, it was less hidden and more genuine. The fact that Alois' memories were coming back to him filled Ciel with hope, and as the blonde joked around with him, it set his own concerns a bit more at ease. The man's expression in turn caused the menace to smile broadly as well. This was the first time that Ciel had given him this expression of acceptance since he woke up in that bed in the infirmary. It actually made the blonde happy.

Not matter what happens, the two of them were determined that everything would be alright in the end. Nothing else really mattered. All that they wanted was each other, and as long as Ciel and Alois were together, all would be right with their world.


	330. Question Nothing, Obey Everything

Within the city of London, there was a small, Victorian era manorhouse with high walls protecting it from prying eyes. It appeared as normal as a manorhouse could, but concealed many secrets, like most did. This one, however, did not include the usual kinds of scandals that plague the wealthy. This one contained secrets of murder.

The Wakefield mansion was home to London's wealthiest vampire- perhaps the most wealthy vampire in Britain, Leslie Thaddeus Wakefield. His wealth was acquired hundreds of years ago and maintained for all of these years. He was currently the owner of Warwick Academy after his predecessor met with an "unfortunate accident", as he put it. It wasn't the first time that the family had been involved in an "accident", however. Many families had their secrets, and Thaddeus had the most out of any Wakefield before him.

The basement of the manor was filled with bottles and barrels of blood harvested by many means. Some of it came from blood drives at his school. Then there was some that came via means of illegality. There was so much blood on Wakefields hands, that it was astounding that they hadn't been stained red. It didn't matter who it was. He killed strangers, friends, and even members of his own family.

Two of his brothers died under mysterious circumstance, followed by his father. Thaddeus was suspected, but nothing was proven. The man was stone cold and would not let anyone get in the way of whatever it was he desired. For now, however, he was rather gloomy as he sat looking out the window as the rain came down on the hedge-maze behind his home.

"No visitors..." he sighed to his assistant. "I had hoped they would have come already..."

"Perhaps they didn't find the body." the woman suggested.

"Doubtful. We put it in the river so precisely… There's no doubt that it washed up by now. It was found, but why hasn't it shown up in the news?"

"Perhaps they know. If they figured it out, then surely, they contacted H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G."

"Impossible!" Wakefield scoffed. "Phantomhive couldn't let something go to them. He is too prideful! He is a noble! That's what we are. Once our prey is in our sights, we cannot allow anyone else take it from us!" Standing, he put one arm behind his back while rubbing his chin with the other. He then began to pace.

"Maybe he simply hasn't found me yet… Maybe he's searching… Maybe… He just didn't get my message!" he pondered aloud before turning on his heel. "Crystal, what do hunters do when the first attempt at laying bait does not succeed?"

"Cast another lure?"

"Exactly! Thus, we must formulate another plan!"

As her master continued to speak, Crystal's expression grew more questioning. It was rare, but she did, on occasion. Sometimes, Thaddeus would become obsessed with a particular project, there was very little that could dissuade him.

"Master, if I may ask… Why are you so interested in Phantomhive?" she questioned.

"That's a stupid question." scoffed the other, causing her to shrink. "To drink the blood of Ciel Phantomhive is to drink the blood of a king. He is a pure-blooded Phantomhive, a member of one of the most powerful families in Britain, even to this day. Humans and demons alike willingly submit to him at a mere glance. He is the ultimate prize. Of course I want him. Everyone does." Picking up a glass filled with a thick, red substance, he took a sip. "He is the most interesting man in the world."

"I see..."

Crystal looked down as the man rambled. Once again, he was fixated on a rare beast and this time, she wasn't sure if things would work out. This was Ciel Phantomhive, after all. It wasn't going to be easy. Rumour has it that he and his partner vanquished an entire coven of vampires on their own in one night. While Baldassare was the type to tell tall tales, this was not something he would joke about. The Gentleman vampires were indeed destroyed. The Phantomhives are people who should never be taken lightly. No amount of backup planning could save them once he had them in his sights. If Wakefield were to face off against him, surely, he would die.

Noticing her actions, Thaddeus put down his glass. "What is it?"

"If you go after the Watchdog, there is no guarantee that you will survive." she answered. "Even getting too close to him after all we have done will be deadly."

"Are you doubting me?" the man asked, walking toward her. To this, she hesitated.

"I'm… I'm just worried..." Crystal said. "This isn't an ordinary hunt."

Thaddeus stopped before her, looming down on her and causing her to flinch as he raised his hand. He cupped her cheeks, however, and tilted her face upward in order to look at him. Smiling, he said:

"Oh, Crystal… That is the thrill of it all. Whenever something is exciting, I must seek it out. The danger is thrilling and the prize is too great to resist! I must go."

"Please be careful..." the woman pleaded. "Don't go into anything without a plan."

With a smile, the Wakefield replied: "This is why you're my favourite bride. Always loyal, and willing to do whatever it takes."

"I am not worthy of such praise..." With a blush, Crystal closed her eyes and smiled, only to have the moment of sweetness cut short when Thaddeus removed his hands to change the subject.

"How is our guest doing?" he questioned, surprising the woman. It only took her a moment to readjust and respond.

"Which one?" she questioned in return.

"Ah… What's his name? Blackwater?" Wakefield pondered, snapping his fingers as he thought.

"Blackwood." Crystal corrected. "Physically, he's recovering nicely, but his mind..."

"...Is still not all ' _there_ ', is it?"

"Not at all..."

"Well, as long as he still follows orders, then everything will be alright." Wakefield suggested, putting his hands behind his back as he walked toward his seat again. Plopping down in it, he listened to what the other had to say.

"Was it a wise decision to bring him here?" the woman questioned. "Financial involvement with the Order is bad enough, but now harboring a fugitive… This is execution worthy..."

"I grow tired of your questioning my logic." Thaddeus grumbled. "I do what I think it interesting. Nothing more and nothing less. If I want to commit treason, I will do it. The Order needed funds, and I needed entertainment. It's that simple. Blackwood is entertaining as well. Why do you think I would spend the money to pick him up and smuggle him back into the country? Because I wanted him."

Pausing, the woman looked down. "My apologies..."

"Your concern is warrantless. I will not fail. I never have, and I have no intention of starting now. Even against a monster like Phantomhive, I will win."

"What makes you so certain?"

"Do you doubt me?!" Wakefield snarled, shattering the glass in his hand against the ground. His red eyes glared at the poor woman, causing her to cower further. "I will not fail! It is true that he is better than most by divine right, but I will prevail! I have studied every way that one can vanquish a demon. I will win!"

"I do not doubt you..." Crystal replied. "I still have faith… Perhaps you should practise with a smaller demon first. Up until now, your primary prey has been human..."

Pausing, the man folded his arms while rubbing his chin with one hand. After a few moments, he nodded with a pleased expression on his face. "That could be fun." he said. "Yes… That should get their attention, as well… How does one find a demon? Or should I start with other supernaturals first? Who should I chose?"

"Whomever you wish, sir." the woman answered, causing him to smile.

"Now you're getting the hang of this." Wakefield said. "Bring me Blackwood… I have a few things I need to discuss with him."

"Yes, sir." Crystal nodded before turning to leave the room. Before she could escape, however, she was stopped.

"Oh, and Crystal..."

"Yes?"

"I want you in my room tonight." Thaddeus said.

"But it isn't my turn today?"

"No questions. Just do."

* * *


	331. Totally My Type

With a jolt, Alois awoke. It was the second time this week, but it was more embarrassing than the last. The sorts of things he was dreaming about were troublesome. The vividness of them shook him, causing him to doubt his decency. Once again, his dreams of the head of the Phantomhive household were filthy, making him suspect that he really wasn't fit to be around him. Yet selfishly, that's all he really wanted at the moment.

He wanted to talk to Ciel and hear his voice. He wanted to see Ciel and his face. He wanted to make him smile. Whatever it was he was feeling over Ciel, he knew it wasn't normal. Thus, he decided to have a chat with Kristopherson that day at the faux-blonde's home.

Despite much insistence from Ciel, the menace declined his offers to drive and instead took a cab. Oddly, the Watchdog seemed disappointed as he left, but Alois was truly not certain of what to make of that. Thus, he said his goodbyes and left for Kristopherson's house, where he was somewhat surprised to see the faux-blonde alone. Ordinarily, Logan would be over. Alois had suspected something between them for a while, but had decided not to say anything.

"Hey, what's going on?" asked Kristopherson as he answered the door. He stepped out of the way for the other to make his way inside with a sigh, taking off his jacket and making himself at home. "Something happen?"

"What makes you ask that?" questioned the menace, looking over his shoulder as he put his coat over the back of the couch.

" _Please,_ you never call and ask if you can talk." the other said, shutting the door and locking it again. "What's up? Something happen between you and pup?"

That was the magic phrase that made the blonde's face to falter. His snide grin faded as his face darkened with a pink hue. Instinctively, he brought a hand up to cover his mouth while he folded the other over his chest. Seeing this, Kristopherson shook his head with a knowing smile. Without a single word from Alois, he already knew the answer.

"Well, take a seat and we'll talk about it." he added. "Tea?"

"No, thanks." Alois sighed, sitting down on the sofa with hands folded in his lap. "I don't really feel like it."

"Ooh, that's bad..." Kristopherson observed, sucking in a sharp breath through his teeth while scrunching his face. Sitting down next to the menace, he got comfortable, crossing one leg over the other and putting his arm over the back of the couch, all while maintaining an appropriate distance. "Alright. Let's have it."

"Wait, right now? Like… You just want me to go into it, or..?"

"Sure. Why not? Get it off your chest."

"Jesus, you don't fuck around..."

"Nope. Give me the gossip I crave."

"Dick..." Alois grumbled, rolling his eyes. "At least let me build myself up to say what I need to say."

"Take your time."

"Well, you know what we were talking about the other day?"

"About why ' _dong'_ is such a funny word?" asked the faux-blonde, feigning ignorance.

"No! I mean- about…" Looking down at his hands, he hesitated. "A-about me being bi?"

"Yeah?" the other answered, his tone becoming more sincere. Kristopherson was perfectly aware of the gravity of the situation and knew that it needed to be approached with sensitivity.

"Well… Lately, I've been thinking that you were right..." the menace stated, sitting up straight again and crossing one leg over the other. His eyes glanced over to Kristopherson to gauge his reaction before darting away. Really, he wasn't sure what he was expecting, as he knew that the other wouldn't be disapproving, but he didn't expect the man's wide grin.

"Oh, thank god." Kristopherson uttered a relieved sigh. "Glad I don't have to dance around that one anymore."

"So you _did_ know!" Alois accused, pointing a finger at his friend.

"Of course I did! I'm your best friend, you twit!" the wolfman shot back. "I'm glad you remember, though. I can't really talk about this shit with the others. You're my sassy bi friend. Also, I think you'll be happier this way."

"You think?" inquired the menace with pink gently dusting his cheeks.

"Yeah! Don't be worried about it. We all accept you and want you to be happy."

"Wait, the others know too?"

"Oh..." Kristopherson pulled back a bit, leaning in his seat. "Was that too much information..?"

"They know?!"

"I'm sorry! But yeah, they do..."

"Kris!"

"You're the one who came out to them, not me!" the faux-blonde said to the other, taking his turn to point fingers.

Slouching, Alois leaned back and slid down the back of the couch while bringing his hands up to shield his face from view. It was red. It was really red. The others knowing about his sexual orientation didn't bother him as much as Ciel knowing. Both of them were bisexual… what were the odds? This was just too much for the blonde. How on earth was he going to handle all of this. More importantly, what did Ciel think of him?

During his moment of turmoil, his friend watched him with great fascination. "So..." he began. "What brought on the memory?"

"It's too embarrassing..." lamented the menace.

"It's Ciel, isn't it?"

 _"_ _Kris!"_ Alois barked, jolting into an upright position and tearing his hands away from his face to grip the seat of the couch. "How much do you know?!"

"A lot." the wolfman bluntly stated. "I'm just following the rules, blondie. _'Let Alois figure things out on his own'_ they said. They think it'll be less shocking, that way."

"Well, I'm pretty fucking shocked!"

"That's why I wasn't supposed to tell you! I can't just lie to your face, though." Kristopherson replied. Pausing, he gave the other a reassuring look before placing a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, everybody still likes you. You have positively nothing to worry about."

"Maybe, maybe not..." Alois groaned. "Ciel knows too, huh?"

"Yep, and he accepts you. In fact, he's-"

"Sebastian already told me." interrupted the menace. "Ciel's bi, too. I know."

"Damn, I was looking forward to your reaction..." the other said with half-hearted disappointment. He was trying to be playful, but the menace was still down.

"Shocked. Nervous. Sick. Kinda happy? Mostly sick and nervous, though." Alois replied. "It's hard to be around him..."

"You like him, huh?"

"Shut up..." the demon scolded, gently punching his friend in the arm and causing him to laugh.

"What? Ciel's a sweetheart. Easy on the eyes, is exciting…" Kristopherson trailed off while rubbing the point of impact. "I think you work well together. Just have some confidence."

"You sound like _you_ have a crush..."

"Nah, not on Ciel. He's way too serious and dopey for me. I'm into a different blue boy." the wolfman bluntly stated before looking over at the other knowingly. His smile returned as Alois' face lit up at connecting things together.

"You and Logan?" the menace questioned. "Called it."

"How did you know I like him?"

"It's a trick I like to call ' _having a gut feeling'_." the menace informed, causing Kristopherson to shake his head with a laugh. The mood had improved as the two became less tense. Things were hinting at becoming normal again with just a few words.

"But for real..." Kristopherson began, steering the conversation again. "What's up with Ciel? You've got to tell me because I need to know."

"Not much, actually." nervously chuckled Alois. "We're friends. That really hasn't changed. He just… I dunno, there's just something about him..."

"His pecs?"

"Well, yeah. He's got a nice figure, but more than that."

"The fact that you want to squeeze his man-titties?"

"What the fuck Kris?!"

"What? You're the one who told me." innocently shrugged the faux-blonde. "You have no one to blame but yourself."

"I mean, yeah, his chest looks like it would make a good pillow..."

"Ooh~!"

 _"_ _But besides that,_ " Alois continued, obnoxiously raising his volume over the other's even more obnoxious teasing with a blush on his face. "He's a good guy and I just… I _feel_ things around him… Before you turn it into something sexual, I mean in an emotional way."

"I know." Kristopherson said, leaning with his chin in his palm while practically beaming at the menace. "You've told me before how safe you feel around him. Also that he's a total sweetheart, that he's charming, beautiful, sexy, and all that good stuff that single schlubs like me have not had the privilege in indulging in."

"Then ask out Logan, ya prick."

"Like that's a thing that you can just go do..." playfully scoffed the wolfman. "Just asking people out! In all seriousness, though, dating an incubus is a serious decision. I need to be ready for the commitment and conditions before I consider it."

"Oh, yeah, the sex thing..." Somehow, it was possible for Alois' face to grow redder as the thought crossed him. "Must be tough."

"I don't think I'm ready for that yet. I want to be with Logan, but I'm not sure I can handle all that all of a sudden. Supernatural stuff is hard..."

"That's what _he_ said." jested Alois, earning a punch to the arm, himself. He snickered as his friend shook.

"Dick, look at you! Mister ' _Ciel has nice pecs_ '..." Kristopherson replied. "He does. Nice butt, too, but he's still not my type."

"Hey! Don't check him out, you git!" the menace scolded.

"Ooh~! Someone has a crush~! How nice~!"

"I'll beat your ass!"

"Why? It's Ciel's you want."

"Guh!" Alois reeled back, his eyes widening at the accusation and what it implied. Sincerely, such thoughts of the Watchdog embarrassed him, both in content and in the fact that he was having them in the first place. It felt dirty, wrong, and he felt as though he should be ashamed. Yet, a part of himself that was still prominent wanted him to give in and embrace these thoughts and desires, as they came naturally to him like breathing.

"No way!" he protested. "I don't even really _want_ to be interested in him."

"How come?" his friend questioned.

"Isn't it a bit fast? I mean, I've only been awake without my memory for like, a little over two weeks. I hardly know anything about the guy! Isn't it a bit weird to be interested this quick?"

"Well, you were already interested before, so I think this just proves that your interest is genuine." Kristopherson said. "Besides, I would assume that it's different for everybody. Some people get crushes over months or even years, while others only need a few meetings. Probably depends on who the other person is, too. So, no, I don't really think it's weird at all. Just relax. Let things progress naturally."

"I don't know if I want that." Alois admitted, placing his hands on his knees and leaning back in his seat with a sigh. "What if it totally ruins our friendship? I don't wanna scare him off or anything… What if he thinks it's weird and doesn't wanna talk to me? I also don't wanna look arrogant or anything and act like I assume that he's interested in me, too. How do you even figure that out? Ugh… This is too complicated!"

At the menace's lamentation, Kristopherson let out a loud snort followed by snickering. The wolfman covered his mouth, but the damage was done. Alois gave him a highly judgmental look that when noticed, caused Kristopherson's smile to fade.

"Oh..." the Miles said. "You're serious..."

"You're so fucking helpful, you know that?" the demon huffed while crossing his arms.

"Sorry, I'm not trying to be a dick. I just know things..."

"What kind of ' _things'?_ "

"That's classified." Kristopherson bluntly stated. "But, I will tell you that all you have to do is act natural. Go with the flow. Your flirtatiousness will come out."

"What if he doesn't like that, though? He's kind of got this sort of clean-cut look to him..."

"Trust me. He'll be into it. Besides, wanna know a secret?"

"What's that?" Alois questioned, arching his eyebrow. Gullibly, he leaned in closer as the other man beckoned him with a gesture. Then, Kristopherson spoke to him softly.

"Ciel has a thing for blondes." he said, embarrassing the poor menace further. With a flushed face, Alois furrowed his brow and pouted, nudging the other away.

"Y-you're just messing with me!" declared Alois. "Where do you even come up with this stuff?"

"It's true! You're his type! Just flirt with him a little. You'll see!"

"I highly doubt that."

"Well, then I guess you can not tell him and allow him to see someone else. Maybe if things don't work out with Logan, I'll give him a shot."

"Whatever! You said he's not your type!" the menace accused, pointing his finger. "Quit lying. It's annoying..."

"Jealous~?" the wolfman cooed.

"You talk like someone who really wants a fist in their teeth…" replied Alois, but his friend was not convinced. He simply rolled his eyes before opening his mouth to speak, but was cut off when Alois' phone made a sound.

"Who's that?" Kristopherson inquired instead. He allowed the other to pause and take out the device before answering.

"Ciel..." the blonde stated.

 _"'_ _The bae'?_ " questioned the wolfman with amusement. "You have him on your phone as ' _the bae'?_ So when are you having his children?"

"I'm gonna beat your ass..." huffed the menace. "It was like that when I woke up. I dunno what the hell I was thinking."

"What's he say?"

"He wants to know if I'm taking a cab back." Alois stated as he read the message off of the device. "Says that his offer to give me a ride back still stands because he's nearby."

"Yeah, just in the neighbourhood, huh? In the neighbourhood of getting a cute blonde demon on the back of his bike..."

"I dunno what to say… I was just going to get a cab, but..."

"Gimme!" Kristopherson ordered, swiping the phone before Alois could react. "Yoink!"

"Hey!" the other called out in protest before reaching out to grab it back. He was kept at bay with Kristopherson's best efforts, however, despite his attempts to gain the upper ground by standing. With his feet, Kristopherson pushed back against the demon's stomach as he tried to lean over him and grab the phone, but he held it out far enough that it couldn't be reached while the screen was still in his view.

"Sounds… like… a… plan… man…" the cruel Miles said aloud while typing. "I'm… almost… done here… so… I'll be… waiting…. Pick out a smileyface emoji… and… send!"

"You piece of shit!" lamented a horror-stricken Alois. He was mortified. Taking back his phone, he glanced over the message, only for his feeling to get worse. "You can't just send emojis to people! Especially winking ones! What if he takes it weird?!"

"Or he could take it as an invitation." smugly grinned the other.

"What the fuck, Kris?!"

"Not like that. An emoji doesn't mean ' _let's bone'_ for Christ's sake…" Kristopherson insisted. "I'm not mean enough to send a text like that. It's just a friendly thing. Relax."

"I hate you..." the poor blonde replied before his phone went off again. Looking down at it, his brows raised and his face lit up slightly. "He-he says he's coming over! He bought that it was me?!"

"Of course! I'm your friend, remember? I know how you text." proudly declared the Miles. "Though I don't know how you text Ciel. I just imagined that it was with more emojis."

"Get out of my head, fuck face..."

"You got any dick pics on there I can send him?"

"No!" Alois answered, holding his phone away from the faux-blone as he half-heartedly reached out for it. "I don't do that kind of shit."

"Didn't think so."

The pair waited for the Watchdog to arrive and retrieve his Alois, but it took a while. He certainly was lying about being "nearby", given the time it took. During this, Kristopherson and Alois continued to talk about him and how they knew. They grew more casual and spoke more openly, discussing what all Alois was feeling and how he could go about this. He really did like Ciel, despite not remembering him that well. He knew things about Ciel, but he couldn't remember everything, still. It was a nuisance.

The more he talked, however, the more he remembered. With Kristpoherson steering the conversation, he recalled all sorts of things about the Watchdog. He remembered more about the beach trips they used to take, and about their school life. He was surprised to recall that Ciel was a lot more stern and grouchy back then. He wonder what all happened to help him develop into the person he is now. It only made him want to see the bluenette more.

Finally, the blue Phantomhive was visible from the window, unaware that he was being closely watched. He arrived on his motorcycle and parked before taking out his phone to text the menace that he was there. Once that was done, he fussed with his appearance a bit, only for the others to giggle at him from on high. Alois and Kristopherson were taking turns looking at him through binoculars when the menace received the message.

"Guess I should go." observed the blonde.

"Don't keep him waiting." his friend grinned back, lowering the binoculars. "And remember: Just relax and be yourself."

"Easier said than done..." the menace stated as he was shooed out by Kristopherson. He was then escorted to the elevator and sent on his way.

Alois could see Ciel through the large windows in the lobby and jogged over to him once he was out in the cold air. The Watchdog was at attention once he sensed him and watched while Alois made his way. He couldn't help but notice the large grin Alois unwittingly wore. It infected the bluenette, causing him to smile, too.

"I take it you had a good time, then?" noted Ciel. "What are you smiling about?"

"Huh?" the menace let out before his face lit up with realization. "Oh, I remembered a lot of stuff today." he answered. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the entirety of the source. Still, it made Ciel happy to hear it. The bluenette's smile widened, becoming brighter, and Alois was unable to see it behind his helmet.

"That's great!" the Watchdog replied. "You'll have to tell me all about it." After handing the blonde his own helmet, he patted the seat behind him.

"Straight home?" Alois questioned.

"Not if you've got another idea." the bluenette stated while his companion hopped on. "I'll take the long way to give you time to think about it, it you like."

"Sounds like a plan, man." Wrapping his arms around Ciel's waist, the menace squeezed him tightly in more of a hug than a safety precaution.

Instinctively, Ciel brought a hand to his waist and gripped Alois' arms before holding them even closer. The Watchdog wasn't really concerned about safety either. Instead, he was just savouring the fact that he was being held by the menace at all. Fortunately for him, the man behind him couldn't see the smile he let slip in that moment, unaware that Alois would have loved to see it.

Thus, they went on their way, taking the long way home in hopes of coming up with a detour. They wanted more time together. Almost any excuse would do. Alois' heart fluttered as he held on tightly to the Watchdog, and Ciel's cheeks were pink with the Lion clinging to him so. They wanted the moment to last, despite being completely unaware of the other's reasoning.


	332. Reliance Alliance

H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. was informed of the possibility that the most wealthy vampire in all of the United Kingdom might be behind the murder of a former teacher who was out on bail. While they didn't mind the fate of the instructor for his deed, they were concerned with the idea that Thaddeus Wakefield would killing humans. The organization had already started keeping an eye on him, and investigation into his activities as of the past few months had commenced.

One of the staff members on the case was Audrey "Bones" Baines. He was fast in collecting intelligence; He was accurate, too. In only two long workdays, he was able to establish that Thaddeus had been transferring large sums of money overseas, and that he was down at the docks sometime early in the month. Wakefield and several of his flunkies had put a large crate into the back of a black van before driving off. Unfortunately, he couldn't figure out where the money was going or what he was transporting. That was more than the rest of the team was able to get in a week.

"After this, I'm planning on taking my vacation." he said to Ciel after sharing the data he collected. Tilting his head back, he allowed the contents of a pixie stick to land on his tongue.

"You should. You've earned it." the Phantomhive replied. "You've never missed a day of work, whether sick or injured. Most people wouldn't be able to keep going like you do."

"Problem is, I dunno where to go." Audrey stated while shaking his head. "I've never really taken a vacation, especially on my own."

"Well, from the sounds of it, you're looking for some solitude."

"Right."

"So probably somewhere a little secluded." his friend suggested. "Maybe a cabin in the woods, or something."

"Seeing some nature seems nice, but I'm not sure I like that idea. I've seen a horror movie or two..."

"You've lived them, as well." Pausing, the bluenette thought. "Well, you could probably ask to stay at one of the other's beach houses for a few weeks."

"Yeah… That could work..." Audrey pondered while rubbing his chin. "I'll start asking. I mean, it's cold out, but it's also secluded. Basically, I just want to live as a hermit for a few weeks."

"Understandable. There are times when a person just needs a while to be alone and reflect. I think Daniel is actually looking to get rid of his beach house. He's been trying to sell off a few of the properties he inherited."

"Not a bad idea… Depending on the price, I might consider buying. Think he'll just let me rent, though?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. You'll have to ask."

"I'll have to call him… Do you know when he gets off work?"

"I don't know that either. I feel like I should visit him sometime, though."

"You mean ' _scare the piss out of him'_ , right?" questioned Audrey, smiling despite his arched brow.

"Of course." stated the bluenette. "I see no other reason to do so."

While the two spoke in the drawing room, Alois walked through the door and took a seat. The only thing was, he took a seat on the armrest of the chair Ciel was sitting on, causing the bluenette to fidget slightly. Ciel was elated that his beloved was comfortable being close with him again. However, he wasn't certain how to interpret this behaviour, or how to respond. Thus, he acted as though all was ordinary.

"What's this about scaring Dan and why am I not part of the discussion?" Alois playfully inquired. He sat sideways on the arm, turning at the hips so that he could face Audrey. His arm rested on the back of the chair behind the bluenette's head, as Alois was starting to shift back into his old mannerisms. Embracing them felt good. It was just as Kristopherson said. It made the blonde feel more at ease and comfortable around Ciel, and the Watchdog in question didn't seem to mind.

"Audrey's thinking about going on vacation." Ciel explained. "We were discussing the possibility of him asking Daniel to borrow his beachhouse."

"He'd probably let you buy it." the menace stated, only to be informed that the idea was not new.

"That's exactly what Ciel said." replied the reaper. "Good to know you both still think similarly."

"Is that something we did often?"

"Well, I guess when people live together for long enough, they start to pick up on each other's patterns." the Watchdog suggested.

"True. I keep trying to talk all snooty, but I just can't bring myself to do it anymore." Alois said, looking down to face the other demon.

"You don't have to." answered Ciel. "I actually quite like your normal accent. It's cute." In that instant, he regretted allowing that to slip out and shrunk in his chair. There was no way around not sounding suspect. Despite this, Alois wasn't upset, although he was rather embarrassed.

"Oh, r-really?" the blonde questioned, unable to contain at least a small smile, no matter how hard he tried. He was happy. There was no way around it. While he was surprised by Ciel's words, he wasn't going to complain. "Thanks."

The display was a bit much for Audrey, though. He snickered, prompting the demons' attention, only to clear his throat into his fist in order to hide it. "So you're still getting along, I take it?"

Alois answered: "Yeah. Ciel's fun. He's hard not to get along with." This, of course, made Audrey shake his head.

"Well, I wouldn't say that, but I'm glad for you." the reaper said. "It's kind of impressive, actually. Not many people can do that."

"Now, Audrey, you're hurting my feelings." jested the Watchdog, doing his best to recover from his blunder by moving on. He didn't sound as confident as usual, but managed. With a roll of his eyes, Audrey was not impressed.

"Whatever." he said, pausing to glance at his watch. "I actually need to be heading out. I'm supposed to be getting more dirt on Wakefield."

"Undercover?" asked Alois, pointing at the man's uncharacteristically casual attire. For once, they got to see Audrey out of his uniform and in plain clothes, wearing a black T-shirt with the words " _KING CITY_ " on it and his signature purple skull beanie on his head. It was nostalgic, bringing back a few memories for the blonde. This alone made the menace smile.

"Yeah, I'm just gonna be asking around." answered Baines. "' _See any shady black vans lately?_ ' That kind of shit."

"Good luck with your search." Ciel replied, standing up in order to show the man out. "Let us know if there's anything we can do to assist you."

"Will do." Audrey said before turning back to Alois. "Take care of yourself, Alois."

"Same." the blonde said, watching as the other two left. "Mostly I'm concerned about homework, right now. Missing that much class is not helping me any."

"Nerd." teased the reaper before heading out. With that, they left, and after a wave from Alois, he too left in order to make his way toward the office.

His schoolwork was not going well at all this semester. It was hard, as he was missing so much class from recent events that he could not keep up. With all that was going on in his life during this time, school was hard to focus on. He knew he needed to, but he just couldn't. He sat down at his desk and opened his laptop to get started on a report that was due on a subject that he knew next to nothing about. Most of his "work" for the next fifteen minutes was staring blankly at his screen while switching between tabs that held different websites vaguely relating to what he was doing. Eventually, he was rescued by his housemate, who came through the office door with a teacup and saucer in each hand.

"Working hard?" the bluenette asked.

"Something like that." answered Alois, resting his chin in his palm. "Is one of those for me?"

"No, they're both mine. I'm just really thirsty." sarcastic stated the other while regardless placing one of the cups on the desk in front of Alois. He smiled as he heard a giggle from the other, taking his own seat.

The blonde reached for the cup before hesitating. "Oh!" he began. "You wouldn't happen to have brought sugar with you, have you?"

"Already in there. Two spoons." answered the bluenette before bringing his own cup to his lips. He knew exactly how much Alois liked in his tea, which surprised the blonde.

"Thanks." smiled the menace, taking his drink in both hands and looking at his reflection staring back at him. He was startled when the phone on the section of desk between them went off, prompting the Watchdog to set his cup down and reach over to answer it.

"Phantomhive." he greeted after placing the device up against his ear. The other tuned in, finding no interest in actually working. Alois' expression changed and he focused harder as Ciel's tone grew more concerned. "What? Is that so…"

There was a pause before Ciel perked up as well. "What?" his brow furrowed and his expression became more stern. "You can't be serious..."

This conversation went on for a while and it was clear that it was nothing but bad news. Alois was concerned, but knew that he should wait to ask until the other was done talking. When Ciel hung up, Alois waited a moment before bringing it up.

"What was that?"

"I'm off the Thaddeus case temporarily." the Watchdog answered without sugarcoating the situation in the slightest. "That old woman, the one who tampered with your memories; she's dead. Murder. Sword through the heart. An investigation is under way."

"Why does that mean you're off the case?" Alois questioned. He waited for the other to reply, allowing Ciel to let out a long, drawn out sigh.

"Because I'm a suspect." Ciel said. "Swords are uncommon weapons, and I'm known for wielding one. I also have a motive. So, until I'm cleared, I am not allowed to be investigating."

"What the fuck?!" exclaimed the menace. "That's bullshit! You were here all night and all day!"

"They won't accept you as an alibi. You are considered to have a motive to lie."

"Oh yeah? Well what motive do you have to kill her?" His question was rhetorical, but the expression on Ciel's face and the silence he was met with filled him with unease. Alois' face drooped as he looked to the other. All the while, thoughts of new possibilities sank in. "Ciel?"

"She is the one who took away your memories of me." the Watchdog said with a calmness that almost seemed fragile. "When that first happened, I… expressed my resentment in a way that was not the most _'tame'_. In fact, at the time I probably even meant what I said. However, I reached the same conclusion that I have now, and that is that she is an elderly woman whose own mind has almost left her. Killing her would be cruel, even though she took you from me." Looking to the blonde, Ciel was firm, but he was sincere.

"More importantly, I know that is not what you would have wanted me to do." he continued. "Therefore, I would have never killed her. It would have done more harm than good."

Really, Alois wasn't sure how to take that. It was cold-blooded, but at the same time, there was a sweetness to it. Ciel would kill for Alois, as it was with Alois where his true loyalty lied. Both Britain and H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. were secondary on his list of priorities. It was starting to become clearer to Alois, but he didn't want to seem arrogant by assuming. Still, the fact that Ciel had even considered murder for him was oddly touching. This fact made the menace seriously question both his morals and his taste.

"So, we play the waiting game again?" he asked, earning a nod.

"Mm-hm." lazily answered the other with a weary sigh. "It's a waste of time, though. We could be working toward getting close enough to Thaddeus to question him, but now we have to wait for them to confirm that I was where I said I was and that I didn't check into Gehenna. It's obvious stuff that has the potential to take longer than necessary, if whoever is doing the investigating is incompetent."

"Yeah… Dunno what to do about it, though..." Agreed the blonde. Resting his elbows on the table, he leaned forward, subconsciously getting closer to the other. "Tell me if there's anything I can do."

Thoughtlessly, the other mirrored the blonde's gesture, leaning closer. The two looked at one another across the divider, failing to find their proximity abnormal. In fact, the blonde reached out to the other and moved a stray lock of bluenette hair back into it's appropriate place. Although the action was sudden and unexpected on both of their parts, Ciel did not flinch or move away. He simply allowed it to happen. He smiled at the other's offer and found it pleasant that Alois would fuss over him.

"I will." Ciel assured. "I'm not sure when that will be or what for, but I'll rely on you when it happens."

* * *


	333. A Turn Has Been Taken

An autopsy was performed on the body of Ruth Marchand, the old witch who was responsible for the loss of Alois' memory and who was murdered in the home she shared with her granddaughter provided the same results as the initial field analysis. A blade had pierced her chest all the way through to the other side. It was most likely a sword.

Similarly, her granddaughter and caretaker was also interrogated. The girl was a witness to the crime, however, she could not give a physical description of the perpetrators. She was blind, but could hear them just fine despite the fact that they did not speak. The girl claimed to hear enough footsteps for multiple people. "Three, at least" she said, which didn't add up if fingers were going to be pointed to Ciel Phantomhive. It simply wasn't his modus operandi.

If Ciel Phantomhive was going to murder someone as an act of vengeance, it would be a duel. He had done it before. This was his preferred style. Yet, this did not match. The sword did, but it wasn't obvious who the other people were, if he was there. Thus, the neighbours were questioned, and a family of vampires across the street, who just so happened to be the only ones awake saw three men walk up to the front door, where the old woman greeted them and allowed them inside.

This lined up with yet another claim of the granddaughter. She said that her grandmother was not concerned when she opened the door and that she welcomed them inside like she knew them. If it were Ciel, this wouldn't be the case, as she hated the Watchdog intensely to wretch his beloved spouse from him. It was nonsensical. Still, Ciel wasn't in the clear just yet. There was still no definite proof that he did not commit the crime.

As was his nature, however, he didn't want to back down just yet. Ciel wanted to finish this case, despite the fact that there was no need. If H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. took care of things, that was simply less work for him to do. Being the man he was, however, this was about honour, not practicality.

His name had been besmirched, even for just a moment, and that simply would not do. He was now more determined than before to get to Thaddeus and if he could, he would get the old woman's killer, too. A small part of him, however, wanted revenge just to feel like he was in control of something again. For now, he was at the mercy of Alois' scattered memory.

"Mail's here." the blonde said while walking into the office. He rummaged through them, finding a few envelopes for him, but most of them were for Ciel. Thus, they were handed to the bluenette before Alois took a seat.

"Thank you." Ciel answered, setting the mail aside. While he was going to get to it later, the other demon took to opening his right away. "What did you get?"

"A ' _get well_ ' card from Sir Midford." the menace replied while shaking his head. Still, he smiled all the same as he opened the card and music started to play.

"Are you getting well?"

"Getting there. I'm feeling more confident every day."

"That's good." the bluenette said with a smile, only for it to fall with two words.

"Oh, no..." Alois said, picking up another envelope.

"What's wrong?"

"It's from the school. That's never fun."

Ciel watched while the other opened the envelope. When the piece of paper inside was free, Alois' eyes scanned a few sentences before leaning back with a sigh. Running a hand through his hair, his eyes never left the paper as he continued to read. Alois read the letter and then read it again; then once more for good measure. Eventually, he tossed the paper onto the desk before closing his eyes and slumping down in his chair with a groan. Perplexed, the Watchdog had to ask.

"What's wrong?" inquired the bluenette, leaning over the divider desk between them to look at the menace. He waited patiently for a response. At first, he only received a drawn-out sigh and a shake of the blonde's head, but eventually, the menace came clean.

"Classes aren't going too well." he said. "At this rate, I'm probably gonna flunk most of 'em, and pass by the skin of my teeth in the rest."

"You've had a busy semester." Ciel stated in an attempt to be reassuring. "It's completely understandable if you fall behind."

"I don't want to fall behind. I want my degree. Falling behind isn't like a Phantomhi-" Suddenly, the blonde cut himself off and blinked in confusion. What on earth was he saying? It came out so naturally that he had barely caught it. He knew better. He was most certainly not a Phantomhive, yet here he was, feeling determined to honour the family name. It made no sense. Furthermore, it was heard by the bluenette, who was surprised as well at the slip as he stared back at the menace with his eyebrows raised.

Ciel watched the blonde pause and ponder with anticipation. He grew more nervous with each passing second, both fearing and looking forward to the possibility of Alois remembering being a Phantomhive and being his husband. The Watchdog longed for it, but the thought also filled him with dread as the fear of rejection engrossed his mind. The possibility that Alois would push him away lingered, and it was all Ciel had been afraid of this entire time. It was the reason why he hid from the menace. It was the reason why he hid them. Whatever happened next was something he couldn't stop, so he just sat there frozen while staring at the blonde.

"I..." Alois began, reaching up to rub his temple. "I… I need to go… Something's coming to me and I need to focus on it."

"A-alright." the other answered, uncertain as to what this meant. He loosened the collar of his shirt as he watched Alois close his laptop and stand up before slowly making his way out the door. The blonde had a hand through his hair as he rubbed his throbbing cranium with his brow furrowed at the discomfort. For a moment, he lost his balance and stumbled, causing Ciel to stand and start moving toward him, only to catch himself.

"Are you alright?" Ciel questioned, freezing in his tracks, but he was waved away.

"Yeah. I'll be fine. I just need to lie down for a little bit." the blonde informed before disappearing into the hallway.

Alois was on the verge of something big. He could feel it from how terrible his head felt. Quickly, he tried to get back to his room so he could be somewhere quiet when it came to him. With one hand against the wall, he wobbled to his destination, but instead of the guest room he was currently staying in, his subconscious guided him to the master suite. Unable to get to the master bedroom, he laid down on one of the couches in the front room, where his eyes closed and he slipped into what he could only describe as a dream.


	334. Isomnia of the Worst Kind

The next thing Alois knew, he was in the master bedroom. It wasn't the frontroom of the master suite like he had fallen asleep in, but the actual bedroom. He wanted to bolt up and assess the situation, but he couldn't move. Even his eyes wouldn't obey him, so looking around the room was an impossibility. Panic ran through him as he tried to think of what to do or even an explanation as to how this could be. Desperately, he tried to get up or even twitch a finger, but it was fruitless. He was completely frozen.

Hearing the door open, however, he discovered that he was in fact capable of movement, but he wasn't in control of it. It's as though someone else was. When his assumed puppetmaster made his body prop itself up in order to see who was entering the room, he could see the bluenette standing there with a smile and an apologetic look. The Watchdog slipped off his shoes and quietly padded over to him, making Alois frightened as to whether or not Ciel was responsible. If he was, whatever it was would have destroyed the menace. Just when he thought he could trust the man, he would have proved to be the biggest threat of all.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Ciel asked in a hushed tone. The blonde wanted to call out and demand an explanation as to what was going on, but he couldn't.

"You wouldn't have if you actually came to bed on time." The words mumbled escaped the Alois' lips, but he did not conjure them.

"Sorry, dear." the bluenette apologised in response before sitting on the edge of the bed. Alois could still feel the other's weight weighing down on the mattress, alerting him to the fact that he could still feel with this uncooperative body of his. To his utmost shock and surprise, the bluenette cupped his cheek and leaned forward to plant a quick kiss on his forehead.

Alois couldn't think. All he could do was watch this as though it were a movie, pre-scripted from the very beginning. He didn't know right then, but it was. That's why he felt a lingering sense of familiarity to the scenario. While he had similar dreams before this, this was the first where he was aware. He was a conscious spectator, helpless to what was happening before him; or rather, _to_ him.

"I'm all done with work for now." Ciel continued with a smile. "So that means that for the next few days, I'm all yours."

A giggle fell from Alois' lips as the other pressed his index finger to the tip of his nose. While he wasn't in control of these actions, Alois could feel the happiness that the "other him" was feeling at the information. "Good. I'm tired of competing for your attention."

"I don't, either. You know if I had my way, you would win."

"Damn straight."

"Let me get ready and I'll come to bed. Then we can talk all about what we want to do tomorrow." the Watchdog said before stunning the menace once again.

Alois could see the bluenette moving in closer before his body slowly closed it's eyes, but he could feel the bluenette's lips against his. Naturally, he was embarrassed. His heart was fluttering. This was all he could daydream about ever since he realised he had feelings for Ciel, but this was not how he wanted it. Still, he felt a sliver of happiness despite it all. He could tell it was the influence of whatever was going on, as he desperately wanted to be afraid and disgusted. Why on earth did this man have to have the uncanny of making him feel at ease just by being near him? It was more than "strange". It should be an impossibility. Yet, here he was.

Though the kiss was brief, it felt like it lasted ages to Alois and he enjoyed every bit of it. When Ciel pulled away, he stood, allowing the blonde to lay back down. "I'll be right back." he said while heading to the bathroom, and Alois' body playfully held his hand out after the man.

"Hurry" Once again, words that he did not come up with escaped him. It was like he was a voyeur in all of this. He wasn't completely "there", yet he was. He could feel the softness of the sheets and every gentle touch the other demon gave him. He could feel the happiness and contentment that his "other self" felt. It was infectious.

After that, he seemed to doze off again, waking up as the mattress sagged once more. With that, his eyes opened to the sight of Ciel wearing a T-shirt and boxers, sitting on the edge of the bed while taking off his eyepatch. Turning around, he lifted the blankets and got underneath them, pulling the blonde closer while letting out a rather pleased hum. His guard was completely down as he relaxed next to Alois with the blonde securely in his arms.

The blonde then looked at his face. There was a brief moment when Ciel's eye was open, letting out a soft purple glow before he held it shut again so it didn't disturb the other. That small flicker was enough to leave the menace in awe. Alois felt as though he was graced with knowing a secret and was intrigued by the man's now closed eye.

"Sorry for waking you again." the bluenette said in a whisper, running his hand through the other's hair.

"It's okay." softly mumbled the menace.

"We can wait to talk about tomorrow in the morning, if you want."

"I don't mind..."

"I can't bear to ruin you being comfortable, though." Ciel stated, smiling as he earned a hum of acknowledgment. "I'll just let you sleep."

"M'kay..." answered Alois. His conscious self was starting to meld with this other. Both of them were relaxing and the menace wasn't sure if he should be afraid of this fact or not. For now, he was going to enjoy the moment.

"Love you." his outer self mumbled, startling him. But even more shocking was the fact that his head was kissed in response.

"I love you too, Jim." he heard Ciel's voice say while feeling the bluenette's grip tighten.

That was even more startling. With a gasp of air, Alois jolted so he was sitting upright where he laid. Now that his body was able to move of his own free will again, he looked around. Panting, his eyes adjusted to the dark, only to realise that he was no longer in the same room. It was in fact the front room of the master suite and he was still on the sofa. Looking down, he could see that someone had carefully laid a blanket on top of him. At that moment, it felt like it was too much as a thin layer of sweat coated his skin. His face burned and his hands trembled as he tried to regain his senses.

Something was severely wrong. All of this was wrong. Why? Why was everything so wrong? And how? He couldn't figure it out. He couldn't understand any of it! Why? Why was it that his dream felt "right"?

Drawing his knees into his chest, he hugged his legs and rubbed his head. Alois' dreams were becoming progressively more vivid. He was starting to wonder if they were real or not. Perhaps they were at one point. Perhaps they weren't really "dreams" at all, but that would mean something that Alois simply couldn't accept.

 _"_ _Fuck..."_ he let out in a whimper, burying his face in his knees. He didn't want this. It was all too muddled. It was too complicated. There was no way he could get out of this situation unscathed if this were the case. Once upon a time, it seemed like Alois had flown too close to the sun, and like Icarus, he was burned. But why was Ciel still so fond of him? He didn't understand it at all. No, he was simply too afraid to recognise the truth, so he crushed down everything that pointed him in a particular direction. Yet, there was no other path to walk on. Really, the menace wanted nothing more than to fall asleep and never wake up again, if that meant not having to deal with this.

"Are you awake?" called a voice, causing the menace to jump. Rapidly, his head turned to face the doorway to see Ciel wearing a surprised expression on his face. The man's back was illuminated by the light of the hallway, highlighting his intimidating figure. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you..." he apologised, his voice and expression sincere. In response, Alois only shook his head.

"It's okay..." he said, knowing better. He wasn't okay. Surely, he thought, the bluenette would ask him why he had fallen asleep here. To his surprise, however, he didn't and asked a different question instead.

"Alright… Do you need anything?" the Watchdog questioned. "I would have given you a pillow, too, but there's no way I could have lifted your head and not wake you up. I can get you one if you need."

"I don't care..." Alois fibbed, finally acknowledging his slightly stiff neck. Without another word, Ciel disappeared somewhere behind him, only alerting him to where he went by the sound of the bedroom door opening. When the bluenette came back, he presented Alois with a pillow, regardless.

"Just in case." he said, holding it out until the blonde hesitantly took it. "Are you hot? Cold?"

"It's a bit warm, I guess..." the menace stated. "The blanket."

"I can get you a sheet." Ciel said, turning to walk back out of the room. "Just wait a second."

"Hey, Ciel?" interrupted Alois, capturing the Watchdog's attention again. Immediately, Ciel stopped dead in his tracks.

"Yes?"

"Why are you being so nice?"

"Isn't that just what you do when someone isn't feeling well?" Ciel questioned.

"You don't seem like the type."

"Well, I'm not, really, but I am for certain people."

"Like who?"

"You, Luka, Lizzie, and maybe Revy, pretty much." the bluenette answered, turning back around to face the other. "Why?"

"No reason…" sighed the blonde, now hugging the pillow. It had Ciel's scent on it, tempting Alois to bury his face in it, but he wouldn't while the man was watching him.

To this, Ciel spent some time observing the menace in order to figure him out. After a few moments, he finally asked: "Is something wrong?" Slowly, he inched over to the menace, placing a hand on the back of the sofa. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really." Alois bluntly answered. "I'm not there yet."

"Tell me when you get to that point. Or just if there's anything you need."

"Okay..." said the menace, hesitantly glancing the other's way. "Is it… Is it okay if I stay here?"

"Certainly." Ciel answered with a soft, reassuring smile. "If it's more comfortable in here, be my guest. I don't mind in the slightest."

"Thanks." Putting his pillow down, Alois rested his head on it as he laid back on the couch. He turned on his side and tried his best to find a good position while the other took this as his que to leave.

"Goodnight, Alois." the bluenette said, heading toward the bedroom door.

"'Night." replied the blonde, watching after the other once his back was turned.

As he stared at that closed door, he thought it was odd. It was like he was on the wrong side of it. Yet, he did not want to think about why. Alois just didn't want to think anymore. He wasn't sure what he wanted. All he knew was that he longed for some time unknown to him when things were back to "normal", whatever that may be.


	335. Clever Boy

When Alois woke up next, he didn't feel well. He had a lingering sense of dread. It wasn't as though he could avoid interacting with the Watchdog, but he wasn't sure how to go about it when he did. Anxiety gnawed at his stomach and his skin crawled. Alois' muscles were tense as he was put on his guard by some unknown force or reason. The thought that those dreams might not have been dreams disturbed him on a profound level, divorcing him from the reality that he knew now by force.

Yet Ciel acted normally- no, that wasn't entirely true. The bluenette acted normally enough, but still maintained an air of unease as well. Ciel was friendly to Alois, and the blonde knew that he was fond of him. He was doing his best in order to cope with the situation at hand, but Alois was starting to wonder if the mysterious man was as he presented himself.

Sitting up, the blonde rubbed his eyes and pondered what he was going to do that day when he saw the bluenette. He didn't have to think long, as when he looked over at the coffee table, he could see a glass of water and a note folded in half and carefully put in place. Picking it up, he skimmed it to find that the bluenette had left out both for him. The fact made him sigh. Ciel was considerate, which Alois really liked, but the lack of knowledge of their shared history and the bluenette's intentions made him uneasy. Still, he picked up the glass and continued to read as he sipped it. His demeanor shifted, however, as he was met with the next point of the note. As soon as he was finished reading it, he quickly set the glass down and stood up.

With great haste, he made his way to the office, practically barging into the room once he arrived. Still in his pyjamas, he shook the other up from his abrupt appearance. Ciel was helpless at his desk as the menace came in with a serious demeanor.

"Why didn't you wake me up?!" demanded the blonde. "Tell me this shit sooner!"

"I'm sorry. You weren't feeling well, so your health took priority." answered the Watchdog.

"Wakefield is more important than me."

"Not to me." Ciel bluntly answered, realising how suspect that sounded only after he said it. While the blonde blushed and shifted slightly, avoiding his gaze, the bluenette simple tried to move things along and brush over it.

"Yes, we received an invitation to a party that Wakefield is throwing." the bluenette stated. "In my experience, however, this is most definitely a trap of of some sort. Now, as to what their plan is and how we are going to proceed is going to be a task within itself. Do you think you're fit for a mission like this?"

"Aren't you still banned?" Alois questioned. "Don't get in trouble with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; dumbass. I know it's tempting, but you gotta think about yourself."

"That didn't answer my question."

"I mean, I think I could probably do it, but I don't know how it would work."

"Simple. We go in, we snoop, and then we get out. It would just be a simple intel mission. We won't engage unless we have to. After all, _he_ invited _us._ " the bluenette informed. "As long as we don't get held up anywhere, we should be fine."

"This seems a little reckless for you..." the menace said. "Are _you_ okay?"

"Perfectly. I'm right as rain." the other fibbed. "I just want to get this over with so I can focus on other things."

"Like what?"

" _Business_." Ciel said, referring to personal problems he was having as a result of the situation. The menace just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Why can't you just let someone else deal with it? That's just as good. You can focus on your 'business,' and the shit gets done." Alois suggested. "Or is it some kind of 'honour' thing you nobles do?"

"Kind of. Sorry. We're just weird."

"Obviously. What good is honour if you're dead? That's what's going to happen if you get caught getting into this shit while banned."

"I'm not going to confront him. I'm just going to his party. Those are two different things." Ciel said.

"Great, so you're a murder suspect fraternizing with another murder suspect. Fantastic. Your brilliance is astounding."

"Have some faith in me. I appreciate your worrying, but I'm not guilty of anything."

"Who says I'm worried?" indignantly questioned the blonde. He wasn't sure why he was, in truth, or why he was so irritated. Alois was simply frustrated and overwhelmed by his own memories and dreams. No one had a solution as to how he was going to cope with this, so he wasn't going to ask. The fact that his irritation was irrational only led to more frustration for the blonde, as he was aware of it and couldn't change the way he feels on command. If he could, he would always be calm.

"No one did." answered the Watchdog, putting his hands up to indicate that he came in peace. "You're just acting strangely, is all. Are you feeling alright? You weren't well last night…"

"Sounds like _you're_ the one whose worried." Alois accused while folding his arms in a huff.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. Quite frankly, I don't."

"Well, if I've done something to upset you, I can't fix it if I don't know what it is, is the thing." Ciel explained, setting his hands flat on his desk. "If you're not comfortable talking, that's one thing-"

"I'm not." the menace stated. "Sorry. I don't- I don't want to talk. I don't really understand what's going on, either, so it would be useless, anyway."

"Not nessecarily. Talking about it might help you figure it out."

"Then I'll go talk about it. With Kris."

"Why Kris?"

"I know him better." Alois bluntly said, causing the bluenette to stiffen as he was taken aback in momentary offense. Ciel had to remember the situation before he lingered on that detail.

"Alright." the bluenette said. "That sounds like a good idea. You go do that while I figure out what to do about Wakefield."

"Oh, no. You're not going to that party alone." scolded the menace, wagging his finger while stepping closer. He leaned forward, placing one hand on the desk while pointing at Ciel with the other.

"Are you suggesting you with me?"

"Duh. Who else are you going to bring. Does the invitation say ' _Sebastian'?_ "

"Well, no..."

"It says it's for you and me. Bringing Sebastian will look like you're up to something." explained the blonde. "I'm going. If I'm too sick, then you're staying home with me."

"Then don't become under the weather." Ciel instructed. "Just a simple reconnaissance mission. We just happened to be invited to his party and just happened to come across information."

"Like they won't know you're full of shit..."

"I may be full of shit, but I will have provided them with enough information to make a move. I'm sure they can forgive that."

"Don't- don't play around, okay?" requested the menace, his tone changing to one that was more sincere. "I don't want you to get in trouble with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; okay?"

To this, Ciel couldn't help but allow a soft smile grace his face, prompting the other to blush and avert his gaze. Ciel knew. He knew that Alois was worried about him, and while he didn't want Alois to worry over him, the concern made him happy. It meant that the menace cared about him, at least a little bit.

"I won't." spoke the bluenette. "How do you think I should proceed? They might actually send me anyway, if they think they can get in. But, if they don't and I tell them about the invitation, the plan is compromised."

"I don't know." Alois replied, looking down. Pausing, he thought for a while. Finally, he reached the conclusion that he needed to think some more! "Give me a little while." he said. "I might be able to come up with something."

"Please do." the other man said. "I trust that you can come up with something good."

"Why's that?"

"You're more clever than I am."


	336. The Best Is Yet To Come

Alois thought for a while, coming up with several plans as to how he was going to convince Integra to allow Ciel to go through with this plan without getting in the way. He had several pages full of potential plans and details on each one, but few of them had probability for success in his favour. Really, the best plan was the most simple and that was to tell the woman the truth.

It seemed like a terrible idea, but he knew that Integra trusted them. He also knew that she was a reasonable woman. If his argument was compelling enough, she would consider it. The main objective was to convince her that he wasn't going to lie for Ciel's sake, which seemed more troublesome than it should be, for some reason. Surely he had no real reason to vouch for the bluenette, but everyone else seemed to think he did. Really, he didn't want to think about that too hard. If he did, he may be overwhelmed with memory again, and that would be detrimental to this operation.

Regardless, he made his choice. Without informing the Watchdog of where he was going, he went to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. Headquarters in order to speak with Sir Integra. After explaining to her the situation, she simply leaned forward, staring at him with a questioning look.

"Why did you tell me this?" she asked. "You know that you could have just gotten Ciel in trouble, yes?"

"I felt as though it would be better to have your input on this." Alois stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "If Ciel goes in and does something stupid by himself, then we might never catch Wakefield. While I do agree with him that this is an excellent opportunity, I am aware of his status on standby, and also am not confident in his ability to fulfill the objective on his own."

Integra leaned back in her seat, staring intently at the demon in front of her. She did her best to conceal the fact that she was puzzled by the man's actions, but the fact that Alois ratted the Watchdog out remained. In all honesty, she wasn't quite certain as to how to interpret that. The amount of detachment with which the man spoke was a cause for deep concern, as ordinarily, Alois wore his heart on his sleeve. He thought about others, especially those he was fond of. Had his fondness of the bluenette waned? That was certainly a possibility, although Integra found it hard to believe.

"I believe..." she began, leaning forward while folding her hands on top of her desk. "...We must exercise caution in this case. I am still unhappy with the fact that he destroyed my possessions while he was here. He has proven that he is capable of acting impulsively without restraint in the very recent past, and while the investigation into the murder of that witch is starting to exclude him, that fact still remains. Sending him on a mission that requires such precision is, in a word: _'unwise_ '."

Alois did not falter in his expression, but nodded slightly to indicate he was both listening to and understanding what was being said. This aside, Integra didn't seem to be done speaking. She continued with: "Yet, considering the opportunity as well as his history of being proficient in his work under pressure… I will allow him to accompany you on this mission. However, on the condition that he pays me back for the damages on my home in addition to him being on his best behaviour. Both of these conditions must be met in order for everyone to come out of this alright. Am I understood?"

"Perfectly." the menace stated calmly. "If he fucks up, feel free to go yakuza on him and take a pinky."

"Worse could happen." Integra replied. "Keep him under control, or you might be the one losing more than a finger."

"Understood, sir."

"Good." Leaning back, the woman relaxed somewhat, despite being only partially satisfied with the other's response. Worry still lingered over the offer of mutilating the Watchdog by the Lion, but there was really nothing she could do about that. Prying in other people's personal affairs was not a strong suit of hers, and she wasn't casual enough with the demon in order to speak as anyone but his superior. "I will arrange backup nearby. Report here before going to the party. Is there anything else you wish to add?"

"No, sir." the menace answered, standing from his seat.

"Then you are dismissed."

With that, Alois turned and walked out of the room, taking care to shut the door behind him. His risk had paid off. He would have to report back to Ciel, despite his own wishes. Truthfully, the menace felt guilty for trying to manipulate Integra, given how good she is to them both. He felt worse about this than he did about ratting out Ciel. In a bizarre way, head of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. was the closest thing to a "mother" he had, ever since the Castle Krampus incident. That's most of what he could recall from that mission, in fact.

Continuing down the hallway, the man came across a certain angel, startling him as he turned the corner. His hand clutched at his chest as he was taken by surprise by Elizabeth, who did not seem very pleased. She stood with her arms crossed and tapped her foot. Alois' face went white as a sheet when he saw the woman's expression. She knew. Alois could tell.

"Come with me." she said, gesturing for the demon to follow. Wordlessly, the Lion did with his shoulders slouched like he was a kitten that had just been kicked. Weaving in and out of hallways, the woman finally arrived in a rather unsightly guest room and motioned for the other to step inside.

Splintered wood scattered the floor as chairs and tables lay in ruin. Mirrors were shattered on their vanities while broken glass and shards of ceramics were strewn about the carpet, sometimes hidden for some unsuspecting soul to step on in their bare feet. The only item that seemed out of place was a silk tie poking out from underneath the debris. Crouching down, Alois grabbed the fabric and picked it up. He felt as though he recognised it, but couldn't place it. In fact, he believed that he might have been the one who purchased it.

"I heard what you said to Integra." the angel said. "How could you be so cold?"

"What do you mean?" questioned Alois in a shoddy attempt to maintain innocence.

"The way you spoke about Ciel..." Elisabeth clarified. "It was distant. It was almost cruel..."

So Elizabeth hadn't caught on, it seemed. Still, the menace lowered his head. A sliver of guilt was rearing its ugly head from within him over the bluenette, despite not feeling it before.

"I'm sorry..." he said. "It needed to be done..."

Furrowing her brow, the lips of the woman pressed together in a thin line as their edges pointed downward. "Look at this room." she finally instructed. "This is what needs to be replaced."

Against his better judgement, the menace looked around, taking in the destruction once more while Elizabeth continued. "This is where Ciel was staying." the angel said. "He tore this room apart when he heard what happened to you. He was in turmoil- completely falling to pieces! In a way… He still is..."

"So?" the other shrugged, trying not to think about it.

"So Ciel cares about you." indignantly replied the woman. "How can the person who is most important to him talk about him so coldly? According to our records, you were improving… Why the drastic change?"

"Shit happens." Alois stated. "Sometimes, you just can't do anything about it. So what if I'm important to Ciel? I don't remember him. He's practically a stranger, so why should I act like best mates with him? It doesn't make any sense. Even if he cares, I just don-"

Before he could finish his sentence, a sharp sound echoed throughout the room and the Lion's cheek began to sting. Shocked, Alois stood with eyes widened and his face now turned to the side. Elizabeth's open hand lowered to her side as it slowly balled into a loose fist.

"Liar." she accused. "Look me in the eye when you say that and I might feel more inclined to believe you."

"You slapped me..." Alois mumbled absent-mindedly. On instinct, his own hand raised to brush his fingers against his reddened cheek as his head turned to face the woman.

"Wake up." Hellsing ordered. "Stop daydreaming about this world where your past doesn't exist. Stop trying to avoid it. It's not like you to run away from things. What happened? You were getting along so well..."

"Yeah, well maybe we weren't." the blonde harshly replied. "I can't help how I feel, and I don't want to be around him. He creeps me out and I want nothing to do with him. That's that." Folding his arms, he huffed.

"Did you remember something?" questioned Elizabeth. "Answer me honestly."

Raising his eyebrows, Alois looked surprised momentarily before averting his gaze. His cheeks turned pink as he frowned. "I don't know _what_ that was." he said. "It's just… I don't like not knowing..."

The expression on Elizabeth's face softened at the admission, and her posture became less defensive. They were getting somewhere, at the very least. As expected, it was something significant that threw him off. From what he said, the woman could decipher that it was most likely a memory of a more amourous nature that he shared with the bluenette. Perhaps she had been too hard on the man. The thought caused her to sigh.

"I'm sorry I slapped you..." she apologised. "That wasn't right of me. I don't like seeing the two of you not getting along, so I was worried."

"You know something, too, don't you?"

"Yes."

"And you're not going to tell me, huh?"

"No..."

"Figures." Alois said, letting his arms fall to his sides. Turning, he walked over to the bed and sat down, treading over glass and splinters ground into the carpet. "Everybody knows everything and I'm the only one stuck in the dark. It's like everyone I know is in on an inside joke or something, but I'm not. It's worse than that. I've lost something important to me- to how… how I _live_. You could even say it's part of who I am. I want it back, but at the same time, I'm afraid of it. I don't want to touch it."

"Why is that?"

"Remembering might ruin what I have. I come from a world where happiness was hard to come by. Holding on to what little bit I had is all I could do, sometimes. Ciel, he… He does make me happy, but at the same time, he's scary. He makes me remember things that damage my current perception of the world. I don't like lies. I don't want to live in the dark forever, but… what if reality is worse?"

Those words practically caused the woman's heart to break. While they weren't related by blood, Elizabeth accepted the menace as a full-fledged member of her family, and cared about him accordingly. Never before had she seen the usually cheerful and caring Alois so lost, confused, and melancholy. His voice and his body language were completely abnormal. Everything about the man was wrong and it was all because of the fear and hopelessness of being trapped in a string of white lies meant to protect him, but now being afraid to seek the truth to what his life was like before.

She knew better. She knew of the happiness he once possessed. Every time Elizabeth made her weekly visit to the Phantomhives, Alois was always there, smiling from the bottom of his heart as he socialised with his family. She knew of confessions he made, speaking sincerely about how he was happy to a point that he still almost couldn't believe possible. He was content. He was joyful. He was loved and knew it, too. Alois knew it every single moment of every single day, but now, all of it was absent. More than that, he was unaware that it even existed.

Hesitantly, Elizabeth walked over to the bed and sat down next to the man, quietly pondering as to what to say to him. Before long, she settled on placing a hand on his shoulder. With that, she finally mustered some words.

"You're going to be okay..." the Hellsing offered, moving her hand in a soothing motion. "I still can't tell you everything, but I can promise you that you were happy."

"Are you sure?" questioned the menace. He was hesitantly hopeful while raising his head.

"Completely." Elizabeth stated as pure fact. "You were one of the most smiling people I know. Every time I saw you, you were smiling and laughing the most sincere of laughs. You even said so yourself that you didn't know that being that consistently happy was possible before then. There's nothing to be afraid of."

There was a pause before the blonde answered. "That doesn't mean the fear isn't still there."

"That's true." the other said. Silence pursued as she tried to think of something to say. "Want me to tell you something?"

"What?"

"Ciel says you're braver than he is." she told him. "I believe his exact words were _'he's braver than I, stronger than I, and more clever than I.'_ He probably feels very vulnerable without you."

"So?" questioned the menace. "What does that have to do with me being afraid? Are you saying that I shouldn't be scared because he's more afraid of me than I am of him?"

"Partially, but there's more to it than that. You were the only person to every soundly defeat him. Now, I wasn't there, but he says that he has never met a person who could compare to that level of cleverness in the hundred years he's lived since then. Ciel has nothing but admiration and respect for you. Even though you started out rough, one thing led to another and you became inseparable. That's why he can't leave you alone no matter how hard he tries."

Watching the woman's face, Alois stared intently while trying to decipher her words. He knew that she was still hiding things from him, despite offering him quite a bit of information. Alois was thankful, although filled with more questions than before.

How on earth did he meet the bluenette? If they were at odds, it had to be anything but pleasant. He didn't know how he "defeated" Ciel or why and he didn't know how they had become friends after that. This combined with his dreams became more discomforting, although what the other demon supposedly said about him somehow made Alois feel happy.

Why was that? Why did Ciel saying good things about him make him so happy inside? Moreover, he didn't know what all of this meant in the context of his dreams.

No. That was a lie. He had his suspicions. Yet, he didn't want them to be correct in case they impede things now. He doesn't want to have to live up to someone he used to be, since he didn't know if he would ever return to the man he was. At least to Ciel, that is.

Regardless, he had many things to focus on at once, so he needed to plan which one he was going to address first. Thus, he stood and straightened his clothes, soon followed by Elizabeth in his gesture. Turning to face her, he said: "I should go. I need to tell Ciel about what I discussed with Integra."

"That's quite alright. Go take care of what you need to." the woman said. Before Alois could leave, however, she stopped him. "Oh, Alois?"

"Yeah?" the menace asked, looking over his shoulder.

"I'm going to be at the Phantomhive estate tomorrow." she explained. "I need to talk to Ciel and make sure he's doing alright. It may be best if you weren't there."

"Fine by me." Alois replied. "I'll see if I can hang out with Kris, or maybe I'll take Luka out somewhere. I still have playground equipment I need to deliver."

At last, he cracked a small smile. It was insincere, but it was a start. He at least tried to lighten the mood, so Elizabeth rewarded him with an attempt at humouring him with a smile of her own.

"Once again," she offered. "I'm sorry about slapping you. That really wasn't right of me."

"Don't worry about it. I'm a big boy; I can handle it. You do have a very impressive slap, though. How many soldiers have you made cry with it?"

"Oh, only a couple."

"I don't believe you." Alois said, pointing his finger at her as to playfully scold her. He smiled as he turned to leave, but once the door was closed, it faded as he made his way back down the hall. Solemnly, he made his way down the hall and outside, where a car was waiting to take him home. He left Elizabeth there, alone in that room.

Watching after him, the Hellsing truly wondered if he was going to be alright. All she could do was hope for the best. Looking back at the bed, Elizabeth looked to see if Alois had left Ciel's tie, but it was nowhere to be found. She thought that the menace must have taken it with him in order to return it to the Watchdog. Surely, he did. But against her or anyone else's knowledge, it stayed with him. As he made the trip back home, it sat in his lap in the car as he rubbed the silk fabric with his fingers while lost in thought.

Alois had no knowledge of what was to come next. He didn't know what to expect aside from unrest, but knew that he desired to welcome it. Hesitantly, he craved what was to come, knowing it would be difficult. But the promise of something greater was hard to resist. Was he truly happy before?

Flipping up the collar of his shirt, the thin piece of fabric made it's way around his neck. A knot was expertly fashioned without the use of a mirror and the collar went back down. With a few adjustments, he was set and ready to take on the task that awaited him when he returned home.


	337. In The Doghouse

True to her word, Elizabeth came to the Phantomhive estate to visit with Ciel, but not before Alois set off. The blonde decided to take Luka out and finally finish their task with the church of Gehenna so that he would be out of the way. He still wasn't on very good terms with the bluenette in the first place, as when he arrived home the previous day, he simply gave Ciel a quick run-down of his conversation with Integra before scurrying off. The Watchdog didn't mind, although he thought that the behaviour was odd.

Alois was given as much space as he wanted from the bluenette. If he wanted to spend time with Ciel, the menace was more than welcome, but Ciel wasn't going to force any interactions. If Alois needed something from him, he would come. It was as simple as that.

It took a lot of will-power, but somehow, the Watchdog managed despite his gnawing desire to see the menace. Ciel missed seeing Alois' face everyday and hearing his voice so much that it caused him physical pain. There was never a moment when the dull ache of his heart was absent, persisting even when he tried his best and failed to sleep. Although Alois couldn't remember, Ciel did. He still loved the menace with all of his heart. Tiredness filled every action he performed and every thought he conjured from the despair of being without his Alois.

Ciel's body felt heavy and his mind was foggy. He did his very best to function and he managed somewhat, but ultimately, the distance from the menace benefited him by giving him time to recharge. With no energy and no drive, the Watchdog was desperate to distract himself with work and was aided when he was given permission to attend Wakefield's party. While planning, however, he found his attention waning even when he tried to force it. Instead, his focus turned to nothing in particular, like his head was filled with static.

Oftentimes, he would find himself daydreaming about his beloved, only to shake the thought away once he realised it was there due to the fact that he deemed it "inappropriate" to have such desires for someone who he believed to not think of him in the same way. Still, although he gave his best efforts, his lips would crave his husband's and his arms ached to hold him in a firm embrace. He wanted to run his fingers through those flaxen locks and tell the other man over and over again how much he loved him. Even if Ciel told him thousands upon thousands of times, it would never be enough.

Elizabeth arrived and since the Watchdog was the only one home, he forced himself to move despite feeling like his limbs were made of concrete. It took him a lot longer than usual to reach the front door in order to allow the woman inside, but once she saw him, she knew why.

Even while smiling and trying to be sociable when he greeted Elizabeth, the man looked sombre. A grim undertone lingered with every gesture, word, or expression that the bluenette made. When Elizabeth hugged him as greeting, he lingered, surprising her. She knew why. She knew that warmth and happiness had become scarce in the Phantomhive household, and she was determined to set things in motion to the best of her ability.

She would have been led to the drawing room, but she insisted in coming with him while he made tea. As she watched him, she saw patiently on a stool next to the counter. It gave her an opportunity to observe the damages, somewhat. The man was dressed in a way that was somewhat sloppy, yet wore earrings that were a tad flashy. Elizabeth recognised them as being a pair that Alois had given him for Christmas, but she kept this to herself. Soon, the demon walked over to her with a tray with two cups of tea sitting on top of this with their matching saucers and all of the necessities. Setting it down, Ciel spoke.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of having you here?" he asked in an attempt to be playful. It fell flat only because Elizabeth could see that he was unwell, although she understood the joke.

"I come here every week, you know. I have to check up on my favourite cousin and see how things are going." Elizabeth replied.

"Well, they're _'going'_." Ciel said.

"Well, or..?"

"They're just… ' _going'_."

"I see..." nodded the woman, understanding somewhat. "' _Life goes on_ ', is it?"

"Everyone is alive and we don't hate each other, so there's that." the Watchdog said before pausing. "I _think_ , at least..."

"Alois doesn't hate you. He's just confused, is all." the woman stated, picking up her cup by the handle with the saucer underneath.

"Understandable, with what he's been going through. He's been avoiding me, lately, so I suppose my imagination simply has been getting the better of me."

"We spoke yesterday while he was at headquarters. He said he was afraid of moving forward in case he loses what he has now."

"That's like him."

"Is it?"

"Indeed. He's always been afraid of losing what happiness he has. Sometimes, the fear affects his judgment." Ciel replied while hoisting himself up to sit on the edge of the counter. "I wish I could help him."

"You have been avoiding him as well, it seems." pointed out Elizabeth, setting her drink down after taking a few sips. "Why do you not pursue him?"

"He has enough to worry about without throwing matters of the heart into the mix."

"But this is a matter of the heart." the woman reminded. "His memories are tied to who he is, and his feelings are affected by what he recalls. I believe he remembered something that troubled him. He didn't give any clues as to what, however."

When she was met with nothing but silence from the demon, she added the question: "Are you giving up?"

To this, Ciel uttered a sigh. "Honestly, I don't think I could, even if I wanted to." he said. "Even if I said I did and gave it my all, I will still want Jim. I still love him. That's not going to change anytime soon."

"You need to talk to him more." Elizabeth said. "If you keep trying to stay away from him, I think you might go mad."

"I think you may be right. But, if Jim doesn't want to see me, then he doesn't want to see me."

"How do you know he doesn't?"

"He said so."

"And you believe that?"

"What am I supposed to do?" the Watchdog questioned, turning to face his relative. "Force him to hang out with me? I don't think that's going to help me be likeable, Lizzie."

"That's not what I mean. I mean just… little things. Even just sitting in the same room as him. You don't even have to talk."

"How will that help?"

"Let him get used to your presence." Elizabeth clarified. "Then you can talk with more ease."

"I sort of understand what you're saying," Ciel mused, despite his apprehension. "I could probably try. I can't guarantee results, however."

"Well, you need to get somewhere if you intend to woo him again." the woman said, perplexed as she was met with silence. "You _are_ planning on it, aren't you?"

"I don't know." sighed the bluenette. "I want to. I want to so badly, but… I don't want to come across as forceful or aggressive. I want Jim to chose me of his own free will. If he doesn't, then I suppose that's alright, too."

"Is it really?" questioned Elizabeth with an arched eyebrow and a questioning look.

"No… It really isn't..." Ciel said. "I wish I were so noble as to mean that, but… There's no way I can give up on him. He's got me hopelessly in love with him and doesn't even know it."

"I believe the common expression used by modern men is ' _being in the friendzone_ ', is it not?"

"Pathetic men, maybe. Then again, I am a rather sad individual at the moment. I miss him… He's always right there, but he's not at the same time. It's painful. There's no way to stop it, though."

"How did you convince him the first time?" questioned the woman.

"What?"

"How did you win Alois over before?" she clarified. "Couldn't you do that?"

"Ugh… How long ago was that? Six years, maybe?" the bluenette pondered aloud. "I don't really remember. It just sort of… happened. We both fancied each other on our own, and then next thing I know, Jim is suggesting that he fancies me and asks how I felt about him. We've been together ever since."

"That's not very romantic."

"We were awkward teenagers. How 'romantic' are we supposed to be? That took practice. We got much better later on."

"Then why don't you do that?" questioned Elizabeth, prompting her cousin to blush slightly.

"Well, that's only for us when we were in a relationship." Ciel informed, now looking away with a slight indignant pout. "I don't know how to flirt with him like this."

"You'll figure out something. Just be honest and trust your intuition."

"Are you an expert or something?"

"I managed before becoming engaged to Isaac."

"I'm not sure if sword fighting someone counts as ' _flirting'_ with them."

"Then you simply aren't doing it right." jested the angel with a grin. "But then again, that might not be what Alois responds to. You know him well, so I'm sure you can figure out something more to his tastes."

"Perhaps this will be the mission I will actually die on..."

Playfully, the woman swatted Ciel's shoulder at that. "Don't talk like that. Everything will be fine." Despite saying this, the Watchdog hesitated in answering.

"Maybe." he said at last, seeming unconvinced. "I don't want to get too hopeful..."

"Do you think he won't fall for you?"

"I don't know. I just… I don't want it to hurt any worse if he doesn't." the bluenette stated, slouching where he sat. "I don't think my heart could take it. He's my world. I doubt I could ever love anyone like I love him. If I don't get too hopeful, it may soften the blow and I might be able to heal a bit, even though full recovery seems unlikely."

"Something tells me that Alois won't be impressed if you're too timid. Best gain some confidence, soon. Come to think of it, Alois is a lot like Isaac..."

"Don't even joke like that."

"I would never." stated the woman at the demon's abrupt change in tone. He snapped at her, but she smiled regardless. Elizabeth simply took it as a sign that her cousin still had some fight left in him. "I could never do that to you. It is nice to see that you haven't given up entirely, though. You're still territorial."

"He never was my territory. He's a free man."

"Liar. I've seen you stare people down for getting too ' _friendly_ ' with your husband, before. Though it always seemed a bit overkill, it was a way that you showed your affections in a bizarre way. You have always given him room to breathe, though. You're very good at balancing things."

"I'm not going to pursue him like a dog looking for a mate." Ciel scoffed.

"Then pursue him like a man who is serious about loving him." chastised the angel. "You've already gone through most of the stages of grief, so I believe that you're stable enough."

That was true. In fact, Ciel was rather surprised with himself over how well he was doing. He was still saddened. He still longed for his husband and missed him. Yet, he tried his best to reach a state where he could accept the situation. For the most part, he did, and it was all thanks to Alois, himself. Had they remained separated, Ciel would have been stuck in perpetual grief, lamenting the loss of his spouse. Now, had the menace died, his rage would span a thousand years, at the very least, reigning destruction on whatever lies before him. Alois was critical for maintaining calm, as his presence continuously reminded him that the menace was still around. It comforted the Watchdog, and yet, Ciel found himself wanting more. As much as he tried to convince himself otherwise, he really wouldn't be content until Alois was his once more.

Ciel ached to be at the blondes side again and have him in his arms. He longed to tell Alois that he loved him, so much so that it caused him agony unseen by others who failed to look closely. It was astonishing how being robbed of three mere words could have such a profound impact on the bluenette's well-being. Sometimes, when Ciel was alone, it started to get to him, causing the cracks in his heart to grow wider as things appeared progressively hopeless. Those words; he wanted to say them desperately. He wanted to hear them, too. The desire grew and grew with each passing day. It frustrated him. There was no way that he would be able to last eternity without saying them and he knew it.

They all knew it. That's why Elizabeth came to speak with her relative. She knew that Ciel loved the menace dearly and knew that the man was his new favourite. She supported him in every way and did not want the Watchdog to let go of someone who brought so much light into his life. Never before did she think she would be seeing Ciel laughing, joking, and smiling casually as often as she did now. It was all Alois' doing. Even though Ciel wanted to "be the bigger person" and let the blonde go, Elizabeth knew that he simply didn't have it in him. Thus, she wanted to help him regain his love, so the two can be happy and the family could be whole once more.

Standing up again, Ciel finally faced the woman. "I would like to try." he said. "What is the worst that could happen? He could just say ' _no'_ , is all." Unfortunately, he made the mistake of pondering what he just said.

"Oh, god, what if he does?" he lamented, placing a hand on top of the counter and leaning on it as he hunched over. "What if I make a mistake and make him hate me?"

"Poppycock!" blurted out the Hellsing as she abruptly stood, placing her hands on the man's shoulders and looking him in the eye with a determined expression. "Somewhere in there, Alois still loves you! That doesn't go away that easily! All you need to do, is relax and treat him as you normally would. Throw a little bit of charm in every so often as well."

"I'm not convinced, but I appreciate the sentiment..." Ciel replied, grabbing hold of the woman's hands and removing them from himself. "Honestly, I don't think I'm all that charming, but I hear that I do alright."

"Most girls hold appreciation for the ' _mysterious type_ ', you know."

"Am I mysterious?"

"Only to those who don't speak your language." Elizabeth giggled. "Otherwise, you wear your heart on your sleeve."

"I should try harder then." the Watchdog jested, only for the woman to be alerted by the sound of her cellphone going off.

"Sorry." she apologised while reaching for the device and viewing the screen. After pausing to read the message, she looked up.

"I'm afraid something's come up." informed the woman. "Sorry, but I must cut our conversation short."

"It's alright. I know you'll be back sometime next week, at the latest." answered the bluenette, placing a hand in his pocket. Smiling, the woman stood on her toes while using the demon's shoulder for balance in order to kiss his cheek.

"I'll see you again soon!" she waved as she made her way out of the room. The gesture was returned by the bluenette as she passed through the door. Elizabeth paused as she almost ran into another.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Alois! I was just leaving." Ciel heard from the hallway, causing the colour to drain from his face. Quickly, he turned around to clear the tray and take care of the now empty teacups as moments passed and the menace approached.

"You're back early." noted the Watchdog in an attempt to acknowledge the other's presence by use of small talk.

"We ran out of things to do." stated Alois opening the refrigerator. "I see you talked to Lizzie."

"Yes." The answer was unbearably short as Ciel had nothing to say. While the woman was here, he built things up in his head where he would be more confident than this, but conversing with Alois proved more difficult than he anticipated.

Silence was looming over the room as the hair on the back of the bluenette's neck stood on end. Holes were being burned into the back of his skull by the menace's stare, forcing him into a near panic as he tried to figure out what he had done wrong. Eventually, however, Alois spoke up and shared his thoughts.

"I thought you and her were over?" the blonde asked. There was a hint of hesitance in his voice, while the rest of it came out as a tad confrontational.

"Pardon?"

"I saw you two flirting." Alois stated while leaning against the door. "It's gross, mate. Last time I checked, kissing your cousin is illegal in the modern era."

"What?" Now Ciel needed to turn around and face the blonde, as he couldn't figure out if the other man was joking or not from his voice alone. Confusion was written across the poor Watchdog's face as he analyzed the situation, only to come to the conclusion that Alois was serious.

"Oh, no," he insisted while raising a hand. A nervous chuckle escaped him as he softly shook his head. "It's nothing like that. Just some banter. As for the kiss, that's just Elizabeth. You may not recall, but she usually kisses your cheek as well."

"Awfully convenient, isn't it?"

"Are you suggesting that I may not be telling the truth?" inquired the Watchdog, doing his best to maintain his calm. "Just because I work for a private military as well as the government, essentially performing murder for hire, does not mean that I am a liar. I am wounded at your insinuation."

The blonde rolled his eyes at his housemate's jest, uncertain of what to make of it. Alois couldn't tell if the man was indeed being truthful. His head told him that there was no proof that he was, but his gut told him that Ciel could be trusted. These two conflicting messages caused a somewhat irritable disposition to arise from the menace over the past few days, but now there was another emotion thrown in the mix. It was jealousy. Alois didn't want to admit it to himself, but it was there, clear as day. Ciel knew it, too.

"Yeah, right. You're shady. Don't blame me if I find you suspicious."

"That is true, but there are things that even I won't do. Committing incestuous acts is one of them."

"You were engaged to her at one point, weren't you?"

"Yes." answered the bluenette. "When I was a child. In the Victorian era. As arranged by our parents. I ultimately did not choose her because I developed a choice. Granted, I do love her since she's family, but nothing more beyond that, I assure you."

"Why not?"

"It's disgusting, for one. Then there's the simple fact that I do not love her in a romantic sense." Pausing, he finally looked over his shoulder at the menace. "Why? Are you interested?"

"What?!" barked the menace, almost dropping his juice. He only boosted the Watchdog's confidence by blushing. "No! You mean Elizabeth?"

"Sure." Ciel answered, leaving it open to refer to either of them, still.

"No." scoffed the menace. "She's a nice girl and I like her, but I don't _like_ like her."

"Oh? Is that the case? Is she not your type?"

"No, not really..."

"What is, if you don't mind my asking?" questioned the bluenette under the guise of small talk while cleaning up.

"I-" Alois tried to say something, but didn't quite have the words right away. Furthermore, he didn't want to reveal too much. "I… I'm not really sure… What about you?"

"Oh… That's a tough one..." the Watchdog pretended to ponder. Turning around, he walked toward the menace. "I suppose I prefer blondes."

It was such an off-handed comment, but it had an effect on Alois. His cheeks turned darker and his eyes stared straight ahead. Opening his mouth, he tried to say something, but no words would form. Before he knew it, Ciel was passing him on his way out of the kitchen.

"If you'll excuse me, I have to do some planning." Ciel stated. "We still need a plan for what we're going to do on the night of Wakefield's party. We can pick this up again in a bit, if you want."

"O-okay?" Alois managed to let out, still stunned while trying to conceal the fact to no avail. He was only able to compose himself once the other demon had already left the room.

Truthfully, Alois didn't know how to feel or even what to think about Ciel's remark, but he couldn't help but think that it related to himself, personally. He felt arrogant in doing so, so he tried his best to escape the thought, but it persisted. Just what was Ciel trying to do? Was he being flirted with? It mixed in with all of his other conflicting thoughts and feelings on Ciel, confusing him further.

He both wanted and was afraid of Ciel. He didn't want the bluenette to get too close, but craved it at the same time. It was a clash of thoughts of both fear of being hurt, and of thoughts of a more amorous nature. How was he supposed to deal with this? What was he supposed to do? Elizabeth told him to relax and follow his happiness, but he was still afraid. The fear lingered, alerting him that this would not change overnight.

Alois had no idea as to what he was going to do when the time came for him to go on this mission with the bluenette. He didn't know what to expect. All he did know was that it was going to be a long night, so he had better be preparing himself for it. His heart would need it, too.

* * *


	338. Hiest of the Century

Alois was apprehensive over being spoken to in such a familiar way by the bluenette, but appreciated it. He enjoyed the banter, but couldn't help but wonder what the man was up to. The way Ciel spoke had changed, slightly. The menace couldn't put his finger on how, though. All he knew was that it made him react in odd ways. He blushed and he giggled like some teenaged girl, disturbing him somewhat whenever he caught himself. Still, he was starting to enjoy Ciel's presence again, so it was a step in the right direction, despite of his persisting hesitance.

The pair spoke more freely, discussing plans for searching the Wakefield estate for anything shady. They managed to find blueprints from the Victorian era and make copies at city hall. While they were there, they either confiscated or destroyed any information on the Phantomhive estate. Discussion on places where things may be hidden arose and debate on how to access them without being caught went on until they were able to come up with a halfway decent plan. They would need to search the basement, office, and for any hidden passageways during their stay. If that wasn't hard enough, they knew that Wakefield would have his eyes peeled for them and be watching their every move.

"There's not many ways to prevent people from entering rooms while we're searching them." spoke the Watchdog, rubbing his chin while the two of them stared down at the blueprints. With a hum, his accomplice thought.

"Well, this might not be helpful, but Audrey and I were talking about cheap ways to deal with vampires a while back." Alois began, meeting the other's gaze as he looked up. "He said water is a good weapon. Spray a doorhandle with holy water, or use one of those pocket air humidifiers to essentially make an entire room an anti-vampire trap."

"Humidifiers?" echoed the bluenette with a curious, but slightly amused expression. For a moment, he stopped to think about it. "Actually, that's brilliant. Why hasn't H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. used this?"

"Probably too focused on more ' _advanced'_ approaches instead of the easiest." the menace stated.

"Understandable. We'll keep that as an available tool. Maybe we'll take a trip to the store and see what all they have."

"My only concern with this, though, is they'll probably understand that something is up once they realise there's holy water in the mix." confessed Alois, pointing to the blueprint. "There's not much in the ways of options for escape, either, should we get trapped. There's windows, but that's about it. Unless there's vents that were installed later than this details."

"There's another problem. Our map may not be accurate." Resting his elbows on the table, Ciel brought a hand up and rubbed his chin. "We can't guarantee a sure-fire escape route. Brute strength may not be an option, either, as it will disrupt the balance of Gehenna, due to the fact that various covens that are vital to the town's structure will be there and may get caught in the crossfire. In addition, Wakefield will have the opportunity to escape in the confusion, if things get too out of hand."

"So, we need to keep everyone oblivious and calm?" questioned the menace. "Really, I think this is a more than two-person job. It would be better if both of us were in Wakefield's view so that his attention is focused and his guard is dropped. Meanwhile, someone else can sneak around and see what they can find while he's distracted."

"The only person I know who is sneaky enough to do that is Sebastian."

"Then why not bring him along?"

"How will he get in?"

"Well, if he can't do something as simple as breaking into a mansion full of vampires, then what kind of butler is he?" the menace playfully inquired while wearing a coy smile on his face. The expression was returned as Ciel grinned as well in response.

"That sounds doable, if you put it like that." he said. "Now, what are we going to do?"

"Well, the hard stuff would be up to Sebastian in this scenario, so all we would have to do is make sure Wakefield doesn't get suspicious."

"Should we come up with possible tactics for doing so?"

"Eh, I was thinking about just playing it by ear." Alois shrugged in response. The suggestion was befitting of the menace, being so painfully "Alois" that Ciel was helpless in his effort not to smile.

"I'll go get Sebastian so we can go over this with him." said the Watchdog while standing. "It'll be best if he knows the basic layout as well. Also, we're going to need to sort out what to do with Luka."

"Why not have Revy look after him? He's a police officer."

"True, but I don't feel comfortable leaving him here when we're on a mission. Can you call Charlotte and Amelie?"

"Aren't they on the backup team?"

"You're right..." The bluenette's brow furrowed as he thought rather seriously about this. It somewhat surprised the menace, as he didn't know that Ciel cared so much for the younger Mackens. "Try Travis, then."

"Travis is better?" Alois questioned with an arched eyebrow.

"Well, not for coming over here, but if Luka and Revy could stay over there for the night, that would be fantastic."

"Why not Kris?"

"Travis is good with kids. That's my line of thinking." clarified the bluenette. "Though, Kris would be good, as well. Everyone would be supernatural. Also, I'm not sure how Patricia would feel about having a small demon and a revenant spending the night at her house."

"Sounds good. I'll ask both, though. You go get the Bass-man."

"Yes, your highness." Ciel said with a slight bow before leaving the room. Alois couldn't help but watch after him, after the display. It made him feel nostalgic, but he didn't know why.

Alois had been experiencing ups and downs in his opinions of the bluenette as of late. There was a spike in positive responses as the bluenette began to speak to him more casually and more regularly, but there were also times when the blonde felt suspicious of his actions. He knew that they were indeed "close" before all of this, so it made sense for Ciel to be friendly with him, but those dream-like memories he had occasionally made him nervous.

They still popped up occasionally, sometimes depicting romantic situations, while at others depicting more risque scenarios that he would rather not talk about. Even Ciel putting his hand on his shoulder momentarily could cause him to jump after these dreams. He found them confusing to his reality. The line between the "real" world and that of fantasy were blurring with each passing day and he was slowly becoming unable to discern what had and had not happened. He enjoyed being around Ciel, and even wanted to be, but found it difficult to get close, although he appreciated the kindness and patience of the other. They were friends, he considered the bluenette to be that much.

He wasn't sure about this mission, however. On his end of things, things seemed easy. In reality, they were. The hardest part would be interacting with Ciel at this party. Keeping Wakefield's attention was going to be easy in comparison. Part of him suspected that the bluenette was not a "party person", so he may have his work cut out for himself.

It was only a few days away, now. Everything had been arranged. All that was left to do was decide what to wear and wait for the time to arrive. As the day approached, however, the menace couldn't shake the unease in his stomach and the buzzing in his head.


	339. Party Poopers

Night fell over the Wakefield estate, but the people there were still very much awake. Even he H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers hidden in the shadows nearby were alert as they kept a close watch on the surrounding area and an open ear for any signals from the demonic duo, who were making their way inside. The demons were dressed to impress, opting for suits that were nice instead of their cheap work clothes. Sebastian was lying in wait for them to make it safely inside, giving him the opportunity to sneak in as well. The butler dawned the attire of an ordinary burglar in case he was seen. He didn't want to be recognised in the event that he needed to flee. Everyone was in position, including the younger Mackens, who were at Kristopherson Miles' house, being attended to by Kristopherson himself as well as Travis and Logan.

The set up was elaborate, but the demons went through the motions like they had countless times before. They had. Both of them were experts at lying in the line of duty. When the door opened, they became the average party guests in a room full of supernaturals. Most of them were vampires. Looking closely, they could even see which covens they were from. Sunflower motifs were worn by the Girasol vampires and owls were worn by a much, much smaller group of the same name. One group wore blue and huddled together quite closely. The Boden family coven stayed near their head, Allan Boden. The Wakefield vampires, however, were on an entirely different level, dressing like the kind of people Ciel would meet at a function of wealthy businessmen, but with a slight flair to them that the Watchdog couldn't place.

Others were there as well, such as the all-female werewolf pack that formed after the Kesler Boys were eliminated. These women were still debating on what to call themselves, and were even speaking of it while at the party! Alois could hear talk of lunar deities, but didn't understand most of it. Other groups simply consisted of important figures in the community and their respective posses. Some notable people weren't there, however, including sister Dorothy, Police Chief Sybil, and subsequently Kyung-Soon Park, one of the generals of the Girasol vampire coven. This wasn't surprising in the least, and was in fact comforting, should things turn grim.

"Penguin should be ready, soon." Alois whispered to his accomplice in reference to the Phantomhive butler. "What do we do now?"

"Pretend to enjoy ourselves." answered the bluenette. "We're just ' _ordinary party guests'_ after all."

"How do we do that?"

"Mingle." Ciel stated bluntly. "I'm sure everyone would love to talk to Gehenna's beloved ' _Mister Lion'_ for updates on how he's doing."

"You bastard." the menace accused, smiling regardless. "You planned this."

"Of course. I hate parties. They're awful."

"Thought so. You seem like more of a wallflower than a social butterfly."

Before Ciel could say anything in response, the menace was caught by some nosy party guests, just as expected. Still, the blonde smiled at them and was polite, answering their questions to the best of his ability. His companion simply listened in, as he was uncertain as to how to proceed.

"So how are you and the other one doing?" the guest asked.

"What other one?"

"That one." they clarified, pointing over the blonde's shoulder at the bluenette.

Alosi glanced back at him before returning his attention to the guest with a smile. "Oh, we're doing just fine. Things are really confusing a lot, but we're making at least some progress."

"That's good! We were worried that you might split up!" one of the guests said before their friend with them piped up.

"It would be a shame to split up Gehenna's power couple!" jested the other, not fully understanding the situation. To this joke, Alois looked confused, but before he could ask for clarification, the bluenette moved in.

"I see Baldassare." he said, putting one hand on the blonde's shoulder to get his attention while gesturing with the other. "We should probably say ' _hello'_."

"Oh, yeah." Alois said with a nod. "We should probably talk to that one bunch of lady wolves and check up on how they're doing." He suggested in response before turning back to the other guests. "Sorry. If you'll excuse us."

The menace was worried, seeing as though the bluenette lead him away with his hand on his back, guiding him away from the situation. Oddly, instead of tensing up, he felt secure in the action. He looked up at the bluenette, watching him for a moment before questioning him once they were at a reasonable distance.

"Did you sense something?" he asked, only for the bluenette to shake his head.

"No. I just didn't like that conversation, is all." the Watchdog replied, confusing the blonde further.

"Why?"

" _Reasons._ Besides, the master of the house is about to show up. We need to be seen."

With a roll of his eyes, Alois simply accepted that he wasn't going to get any answers on the subject, and just simply let it go. The Watchdog was odd, therefore it was reasonable to suspect that this was another instance of him being weird. His gaze shifted as he followed Ciel's eyes, watching a large door. For a moment, everything because quiet and still, but then the doors opened at once, hitting the menace in the face with an odd case of deja vu.

Obviously, Wakefield had a flair for the dramatic, given his double-door entrance and his loud red suit. He wore a black shirt and white tie with his blonde hair pulled back in his usual ponytail. White, pointed teeth flashed themselves in a smile as he was met by applause, only to raise his hands up to silence them.

"Thank you all for gracing my home with your presence. I apologise for my lateness. I am Thaddeus Wakefield, your host." the vampire said as two women in matching dresses seemingly appeared out of nowhere to latch onto his arms. "I hope you all have a wonderful time!"

Alois clapped along with everyone else, blinking away his confusion. This scene looked familiar, but he wasn't sure how. He wanted to ask, looking toward the bluenette as he debated the thought in his head, but ultimately, he knew it would prove useless. No one was as tight-lipped about the past as Ciel was. The secrecy sometimes frightened Alois, but at other times, it drew him in. It was exciting. The rational part of Alois' mind knew that this was unwise and a ridiculous thing to even entertain, but another was inescapably bound to Ciel by forces unseen. Not even Ciel could stay away, it seemed.

The duo stood around as Wakefield chatted with the first few people who came up to him, only to capture his attention completely as soon as he faced their direction. In an instant, he dropped what he was doing and vacated his previous conversation in order to start one with the demons. Smiling, he put on the guise of the gracious host, but both men knew better. They had seen many kinds, and from a single glance, they knew the vampire was up to something.

"Mister Phantomhive!" he greeted, removing a hand from one of the womens' waists in order to shake with Ciel. "It's good to see you again! How are things?"

"I'm well. A bit bored, I admit. After that case at Warwick, I really haven't had much to do." Ciel lied. It was obvious to Alois how great of a fib that was, having been by his side the entire time, but the menace wasn't certain if Wakefield believed it.

"That's a shame. You should be given more!" the vampire replied before casually turning his attention to the menace. "And you must be the famous Mister Lion! It's good to finally meet you."

"Alois Macken." the blonde corrected. "Feel free to call me _'Alois'._ "

"Alois," Thaddeus began, "I'm so glad you came. How are you feeling?"

"It has it's ups and downs, but I'm feeling alright, now."

"That's good. I hope that you have a good time!"

"I will!" The two blondes smiled at each other as they shared niceties. Ciel did his best to maintain a calm demeanor as he carefully watched over the two. Naturally, the man was worried for Alois, seeing as though this was his first mission since losing his memory and a rather serious one at that.

They parted ways, but before Ciel could speak with the menace in order to know what he thought of Wakefield, someone else had moved in. A woman in a dress that matched those that the women on Wakefield's arms. Both demons assumed she was with the coven leader, but said nothing about it.

"Mister Lion?" she oddly greeted while intruding on the man's personal space.

"That's me." Alois replied. "How can I help you?"

"My name is Maria." the woman said, flashing her teeth. "I thought it was the polite thing to do to introduce myself before I ask you to dance."

"Uhm..." Confusion welled up in the demon along with embarrassment. Nervously, he looked to the bluenette as he hadn't the faintest idea as to what to do. Alois did know that he needed to refuse her, however, given how the bluenette had reacted.

While Ciel tried to contain it, his displeasure with the proposition could be seen on his face. As much as he insisted to himself that Alois could do as he pleased if it made him happy, he wouldn't object, but unfortunately it still bothered him deeply. His territory was being infringed upon by this woman and he was helpless to do a thing about it. It upset him, but fortunately for him, the blonde seemed apprehensive about the offer and was willing to turn it down.

"Sorry, maybe later." he blatantly lied. Both the woman and Ciel knew what he meant. Still, with the smile he gave her, she couldn't be outwardly angry with him.

"Alright. How about your friend?" she asked, looking toward the other demon.

"I actually have a reputation for being terrible at dancing." Ciel informed, placing his hands behind his back. "It took me a hundred years just to step on my partner's feet only a handful of times rather than every other step."

The attempt at self-depreciating humour actually won him favour with the menace, causing him to snicker. Unable to get anywhere with the demons without causing a scene, the woman politely excused herself, leaving the two alone again. She waited a while so that their attention had time to shift elsewhere before disappearing into the crowd and reappearing at the side of Thaddeus Wakefield, cupping her hand against his ear and whispering. The coven head looked over at the demons before nodding to her, excusing her.

Neither of the demons knew what he was up to. Neither of them was even aware that gears were in motion. Both of them were too distracted with each other for any of his plans to work in the first place! He would have to try harder. Nabbing the king of monsters was going to be no small task. First he must separate him from his spouse. And then, Thaddeus' real plans would begin.

* * *


	340. Blood Money

While the party was going on downstairs, a man dressed in black had broken in upstairs. Sebastian was thrilled to be involved in a mission, especially one that involved him using his absurd abilities, even if he wasn't so keen on the ski mask he was forced to wear to appear as a mere burglar. It was humiliating, but the butler would make do with it.

Effortlessly, he managed to make his way into the office. There was bound to be something there, if Wakefield was involved in shady business practices. Once he was in, he made certain that the door was locked before looking around. His cell phone camera was ready should he come across any evidence.

It was easy for him to get into Wakefield's filing cabinet. The man seemed to be fond of more "old-school" methods of cataloging things. His financial records and import and export information were all open for the world to see. Obviously, he hadn't anticipated anyone other than an average, bumbling burglar stumbling into his home, or else he would have done a better job at hiding things.

Indeed, within a few minutes, Sebastian found evidence of money laundering and various white-collar crimes, as well as money disappearing to an unidentified foreign party in Scandinavia. Given recent events, that was incredibly suspicious. Sebastian would need more information on the matter, but confiscated the information in order to present it to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. later.

Next, he moved to Wakefield's computer, intentionally getting the password wrong in order to see the hint. Of course, being well-read, Thaddeus' hint was a literary reference, simply saying " _The Most Dangerous Game_ ". It was the title of a short story by Richard Connell, about people trapped on an island with a madman who hunted human beings for sport. Unfortunately for Wakefield, Sebastian was also aware of this story, and knew that an alternative title.

"Zaroff" he typed in. Lo and behold, the computer accepted it, almost causing the butler to roll his eyes.

The first thing Sebastian did from there was look for any programs that were a part of a surveillance system. If there were cameras anywhere in this household, they would be connected here. Upon finding it, the man clad in black observed the party for only a moment, making sure his masters weren't in any peril, only to not onlydelete any recordings saved, but also delete the program altogether. After that, he tampered with the computer further, making it impossible to use at all.

He waited momentarily, making sure that no one was outside. Then he simply waltzed out into the hallway and made his way through the house. As soon as he sensed someone, he would duck into a room and lock the door until they passed. This is what he spent his time doing for a little over an hour until the system failed.

The room he slipped into was a room that the person was heading toward, and they had a key to it. Sebastian had to act quickly if he was going to get out of this. Thus, he hid behind the door so that when it was opened, he wouldn't be seen immediately. The vampire flunkey of the Wakefield household was none the wiser until the door closed behind him without him being the one to shut it. They turned around quickly, but Sebastian was much faster. Although the way the vampire swung his arm was swift, powerful, and true, the demon was far quicker and far stronger, catching their wrist with one hand, and then restraining the other with what he had left.

Killing the vampire was not a good idea and neither was knocking them out. There was no need to, however, as Sebastian had a technique that would work swimmingly using only his eyes. In an instant, they glowed crimson, capturing the vampire's in his gaze. An ordinary demon should have no trouble bewitching humans, but a powerful demon could also affect the supernatural. That is precisely what Sebastian did.

"You saw nothing, here." Sebastian said in a soft, sickly sweet tone. "Go to sleep."

Against their will, his opponent complied, passing out on the spot. All Sebastian had to do was prop them up in a chair like they had dozed off and move on his merry way. He ventured out into the hallway once again, making his way through the house.

There were many bedrooms upstairs, but hardly any of them contained anything of importance. For the most part, there were either ordinary objects, disturbing objects, or a combination of both, but none of them were glaringly criminal. Sebastian's curiosity was piqued, however, when he came across a room that was being guarded. With only one person standing by the door, this was going to be easy to the point where it was almost sad.

All the butler had to do was bewitch the guard and command them to open the door for him. Infiltrating this place was so simple, that it must be a complete waste of time, given that Wakefield is obviously an amateur criminal, right? When Sebastian stepped inside the room, however, this theory was shaken quite a bit.

Ciel was not the only one who had a memorabilia room of some sort. Thaddeus did as well, it seemed, only his was proudly on display rather than hidden. There were artifacts from all continents. Power figures from Africa along with elephant tusks carved into ivory statues from Asia, among other things cluttered the room. A more appropriate term for what Wakefield had, however, would be a "trophy room", given all of the stuffed heads mounted on the wall.

Indeed, it appeared that Wakefield was quite the hunter, given his cabinet of various hunting rifles and swords mounted on the wall above the fireplace, both of which were incredibly illegal for supernaturals unaffiliated with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. to own. There were deer and other animals that could be found in England, but there were also more exotic animals such as a head of a lion and a gorilla. Domesticated animals were in the mix as well such as dogs and cats. Most disturbingly, however, were humans. Yes, human heads were mounted amoung Wakefield's trophies and one of them was actually recognised by Sebastian. It was that former Physical Education teacher who worked at Warwick.

This was certainly something worth cataloging. Once the information reached headquarters, an extermination team would be sent after the members of this household, as there was enough evidence right here for Wakefield to be sentenced to death several times over. Taking out his phone, the butler took photographs of the damning articles, but one stood out in particular.

There, mounted on the wall was a blood red piece of fabric with the letter "S" on it, looped around to form an odd circle. Suddenly, those papers in the office made sense to Sebastian. All of that money was transferred to Scandinavia. While the leader of the group in question was wealthy, there was no way for him to afford all of those ships and supplies on his own. Indeed, he had assistance when it came to funds, and large sums of money came from none other than Leslie Thaddeus Wakefield. Raising his camera again, the butler snapped a picture of the logo of the Scarlet Order.


	341. Two Left Feet

Time passed and the duo were starting to find this party to be unbearable. They very briefly spoke with Baldassare, and as "pleasant" as that was, it did not make for a full evening. For the most part, they stood around and chatted idly about things going on in Gehenna and about who was in attendance. Both of them took turns pointing out people in the community to each other and explaining who they were and what their role was.

Other than that, there wasn't much to do. Neither of them trusted the food. They couldn't. It was never a wise thing to do in these situations due to things like poison. There was also simply no telling what else might have been put inside.

Still, although they loitered, they remained in view. Wakefield couldn't see them doing anything peculiar, even if they weren't very sociable. Watching them, he was unaware that they were suspicious of him. He turned to face one of the women under his command and made eye-contact with her from across the room. He nodded at her and she nodded back before making her way toward the demon with a tray full of perspicuously perched glasses of wine balanced on top of it.

The woman was pretty and blonde, causing Wakefield to hope that the bluenette would take notice of her as she neared him. He did. Ciel and Alois both did, but not in the way that was hoped for. They didn't even look at her, but rather, kept their senses trained on her as they knew that she was one of Wakefield's underlings, but the look of her dress that matched all of the others. Unfortunately, their actions gave her more leeway to "accidentally" bump into Ciel.

"Oh!" she gasped as the glasses on the tray toppled over strategically onto the Phantomhive's suit. The sound of glass shattering on the floor drew the attention of the crowd, but the woman stuck to her script. "Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry! I should be more careful!"

While Ciel's attention was set on the setting stain on his suit jacket, the blonde was focused on the girl. This routine was familiar to him and made him uneasy. His attention then turned to the bluenette when Ciel looked up to face the woman.

"It's quite alright." the Watchdog stated, his expression and tone polite despite him knowing something was amiss. "Accidents do happen."

"If you come with me, we can get you cleaned up right away." the woman offered, her hands holding onto the bluenette's arm in order to lead him away. Although he had no intention of going with her, Ciel's attention was captured by the sensation of his free hand being abruptly grabbed as well.

Both Ciel and the vampire looked over at the menace, who was white as a sheet before realising what he did. Immediately, his cheeks turned pink, embarrassed by what he had done. Still, he couldn't let go of Ciel's wrist. He felt as though if he did and allowed the woman to take him away, something horrible was going to happen. In fact, he knew it.

"Uh..." he began, trying to come up with an excuse. Unfortunately for him, nothing came to mind. Smiling at the gesture, the bluenette wiggled his arm out of the woman's grasped and used his freshly freed hand to remove the blonde's hand. He then proceeded to empty the jacket's pockets and put his cellphone in his pants' pocket instead.

"Red wine stains like the dickens." the bluenette said while removing his jacket. He then handed the article to the woman, forcing her to take it, although she was confused. "Unfortunately, this kind of fabric doesn't let go of stains, either. You may try, though, but if it doesn't come out, just throw it away. Do tell me, if that is the case, however."

"Al-alright?" the woman replied, seeing that she had failed but knowing she was powerless to do a thing about it. There was no choice for her but to take the jacket and do as she was told. She had no doubt that the penalty for her failure was going to be steep, causing a nervous demeanor to come over her as she fled. Once she was gone, Ciel leaned back against the wall with his attention on Alois once more.

"Not the first time this has happened." he said. "I've learned since then not to fall for pretty blondes leading me away in shady places."

"It's happened to you before?"

"This exact scenario, actually. Well, sort of. Turns out, the ' _she'_ was actually a ' _he'_. He's still my closest companion, though."

"Wait, that's why I knew something was up!?" gawked the menace with a reddened face.

"Bingo. That was back when we were trying to kill each other. It's the funniest thing. I'm almost nostalgic."

With a sigh, the blonde pinched in between his brows as he lamented his past choices. "I figured it would be funny if I could distract you even a little. What was _wrong_ with me?"

"Nothing at all!" grinned the bluenette. "I like that memory. It was our first meeting. It was very clever, actually. My young and naive self fell right into it. It's funny now, but at the time I was really embarrassed."

"Yeah, you even lied and said you knew it was me from the beginning." replied the menace, cracking the slightest of smiles before conceding at seeing the other's face.

Ciel was smiling. He was actually, genuinely smiling while talking about this. It was hard for Alois to resist. The way the Watchdog looked at him with such fondness was enough to make his heart race.

"That's one of my favourite memories." the bluenette said. "If I ever got to full of myself, you always had that line to shut me down and put be back in my place. _'Oh, yeah? And who was drooling all over himself 'cause he thought I was a super hot chick, huh?'_ you'd say."

"Did you?" questioned the blonde while snickering at the other's rather poor imitation of him.

"Maybe." Ciel partially lied, although very unconvincingly.

"Too bad I danced with Lizzie, huh?"

"Very. I was disappointed."

"Well, there's a dance floor right there." Alois joked, gesturing to the center of the room. His jest confused the bluenette, however, as he didn't know whether or not the blonde was serious.

The menace could see the slight pink of his cheeks and could tell that the man was considering it. That on its own was enough to make Alois blush as well. Even though he was hesitant, he still was aware that he liked Ciel. Now there was some indication that the feeling may be mutual. The thought made him nervous in a way that he wasn't sure if it was good or bad.

"I wouldn't be opposed to it if his highness doesn't object." the Watchdog offered. He tried to conceal any genuine interest in the blonde by maintaining a casual, playful demeanor.

"Are you serious?" asked Alois.

"Sure. What's the harm in it? Unless you're strongly opposed to the idea. Then it wouldn't be any fun."

Pausing, the blonde looked down at his feet and pondered over the situation before he made his choice. Truly, he wanted to, but he was anxious. Ciel made him feel that way in moments like these, where the man became especially familiar with him.

"Won't it make you look bad?" he questioned, earning a scoff.

"As if I care. What's the worst that people could see? Two people having fun at a party?" Ciel presented while standing up straight and turning to face the other completely. "There's nothing to worry about. Well, other than the fact that there could be terrible things going on behind the scenes, but right now I'm talking about dancing, for the moment."

"You must be quite the lady killer, huh?" the menace asked, his smile returning. "I guess you're right, though. I should just trust my gut."

"Most people have a sixth sense without even realising it. It's when people over think things, that they make mistakes. What's your ' _gut_ ' telling you now?"

"That dancing could be fun." Alois said, smiling as he walked toward the middle of the room with the other man in tow. A bit of excitement was visible on the bluenette's face as they stopped and the blonde faced him, causing his heart to race.

Alois was still just as gorgeous as ever, and it was difficult for the Watchdog to maintain his calm demeanor. Sophistication continuously tried to make way for his more dopey tendencies no matter how much Ciel clung to it. With that smile in front of him and those icy blue eyes on him, Ciel wanted nothing more but to dote on the other man, but he would keep his habits under control. He had to, since he was going to be so close to Alois.

The two of them stood awkwardly for a moment as they decided how they were going to fit together. Ciel ended up taking both Alois' hand and his waist while the blonde's free hand rested on his shoulder. They weren't as close as usual, physically, but still moved like they rehearsed. Alois could see the edges of Ciel's lips struggle as the man tried to suppress a smile. The sight made the menace grin a mischievous grin.

"Oh, Ciel, you're so dreamy~!" he teased in a high-pitched tone. That did it. A laugh escaped him as his dance partner finally smiled. It was a wide, bright smile. It was closer to the smile from the Watchdog he had sought than before. While it was hardly "glowing", it made the blonde's heart race.

As time went on, his fun turned into unease as with every spin and twirl they made together, Alois grew more and more anxious. The way the bluenette seemed so uncharacteristically relaxed and the way the man looked at him was too much. Alois remembered him saying that he didn't dance less than an hour ago, yet here he was. It was almost intimate, in a way. Perhaps Alois was over thinking things, but his gut was trying to tell him something through the fluttering of butterflies, and it wasn't getting through. It was becoming overwhelming.

His skin tingled where the Watchdog touched him through his clothes and his face was growing progressively hotter. No longer could he look the other man directly in the eyes for very long. After a second, he had to look away each time. Noticing this, Ciel finally spoke up.

"Do you want to stop?" he asked.

"Why?"

"You seem uncomfortable."

"I'm fine." Alois poorly lied. Still, he could not look.

If he gazed upon that concerned face of the Watchdog, he might just fall apart. His fingers twitched on Ciel's shoulder as he desperately wanted to loosen his tie. He was sweating underneath his suit, despite the temperature being perfectly comfortable before. Alois could feel the heat radiating from the other's skin through the white shirt that covered him. His eyes focused on that spot, but truly honed in on the pale gold band that wrapped around his finger. In that instant, it felt as though he woke up from his daze, his eyes widening as he shoved the other man away.

Blinking, Ciel took a few steps back and stared at the menace in astonishment. That astonishment soon transformed into concern very quickly as his singular eye took in the sight of the man before him. Alois' skin was shiny with sweat and his eyes were wide as they stared blankly down at the floor. With shaky hands, the menace clutched at his face and then his hair while taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. Alois was not "fine". He was anything but "fine". It was glaringly obvious.

"Alois?" the bluenette called, stepping forward with his arms slightly. "Are you alright?"

"Don't talk." panted the lion. "Don't look. Just… Just stay away from me."

"Tell me what's wrong, at the very least so I can help."

When the blonde shook his head, the bluenette instinctively reached for his hand. "We need to get you out of here."

"Don't touch me!" Alois barked, slapping the other demon's hand away, startling him. Now it was Alois' turn to retreat backward, finally looking up. That was a mistake. He could see the worry and hurt on the man's face now, and it cut deep. Why was this man so concerned over him? Why couldn't he leave him alone?

He knew. Alois knew. He just didn't want to acknowledge it.

"Alois..." Ciel said aloud. The words were foreign to the both of them coming from the Watchdog's lips.

No longer could Alois cope with this unease he had been feeling. This lingering sense of unrest and dread that had smothered him for almost an entire month. No longer could he bear hearing Ciel say that name. It annoyed him. It upset him. Alois knew why. That truth couldn't be crushed down and further and hidden from his thought. He didn't want it. He shouldn't want it! That's what he told himself this entire time, but temptation sank in and a truth so good that it had to be a lie presented itself. It had to be a lie.

It had to be. Alois' mind could no longer run from truth, but his legs could. Turning, he took off, fleeing the Watchdog and disappearing deeper into the Wakefield mansion. The eyes of the household's head followed him while Thaddeus' lips formed a cocky smile.

"Alois!" called out the Watchdog, starting after him. Before he could, however, Wakefield's lackeys moved in, blocking his path.

"How terrible!" one of the women said. "Just leave him be, he'll apologise soon enough."

This was part of Wakefield's plan. Ciel was sure of it, now, but he didn't know how. All he knew was that this gesture was deliberate and it made him angry. Fists clenching, his eye changed from it's deep blue colour into a fiery crimson.

"Out of my way!" he roared, baring his fangs with a snarl. The very air around him changed, sucking the breath from the vampires as it knocked them back with its invisible force. Most took it upon themselves to heed his warning, but one or two needed further invitation, prompting the demon to shove them aside.

With that, he ran after his beloved, vanishing deeper into the mansion. This caused a wide grin to appear on the face of their gracious host before he dropped down from the railing overlooking the dance floor and landing with his shoes clicking against the hard floor. Holding up his hands, he faced a concerned crowd.

"Don't worry, everyone! I'm sure it's nothing! Just a typical lover's quarrel." he assured, causing the surprise to die down and be replaced with mere murmurs. He snapped his fingers at one of his servants, who nodded as he made his way through the doors that the duo went through. Both demons were unaware that he had followed them, as they had many other thoughts swirling around in their minds.

Even if Ciel caught up with the menace, what would he say? There was no convincing Alois of anything until the blonde calmed down, but either way, he needed to get Alois out of this mansion and fast. The mission had been compromised the moment that they split up.

Digging in his pocket, the bluenette quickly dug out his phone as he ran so that he could contact Sebastian and have him become the Phantomhive butler once more in order to retrieve them. To his surprise, however, he already had a message from the man clad in black. Opening it, he expected an update on Sebastian's findings, but never did he expect one of this magnitude.

 _"I have found evidence that Wakefield possibly has connections to the Scarlet Order."_ the message said. _"Further information when we regroup."_

That was almost enough to cause the Phantomhive to halt dead in his tracks. Possible Scarlet Order connections? This house could have been a death trap waiting to spring. Looking up from the device, Ciel looked in the direction he sensed his partner in.

_"Jim… Please cooperate..."_


	342. Muddy Water

Alois could still sense the other demon behind him. There was no doubt in his mind that Ciel was coming after him. Why? What for? What did he hope to accomplish? Alois didn't want to talk to the man at his heels. He didn't want to listen, either. All he wanted to do was run away, so that's what he tried to do.

His heard raced and so did his thoughts as they lingered on everything he knew and tried to hide from himself. Reaching up, he clutched at his necktie as he ran and pulled the knot loose. It felt like it was suffocating him so he discarded it somewhere behind him without thinking. Slowing down, he pulled at his hair as heavy breaths escaped him. His eyes watered and stung.

It was embarrassing for him to be acting this way, but it wasn't in his control at the moment. His nerves had gotten to him. Ciel made him anxious and now he knew that he should have taken the man's offer to stop dancing.

"Idiot!" he accused himself. "Idiot! Idiot! _Idiot!"_

Emotions ran wild in the worst possible way after being restrained for far too long. Even now, Alois was trying to get himself under control, failing to understand that he simply needed to run his course. In the meantime, however, his thoughts were unbearable.

He noticed the ring before. He knew of its existence. He just didn't make the connection as to what it was. Even now, he tried to force it away, but it was proving difficult. The man couldn't bear the physical experience of this. All of these feelings and sensations were attacking him at once. His emotions were spiraling out of control, causing him to weep, and the more he tried to suppress it and put everything back in check, the more ill he felt. Sweat trickled down his skin, mixing with the tears streaming down his face as he gasped for air. Leaning against the wall, he tried to catch his breath, but nothing worked.

Alois had a history with the bluenette that was intimate. He could not deny this fact any longer. Even though he crushed it down as long as possible, as a detective, he couldn't ignore evidence. In truth, even he wasn't certain as to why he continued to run from it. The man was fearful of what was and what will be if he acknowledges the truth. Now that he knew, his next obstacle was confronting the bluenette about it.

What were they? Truly, how were they? He hardly knew this man. He didn't know if he was happy. He didn't know if they were happy, or what kind of man Ciel was. The bluenette seemed like a good man, but Alois wasn't certain of that. There was no certainty. All that was there was crippling doubt and fear. The blonde didn't feel safe and was angry. How could Ciel keep such a secret from him for so long? Everything that came out of the bluenette's mouth was evading having to tell Alois such critical information about himself and the people around him.

Now he understood the meaning behind the "power couple" comment those party guests from before made. Was that the reason why the bluenette decided on him? To look good with the people of Gehenna? Alois wondered if he was just being used, as he wasn't noble or anything close to it. Could the reason behind lying be because he wanted to seem less frightening? Alois didn't know.

All the man could do was lean against the wall on his side and try to catch his breath and sort things out in his head. In the process, however, his senses were dulled and he couldn't see what was around him. He was sneaked up upon very easily, but the person who did it was proficient, so it was to be expected. The menace's heart almost stopped altogether when a hand grabbed his shoulder.

"Augh!" the menace shouted before having a gloved hand forced over his mouth.

"Master Alois, it's me!" Sebastian said in a hushed tone, forcing the blonde to turn around. Once he did, the butler took off his ski mask and immediately began fussing over the menace's appearance.

"What happened? Have you been drugged?" he interrogated, removing his glove and placing a hand to the blonde's moistened forehead. "Did it taste bitter? Do you have any heartburn?"

Slapping the man's hand away rather aggressively, the menace leaned with his back flat against the wall and tried to calm himself down enough to reply. "I wasn't drugged." he hissed before catching his tone. "It was… It was another attack… My head..."

"It's going to be alright." the butler said soothingly. "We have what we came here for. We can pull out now. Ciel is contacting our ' _friends_ ' as we speak."

Folding his arms, the blonde looked to the floor. Just the mention of the Watchdog was now enough to make him uncomfortable. Noticing this, Sebastian pressed on.

"We have to hurry." he said. "Wakefield is already in pursuit."

"How are we going to leave?"

"You just leave that to me, now."

Despite Sebastian's reassurance, the blonde was not at all pleased with the process. The next thing he knew, he was being man-handled as the older demon threw him over his shoulder and jumped out a window. They landed in bushes nearby, only to slink out toward the front of the house. While the house was distracted, they both entered their car and took off, disappearing into the night.

The mission objective had been fulfilled, and all but the duo's relationship was intact. In fact, despite sharing the same car, the pair failed to even acknowledge one another. It was as though they were both alone in the car with only Sebastian.

"So what happened?" the menace finally questioned, looking to the butler for answers.

"I found Wakefield's trophy room." Sebastian stated, getting right to the point. "Amoung the stuffed animal trophies, there were human heads mounted on the wall as well. One of them was that chap who was arrested from Warwick."

"So we've got him for killing humans." the blonde replied. "Anything else?"

"Very much so. I also found a Scarlet Order banner and documents indicating that he has been sending a lot of money overseas to Scandinavia while the Order was active."

"No wonder they were able to afford all of those ships..."

"That's just what I could find in the time I have. Goodness knows what he has hidden downstairs or in his garden shed."

"Nothing good." Alois said. "Is H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. going to move in?"

"No. They're going to wait until after the civilians leave."

"Good." the menace sighed with relief. "So that's the end of it, huh? They'll wipe out Wakefield and his goons, and search the place to see if he has any more information."

"It looks that way." Sebastian replied, staring straight ahead. "I'll send the images to Sir Integra as soon as we get home."

"You do that. I'm going to go to bed. Maybe sleep for a few hundred years."

"Luka will miss you if you do that."

"True..."

In reality, Alois knew that his desire to lock himself away forever was impossible, but he simply didn't want to be near the Watchdog. Even now, his very presence disturbed him. He was certainly going to hole up in his room for a while. It may be days, weeks, or even a month, but it was certainly going to be long enough for the menace to feel safe in his own home again.

Long after they drove away, the Wakefield servants had done an entire sweep of the building, but could not find the demonic duo. The computer wouldn't turn on no matter what any of them did, so checking the surveillance footage was an impossibility. It was only when Wakefield himself thought to look out a window did he discover where they went.

" _Gone..."_ he hissed, baring his teeth with a snarl while tightening his grip on the sheathed sabre in hand. Raising his arm, his muscles tensed as he was about to throw the weapon to the floor, but he stopped, instead allowing his arm to loosely fall to his side.

"If the hunt was going to be easy, it wouldn't be worth doing. It's a game of skill, after all." he muttered to himself. "And when dealing with the king of beasts, the game is going to be especially difficult..." Turning, he made his way down the hall.

"Crystal!" Thaddeus called out. "Set up plan B."


	343. Bitter Heart

Hours passed, and people began to leave the Wakefield residence. Some left on foot toward the nearest Gehennan bus stop, while others called cabs, while some former humans who still had cars from their "previous life" left with their own transportation. These cars passed by the hidden H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers without any problems. Almost all of them were unaware that the operatives were even there. One car, however, did.

It was full of vampires with a rather peculiar man behind the wheel. He was blond with a shaggy beard, wearing a black suit and an eyepatch over his right eye. In all actuality, the man shouldn't have been driving at all due to only having one eye he could look out of, but did as he was told. The car slipped by H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. soldiers effortlessly, as they didn't fit the description of what was being looked for. Really, it was an error on whoever was in charge of arranging the search, as they failed to perform procedures that should be routine.

The car did not go to Gehenna, however. Instead, it went out into the city, where it stopped in a secluded section of a hotel parking lot. Once this happened, everyone piled out of the car and opened up the back, pulling out suitcases from the back of the car and set them on the ground. Eventually, a hand reached out of the trunk, prompting the man with the eyepatch to reach out for it.

"Thank you, Blackwood." Thaddeus said, grunting as he was assisted out of the cramped space. Once he was out, he turned to address his posse.

"I want a room and I want those bags in it." he said. Pulling out his wallet, he dug out a wad of cash. "Crystal. Take this and get us a room. Take Stephanie with you."

"Yes, sir. Just the one?" the bride questioned.

"As many as you can swing. Size doesn't matter just make them next to each other."

"Yes, sir." Crystal dutifully replied before she and another woman left to do as instructed.

"The rest of you take care of my bags. Be careful with them. My tools are in there. I'm going to need them if we're going to pull this off."

Once all of the civilians seemed to have vacated the Wakefield household, the soldiers finally moved in. They stormed the place with guns drawn, taking prisoner everyone they found. Some were shot. Some reached for weapons. Some surrendered. None of these things were mutually exclusive, however. The soldiers left enough alive to question if needed, but Wakefield himself was nowhere to be found.

The "trophy room" that Sebastian came across was found among other things. An investigative unit would have to come in after them and properly search for evidence, but for now, the soldiers were met with the horror in the basement. Meat hooks with wooden tubs underneath were used to drain bodies of blood. Barrels and neatly stacked wine bottles were full of the liquid.

More trucks arrived to take away those who were captured in the raid and soldiers were exchanged with investigators. The sun was just now rising, but they did what they must. It was their job, after all. More details would arise as the day went on and information would be passed to Sir Integra. It was unlikely that it would be passed to the Phantomhives, as the Watchdog was still technically under probation.

He and his spouse didn't talk when they arrived home. They didn't arrive after, either. Even when the next day arrived, they acted as though the other didn't exist. Alois locked himself away in his room while the bluenette commandeered the office.

Both men were unable to leave their rooms, but Ciel was unable to move at all. All he could do was lay on the sofa and lament his predicament. He wanted to be "mature" about this, but just didn't have it in him. He was focused on the pain he was in to even think about doing so.

Chest aching, eyes stinging, and without any energy to move his limbs with, Ciel laid in silence, dwelling on what was and what will never be again. To put things in the most simple of terms, he was heartbroken. Never in his life did he ever think that he would one day be heartbroken, but here he was, wallowing in rejection. Even the thought that things may in fact be completely over between himself and the other was something he never truly believed in. Never. Even though he consciously entertained the possibility, the rest of his being whole-heartedly hoped for the best. From the blonde's reaction, however, and current attitude toward him, that possibility struck him hard.

Never did he think he might be getting divorced before their first anniversary. He wanted to be with Alois for the rest of his days. He loved Alois. He loved him more than anything. His arms craved to hold him and he desperately wanted to tell him just how much he meant to him. Life without his blonde menace seemed meaningless, as a critical part of his family had been lost again. Perhaps this is just how fate wanted him. Perhaps he was cursed to remain alone.

No. Ciel didn't want to accept that. The watering of his eyes and the dampness of the couch cushion where he laid his head was evidence enough of that. All the bluenette wanted was his spouse. All he seemed to do was make the blonde unhappy, recently. Perhaps things just weren't working between them.

Alois was angry because he didn't know the bluenette. He didn't understand his intentions and was afraid. Ciel didn't blame him. In fact, he believed it was a reasonable response. He just wished that they had talked about it sooner. Maybe then this could have been avoided, but Ciel had thought he was protecting his spouse while he was instead instilling a sense of distrust. With a sigh, the Watchdog closed his eyes. Perhaps he deserved this fate, he thought. Perhaps there was no way around it, now.

Dangling over the side of the sofa, his fingertips brushed against a photo album that he dropped. Alois had been the one to put it together. While the bluenette knew better than to dwell on what was, he couldn't resist. He desperately needed to see the blonde smiling and happy.

He remembered how long Alois worked on it with seemingly endless enthusiasm, wanting it to be perfect. The memory made fresh tears fall once more as he recalled the menace carefully organising photographs from their wedding and from their honeymoon in the book. It took the menace weeks, but when he was done, he was so proud. By some uncontrollable compulsion, he would excitedly show anyone and everyone who was willing to look at it. The whole while, Ciel would watch him and smile as his heart swelled with the love he felt for his husband. Even now, he felt the same way as he did then. His husband's smile was more necessary to him than sunlight and brighter, too.

If only the menace himself felt the same way at that moment. Alois stayed in his room, feeling filthy and used. Desperately, he tried to piece together his situation, but his mind was too clogged with anger and fear to see anything clearly. No memories came to him. Nothing did.

Anxiousness welled up within him as each moment he stared at his left hand passed. That ring upset him. He didn't know why. He also didn't know why it was that whenever he reached to take it off, he hesitated. Furrowing his brow, he reached again, gripping the ring and sliding it off just a tad, but with a sigh, forced it back on. He couldn't do it. It was like he was physically incapable.

Surrendering to this, he leaned back and laid down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He didn't understand this attachment, nor was he certain on how to react to it. Could he divorce the Watchdog? He probably could, but wasn't sure if his blasted emotions would allow him to. He was certain that the mark on his tongue had something to do with it, but he wasn't sure if it was actually that of the bluenette. If it was, that would complicate things, as it's impossible to remove a mark once its latched onto a soul. The only way was to kill the demon who owned it and Alois doubted that he would go that far.

It was frustrating as Ciel practically had him trapped. Alois was inescapably bound to him, soul and all. He hated it. It made him angry. He would have lashed out, but he was far too exhausted emotionally to do so. His panic at the Wakefield estate had burned him out for a few hours. Given the time, he would be able to be furious again, but for now, he was simply drained, depressed, and worried about what was to come next.

Next they would have to pick up Luka and Revy from Kristopherson's house later in the day when their babysitters were actually awake. Rather, Sebastian would. Alois would probably stay holed up in his room a while longer. Really, he didn't feel like seeing anyone anytime soon, even though he knew he couldn't shut his little brothers out. If he could, he really would shut himself inside for months, he thought. That said, he did fully realise that he had other responsibilities and would have to come out.

Goodness knows how he would react to seeing Ciel again. They were coworkers, after all. He would have to see him eventually. Now he understood why it's said that one should never date within the workplace. Not even he knew what he would do. He knew he would have to talk to the bluenette about this someday in the near future, but for now, he wanted to be mad. That was more important to him than talking or thinking right then.

Tired, the menace gave up the fight for the day. He would have plenty to feel when he woke up. For that moment, he shut his eyes and for the first time in a while, had a completely dreamless sleep.

* * *


	344. Game. Set. Match.

Sebastian left to pick up the younger Mackens from Kristopherson's house, where they were being babysat by the Miles along with Travis. He would have to apologise for the absence of Ciel and Alois, but the two masters of the house were still in a fragile state. Neither of them moved in ages.

While Alois actually slept for several hours, the bluenette just laid on the sofa in the office and remained miserable. He would waste away if he could get away with it. While he never was one to give up under any circumstances, his spirit had been crushed.

He had been lulled into a state where his body was completely numb and still. Yet his eye was still open, staring blankly ahead. It would have been very easy to mistake him for being dead. He was so emotionally drained that hardly anything mattered to him, anyway. All he could think about was how he wanted his spouse back, and how impossible that seemed.

Light returned to his eye suddenly as he regained a bit of conscious awareness. Tiredly, he sighed. Ciel slowly sat up and dug his phone out of his pocket, turning it on and hovering over his spouses name in his contacts. For a moment, he hesitated, but knew it was something that he had to do. Quickly, he typed up a message and bit the bullet, pressing "send."

His muscles ached as his emotions essentially tried to shut his body down. It was like fighting rigor mortis. He felt cold. He felt stiff. He didn't feel like doing anything. Yet, he flexed his fingers, prompting diabolic threads to loosen in his hand and in a burst of black flame, his gun appeared in his grip. Staring at the cold metal, he was reluctant in what came next.

_BANG!_

Alois woke in a jolt at the sound, his eyes snapping open at the familiar sound of a gunshot. Quickly, he crawled over on his stomach to the side of the bed in order to reach his phone on the nightstand and check the time. He could see that it was still daylight, but he didn't know much else. When he picked up the device, however, he rolled his eyes at seeing that there was a message from the bluenette. While he was hesitant in opening it, he knew it would eat at him if he didn't, but ultimately, he was glad he did even though his stomach dropped at the words written there.

_"_ _Intruders outside. Back of the mansion. Spare gun in the library if you need it._ _H_ _idden in the book on_ _calligraphy_ _on the third row up on the shelf by the door."_

"Fuck's sake!" the blonde hissed, practically throwing the device down. Now that he was awake and abruptly shaken from his grogginess, he could indeed sense some figures outside. If a ball of black fire, one of the menace's guns appeared in his right hand as he leaped out of bed and crouched by the window, just hidden from view.

He sensed about seven people. All of them were vampires, despite it being broad daylight. From this, Alois decided that they must be using shade gel. Splashing them with a bucket of water would probably take care of that, but he hadn't anything of the sort. Thus, a few well-placed bullets would have to suffice.

Carefully, he looked up and peeked out the window. He could see that the intruders were focused on only one spot. It was the office window, and several of them were trying to climb through. Even though the blonde wasn't entirely keen when it came to the bluenette, he still couldn't just sit idly while his home was under attack. Thus, he opened the window and took aim.

Perfect headshot with the first squeeze of the trigger he made. It was the vampire at the top of the ladder, who fell back once their blood and brain matter fell into the bushes below. Alois managed to hit another and take them out as well before the rest of them scattered, taking cover behind trees, stone bird baths and such, or if they weren't especially bright, bushes in the garden.

Shutting the window, Alois locked it before leaving the room entirely to change positions. Swiftly, he made his way down the hallway to find another room with a window, only to pass by the office on the way. He stopped, only to decipher that there was only one person in the room with the Watchdog, and that Ciel was still alive. Nodding, he decided that Ciel could handle himself and carried on, leaving the bluenette alone.

Ciel could sense him from within the room, but decided that Alois was most likely concerned with the others outside, which suited him just fine. Meanwhile, the Watchdog's primary concern was the man in front of him, both of them with a gun trained on the other. While sitting on his sofa, he was facing both a broken window, a dead body staining his carpet, and Thaddeus Wakefield, staring right back at him.

"Hello, Phantomhive." greeted the vampire, slowly taking a seat while keeping his eyes and his gun on his foe. "You disappeared last night. I hoped we could have talked more."

"So sorry about that." Ciel replied. "A personal emergency came up."

"I understand. Though, I'm not very keen on the fact that you led H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. to my home. That wasn't very sporting of you."

"My apologies. My job is to follow orders and uphold the laws of the supernatural. You simply were unfortunate enough to break them. It's nothing personal, I assure you."

"Is it?" questioned the vampire. "On your end, it might not be, perhaps."

"Do you quarrel with me, sir?"

"No, sir. All I wanted was to play a game with you, sir." Wakefield stated. "I wanted to know just how good the legendary Ciel Phantomhive is."

"Most who attack my house do." the bluenette stated. "But I would appreciate it if you would refrain. You have already escaped H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. once. It was a very unwise decision to come here."

"And why is that?"

"Few who attack my home make it out alive." Pausing, the bluenette said: "Well, one did. But She died soon after."

"Oh, my..." said the vampire with an amused grin. "How scary… But, I've invested a lot of time and effort and this, so I'm afraid there's no backing down on this. Most hunts are very time consuming. Some prey takes months. Usually it's the most dangerous kind, and you are no exception."

"How flattering."

"Others have died along the way. That instructor at my school and that old woman… They were killed for bait, although I admit to eating a bit of the first."

"Understandable. You shouldn't kill what you don't intend to eat."

"Another thing you have in common." Wakefield said, gesturing with his free hand. "I can't remember the last time I tasted blue blood. It's a rare breed that I'm hunting."

"Blood is blood. Surely there's no difference."

"Wrong! It's very difference. Blood type and a person's health are factor in taste. Even the slightest difference in iron levels can make all of the difference! Now, the purer the blood, the purer the taste."

"So wealthy people who kept it in the family are your ideals?" questioned the bluenette with blatant skepticism. Honestly, I don't understand wine tasting, either. It sounds like a pretentious hobby."

"You should feel honoured. You're perhaps the finest specimen I have ever seen!" the vampire praised. "The only level above yours is drinking the blood of the royal family."

_"_ _So wealthy people who've kept it in the family."_

"There's no need to be rude..."

"You've broken in my house, smashed my window, stained my carpet, and are pointing a gun in my face. That is hardly ' _polite_ ', I must say. Do forgive me if I am reluctant to be hospitable." scoffed the Phantomhive, crossing one leg over the over and resting his free arm over the back of the sofa. "You seem to think you're some sophisticated huntsman or some nonsense."

"Oh, but I am. I've hunted many people." stated Wakefield. "I've hunted beasts, commonfolk, nobles, and even my own family. Game is game, especially when it benefits me. How do you think I, a middle child, was able to secure my place as heir?"

"Again, any idiot can kill someone, especially in the 1800s. Most serial killers have below average intellect, and I see that you're no different."

"I was able to best you." declared Thaddeus. "I was able to conspire against you without you even knowing!"

"Oh?" Tilting his head, Ciel carefully watched the other, although with the interest with what he had to say of someone mildly entertained my some village idiot.

"I had to kill the old woman for a reason." informed the vampire. "I had to make sure she didn't talk. She hated you. She hated that you married that commoner. The only difference is that she hated it because of who you are. I hated it because you seemed to throw away the traditions of your ancestors and of our world."

Blinking, the Phantomhive furrowed his brow, now piecing things together. Before he could, however, Wakefield interrupted him. The vampire's lips pulled back, baring his teeth in a menacing smile.

"Don't you understand?" he asked. "How was she able to make a spell so specifically targeted? Who had to gain from you getting emotional in the event that you would make mistakes? All it took was one stray hair plucked from your jacket."

Taking a deep breath, the Phantomhive's eye widened as everything pieced together. The day that Alois was struck, he was at Wakefield's home for the case at Warwick. Ciel was stopped before he could leave, as there was a hair on his jacket. The person who pointed it out and removed it was Leslie Thaddeus Wakefield.

"Now you get it." cackled the intruder, pleased at his own cleverness. "It's written all over your face! Now you know how great of a hunter I a-"

He could not continue his thought as a strong hand grabbed hold of his skull, gripping it tightly as it blocked his view. The next thing that Thaddeus was aware of was being airbourne, followed by hard ground and cold air.

Stumbling to his feet, the man rubbed his aching head with one hand while gripping deadened grass with the other. Opening his eyes, he could see that he was outside in the Phantomhive garden. Quickly, he turned around to look back at the Phantomhive, only to see him staring down with a cold expression, followed by there being harsh heel crashing down on his ribs.

 _"_ _Guh!"_ The air from Thaddeus' lungs was completely gone as sharp pain consumed him. He knew that Ciel was a demon. He knew perfectly well. Never did he expect, however, just how fast he was. In an instant, he had gone form the second floor of the building to right on top of the vampire.

Thinking quickly, Thaddeus reached for his gun and aimed it, only for the bluenette to reach down and grab his wrist, pointing the weapon away from himself as he snapped Wakefield's arm. Taking the gun from him, Ciel took it in hand, causing Thaddeus' eyes to widen. For a moment, he thought it was over right then and there- that the demon was going to shoot him, killing him instantly. No. Ciel crushed the metal instrument in his grip, finding it unnecessary to his intentions.

That was almost scarier to Thaddeus than actually being shot at. If Ciel could crush a gun with no effort at all, then he could do the same to Wakefield's head! That is exactly what the demon intended to do. Ciel expression was cold, but his eyes boiled, flaming crimson as he stared down at his foe.

"You have ruined your chances of a swift death." Ciel said to the man beneath his heel. "No, you've sealed your fate. There is no hope for you now. You will die here. It will not be swift. It will not be painless. You will writhe in agony until your last, miserable breath. That is a sincere promise."


	345. Personal Responsibility

Having moved to a different window, the menace was able to pick off the intruders who had made the poor decision to hide behind a bush to protect them form bullets. He would have to make sure that they were dead later, but for now, he needed to move once again and hit the rest. This process needed to be repeated until no vampires were left standing.

Alois left that room in search of a better angle on the ground floor. Ordinarily, he would have just leapt out and finished them off with no problems whatsoever, but if Wakefield was associated with the Scarlet Order, his underlings may be in possession of anti-freak weaponry. The reason why the demon even suspected Wakefield in the first place was the fact that they had just infiltrated his house. If he escaped from H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. for whatever reason, he was certainly going to suspect the Phantomhives.

Exiting out a side door, the menace disappeared into the wooded area around the mansion. Keeping his guns aimed in the direction of the threat, he circled around to where he was now behind the ducking vampires at an angle. He could tell that these were amateurs, at best. They didn't change position, and they were shooting at nothing. They just seemed to shoot at any window on the upper floors, which made the menace incredibly displeased.

"Busting out my goddamn windows..." he muttered under his breath. Taking aim, he took out another intruder who was trying to hide behind a stone birdbath, prompting the attention of all the others.

The only thing was, they didn't know how to decipher the direction of gunshots. The sound of the bullet would be omnidirectional. It was a high-pitched noise that came from all sides. The sound of the gun going off would follow. Bullets travel faster than the speed of sound and thus it traveled faster than the sound of the gun going off could reach them. The group didn't know to listen for the sound of the gun going off, as it would come from a distinguishable direction, unlike the sound of the bullet whizzing by. Although they turned to look at their fallen comrade, the immediately turned their attention back to those windows, completely ignorant to the fact that their enemy was behind them.

That is how the rest of them fell. They didn't even bother to look anymore. They were so determined that Alois was in front of them, that they didn't consider the possibility of even looking behind. Seven bodies laid on the ground, strewn throughout the garden. A sigh escaped the blonde's lips as he thought about cleaning up after this. Just replacing the windows was going to be a nuisance, especially in the middle of March, but the bodies had to be disposed of before they could hire anyone! This was a mess.

Getting up, Alois reached in his pocket so that he could call Sebastian and make sure Luka didn't see anything graphic. When it was empty, he cursed, realising that he had left his mobile on his night stand. He would have to make his way back to the house and grab it.

Even thought most of the threat was gone, Alois was still cautious as he moved, since there was still one vampire alive. He didn't know why Ciel hadn't just killed him yet. Certainly the Watchdog had the capacity. In truth, he didn't even know why the bluenette warned him of the threat. If Alois was capable of killing seven vampires, surely Ciel could on his own.

Just as he was thinking that, a body fell from the window, crashing to the ground. In an instant, Alois' gun was trained on it, watching it carefully as the vampire struggled to get his feet underneath him. It was Wakefield. Alois' suspicions were confirmed. He was just about to pull the trigger when another came falling after the first. This time, it was Ciel, crushing his ribs.

Alois refrianed from shooting as he didn't want to accidentally hit the bluenette, especially when he seemed to have things under control. The Watchdog even snapped the vampire's arm and took his gun, but surprised the menace when he didn't use it. Instead, Ciel crushed it, causing the menace to furrow his brow in confusion.

 _"_ _You have ruined your chances of a swift death."_ Alois could hear the Watchdog saying to his foe. _"No, you have sealed your fate. There is not hope for you now. You will die here. It will not be swift. It will not be painless. You will writhe in agony until your last miserable breath. That is a sincere promise."_

Reaching down, Ciel let his foot off of Wakefield and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, hoisting him into the air. The vampire struggled, gasping and wheezing as fractured bone poked at his lungs. With his good arm, he grabbed the demon's wrist.

"Wait!" he coughed. "Wait, I can make this worth your while!"

"There is nothing you can offer me that will make up for what you took from me." the Watchdog replied, shutting down any and all possibility for negotiation. With that, he cocked back his free arm, and struck the other noble in the face hard enough to rip the front of Wakefield's shirt and send him flying.

He did not land softly. His vision blurred momentarily and he couldn't tell red from white. When his colour vision returned, he could see red liquid on the ground in large droplets as well as coating what appeared to be teeth. Turning his head quickly made him dizzy, but he had to in order to see where his assailant was. The decision was unwise as it only made him more fearful to see the demon heading toward him steadfast and imposing like some sort of _Jason Voorhees_.

Quickly, the vampire scrambled to his feet, almost falling on multiple occasions. He took off running as soon as he was able while his pursuer didn't seem entirely too bothered. Thaddeus rushed to create distance, digging in his own pocket while he ran. Eventually, he made it behind some bushes, unsure if the Watchdog was behind him but in too much pain to continue running, for now. After dialing it, he placed the device up against his ear while panting.

"Blackwood!" he shouted. "Blackwood, get over here! Bring the others! Hurry!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, sir." spoke the human. "Everyone else is either dead or in custody. Besides, I'm quite busy."

"What happened to them?!"

"Someone notified H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. of the hotel room they were staying in. It's a shame, really." Blackwood said. The sound of him moving down the road could be heard on Wakefield's end of the line.

"Where are you?!"

"On my way to see an old friend. I'm sorry I can't help. Though, I really ought to thank you for the clothes and the gun. Also the car and the money."

"Blackwood, you bastard!" accused Thaddeus, baring his bloodied teeth with a snarl. "When I get my hands on you, I'll-!"

"You'll what? You'll be a stain before you will ever get the chance to do a thing about it." Paul replied casually. "I suppose I should leave you to it, then. _Ha det._ "

"Blackwood! Blackwood you bastard, don't you hang up on me!"

But it was too late. The call died and Thaddeus was completely on his own. In the time he used to call for help, the threat was approaching fast. The vampire heard the footsteps approach and the vampire tried to stand and flee, but a hand grabbed him anyway.

"To your feet." ordered the Phantomhive. "You want to be noble? You want to be a sportsman? Act like one!"

Wakefield was set carefully in a standing position in front of the bluenette. While his assailant adopted a fighting stance, Thaddeus held up a hand in defeat. It was ignored. The vampire was struck in the face again, and again, and again, until he stumbled over again. His hair fell around his neck and face as his ponytail became undone. Blood mixed with saliva as it fell from his mouth in his hunched over position.

"Upright, Wakefield!"

" _Please..."_ panted the vampire. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry! I didn't… I didn't mean-"

"No, you meant it. Don't apologise for your actions now that you're on the losing end. Show some pride! You wanted to hunt the most dangerous game, so here you are!" bellowed the Watchdog. "Coward! You can't even fight for your own survival! You expect me to believe that you are any sort of predator?!"

"I'm sorry..." In a pathetic display, tears began to fall from the Wakefield's eyes as he whimpered. "Please… Let me go… I promise, you won't ever see me again..."

" _Too late._ " hissed the bluenette, stomping downward on the other man's knee so that it snapped from the stress on the joint. Wakefield let out a yelp before falling, screaming in pain as his leg bent unnaturally. "You wanted the most challenging hunt. You wanted the most dangerous hunt. You got what you wished for. You caused this. _You_ decided your own fate."

Bringing his foot up again, Ciel brought it back down on top of the vampire, stomping on his already battered body repeatedly. The Watchdog crushed Thaddeus beneath his heel like an insect, disgusted by him as if he were a cockroach.

" _You_ decided this when you messed with my family." he declared. "It was _you!_ Do not expect mercy! Do not beg for it! You brought harm to the man I love and took him from me! You did it with the intention of making me upset and irrational! You have gotten your wish, yet you have the nerve to claim otherwise?! I don't care who you are. Noble, commoner, or a member of the Royal family, I will kill you regardless for what you have done."

_"_ _PLEASE!"_

"Do not beg! There is nothing that can compensate for what you have done. Nothing! No wealth, no land, no return of honour will right what you have done. Even death is too good for you."

Broken and bruised, the vampire grew numb to the pain that was being inflicted upon him. Only the Phantomhive's voice could be heard, accompanied by an almost unholy ringing in his ears. Consciously, he could register that the bluenette had picked him up again, but his vision blurred to the point where he could no longer see the demon clearly. He could see only when Ciel brought him closer, staring directly into his eyes as his hand gripped his throat, leaving purple marks.

"It was deeper than you could ever imagine." Ciel said, his teeth bared, but his voice soft. "More genuine than anything you ever could have known. I loved that man. I loved him with all of my being. Wealth, honour, and nobility are all meaningless to me in comparison. You, sir, will receive no compassion from me!"

Fangs prominent and eyes aflame, the Phantomhive cocked back his vacant arm before thrusting it forward. His hand flattened into a deadly weapon as it pierced Wakefield's chest, causing the vampire to cough up blood. Ciel's hand went all the way through Wakefield's body, appearing on the other side completely.

"Blood is your wine, yes? You bled your victims, draining them of blood. Thus, you, sir, will meet the same fate." hissed the bluenette through grit teeth as he pulled his arm out and released Wakefield, who fell to the ground with a hollow thud.

Those words echoed in Thaddeus' ears as he laid with widened eyes. That was his heart that the bluenette pierced. Indeed, he faced the very real threat of bleeding to death. He could feel himself growing cold as the life was being drained from his body in the most literal of sense. Now, he was more afraid than he had ever been, but he could not express it. He couldn't scream. All that came out were horrible gurgling sounds. Nor could he even cry. Thaddeus would die there. He would die because he overestimated himself while underestimating his opponent. In reality, there was no hope for him to win from the beginning. He might as well have been an infant that was thrown into the same cage as a starved jaguar.

Just as the Watchdog had said, he had indeed gotten what he asked for. The only difference between reality and the way Wakefield imagined it was that Wakefield played the game and lost. The hounds had devoured Zaroff.

Ciel was not satisfied with this level of violence. Yet he did not want to give his opponent the release of death just yet. He stood there, standing over his dying foe as he breathed heavily. He still seethed with rage with no outlet to unleash it on.

"Ciel..." called a voice, causing the Watchdog to actually jump. Turning around, the bluenette looked behind him to see Alois, standing there with a gun at his side.

Alois had a strange power over Ciel. In an instant, his rage melted away, but in it's place he felt shame. He was ashamed at his bloodied appearance and at the things he said. Ciel was also worried about what the menace thought about his violent outburst. From all angles, the bluenette didn't want to be there any longer. So, he left.

"I need to wash this off before the others get back." he said, turning around and walking back. "Meet them at the door and make sure the younger ones don't see this mess before it's cleaned up."

Staring at the bluenette as he left, Alois pouted. "Since when are you the boss of me?" he asked, prompting the other to stop.

"Please… Alois." Ciel added, having not meant to sound like he was giving out orders. Once that was done, he walked onward, leaving Alois alone. Shaking his head, the menace looked down at the body the other left behind.

"Idiot..." the blonde muttered, pointing the barrel of his gun at the vampire's head. "Double tap."

* * *


	346. One Problem At A Time

Ciel discarded his stained clothes and stood in the shower, scrubbing the blood off of himself. He had left taking care of notifying Sebastian of the state of the garden and household to Alois, sending the man a text message before examining the damage, himself. He wore his coat, as the rooms with broken windows were sealed off to keep in the heat, and both demons would be covering the windows with tarp as soon as Ciel was presentable. The blonde was wandering around inside, making sure nothing that could be damaged was in a place dangerous for it.

He was rather unpleased with how this turned out. Not only was his house in shambles and there were bodies in his garden, he had to work with Ciel, which would have been awkward enough before. Now, it was worsened, as the Watchdog had shouted loud enough during his fight with Thaddeus to be heard by the menace. Every declaration of his feelings was witnessed by Alois, along with every single act of violence Ciel inflicted.

Alois didn't know if someone who would tear a hole in someone's chest out of rage was a suitable spouse, even if he did it because Thaddeus was somehow involved. That part was not known for certain by the menace, as he did not hear what exactly had happened. That only made him more skeptical of Ciel's intentions. He was supposed to be married to this man, who was full of secrets and violent. Although Ciel had good points, that was seriously concerning.

A long sigh escaped him as he spotted a body amoung the broken glass by the window in their shared office. It was obvious that the carpet would need replacing. There was no need for the menace to actually look, as it was obvious by the drying stain that peeked out from underneath the corpse. Although he really didn't want to touch it, the menace lifted the body and tossed it out of the window and into the garden. There was no need in having that inside. He didn't want it in his house.

"His house." That thought bothered Alois, as it was so ingrained in his mind that he had shared ownership of the property with the bluenette. It was also why he was so concerned about cleaning up. It was partially his responsibility. He further examined the damage to the carpet by crouching down. The carpet was bad enough, but if the blood had soaked down to the floor, he would really have a problem.

It was massive and it was dark. It was still wet, too. There was no doubt in his mind that the floor was stained as well. Curses. This was going to be an absolutely terrible week, as he now had to work with Ciel even more.

Amoung the broken glass was a book that was surely going to be damaged as well if it was left out like this. In fact, most books in this room weren't safe. If it rained, they would be in trouble. With a grunt, he reached over and picked it up, shaking off the shards of glass that dusted it. Standing up, he set the book on the desk and was about to rummage through it, only to turn it over to see the cover.

 _"_ _Our Wedding"_ was all that it said along with the date _"26/7/2015"_. There were no images. There was just that. It was pretty self explanatory as to what the book contained. It was simply a wedding album. It was sad, really. They hadn't even had their first anniversary yet, and their marriage was already in trouble.

Alois was hesitant in opening it. He was afraid of what he might see. Would they be happy? Would they be lukewarm? He didn't know, but needed to. It was something that he couldn't go on without seeing, now that he knew it was here. It was all here.

Slowly, the blonde reached out to open the book with a shaking hand. He was afraid, but he had to do this. Taking a deep breath, he opened it abruptly so he didn't have another second to second-guess himself, only to see the image that he had wanted to see for the past month.

It was Ciel and Alois in a warm embrace, smiling wider than he thought possible. Even the bluenette did, showing Alois the smile that he wanted to see at long last. It was sincere, coming from the very bottom of the Watchdog's heart with the warmth of the sun, and it was because of Alois. Ciel was happy in the image and he was happy to be with Alois. There were many pictures like this with the two of them tangled together. Turning the page, he found more.

There was the two of them united together, smiling at the camera surrounded by friends and family. Luka and Revy were there along with Sebastian, Integra, Elizabeth, and the Midfords. Their friends were there as well. There was Kristopherson while he was still human, then Daniel, and then Travis along with Patricia. Audrey wasn't in the picture, but was in the photo beneath it. He held the camera and pointed it at himself, as he was the photographer for the event. Various members of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. were there as well, along with Seras next to Integra. The Garous were in the image as well.

In a photo taken of the audience, there were more. Captain Harland was there, who as Alois recalled, was up for promotion to "Major" soon. She was there with the rest of her team, all of them wearing their formal uniforms, and quite a few of them crying. There were citizens of Gehenna there as well, all happy for them. Truly, it seemed as though they were the "power couple" of Gehenna.

More importantly to Alois, however, were the pictures of himself and the bluenette. There were pictures of them at the altar saying their vows. He could feel his face growing hot and his eyes beginning to water, but hardly paid it any mind. Unbeknownst to himself, he matched himself in the image quite well, as he shamelessly cried at his own wedding. The tears were happy, however, as he was enamored with his spouse to be, and was elated to be officially joined with the menace. His heart pounded and he could feel Ciel's equally anxious pulse through their joined hands. Closing his eyes, he could hear the words that Ciel said, his deep voice softly causing chills to run down his spine like electricity. They had danced. Alois felt safe in his arms and could not get over the feeling of anxiousness in his chest as butterflies fluttered in his stomach. Even his husband was overwhelmed, babbling on about how Alois made him feel with wet eyes.

Indeed, Ciel loved him and loved him with everything he had. The loss of his spouse was something the Watchdog absolutely could not accept. Alois understood, now. Ciel was a man for whom revenge was second nature. That's how they met, after all. Ciel would never take kindly to anyone who would hurt his family. He would never let them go. It was true, no one was safe from this wrath, not even the Royal family, as he had struck them before for a prior indiscretion. This wasn't even the first time that Ciel had ached for Alois, either. That man had gone as far as to fight a dragon for his blonde at one point. In fact, that was the first time that the menace had seen Ciel shed a tear.

Ciel was not cold. He felt deeply for Alois and would express it in any way possible. Fighting for him was simply one of them. As a fellow assassin, the menace could understand that. He could understand Ciel's actions, too. As memory serves, Ciel is the type to do all of this for Alois' sake. He wasn't confident enough to try and flirt with him in this state. He was hardly confident enough to flirt with him when they first started dating the first time. Sometimes, he did things that seemed distant until they talked about it and came to a reasonable compromise. In fact, it was Alois who taught the Watchdog how.

Memory after memory came pouring in and Alois could recall struggle with the other man, but even more so, he could recall getting through these troubles together. They were a team and their relationship reflected that. Alois made Ciel happy and Ciel made Alois happy. Ciel would try to bring happiness into the blonde's life with all of his power, sweeping him off his feet and being there when he needed him. While Alois didn't fully understand what Ciel was doing now, he knew that he trusted him.

Sniffling, he reached up and wiped his eyes with his sleeve before looking down at the book again. It was important to him. He needed to look at it further. Closing it, he picked it up and cradled it close to his chest before leaving, shutting the door behind him.

Swiftly, he made his way to his temporary bedroom. Thank goodness, his windows were still intact. Carefully, he set the book down and took off his coat. He then sat in the center of his bed with the book in his lap, thumbing through it and staring at each page for ages.

An almost dreamy expression graced his face as he recalled the day it documented. Part of him thought that he gave up his fight too easily, but the rest didn't care. He had his memory back. He remembered his spouse. He remembered loving him and being loved by him. It wasn't as though he had to learn how once again. All of it was already there.

Alois stayed like this for almost an hour, only getting through half the book before he was forced to stop. The sound of crashing was heard, startling him from his daze. It came from down the hall, prompting him to go and investigate. Thoughtlessly, he brought the book with him, unable to let it go just yet. He moved with great urgency before stopping in front of the office once more.

Violently, his heart raced as he sensed Ciel on the other side, pacing back and forth. He was nervous, knowing what he did now. It wasn't because of his relation to Ciel, but rather, how he would react to him being mostly restored. He worried. He didn't know how the bluenette could possibly forgive him for forgetting something so important. Ciel was a good man, but he definitely had his limits.

He couldn't think about it anymore. The door opened. He was spotted. Ciel stood in the doorway, fresh out of the shower but breathing heavily like he had been working extensively. The man's eye widened when he saw the item in Alois' grip.

"Oh… You had it..." the bluenette said sheepishly. "So… I guess you know, now, right?"

Instead of an answer, Ciel was alerted by the sound of the book dropping to the floor, followed by arms around his middle, practically squeezing the life out of him. He stood there, frozen in shock as the menace buried his face in his shoulder. Dumbstruck, he didn't know what to do with his hands as he held them out, tempted to hug the other back but uncertain as to whether or not it was appropriate.

"Aloi-?"

"Call me my name." insisted the menace, his words muffled by the fabric of Ciel's shirt. Taking a deep breath, his spouse tried his best to calm his nerves.

"Are you okay, Jim?" Ciel asked, only to have the other shake his head.

"I'm sorry..." Alois stated. "I'm so, so, sorry, Ciel… I didn't mean to forget… I remember, now… I'm so sorry..."

Hesitantly, the other gently put his hands on the other's back. "It wasn't your fault." he said. "I'm not mad at you at all." It was a while before he got an answer.

"You aren't hugging back, though..." the menace sniffled, unaware of the urgent change in his husband's expression, but fully aware of how the bluenette squeezed him. It was tight as it was firm, causing the man to let out a surprised "oof!"

"Better?" bashfully asked the Watchdog.

"Better."

Silence ensued as the pair stood like this for quite some time. Both of them wanted to know where they stand, but were uncertain as to how to ask. Unable to handle this for any longer, Ciel made a bold move and put the question out first.

"So… Where are we?"

"Huh?"

"Are we… Are _we_ okay?" he clarified. " _Us?_ "

"I want us to be." Alois stated. "I want to be with you, again. I remember us. It's weird… I remember us being perfectly fine and happy, but then I still have memory of this last month, too…"

"So… Your memory is back?"

"Yeah… There's still a few minor details missing, but I remember the important parts." Pushing on the Watchdog's shoulders, he pulled back so he could look at him. He watched as the other man's eyes fell closed at his head being gently held in the blonde's hands, unable to resist the calming motion of Alois stroking his cheek with his thumb. "I remember that I love you."

The menace was startled as his husband's eye snapped open at his words, only to smile as the other pulled him close again. Ciel pressed his face into blonde locks, kissing his spouse's head the way he had wanted to for weeks. "I love you, too." he said. "I couldn't stop if I tried."

"Well, neither could I, apparently." admitted the menace. "Even while I couldn't remember much, I still kind of had a bit of a crush on you."

"Oh, really?" Ciel asked, smiling as he pulled away to look at the other in the eyes.

"Yeah. Kind of reminds me of when we were in school and I started catching feelings for you." As Alois spoke, more kisses were being placed on his cheeks. Taking a deep breath, he tried to blink back tears, but they still came, running down his cheeks and forcing the other to stop.

"What's wrong?" questioned the bluenette, instinctively reaching up to wipe away the tears, but not making much progress as they still came. He looked on with concern as his beloved shook his head, hesitating before answering.

"I'm sorry..." Alois said. "It's just… I don't understand how you can still love me after this..." He tried his best to keep his composure, but his voice cracked and strained as he tried to find his words. "I hurt you so much… I completely forgot about you! Can we really just… go back to normal?"

"Why can't we?" his beau inquired. "I still love you, just the same. I loved you even when you forgot me, and I love you now. None of this was your fault."

Moments passed where the blonde tried to think of what to say in response. He felt hesitant. There was no way it could be so simple. Nothing in life was. There was always a catch.

Icy blue eyes darted upward when he felt his chin being tilted upward to meet the other's gaze. Gently, the Watchdog planted a kiss on Alois' cheek before pulling away to address him. "I missed you." he said, his voice soft and hushed. "I wanted you so much that I hardly knew what to do with myself. Most of the time I spent upset was worrying about what I was going to do without you. I think you're right, though. We need to talk about how we feel."

Nodding, the blonde replied: "That sounds reasonable."

"We should probably go somewhere else, though. How is the frontroom to our quarters."

" _'_ _Our'?"_ Alois questioned.

"Our." nodded his beau with absolute certainty. With his arm around the other man's shoulders, he began to walk down the hallway. "Let's go."

"O-okay..." It was hard for the menace to walk while leaning against his spouse, but he couldn't help it. He wanted to cling to Ciel for a while longer at the very least.

"I want us to stay together." Ciel admitted, talking while on the way.

"So do I."

"That's good. We agree."

"I want us to go back to normal."

"As do I."

"Can we?" questioned the menace, looking up at the other.

"I don't see why not."

"I don't want us to be distant."

"Neither do I." Ciel stated, hesitating before he asked what he did next. "Can we… Bloody hell, it sounds creepy to ask this…"

"What is it?"

"Can… Can I kiss you?" bashfully questioned the bluenette. "I'm sorry, it's just- It's hard not to for so long..."

"You don't have to ask. Just kiss me!"

"Well, I didn't want to scare you off or anything..."

"You're still not kissing me..."

Abruptly, Ciel stopped and the blonde stopped with him. His face was red at how awkward he came across, having hoped that their first kiss upon reuniting would be more romantic. Glancing to the side, he saw his husband staring at him expectantly before he finally had the nerve to face the man. Having been on the menace's bad side for the past month, he really didn't want to move too fast or do anything to upset the man, but when Alois' eyes fluttered shut and he tilted his chin, he almost fainted.

Slowly, the Watchdog moved forward, closing his eyes as his hand reached up to caress his beloved's face. Gently, carefully, their lips met as Ciel did his best to keep himself in check. It became progressively more difficult as the other man's arms looped around his neck, inviting him closer. Ciel did just that, holding Alois close and moving further into the kiss. He would not be satisfied with just any kiss, however, and fortunately for him, neither would Alois. As emotions ran high, the two of them moved to where the blonde's back was up against the wall, but neither of them paid the slightest bit of notice as they continued their actions. Occasionally, Ciel would move away and place kisses on the menace's cheeks and temple, only to be guided back to his lips by the blonde himself.

Unfortunately, all good things must come in moderation. Thus, they did eventually have to part, but when they did, they didn't separate. Instead, Alois let out a laugh as he was picked up by his husband and carried to their room. They really would talk about what was going to happen next and about how they felt about the situation. They also needed to talk about the state of their home, but there was a major victory, here, regardless. They finally said the words that they most needed to hear, and that was good enough.


	347. Needless To Say

It flooded. By the time Sebastian came home, the rain had come, and because the duo got distracted from their task of putting up tarp, the water got inside the rooms with broken windows, increasing the workload of the poor butler. Thus, he completed the task himself in hopes of preventing any more water pouring in before heading out in search of his masters. Both of their signatures were sensed in a particular part of the house, which was narrowed down as the man clad in black was able to pinpoint their location to the frontroom of the master suite.

Out of curiosity, he leaned with his ear pressed against the door, committing the butler sin of eavesdropping. He couldn't resist. After everything that had happened, he needed to make sure that the pair was alright. A smile graced his face, however, as he was pleased to fine the two talking calmly. They spoke about the past few weeks while uttering sweet words to one another. It was good news to the butler. It made him less annoyed with the task at hand. After all, if he couldn't handle something like this, then what kind of butler would he be?

"I love you." said the bluenette, placing gentle kisses against his husband's cheeks. "Don't ever doubt that. It was hard not being able to tell you, actually."

"Why didn't you?"

"I was worried that it would push you away." Ciel explained. "I didn't want to scare you or come off as aggressive."

"Dope..." accused the blonde, although he understood perfectly. Affectionately, he leaned into the other, allowing himself to be held. "I probably would have been skeptical. I'm sorry I was so pissy…"

"You're fine. As long as I'm able to dote on you, now, I am content." sighed the Watchdog, squeezing the other in his embrace with a rather pleased expression. "I'm probably going to be needy for a while, so I hope you'll forgive me, dear. All I want is to be near you."

"I'm glad. That's what I need as well." giggled the menace. Pulling away, however, he adopted a more serious expression.

"Are you sure we're okay?" he questioned. "Is it really this easy? Are we just going to go back to the way things were?"

"Not if you don't want to."

"I want to, it's just… Things tend to not go that smoothly..."

"It's easy for me to accept you because I've still loved you this whole time. I still wanted to be with you. Really, even though I felt like I was preparing for the worst, the deepest part of my heart still hoped that you would return to me." answered Ciel, running a hand through flaxen locks. "I'm perfectly keen on it. I want you, Jim Phantomhive, that's all there is."

A deep blush appeared on the blonde's face at hearing his full name from the bluenette again, as well as the allusion to himself when they first became acquainted. "You're never going to let that go, are you? That line..."

"Never." grinned the Watchdog. "It's still relevant. I'm clingy."

Carefully, the menace watched his spouse's face as he spoke. Alois almost startled the man when he pounced, hoisting himself up so that he could reach the other's lips. Bringing his hands up, he held the bluenette's jaw and tilted it up before tangling them in locks of blue-ish black hair. A smile formed on his lips as he felt the Watchdog shudder in his hands and stare up at him with a flushed face.

"I'm _clingier._ " Alois stated as absolute fact before pressing their lips together again. Gently, he massaged Ciel's scalp around the string of his eyepatch, prompting the other to hum. He was content as his beau firmly pressed his hands against the blonde's back, drawing them closer together. Gently, the blonde tugged on Ciel's string, causing his eyepatch to come off.

"Jim?" dazedly questioned the Watchdog as the other pulled away.

"I haven't seen your pretty face all month." reminded the menace, holding up the eyepatch to the other's view. "Seeing you without this is a privilege, you know."

"Then look at me all you want."

"I can't, you keep closing your eyes."

"Sorry. You rubbing where the string was feels nice." the bluenette admitted. "Sometimes, it digs in and itches."

"This help?" snorted the other before scratching the other's head. He giggled as his husband shut his eyes again, furrowing his brow as he concentrated on the action.

"Ooh, that's nice..." he sighed.

"You're so fucking weird…" Alois accused. "You're like a big dog."

"I know. You love me, though." stated Ciel, looking up at his beloved with a grin. "At least I hope so."

"I do. Even if you're dumb and dopey." Kissing the other again, the blonde said; "You're cute like that, though. I'm glad that you're my husband."

"As am I, my darling. So glad..."

Shamelessly, the pair spoke to each other so sweetly that it might have even repulsed onlookers for quite some time. Both of them were wrapped up in their own little world, completely oblivious to anything that wasn't their spouse. This was probably going to be the way things were for a while, little did everyone else know. There was no time for anyone to brace for it. It came all at once, catching even the duo off guard. There was no way for them to have known.

For hours, they stayed this way, tangled together. Sometimes, they wouldn't talk, but rather opt for simply enjoying each other's presence and closeness in silence. They were lost in this, forgetting all responsibility. They barely touched on the death of Wakefield, only discussing why Ciel was so aggressive in killing him. The bluenette explained to his spouse that Thaddeus had taken a stray hair and given it to the witch that erased his beau's memories of him, and that was about it. That was all that really needed to be discussed. The rest could come later when they had calmed down a bit more from the thrill of reuniting.

Important things were being overlooked, however, like reporting the incident to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; which was a task taken up by the Phantomhive butler, as he assumed that the two masters did not, if their prior forgetfulness was anything to go by. By the time the organization would have people arriving to take care of the bodies and investigation into the matter, the butler would most likely have the rooms and windows repaired. Sebastian would have to shake the Phantomhives from their daze for that, which was going to be no easy task.

"I suppose it can wait..." sighed the butler as he made small adjustments to the restored room. His heightened hearing picked up the sound of a large vehicle pulling up the drive, however, so he was forced to start walking toward the door to answer it. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. trucks had arrived to take care of the vampiric bodies in the garden. It was simply one thing after another, wasn't it?

Sebastian would tend to what he could with the hopes that his masters would become less scatterbrained and forgetful as time went on. He didn't expect it to be any time soon, however. In the end, he was just happy for them, content with the family being back together once again.


	348. Fury Road

" _I'm done._ " said Audrey, putting his files away and shutting off his computer. As soon as the news of Thaddeus Wakefield's death reached the Intelligence Department, he began gathering his things.

"Already?" questioned the operative sitting next to him with a raised brow. "You're not even going to stay for the debriefing.

"I'm off the clock, now. Wakefield is dead. I'm going on vacation, now." answered the reaper, folding his coat over his arm. "Laters."

Without another word, he turned and walked away from his desk and out of the Intelligence Department wing. He then made the walk to his quarters and took off his uniform before getting dressed and tossing the garment in the washing machine. He changed into jeans, a T-shirt with a comicbook reference on it, and put his old purple beanie with the skull on it on his head. While his clothes were washing, he set everything in order, putting all of his suitcases together in preparation of bringing them out to his car. Finally, he sat on the edge of his bed and dialed a certain friend.

"Yo, Danny-boy." he greeted. "I'm planning on heading out to the beach house, soon."

"Okay." answered the Westley. His tone was somewhat quiet, as he wasn't off work just yet. "I mean, you're nuts for going out there in fucking March, but whatever. I've got the keys on me."

"And I've got the cheque on me." Audrey informed. "I can stop by the Welfare Center and trade you, if you want."

"That's fine by me. I have a client in a few minutes, though, so you might be waiting when you get here."

"No rush. I'll be there. See you then."

Daniel wished him farewell for the time being, and they both hung up, leaving the reaper alone in his room. He sat there for a moment longer before before deciding he should probably stand up and take care of everything else he needed. Putting on a H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. non-uniform jacket, he grabbed everything he could carry in one trip before making his way to his car in the lot in order to load it. It took more than one trip, given the fact that he was also bringing food with him. The process made him somewhat question his decision to live in a cottage by the ocean and essentially live like a hermit for a few months as the air at the base was enough to bite his fingers, but the arrangements were made, so he was going to go through with it.

By the time that was finished, all he had to do was put his uniform in the dryer and wait to hang it back up so it was ready for him upon his return. Once that was all set, he turned the lights off in his apartment and locked the door before leaving a note on his door for his neighbours in case they needed to contact him, or if they simply wondered where he was off to. After all, it wasn't uncommon for the supernatural agents to all get together once a week for movie.

The drive to Gehenna was peaceful. It was nice to not be on a strict schedule again. Even if there was traffic, he didn't mind as he had nowhere he needed to be urgently. He was patient and just enjoyed the ride. Though, he had all the time in the world for that once he set out. He had a few hours of driving, at least.

When he reached the Gehennan gate, he showed his I.D. and gave his name for the guards to enter into the computer. He told them the reason why he was there, and believed him, so they allowed him to pass. Driving down the street was something that he had to do carefully, here, as the residents were not used to cars, and might walk out in front of them without thinking.

The purple mustang captured quite a bit of attention, being so oddly coloured and shaped. As he parked it outside the Welfare Center, a small gathering had formed to look at it, but he paid it no mind and walked inside the building. Approaching the front desk, he notified Forsetti Sybil, the woman sitting behind it of his presence and intentions, prompting her to tell him to wait in one of the seats in the lobby while she informed Daniel that he had someone waiting after his appointment.

"Alright, here is the application." Daniel said, handing a piece of paper to the old woman seated across from him at his desk. "You can either take it home, or fill it in in the lobby out there and hand it to one of the people at the front desk."

"Thank you so much." the woman answered, taking the application with an excited smile. "My son keeps pestering me about getting out more. It's good to know that I can get a job sewing!"

"I'm sure you'll get the job, Mrs. Pinkerton." grinned Westley, reaching out to shake her hand as her cloven hooves hit the floor when she stood. "Take care, now."

Once the old woman left, she stepped out into the lobby while carefully folding her paper, prompting the woman at the front desk to gesture for Audrey to go into the office area. When the reaper stood up, Forsetti called out to him, telling him what room before sending him on his way.

He was sort of impressed with how legitimate the building was. It wasn't an odd replica of a "human" building, but an actual building that was built to fulfill a certain purpose. The office area was just a long hallway with offices inside, because that is what was needed. Daniel's office was one of many and when Audrey looked inside, he saw his friend, looking oddly serious and professional, despite the novelty tie he wore.

"'Sup, dawg?" Audrey playfully greeted while knocking on the door frame, alerting the other to his presence. Once Daniel heard the voice, his demeanor completely shifted and he was no longer working. Smiling, the Westley stood up.

"Wondering what the fuck is wrong with you." Daniel stated. "You're gonna freeze your balls off."

"I assure you, my balls are quite resilient." informed the reaper, digging into his pocket and pulling out an envelope. "You got keys?"

"Yep. You got money?"

"Yep. Wanna trade?"

"Yep." answered the Westley, reaching into his back pocket and digging them out. As they landed in the other man's hand, he added: "Don't worry, they were only _slightly_ farted on."

"Cool." Audrey said, taking the keys for himself and handing his friend the envelope. "If there's armpit sweat on that, don't worry. The bank will take it just the same."

"Is that why it's damp?"

"I would say ' _moist'_ , but sure."

" _'_ _Moist'_..." the brunet echoed while chuckling.

"Ew, Dan, don't be _gross._ " mockingly said the reaper.

"Just get the fuck out so I can work. Some of us are professionals, you know."

"Okay. Fine. I guess I'll leave, then." Audrey said, turning to walk away. "Don't jack off at work, Dan."

"I will not!" shouted the Westley after him, but it was too late. Audrey was already snickering at him from down the hallway.

With the keys in hand, it was time to go. He would say "goodbye" to London for the next month or so, living out his life in order to give him time to collect himself and rest. Even after all this time, he hadn't been able to reflect on the things he must and process them. He simply had too many other obligations to attend to. Now, he had all the time in the world, it seemed, and he would use it accordingly. He would be missing out on quite a few things during this time, but he had to do what he had to do.


	349. Awkwardly, We Carry On

"It's way too early for this shit..." complained Kristopherson with a loud yawn. He busily carried boxes to the rented moving van that was sitting in the parking garage with a certain incubus, who aided him.

"Yeah, but it makes it easier to carry this stuff out if nobody's awake, so there's that." Logan added, setting his box down so that he could open the back of the vehicle. The pair had gotten up early so that no one would be able to see Kristopherson carrying a ridiculous amount of boxes on his own. No ordinary human could do that, but then again, the faux-blonde wasn't. The idea was that they would keep people from getting suspicious this way.

"Hopefully it's worth it." With a grunt, Kristopherson put the boxes in the truck and pushed them toward the back of the compartment. "This is going to take us forever, though."

"Wasn't Alois supposed to be here?"

"Yeah, but I haven't heard from him in a couple days. I hope nothing happened to him..."

"Why don't you call him?" asked the incubus. "I'll go back up and grab more stuff."

"Thanks." Kristopherson hoisted himself up so that he was sitting on the edge of the van before pulling out his cellphone. He took a moment to watch after the other man before dialing. It was quite the dial tone as well. It hardly ever took the menace this long to pick up, but eventually, he did.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Alois," Kristopherson began, "Where are you? We've already started to load the car."

Furrowing his brow, the Miles listened intently to the momentary silence he was met with until he heard the demon gasp. " _That was today?!"_

"Yeah, you forgot?"

"Yeah… Shit… Sorry..." apologised the menace, sounding sincere as can be. "Some stuff came up, and I guess I just lost track of time."

"What happened? Are you okay?" It was common knowledge amoung their friend group that Alois hadn't been himself lately. In fact, he hadn't been feeling well at all, so Kristopherson was naturally worried.

"It's kind of a long story." Alois said. "We got attacked yesterday and Ciel and I kind of got into a spat."

"Shit, are you alright?"

"Yeah! We're all perfectly fine. Bad guys are dead, even if they took a few windows with them. Everything's been fixed."

"What about Ciel?"

"We're okay, too." The Phantomhive could be heard chuckling on the other end. "I actually thought about calling you, seeing as you love to gossip."

"Did you ask him out?" Kristopherson asked, now deeply interested in the conversation.

"Better. _We're married._ " proudly declared the menace, prompting the other to grin.

"You cheeky bastard!" laughed the Miles. "Did you get your memory back?"

"Yeah. Ciel and I have been kind of catching up since then." Alois said. On the other end of the phone, he looked down at the man he was currently laying on top of, fiddling with the fabric of his shirt before finding a lock of blueish black hair to play with. Winking at his beau, he caused the man to chuckle. "I can get up and come by, if you still need me."

"No, you spend time with your man. Lord knows the pitiful thing needs it." Kristopherson retorted, earning a laugh from his friend. His eyes were distracted as well as he saw the incubus walking up to the van at a snail's pace, trying not to drop the precariously stacked boxes in his arms. "I can see if Travis or Dan can come."

"Okay. Tell me if you change your mind, though."

"I won't. I don't want you getting your gross cooties all over my stuff." He bid his friend farewell before hanging up the phone and putting it in his pocket. It was a small set back, but Kristopherson didn't regret it. In fact, he knew that his friend desperately needed this for his emotional well-being, so it was hardly a "sacrifice" at all. It was just something that needed to happen. Following this, his attention immediately turned to Logan as the poor man struggled.

"Need help?" the faux-blonde asked.

"Nah, I got it." Logan huffed, keeping his eyes trained on the very top box.

"I can go get the next batch." offered the wolfman.

"Won't it be better if we go at the same time?" Setting down the boxes, the incubus stopped to catch his breath while the other hopped down from his seat and began to pile them in.

"Yeah, but I don't want anybody breaking into the car and stealing something. We would have to lock up for every trip."

"People do that?"

"Welcome to London." said Kristopherson offering his friend a pair of jazzhands. "I need to make some calls, though. I want to see if we can get some more hands, here."

"I have some brothers and sisters we could call. They might get too curious and break something, though. They're good people, but most of them haven't been out of Gehenna before..."

"It's fine. We're not in any hurry, so we can probably do it ourselves, if we need to. You can take a break and load stuff I bring down, if you want."

"You sure?" the incubus questioned. "Won't you get tired?"

"Nope. The full moon is a couple days away, so I've got lots of energy to spare." Kristopherson said. "I can run up and down places all day."

"If you say so." Logan said with a somewhat skeptical smile. "Tell me if you ever want to trade."

"Will do. I didn't get my morning run in, today, so this should work out nicely!"

True to his word, Kristopherson got in the elevator and went all the way back to his floor. The number of boxes he was able to carry was ridiculous. Balancing them was the only difficult part. By the time half of the boxes were down by the truck, he wasn't even tired. Being a werewolf had it's perks, although normally this excess of energy was a nuisance. It always happened before the full moon and often required Kristopherson to do ridiculous things to burn it off. Needless to say, his exercise routine had become ridiculous.

This was also the reason why Kristopherson wanted to get this task done on this specific day, however. He had the energy for it now, but after the full moon, he would "crash" and feel extremely tired and sore. It was important to him that he got this done today and ideally, get started at the very least on his next task before the sun set.

"That's everything." Kristopherson said to his accomplice, finally panting a bit as he set the last box down on the ground.

"Alright. I can load them. You can sit in the car and wait, if you want." offered the incubus. "Did you lock up?"

"Yeah. I'm fine helping you out, here, though." spoke the wolfman while picking up a lighter box and handing it to Logan while the other man stood up inside the van. "It'll go faster this way."

"Alright." Logan grunted while shifting his position. He bent over to grab the box before putting it away. Kristopherson was right, it did go faster this way, despite all of the times when the incubus had to recover from being flustered at his hands accidentally brushing Kristopherson's. The poor man almost dropped the box on more than one occasion.

In actuality, Logan was rather nervous around Kristopherson on occasion. The Miles was an attractive man with a good personality. Logan would be lying if he said he didn't have at least a small crush on the wolfman, but he would never unless pressed by the man himself. Really, as an incubus, it felt incredibly inappropriate for him to have such thoughts about a virgin. His people had a strict code of conduct when it came to relationships, so naturally Logan felt some pressure.

There have been incubi and succubi who were disowned by their community for breaking the code. One such rule was that they were not allowed to engage in physical relations with virgins unless they were in a relationship with them. The idea behind it is that one's first time should be meaningful, and while Logan understood that humans sometimes didn't mind, he did. Even the idea of flirting with Kristopherson seemed inappropriate, which made him worry about seeming "predatory" at times. Kristopherson knew the rule, but he didn't know about how exactly the incubus felt about it. It was quite the mess to be in.

Although being in close proximity to the wolfman made him nervous, he got in the van with his friend after shutting the back doors and locking them. Once seatbelts were buckled, they took off toward Gehenna. Fortunately, the ride wasn't awkward in any way as the two talked about this, that, and the other. Primarily, they talked about the city around it and how different it was from Gehenna. Kristopherson told Logan what he liked about Gehenna and what he liked about London while the other would do the same.

Arriving at the gate was somewhat of an ordeal, as the van needed to be searched. Every single box was opened and rummaged through, not only taking up time, but possibly damaging the goods. Kristopherson was practically biting his nails by the time they got halfway through the first box. It took a lot of reassurance from his accomplice to make it through the ordeal. He had to be reminded that things could be fixed. Eventually, it was over.

The van was allowed to pass and the two supernaturals were on their way, driving down the street. Eventually, they stopped in front of a building with large glass windows in the front. Getting out of the car, Kristopherson peered through to see shelves of all shapes and sizes, all seeming to meet his specifications, from where he was standing, at the very least. A heavy sigh escaped him as it was then time to unload everything. At least this time, there was no long trip and they could leave the doors open.

"Time to do some more heavy lifting." the wolfman said. "I might need a break eventually, though. That bakery down the street looks tempting."

"I know what you mean." Logan thoughtlessly replied, followed by a moment of silence. During this time, the implications sank in and a blush appeared on his face. "Not like that!"

"I didn't say anything." Kristopherson said with a chuckle. "You see something you like and you want it, especially if you're hungry. I get it."

Arching his eyebrow, Logan watched Kristopherson, trying to decipher him as he second-guessed his friend. Oblivious to this, the wolfman simply unlocked the front door of the building before turning around to do the same to the van. He stopped, however, when he turned around really took a look at the incubus, however, causing the other man to freeze.

"Why are you still in that form?" the wolfman finally asked, referring to his friend's "human" appearance. Blinking, the other was alerted to the problem.

"Oh!" he said before fiddling with the back of his pants. As he shapeshifted back, he helped guide his tail through the adjustable compartment in the back of his pants that could be changed according to the occasion. Once he was blue and horned again, Kristopherson nodded.

"Much better." the faux-blonde said with satisfaction. "You look better in your normal state."

"Do I?"

"Yeah. It's cute." casually replied Kristopherson while grabbing a box. "It suits you better."

To that, Logan had nothing to say. He was unable to fabricate a response, so he simply grabbed a box and dropped the subject, focusing his attention instead on the task at hand. Both of them carried boxes inside, drawing the attention of a few people on the street and from the neighbouring shop owners. All of them wondered what this place was, but were slightly intimidated by the sight of the large van. It was enough to keep them at bay until the two were finished with bringing boxes in and started putting things up and away. The first thing Kristopherson did was open a tube that was used to carry posters in before rolling them out and flattening them on the floor.

"So that's how they turned out, huh?" asked Logan while looking over the other's shoulder. "They look like something you'd see in the city."

"Probably because I'm from London." Kristopherson replied before turning his attention back to the images. "Not bad for a couple of friends and a camera standing on a backdrop made from extra fabric."

"It looks professional. Audrey can really use a camera."

"Yup. Shame he had to leave before he could see them up."

With that, he decided to hang one up, grabbing the tape and ignoring those looking in the windows as he placed it on the inside of the clear barrier with the image side facing out. Their eyes immediately turned to the poster, which had the name of the store along with some rather surprising images. Supernaturals were acting as clothing models. He had even used supernatural "celebrities" like the Lion and Watchdog, who shared a poster wearing some rather stylish suits. In the other was a werewolf in a fully transformed state, wearing clothes that actually fit despite his large frame.

Even though the store didn't have a sign yet, this served as enough information for the onlookers to figure out what it was going to be once it opened. The store was called _"Andrea's"_ and it was a clothing store for supernaturals. It was a novel idea that excited the murmuring crowd, despite there being some skepticism.

There has never been a store such as this for supernaturals before and it was obviously made by someone emulating stores in London, where the people of Gehenna seldom dare to tread. They could see one of their own inside, however, assisting this rather strange man with hair that didn't match the colour of his bizarre goatee.

"This is gonna be good." spoke one of the onlookers. "Must be new to town."

"I've never seen him before." said another. "How did he get the permission to use this building?"

"Well, obviously, he knows important people." answered the first, gesturing to the poster with the Phantomhives on it. Then, the tide shifted when another spoke up.

"What is he doing now?" they asked. "Is that fabric?"

"Hey, yeah… He's selling fabric!"

"Fabric and clothes? Do you think he has thread, too?"

"From the looks of him, I bet." nodded another. "I would quite like a sewing store, actually."

Others mumbled and nodded along in agreement. This changes things for them. Quite a few residents make adjustments to clothing they can find or already have, while others use what they can find to make something new. Readily available sewing supplies and fabric meant that clothes would be more available and less of a problem. Without a doubt in anyone's mind, this was going to be a strange store, but it also looked to be a useful one. From this realisation alone, it changed the mood of the crowd and made them excited about what was about to come.

They were thrown off when Kristopherson gave in and looked back at them, unable to ignore the eyes burning into the back of his head any longer. Smiling, he offered them a friendly wave before getting back to work, opening another box that had buttons and ribbons inside. He continued to stock shelves and get far more done than he anticipated that he and Logan would in one day. Most of the boxes were empty and in a pile, leaving them to wonder what could be done with them.

"It would be a shame to just get rid of them all." the wolfman questioned with his hands on his hips. "Any ideas?"

"I dunno… I'm sure you could use them for something..." pondered Logan. "Do we need any storage space?"

"Yeah… Maybe upstairs where the sewing studio will be…"

"Then let's take a couple up there. The rest can go to the crafting place down the street. I'm sure somebody there can turn them into something."

"Sounds good." answered the faux-blonde with a shrug. "We've been carrying boxes all day, so might as well."

"It never ends." chuckled his friend, putting smaller boxes in larger boxes in hopes of carrying them all up at once. Logan did what he could, and the other followed after, ascending the stairs that led into a vast room with many tables and chairs.

"Whoa..." Logan said aloud, being somewhat stunned by the space.

"It'll be more impressive once it's stocked and up and running." Kristopherson chimed in, setting his items down. "I'll probably come in and finish all that up tomorrow while you're at work."

"Is there where everyone is going to be sewing?"

"Yep. It's best if we have people designing what's premade to suit the style of Gehenna, not London, or Paris, or New York, but Gehenna."

"Does a lot of fashion happen in those places?"

"So much fashion."

"I believe you."

"Not much fashion will be happening here until we get started." the wolfman said, placing his hands on his hips and looking around the room with a sigh. "Thanks for the help. Sorry you to put you to work on your day off."

"No problem. I had fun." Logan replied. "I didn't have much else going on, anyway." Turning around, the incubus saw the other man staring at him intently before tearing his gaze away. Logan found it odd, but didn't know what to say about it. Needless to say, he had caught people staring at him in a similar way before and he knew what it meant.

"See something you like?" he teased, only to internally scold himself immediately.

"Oh, shut up." huffed Miles. "You just happened to be where I was staring into space."

"Don't lie to incubi about this stuff. We know, Kris..."

"Fine…" Kristopherson groaned, his face heating up. He hadn't meant to. Part of him couldn't help but feel impressed by how well the pants he designed fit, but that wasn't the entire picture. Indeed, he did look for the sake of looking, as one does when they find someone attractive. "You're not going to gouge my eyes out or anything."

"What? No. What the fuck?" Logan blinked with confusion.

"Sorry, I spend too much time with Alois, I guess." confessed the Miles with a shrug. "He's a mercenary, essentially. What can you do? Though I will say that it is fun to hear you swear."

"I can swear. It just doesn't come out as often."

"What makes you swear?"

Pausing, the incubus stopped to think. "Stuff, I guess." Looking up, he saw the other staring at him in an odd way. "What's that look for?"

"Logan, can I be real with you for a sec?" asked Kristopherson.

"What?"

"Are you secretly a kinky?"

"Do you always ask your friends stuff like this?" deadpanned the other with the most unamused of expressions.

"The ones who won't kill me for it." stated the wolfman. "I know more about the sex life of the Watchdog and Lion than anybody other than the Watchdog and Lion."

"So you like to gossip..."

"I never divulge details. I just hang onto them."

"So you're just a pervert, then?" Logan teased while cocking a slight smile. Now it was the other's turn to be defensive once again.

"Sounds like you want me to be."

 _"_ _Please,"_ scoffed the incubus, gesturing to himself. "You couldn't handle all of this."

"Maybe with instruction. Is there like, a manual, or something?" Kristopherson asked with ambiguous amounts of seriousness, causing the other to laugh. "That's how I imagine my first time. Just sitting on a bed with a book like: ' _hang on a second, I think I've got this figured out this time.'"_

 _"'_ _This time?'"_ Logan snickered.

"Well, yeah, why do you think I stopped in the middle to read the manual? I probably missed something on the preparatory read-through."

"You're so fucking weird..."

"Or I could just, y'know, listen to my partner because he probably knows a thing or two."

"Wait, are we still talking about me?" asked the incubus with an arched eyebrow, causing the other's face to flush as he became quiet.

"Well..." began Kristopherson before pausing in order to think of what to say. "I mean… Hypothetically."

"I don't mind. I'm flattered."

"Humans would find it creepy..."

"Well, a different incubus might, too..." Logan admitted. "I wouldn't do that to anybody else."

For a while, Kristopherson stayed quiet. He walked over to one of the tables and sat on it's surface, rather than opting to sit on one of the chairs. There was hesitance written on his face. It was accompanied by embarrassment that showed no signs of going away.

"Logan..." he began. "Is it… Is it possible that you…?" As he stared at the incubus, he could see the dread building on his face as he continued. "...Might fancy me?"

Opening his mouth, Logan tried to speak, but no words came out. Instead, he looked away and rubbed his chin momentarily. "Don't tell anyone..."

"Why?" questioned the faux-blonde. Now it was his turn to be confused.

"Because… I'm afraid of what could happen." the incubus said. "Remember how I said that we aren't allowed get with virgins unless we're dating them?"

"Yeah?"

"What I'm afraid of is that even being known to fancy one and be… attracted to one without being in a relationship might give people the wrong idea." No matter how the incubus tried to explain it, he couldn't make it sound palatable, much to his regret. "It's a really big deal to us."

Listening to his friend, Kristopherson wore an almost unreadable expression. With a sigh, the man stood up. "So in other words, you've got too many sexual hangups to date me?" he asked.

It was a bit of a shock to Logan, as he didn't think of it that way. In his mind, the incubi and succubi were the most sexually liberated people in the world, despite their rules. These rules were put in place to protect people and keep them from becoming the "predators" that humans told stories about. All of it made sense, yet Kristopherson questioned it.

"What?"

"You've got some really good rules," the faux-blonde began, "but you're fixated on them. It's like you're so worried about breaking the rules, that you forgot to actually consider the possibility that you might not be. After all, it takes two to do the horizontal tango."

"I don't follow..."

"Jesus Christ..." Kristopherson mumbled before walking over to the other man. Grabbing Logan's shoulders, he looked him straight in the face. "I like you, you adorable blue idiot."

In the following seconds, Kendrick looked at his friend like he had grown two heads. "H-huh?"

"You're killing me here, man..."

"No, I mean, like, _why?_ " Logan questioned. "Don't humans think people who look like… this are weird?" he attempted to clarify while gesturing to himself. "And isn't the 'incubus' thing kind of off-putting?"

"Logan, I turn into a giant wolfman once a month, and have been around demons, grim reapers, angels, and all of that business for about five years. Every time I hang out with you, this is how you look. This doesn't phase me." the Miles said. "I have seen far, far worse. And besides, I think you're brilliant."

"Are you sure?" the other pressed further with remaining skepticisim. "You know that I have a few ' _biological requirements_ ', right?"

"We-well, yes…" bashfully stated Kristopherson, removing a hand from the other in order to cough into his fist. His face burned brightly, but knew that he needed to have this conversation with the other. "That's kinda why I held off on talking about this… I didn't want to leave you hanging or string you along, so I was waiting until I thought I was ready to commit to that."

"Are you?"

"Nervously, but yes."

"Why are you so nervous?" chuckled Logan, finally cracking a bit of a smile.

"Because I look like a right prick right now by human standards..."

"Well, humans are weird about this stuff, so I don't blame you."

"We're not as… open." Kristopherson said, reaching up to rub the back of his neck.

"That won't do. You'll need to be much more open than that to date an incubus."

"I can learn..."

"I hope so, because I'd actually very much like to see you properly..." the other replied, his blue cheeks adopting a soft lavender tint as blood rushed to his face. He smiled softly, causing the wolfman to temporarily forget what he was going to say.

"Has anyone ever told you that it's cute when you blush?" asked the faux-blonde instead.

"What kind of answer is that?"

"Answer to what?"

"Do you want to go out with me?" Logan asked, this time being very direct. Now it was the blonde's turn to change in hue.

"Y-yeah..." he answered, embarrassment written all over his face.

"You're very pink… It's cute."

"Thanks?" Despite his clarity in voice, Kristopherson's gestures came across as very uneasy.

"Don't be so nervous. I'm not asking you to pull down your pants right here..."

"I know, but you're going to need it, eventually, aren't you?"

"Not within the week, no." the incubus stated. "After that, though, I'll probably start to get a little weak."

"We should probably do it within the next few days, though. After the full moon, I kind of crash and have no energy for anything."

"H-huh?!" That surprised Kendrick, blinking as worry suddenly started to sink in.

"Well, if I can be honest and open, here, it kinda… peeks at the full moon and increases as it gets close, but then my libido kind of disappears for the next few days..."

"That could be a problem..."

"Just… give me a few days to kinda… prepare a bit." requested the wolfman. "Ask my married friends for advice and all that..."

"That's fine." Logan nodded along. "When the time comes, though, all you really need to do is relax. I'll walk you through it."

Pausing, Kristopherson narrowed his eyes and looked carefully at his new boyfriend's face, causing the incubus to worry a bit. Nervously, Logan asked: "What?"

"You sure you're not secretly kinky?" inquired the faux-blonde, causing the other to furrow his brow. " _Ow!"_


	350. Babbling On

Saying his fairwells, Alois hung up on Kristopherson before putting the phone back down on the nightstand. He had rolled on top of his defenseless, sleeping husband while talking, trapping him with no choice but to resign himself to his fate. When he was done, Alois laid his head down in the crook of the bluenette's neck, grasping at the fabric of one of the very few T-shirts Ciel owned and simply enjoying the contact.

"Was that Kristopherson?" drowsily asked the bluenette. Although he had just awakened, he assumed based on the way Alois spoke.

"Mm-hm." the menace hummed. "I was supposed to help him move stuff today, but I forgot. He said not to worry about it."

"Where is he moving to?"

"He's just moving stuff to that store he was opening up in Gehenna." mumbled the menace, refusing to move from his place. He hummed in contentment as the other soothingly rubbed his back, closing his eyes again. "He let it slide because I'm spending time with you."

"That was nice of him. I would have to tag along, otherwise."

"We wouldn't be very helpful, then. All we would want to do is hug and kiss, all gross-like."

"Probably told you to stay away because he didn't want to throw up."

"I don't blame him." Pausing, the blonde thought for a moment. "It's been a while since you've seen Kristopherson, hasn't it?"

"Yes. I haven't really seen any of the others in a long time." answered Ciel. "Don't worry, I do visit Gabriel and such."

"Ah. Old man friends." grinned the menace while making the other chuckle.

"They weren't old men when I first met them. Bailey was twenty-one." informed the Watchdog.

"So the others will be our old man friends, eventually… Seeing Dan will be funny..."

"We should spend some time with all of them sometime."

"Not in the near future. I need your undivided attention for a while." Alois elicited a rather loud laugh from the bluenette by blowing raspberries on his neck.

"Oh-ho-kay. I will." Ciel managed to reply while calming himself down a bit. The action had taken him by surprise when the guard of the Guard Dog was down. "You have my attention. I need it, too. I missed my husband, you know."

"I know. I'm sorry..."

"Oh, it's alright." cooed the Watchdog, turning his head and twisting so that he could reach his beau's head with his mouth. He kissed Alois' hair, which was all that he could manage, but the blonde was happy with it, regardless. "It's not your fault. I'm just happy to have you back again, my love."

Shifting his weight, he turned over onto his side, forcing the other to move. A sudden craving to see his husband's face struck him, forcing him to do just that. Dreamily, he stared into Alois' eyes, loving every bit of their icy blue hue. Raising a hand, he gently stroke the other's face, taking it in.

"You're so beautiful..." Ciel sighed, smiling softly. "Handsome, but beautiful."

Giggling, the other replied: "You always say that, but I never really know what you mean. You've told me, but it hasn't really sunk in."

"I'll tell you as many times as you need me to and then a thousand more." the bluenette answering, leaning forward to peck the other's lips.

"I love your eyes," he began, "I love that blue and I love that determined, defiant look about them."

Pausing, he took a moment to kiss the other's cheek before leaning back and observing the other's smile. "I love your lips and I love your smile. I love your skin and your hair. I love your nose, ears, neck, and shoulders. I love your arms and your legs, too."

"You _really_ love my legs." interrupted the menace with a laugh.

"True, but I love everything else, too. I love your body, your mind, your heart, and your soul." stated the Watchdog. "I just love this man called Jim Phantomhive. That's all there is."

"I love you, to, Ciel." Grinning widely, the blonde added: "It's nice to properly hear my name again, too. It was weird, hearing you call me ' _Alois'_. It just doesn't sound right."

"Can I confess something?"

"What?"

"There were times when I would avoid calling your name because I was afraid I would accidentally call you ' _Jim'_ when you told me not to."

"Call me ' _Jim_ ' every day, baby." Alois said as he pressed a kiss to the side of his husband's lips.

"I will. Calling you ' _Alois_ ' is weird. It feels weird. ' _Jim_ ' is cuter."

"Really?" the menace questioned with an arched brow.

"Yeah. It suits you. It sounds like a TV detective's name." chuckled the bluenette.

"Huh… I kind of does… The _'Phantomhive'_ kind of pushes it an extra bit." Alois mused. "It's like I'm some detective who solves supernatural mysteries and such. Maybe I work as an assassin for some secret organization. Oh! Maybe I even have super powers."

Laughing, Ciel held his beau closer. "How are you so good at sarcasm? How do you get so good at sarcasm?"

"That's just the English language, my dear."

"That's true. But why are Americans not as good at sarcasm? Have you ever heard one of them talk?"

"They don't speak English. They speak that weird, American shit. They sound funny."

"You probably sound weird to them, too."

"Are you kidding? Americans dig the accent!"

"That doesn't matter. You're married." firmly said the Watchdog.

"Yeah, I know. Happily so." answered Alois. "I'm really excited to be back to being married and having a husband. This is comfortable. It's just _right._ "

"Good. I want you to be mine." Ciel suggested despite feeling as though he was still slightly asleep. Truly, he was in a comfortable position that he was reluctant to move from, but he did want to spend time and have fun with his spouse. "I was actually wondering, by the way, if you would like to go on a date sometime?"

"Mmm..." the menace hummed as he thought. His eyes closed and he shrugged. "Honestly, I feel like I could stand to just lay here with you. It's too warm and cozy… It's sucking me in… I can't escape… So sorry..."

"It doesn't hurt my feelings, any. I still feel like I'm about to fall asleep." sighed the Watchdog. "It's still early… We can tell Luka and the others the news later..."

"Sounds good to me." Grinned the blonde as he felt his lover's body relax next to him. He almost chuckled at the grunt he was met with as a sign of acknowledgment before his husband began to doze off.

Ciel was out very quickly. He was the same the night before, now that he could finally sleep comfortably. That said, Alois understood this entirely. While he slept a lot to avoid the doubt and the way he felt for the past month, he wasn't able to rest. He woke up more exhausted than he was when he went to sleep, plagued by nightmares and memories alike. It was difficult to sleep without Ciel, given how accustomed they both had gotten to sharing the same bed. Alois could recall his husband telling him about an article he read, talking about how sleeping next to someone can deepen a bond with them.

It made perfect sense to the blonde, who wanted nothing more than to relax with his spouse and do nothing. For the time being, the two of them were quite worthless as detectives or assassins, as they were too busy being together to care about duty or violence. Things were probably going to remain this way until they had their fill.


	351. Consultation By Phone

Yawning, a certain reaper started his day. He wasn't in his own home and was still tired from his trip, but he got up anyway. If there was anything being part of a military group taught him, it was that routine could be helpful. He knew that if he slept in too late, it would be hard to get back into the habit when he returned to work. In this time, he managed to pour himself a bowl of cereal and sit down in front of the television with a blanket wrapped around himself.

Everyone was right about it being cold where the beach cottage was, but fortunately for him, it was heated. A fireplace would keep him warm, although he wasn't sure how to go about maintaining the pile of firewood during his stay. Audrey was certain that he would think of something. For now, he needed food, as he hadn't eaten anything since the day before. Fortunately, he had brought along some horrendously sugary American cereal he had ordered amoung other things.

"Damn, the Americans are doing cereal _right._ " he said to himself after his first bite.

The man Did this for a while until he jumped as he heard the house settle. It groaned, as buildings sometimes do, causing his ears be at attention and his body to freeze. Audrey stayed this way for a few moments until he couldn't bear it anymore and needed to get up. His first action was to go to the kitchen and check the fridge door. He made sure that the seemingly random-looking phone number to the local H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. station was still there, as well to check his other box of cereal. It was a less sugary, off-brand kind that he had no intention of actually eating. Opening the box, he stuck his hand inside in an ungraceful fashion, gripping the handle of the pistol hidden inside.

Content with this, he washed his hands and moved to the entrance of the house and crouched in front of a machine. The moisture in the room was abnormal, even for a house along the beach. It was a reasonable thing, however, as he checked the small humidifier he had brought along with him and changed the water. It was a cheap way of vampire-proofing a room or entrance way, as he had filled the device with water that was blessed. He did need to replace the towel underneath the device, however, as it was soaked with what leaked onto the floor.

Essentially, the first thing he did upon arriving was attempt to make it impossible for the most common type of supernatural to get in. The rest was him trying to relax under these circumstances, which was turning out to be understandably difficult. It was just now that he was really starting to realise that his time at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. had changed him somewhat. It was difficult for him to live outside the base, although history had proven that the base wasn't completely safe.

There was that incident with Preston, and then there were stories told to him by older soldiers about several attacks during the 1990s by the Millennium Letzte Battalion. Almost the entire payroll was wiped out, causing the organization to enlist the help of The Wild Geese mercenary group. When that was almost completely destroyed, they bought up several smaller private military companies to have under their command.

Either way, this place was too peaceful. Audrey kept expecting things to go wrong, cutting into his ability to enjoy himself. This problem persisted for several days and he was unable to shake it no matter what he did. He tried going into town, only to feel uncomfortable with the familiar area. He tried staying in and playing videogames, but not even that helped. Audrey was all alone.

In a matter of days, he grew tired of the solitude he sought and picked up the phone to call the doctor. He wasn't sure if she could help him, as she wasn't a psychologist, but he had hoped that hearing someone's voice might help him. Thus, after much nervous hesitation, he forced himself to dial.

"Hello?" answered a female voice on the other end of the line.

"Hey, Miranda? This is Audrey. I'm on my vacation."

"Oh, hey!" the woman finally perked up, snapping out of her daze. "Sorry, I'm kind of out of it today."

"You mean everyday?"

"Rude." Miranda snidely replied. "So, how are things turning out for you?"

"Not good." the reaper sighed, laying his head down on the counter while keeping his phone to his ear. "I keep acting like I'm on a mission. I can't relax at all..."

"Really? That's awful… But, it's not uncommon for military personnel." stated the researcher. "I can give you the number of a professional. We have people on staff to help with this."

"I know. I just… don't really want to?" Audrey said back. "I just wanna enjoy myself now without all that other stuff."

"You can't expect things to fix themselves, Baines."

"Why not? That's how it works in movies, at least."

"You know better than anybody that movies can't be trusted." Miranda stated with a sigh. "If there's one thing that H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. teaches the people who work here, it's that."

Audrey didn't answer right away. He sat there in silence, listening to the sound of the hands of the clock on the wall turning as the thought about what to say. The sound of waves and wind could be heard outside, doing nothing to help him.

"So..." he finally began, about to change the subject altogether. "What's happening at the base?"

"Lots of things..." the other replied, giving up on helping Audrey for now. "We have several new vampire specimens from the raid at that Wakefield bloke's place. I don't know all the details about what happened, since I'm not authorized to be in on their investigations or interviews, but rumour has it that their working on getting a firing squad together."

"Yikes. An execution?"

"After what they supposedly did, I would bet so..."

"True. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. doesn't really take kindly to that sort of thing." Audrey mused. "Come to think of it, what do you need vampire specimens for?"

"To further our understanding of the species' functions." Miranda stated as a matter of fact. Although she was talking over the phone, Audrey could almost hear her smile. That might have been the wrong question to ask her. Once she started talking about her findings, she was very unlikely to stop.

"Their fangs are so odd! They retract and elongate in order to pierce the sternocleidomastoid muscle in order to tap into the veins in the neck. Otherwise, there would be no way they could get to the vital arteries underneath. They could possibly hit the external jugular, but it's smaller and would take a few tries to hit while their prey is thrashing."

"Sterno-what?" questioned Audrey, pausing her rambling for a moment. "Is that a word?"

"It's that big muscle in your neck that goes from behind your ear, to where your collarbones meet, Audrey."

"Oh. That makes sense, now."

"Surely you took a class on this when you first joined?" the woman questioned. "You have to pass it to even start. Otherwise, they put you in the HR department."

"I passed. It's just a hard word to remember." Audrey insisted, sitting up on his stool a bit more. "But surely you didn't just learn all that just now?"

"Psh, of course not! It's just that now we actually found the muscles that control it! I'm not sure what to call them..."

"Just mash a bunch of sounds together. That's how the regular scientists do it, looks like." the man jested. Although they were talking about vampires and the science behind them, the man was starting to relax a bit more. In fact, this was the most at ease he had felt since he arrived.

He spoke with Miranda for about an hour until she needed to get back to work. Then, he hung up despite the fact that he would have stayed on the line for much longer. Now, he was alone again and needed to find another way to occupy himself. Sitting up, he looked around the room for a bit before feeling compelled to stand up.

After checking his humidifiers one more time, he decided that it was time to put on clothes and go outside. He needed exercise, after all. The thing he spent the most time on, however, was not getting dressed, but rather, deciding if he wanted to bring a gun or a knife with him. In the end, he went with a concealed pistol, just in case. With that, he locked the door and went out for a run, marking the true "first day" of his vacation.


	352. House Call

Vampires were brought into headquarters and interrogated for any information on what had just occurred. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. wanted to know what all Wakefield had done and how. Many said nothing and it was those who didn't get any consideration to be exempt from the firing squad. A few others did talk after some coaxing.

They sat there in that cramped room for hours before being sent back to their cell in the dungeon of the estate. For several nights, vampires were marched out and tied to a long, steel pole protruding from the ground so that they couldn't move. They were offered blindfolds. Some refused, but most didn't. Then, several soldiers with rifles lined up and took aim, killing them instantly. The bodies were then untied and thrown into a large pile to be burned.

Several escaped this fate and were allowed to flee, however. Some went to stay with friends in Gehenna, while others went to Phantom House in London until they could find their own housing. Others stayed outside in tents within Ghenna's walls, as they felt as though they had nowhere else to go.

One person who escaped was a woman named "Crystal", who was shockingly supposed to be Thaddeus Wakefield's most loyal bride. The woman told H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. everything she knew about him. She told them about how he was a killer from the very beginning. At one time, she too was human. She was a maid at the Wakefield household when it was in its prime. She claimed to have stayed out of some twisted sense of loyalty to the family, despite the true heirs being murdered long ago.

Thaddeus was not the original heir. He was the middle child of the Wakefield household with two brothers. Crystral told about how the master of the household became ill, so to ensure that he would inherit everything, Thaddeus killed the older brother, but that was not the end of it. No, as it turns out, he was not the true heir. That title befell to the younger brother. Shocked and appalled, Thaddeus was told the truth of his birth. He was a bastard. His mother had an affair with one of the male servants, giving him impure blood. That was the beginning of Thaddeus' obsession with blood. There was never any bewilderment on Crystal's part when he became a vampire.

She was also not surprised when the younger brother mysteriously fell into a well and drowned, nor was she in the slightest shocked that his father's "illness" was actually poison. No one ever knew except Thaddeus and Crystal. It was her lack of ratting him out that impressed him in the first place and prompted him to make her his concubine. What a fool she was, for not outing this killer when she had the chance.

But, she was free now and able to do as she pleased. She was free from killing humans and draining them into vats beneath meathooks, free from crime and turmoil, and free from the Wakefield house. For the first time, she was able to walk the streets on her own without orders or escort. The only thing was, she wasn't certain as to what to do with it all. Crystal had never lived on her own before. She had never acted without following orders before either. She was born a servant and that was how she was supposed to die. Yet, she rebelled against Wakefield by exposing his secrets in the end. What was she supposed to do now? Find a new master?

All of this was swirling in her head along with the curiosity as to what Blackwood was doing at that moment. She knew he called H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and told them of their hiding out in that hotel room, there was no doubt in her mind. He took off just before they arrived, claiming to step outside for a cigarette, despite her never recalling him to smoke in the short time that they knew one another. Now she knew better than to ignore her own suspicions.

Meanwhile, a somewhat scruffy-looking blonde man wearing an eyepatch drove down the street regardless of only having one eye. It was hard for him to stay on the road, but it was dark and no one could see him taking the back way. The man was making his way out of the city in search of an old friend of his, but Blackwood had no good intentions whatsoever.

He drove and he drove before arriving at his destination in the dead of night. His shoes scuffled as he stepped out of the car, looking at the house before him. He was sure that this was the correct address. Still, he needed to make sure, so he peeked in the window before knocking on the door. Sure enough his old coworker, a bespectacled man in his thirties, despite his thinning hairline, watching television alone, despite there being more than one car in the driveway other than Blackwood's.

The man inside immediately turned his attention to the door, confused as to who might be knocking at this hour. Reluctantly, he stood up and slowly wandered over to answer it without the slightest clue as to who it might be. When the door swung open, he audibly gasped at the sight of the man before him, jumping. It was the natural response to seeing someone with Blackwood's appearance, especially considering who this "friend" of the former Scarlet Order was.

"Hello, Stuart." Blackwood smiled, leaning against the doorframe. "I hope I didn't startle you."

Squinting, the other man examined Paul's face closer upon hearing his voice. It was familiar. He knew it. He also knew that face. It took Stuart a moment longer to recognise him, but when he did, his eyes widened.

"Paul!?" he gasped, dumbfounded as to how the man he once knew and this man could be one in the same. "What on earth happened to you!?"

"I would love to tell you, but it's quite the long story. If you had a moment, I'd tell you right now." answered Blackwood, putting his hands in his pockets. "What I really need from you, though, is to know where I can find your brother."

"Don?! What do you need Don for?!"

"First of all, to tell him one of his associates is dead, and secondly, to ask for his help."

"Why would he help you?" questioned the balding man.

"It's all part of my story."

Looking back over his shoulder Stuart quickly checked to see if his wife was still in bed before waving Blackwood outside. He followed after, closing the door behind him, before offering his friend a seat on the front porch. After that, their conversation began.

Both Stuart and Paul worked under Matthew Westley while the man was still alive. Both hated him, but Stuart was unhappy that he lost his job when their employer died. His wife was especially unhappy and Blackwood could tell just by looking at the man. The fact that he was supposed to be sleeping on the couch instead of his bed was evidence enough. Paul knew of his friend's relationship with his wife at home and didn't understand how Stuart went on living this way. Even now, as Blackwood told his story.

The eyepatch-wearing man told of how his plans to get his revenge on Westley went about, omitting a few details, but keeping the part in where he met the demonic duo. He also told about how they were responsible for Westley's death and how that led him to flee the country, only to end up running into the group known as "The Scarlet Order". It took him a long time, but he was able to tell his friend everything, including why he needed to talk to the man's brother.

"According to Wakefield, your brother is still up to no good, huh?" Blackwood asked, only to receive a delayed sigh.

"Yes… I haven't spoken to him in years, but… Last I heard, he was still in Manchester."

"Thanks." Blackwood replied. "You're always free to join me."

"Join you in what?" questioned Stuart. "What is it that you want to do?" With that very inquiry, the man was met with a smile that rattled his bones.

"I see things that ordinary people can't." he said, pointing to his visible eye. "I know things that ordinary people can't. All I want is to make people _see._ "

Dumbstruck, the older man's mouth was agape as Blackwood offered his hand. "If you come with me, I can show you the world as it is."

"No!" barked Stuart. It was sudden and awkward. Pausing for a moment, the man stood up and cleared his throat. "I mean… I can't… I have a family…. A wife and a son… I can't go..."

After a moment, Blackwood stood up as well. "Oh, well." he said. "I guess you won't be free from the world as you know it. Good luck dodging the flying pans of the Missus, mister Thwaite. I'll see you around, maybe."

All Stuart could do is stand and watch his friend descend the steps and walk to his car in silence. There was nothing he could think of to say. There was nothing he could do. There was nothing at all but to wonder about the life that Blackwood had lived. If it were true or not was a question the lingered, but if he was looking for his brother, then chances are that there was a thread of it. The car drove away, leaving Mister Thwaite to his evening on the couch, worried of what was to come next.


	353. Domestic Animals

Another day came to the Phantomhive household and all was well within it's walls. The family was together and happy again. At least, that's how it was until a certain event happened. As he did most mornings, Alois walked into the home office and eyed the jar on his desk shaped like a ceramic lion. As he approached it, he reached out and lifted the crown-shaped lid on its head and reached his hand inside, only to raise his brow as he grasped nothing.

 _"_ _Ciel!"_ he called out, removing his hand. Folding his arms, Alois waited for the other to arrive for a few seconds before the Watchdog peeked inside. The bluenette looked as though he already knew what was the matter just by hearing Alois' tone.

"Yes, muffin?" Ciel sweetly answered, ducking his head into the doorway.

"We have a problem." his husband stated. "I distinctly remember this jar being at least halfway full when I left it last."

"Alright?"

"You are my primary suspect."

Gasping, Ciel put his hand against his chest, clutching at his figurative pearls. "Me? Why would you say that?"

"Because you're the only one in this house who can sit at someone else's desk and eat a jar of cookies." bluntly stated the menace. "And don't you suggest Luka. The office is locked always, and only you and Sebastian have access to it. It wasn't me, and I certainly know it wasn't Sebastian. Therefore..." Alois trailed off, gesturing at the bluenette, assuring him that he was done for.

"I'm sorry..."

"Stop eating my snacks. God damn… We've talked about this like, a million times, already."

Indeed, if there was one thing that got on Alois' nerves about his husband, it was his habit of eating other people's food. Even when scolded, his spouse would "forget" and do it again. Shaking his head, Alois let out a frustrated sigh.

"Listen, I don't want to divorce you over missing biscuits..." he began. "But you've got to stop it when I ask."

"I know. I did bad." Ciel shamefully admitted.

"Then quit it. It feels like I'm talking to a brick wall." grumbled the blonde. "A biscuit-guzzling wall."

"Sorry. We can go get you more, if you want." offered the bluenette. The moments afterward were quiet as his husband thought, but eventually, a smile graced the other's face.

"Alright." he conceded. "But you're buying."

"Sounds fair."

"And I'm getting the expensive kind."

"As you wish." the Watchdog dutifully replied before the two of them prepared to set off. They grabbed their coats and got into the car with a short shopping list of things they might as well pick up while they were out.

They had heard at some point that when one is married, going to the store can become a date, but didn't believe it until it happened. While Alois was still a bit miffed at his biscuits being stolen for the umpteenth time and while Ciel was still slightly afraid for his life, the two were a bit excited to be heading out after spending the past week inside. They had doted on each other and had been inseparable. It almost drove the other residents of the house mad to be constantly feeling they had been interrupting something whenever they needed to speak with one of the two. The words "I love you" were uttered enough times to make up for the month missed and then some, but didn't show any real signs of lessening anytime soon. Even Alois' quickness to forgive the bluenette was due to this need to be together in good spirits at last.

The two parked the car and paid the meter before walking down the street to the grocery store that had the particular snacks that the blonde sought. Exiting the car, they joined together with the blonde hanging off of the arm of the other while Ciel put his free hand over Alois' to keep him in place. Both stood up proudly and walked with confidence regardless of any looks they received. It was one of the perks of being a demon to not fear physical violence from homophobic humans.

As if oblivious to the occassional person watching them, they carried onward. Ciel maintained his strong gait with his chest out and shoulders back. A bright smile adorned his face, appearing odd to the random observer as it didn't match the rest of his overall image. The man was just pleased to be out with his spouse, who seemed equally content. However, there was a moment where his smile waned and he felt compelled to be serious.

"Ciel?" he called.

"Yes, love?" questioned the other, looking to his spouse.

"Listen… I'm… I'm sorry, for earlier..." the blonde state, watching his feet as their shoes scuffled against the concrete sidewalk.

"For what?"

"For getting mad earlier." Alois clarified, looking forward again. "I don't really have the right to be mad at you over something so little after what I've put you through..."

"Sure you do. You were upset and that's valid." spoke his husband. "It has nothing to do with what happened, which, by the way, still wasn't your fault."

"I know, but…" Pausing, the menace let out a sigh. "I still feel guilty."

"I'm sorry." Ciel said, causing the other to look at him with a confused expression. "I know I can't change the way you feel. Just know that I still have your back no matter what. Even through this. Alright?"

"Okay… Sorry..."

"No need to apologise. We're alright. You can be upset about things someone did that upsets you, even if it's me who did it."

"I know… I just..." Alois trailed off. His husband already knew what he was going to say and offered him a reassuring smile.

"I love you." the Watchdog said. The two of them stopped in front of the store and Ciel wasted no time in seizing the opportunity to kiss the top of the other's head. "Now, let's get this biscuit situation sorted."

"Alright." answered his spouse, finally cracking a smile once more. "What else did we need?"

"Well, I know we need shampoo..." Ciel began as he dug around in his pocket for the shopping list they made while the other grabbed a handbasket. "Luka wanted something called _'dinosaur cereal'?"_

"It's cereal with little marshmallows shaped like dinosaurs and eggs." Alois stated.

"Your handwriting is impressive..." teased the other.

"Whatever… I heard that the shittier your handwriting, the smarter you are. It's cause your brain moves faster than your hand."

"Is that right?"

"Shut up and keep reading..."

"Well, sunglasses are on the list, so I assume that's for Revy." continued the bluenette as they slowly walked through the store. They both continued to ignore the annoyed shoppers who quickly darted around them in an indignant matter, as they were too busy in their own thoughts. "There's also socks for someone unspecified, and…"

Ciel squinted as he read the next item with a slight pink tint to his cheeks. Clearing his throat, he held the list up to the other's view, pointing to the next item on the list with his thumb. Blinking, Alois read what it was before promptly rolling his eyes.

"You can read it out loud, you wuss." scoffed the menace at his spouse's juvenile embarrassment.

"We're in public..."

"So? Nobody's listening. Big, bad, scary Watchdog is afraid of saying the word ' _lube'_ out loud..." Alois took a moment to giggle to himself before adding: "How old are you again? I'm pretty sure that if you're embarrassed about buying lube and shit, it's not old enough to be using it."

"Alright, alright. I get it..." groaned the bluentte with a roll of his eye. "I want you to picture this for a second: imagine the poor person at checkout who has to see _this face_ buying lube. It's a frightening picture."

"Well, your face is pretty red… and veins are popping out… and you look like you're in pain..."

_"_ _Jim..."_

"I still think you're cute, babe." Alois reassured, nudging his husband's shoulder with his forehead, as his hands were full. One had the hand of the other Phantomhive in it, while the other carried the shopping basket. "Now, let's get to it!"


	354. Sparkling Reputation

"That's a lot." Ciel noted as his husband put multiple boxes of biscuits into the basket. The Watchdog could feel the basket getting heavier with each one, but the other simply scoffed at him.

"What are you talking about? You could eat this many in under an hour." the menace reminded. "Besides, I need some to stash where you can't hide them."

"What can I do to earn your trust?"

"Not eat my damn biscuits, ya prick."

"Understandable." noted the bluenette before resigning himself to his fate as a cookie-carrier. Granted, one of the boxes was one he selected for himself, however.

After they bought sweets for Alois, socks for Luka, and sunglasses for Revy, they paid for their purchases before heading off to the car. There, they would put the bags away before discussing what came next. After shutting the door, Alois leaned against the car and looked to his spouse.

"Next, we gotta go to the pharmacy to get ' _you-know-what_ '." he said, still teasing the other on the matter. "It's just down the street, so you can just get in the car and wait, if you want."

Ciel did try to respond. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out as he hesitated. His immediate response was to insist that he was capable of going in order to retain some of his pride, but the more the thought about it, the more at risk his pride appeared. He couldn't imagine even standing next to Alois as he paid, as he knew that as soon as he did, their sex life would be on display for all to see. That was an embarrassing prospect. He was surprised that Alois wasn't embarrassed, although perhaps the blonde was convinced that Ciel wouldn't go and thus wasn't in any danger.

"You're taking an awfully long time to decide." grinned the menace. "Considering it?"

"Well..." Clearing his throat, Ciel answered: "There are… implications that going with you entails."

"Such as?" Alois questioned with one brow raised.

"As… As soon as I walk in there with you and purchase… lubricant… Suggestive knowledge of us will be known to everyone who sees."

"Ciel, that information is open when we walk down the street together." the blonde stated. "That's one of the things about being in a same-sex relationship. The straights think vulgar thoughts about you. It's a weird thing they do. They're pervs. Besides, what do you think they see when I go in on my own and buy it?"

"They probably think you have a girlfriend, or if they see your ring, a wife."

"What am I doing with this hypothetical female significant other with lube?" the menace asked. "I'm obviously giving her one. How is that different? What are you afraid of, here, exactly?"

"I don't- I don't know..." Ciel sighed.

"You Victorian-era elites are so concerned with image." Alois shook his head. "You're married to a man. There's no need to be ashamed of it. I don't want you to be ashamed of _me._ "

That caused the bluenette to raise his brows. He was taken aback by that phrasing, but the more he thought about it, the more it seemed to hold weight. Ciel loved Alois and wasn't able to admit it, but there were other things that he embarrassingly was bothered by. What he was more ashamed of than going into a pharmacy was the fact that what Alois said did have truth to it. If Ciel was embarrassed of their relationship, he was embarrassed of Alois. How on earth must that make the menace feel to see that? It was these thoughts that swirled around in Ciel's head before he made his decision.

"I'm going in with you." declared the Watchdog, folding his arms while puffing out his chest. This action caused a smile to grace the other's face.

"Okay." The blonde said. "Let's go then. Real quick. Then we can go get lunch."

"Sounds good." Ciel replied as he followed the other. The walk was a little further than from the supermarket, but felt shorter as Ciel braced himself. While he wanted to show Alois that he wasn't embarrassed of him, he was still a bit nervous. Granted, he was building this up in his head far worse than it actually was.

It was the first time Ciel had been to a pharmacy in ages, so he followed Alois the entire time inside as well. Bells on the door alerted the woman at the register of their presence, but she didn't do much about it. She was just waiting for them to come pay for whatever they bought, as that was the part she was actually concerned about. She did become more alert as they walked over to the aisle with the "sexual health items", as young men and teenage boys stealing condoms was a common occurance.

As the two men rounded the corner, Alois froze, sticking his arm out to stop the other from venturing forward as he backed them both up a few steps. Turning to Ciel, he put his fingers to his lips ans shushed him, telling him to stay quiet as he peeked into the aisle. Out of curiosity, Ciel did the same, only to witness a familiar face.

Now, Alois had told his husband about the time he came across Travis here. Alois had to. The story was too funny to him not to. The only thing was, neither of them ever expected the event to occur again, but with a different friend. Alois smirked as the two demons saw Kristopherson there, fussing over what to get. It was then that the menace did something mean.

"Be sure to get a magnum condom for your magnum dong." he teasingly called out, practically scaring poor Kristopherson right out of his skin. The wolfman jumped, causing the menace to snicker before stepping into the aisle followed by his spouse.

"What the fuck are you doing here!?" demanded Kristopherson. His posture was defensive and his face was red, embarrassed at being caught.

"Buying lube. What about you?" Alois bluntly answered, placing a hand on his hip. "Planning on ditching your v-card soon?"

"Logan and I are going out..." meekly replied the other. "I was gonna tell you, but you were busy with Ciel." Pausing, Kristopherson added: "By the way, it's nice to see you, Ciel."

"Nice to see you, too." politely nodded the Watchdog. "It's been a while."

Turning his attention back to Alois, the wolfman carried on. "Do you always go couples' lube shopping?"

"Nah. Ciel just came along to prove that he's not a wuss." the blonde Phantomhive stated.

"That's not the only reason." interjected Ciel while putting an arm around his husband's waist. His palm touched the Alois' hand at his hip, pulling him a little closer. "I didn't want you to feel like I'm embarrassed of you. I will gladly show you off with pride."

While his spouse giggled, being rather pleased with the gesture, Kristopherson stared blankly at him. The faux-blonde was lost in all of this. "I didn't know you were such a pervert, Ciel..."

Instantly, the Watchdog's face changed scarlet as Alois began howling with laughter. "No, no, we were talking outside." Alois said in an attempt to clarify. "When you're in a relationship with the same sex, straight people will often look at you and think your relationship is primarily sexual- like, that's _all_ there is to it. Sure, it's important, but they don't seem to think that we love our partners like they do. That's the context behind that. He's not a pervert. He was just worried that that would be amplified or something if we were seen buying lube together."

"Oh, I get you. That's a thing that happens." Kristopherson nodding, accepting this. "It's hard to imagine someone with that face being such a worrier, but he is, I guess."

"Yup."

"What do you mean?" confusedly asked the bluenette.

"What? You seriously don't think I tell Kris stuff? I'm sure he's sick about hearing how cute you are by now."

 _"_ _I know things I shouldn't know."_ Kristopherson monotonously said, feigning a shudder. "Anyway, can I ask you something?"

"What's that?" questioned the menace.

"Well, you know what Logan is, so you can imagine my situation. What I need to know is what all I need before then… And some tips, if you got them."

"Well, you definitely need lube and condoms are something you talk about whether you want to use them. You should probably get them as a courtesy, though. It's the gentlemanly thing to do." dutifully replied the menace. "Do you know how to find out your condom size?"

"Yeah. I looked it up online. Problem is, I don't know what kind to get."

"Now that, is trial and error. You might like ultra thin, you might like ribbed, or you might like something else entirely. You don't know until you try it and figure it out. What I don't recommend, though, is this one..." Alois said while pointing at a box.

"Why not?"

"It says it'll make you ' _last longer_ ', right?" the menace started, "Well, it does that, but by numbing your dick. There's this stuff on the inside that makes it so you literally cannot feel your dick or anything it touches. So, you last longer because you can't feel a thing."

"You seem to know a lot..."

"That night was weird and I don't want to talk about it."

Ciel smiled sympathetically, but remained silent until asked for "tips" by the faux-blonde. Most of Ciel's advice involved paying attention and asking one's partner. In fact, that was all of his advice. He wasn't embarrassed about this in the slightest, even being oblivious as a teenage boy lingered around the aisles, waiting for the men to leave.

In the end, Kristopherson was left to hang his head in defeat, despite having everything he needed. His stress levels became increasingly high as the two demons stood behind him in line while they waited with their own item. Alois grinned mischievously as Kristopherson fumbled with paying before escaping quickly. He only offered a swift "goodbye" before fleeing. Kristopherson was fast enough that he was able to escape before his friend could embarrass him further.

Even Ciel escaped with his dignity, having not felt nervous in the slightest as Alois bought what they came for. The bluenette was, however, rather impressed how Alois could go about this so casually. Truly, the blonde Phantomhive was the strongest of the pair. With that, the blonde waved at the cashier and wished her a good day before he and Ciel vacated the premises.

From there, they decided what to do about lunch and went to go eat. There was reaching across the table to grasp at hands and silly banter in a slightly larger amount than usual. That was simply the way it had been for a while. No one really knew when they would tone things down again or even if they ever would. They were having a wonderful time being together, laughing and joking around. When they were finished eating, they felt like it was too soon to go home.

Holding hands, they walked to their car before the bluenette pulled away to go around the other side and get in his seat. He was stopped, however, as the blonde held him back. Curiously, the bluenette looked to his spouse in order to see what was the matter. Pink dusted Alois' cheeks as he looked to his husband, hiding behind the mask of appearing "casual" as he spoke.

"Do we have to go home?" he asked. "I mean, we could end our 'date' in a different way, especially since we still haven't… Since the attack..."

Ciel's face abruptly shifted from surprise to a thinly veiled look of flirtation. Smiling, he drew closer, bringing a hand to his husband's cheek before stroking it with his thumb. As the Watchdog leaned forward, Alois thought that he was going to be kissed, but to his shock, it wasn't to be. Instead, sweet words were whispered in his ear, causing his face to burn and a shiver to run up his spine.

"Al-alright, home it is, then..." the menace said, opening the car door with a flushed face before stepping inside. With a rather pleased grin, Ciel did the same and thus, they ended their venture in pursuit of other things.


	355. Out of Necessity

Gentle sighs were uttered as the room brightened with the rising of the sun. The demons didn't want to get up, but an alarm made them. Reaching over to the night stand, Alois shut off the offending sound coming from his phone before dropping right back into his original place, only to be squeezed upon returning to the bluenette's arms. Contently, the bluenette kissed his husband's forehead.

"Good morning." he said.

"Mornin'." the other replied. From his actions, he seemed like he had no intention whatsoever to get up, despite the day it was.

"Don't you have school?"

"Why? Are you trying to get rid of me?" jested the menace. "I didn't think you were the kind."

"You haven't been going lately. Shouldn't you be?" questioned Ciel, although in truth, he didn't want his beau to leave either. He was surprised when instead of an answer, he received a sigh of displeasure at the question.

"It's too heavy to talk about first thing in the morning..." Alois complained. "There's not much point in going. There's no chance of me not flunking the semester, anyway."

"Comes with the territory, I'm afraid." Soothingly, Ciel rubbed the other demon's back in hopes of comforting him, all while drawing him close. "I'm sorry, dear..."

"Not you're fault… There's always next time I guess, but who knows what kind of shit we'll be getting into then. Maybe I should just drop it and focus on work..." Closing his eyes, the blonde sleepily said: "I'm not going today..."

To this, Ciel wasn't sure of what to say. If that is what Alois felt he needed to do, then that is what he needs to do. At the same time, Ciel realised how important it was to have the same title as he possessed. Alois wanted there to be two "Doctor Phantomhives". It would take a while for a normal person. It would take longer for his husband due to his occupation and everything that came with it.

"You'll get there as long as it's important to you." the bluenette said at last. "That's how you've always done things. If it takes you longer than most, then so be it."

With a hum, his spouse replied. "Think so?"

"I know so." Ciel stated surely. "If there's one thing I know to be true in this world, it's that Jim Phantomhive is the most capable person there is."

"Oh? Tell me more." Alois said. A soft smile crept onto his face.

"You're able to do anything. You're clever, intelligent, and are tenacious as all get-out. Furthermore, you're the only one who can beat me."

"You're dumb." chuckled the menace, kissing his husband's neck before tilting his head upwards and kissing his chin.

"I'm serious!" chuckled the bluenette while flashing his teeth in a bright grin. "You're a superior fighter and a chessmaster, to boot. I'm not even a good rival to you."

"Good, because I don't like being rivals." said the menace, rolling over so that he was on top of the other. Looking down at the other, he was able to see Ciel's blushing face and was rather pleased with the sight. Resting on his elbows, he caressed the other's head. "Things are much better this way, don't you think?"

"Agreed." replied the Watchdog plainly, pursing his lips and inviting the other to kiss him. The offer was accepted as the blonde leaned his head down, but the exchange ended much too soon for the Watchdog as the other rolled over again, being careful not to fall off the side of the bed before sitting up.

"Good." stated Alois. "I'm thinking about taking a shower. Do you care?"

"A little." Ciel answered, watching the blonde wiggle out of the blankets that had wrapped around him while rolling. "Especially since you took all of the blankets with you. Also, I wanted to cuddle more."

"True, but I didn't shower yesterday and am kinda gross."

"I don't mind gross."

"I do." scoffed the menace, standing up and tossing the blankets back onto the bed. "You should consider putting on pants."

"Oh? Am I not allowed to join you?"

"You can, but it won't be exciting or anything." Turning around, Alois began the walk to the bathroom, fully aware that he was being watched as he did.

"That's debatable." Ciel said with a somewhat suggestive tone, sitting up as his beau made it to the bathroom doorway.

In an instant, he leapt out of bed and trotted after his spouse, playfully grabbing the other man's hips. He was rather pleased with the yelp that Alois let out that quickly transformed into laughter. With this, the two men entered the bathroom and together, they took a shower that was a bit longer than necessary.

They weren't missed, as they often missed breakfast with the rest of the family. Unfortunately, a change in behavior would be noticed, as the two became even more amourous in their daily life. They kissed more often on the lips and spoke sickeningly sweet words to each other more in front of others. Poor Luka made faces at the gestures, being an eleven year old boy, while Revy simply avoided the pair entirely. Still, things were even more ridiculous in private.

"Is that my sweater?" questioned the bluenette with a grin, already knowing the answer. Smiling, the blonde leaned back in his office chair.

"Mmmaaaaybe~" he answered wrapping his arms around himself, feeling the deep blue fabric that hung loosely on his frame. "It's cozy."

"It looks good on you." Ciel replied. He took the long way around to his own chair in order to peck his husband on the lips.

"I like it on you, better. Shows off your pecs, real good."

"Is that why whenever you buy me clothes, they seem a bit snug?"

"You say that as though it wasn't obvious, Ciel." the menace stated, causing his spouse to roll his eye.

Sitting down in his chair, the bluenette uttered a content sigh as he got comfortable. Looking over at his smiling spouse, he reached out his hand across the table that divided them at their shared desk, only for the blonde to meet him halfway. The two did this for a while, although they did wish that they could cling to each other more.

"We should replace the couch." offered Alois, reminding the bluenette of his little tantrum while searching for their wedding album. He thought it was missing during the scuffle with Wakefield and his accomplices as they broke in, and in his time of emotional unrest, he tossed one of the sofas across the room, the sound alerting the blonde that he was there.

"Yes, we should, now that we have a perfect excuse." replied the Watchdog."We should go furniture shopping sometime."

Alois opened his mouth to reply, but very quickly faced interruption by the shard office phone ringing. With his free hand, Ciel reached over and picked up the device, placing it against his ear. His husband listened in.

"Hello?" he greeted, instantly recognising the voice on the other end. "It's good to hear from you, Elizabeth. How are things?" For a while, he simply made noises indicative of him listening to the angel on the other end of the line. Eventually, however, he took the phone away from himself before offering it to the menace.

"It's for you." the bluenette stated, prompting Alois to pick up. Confusedly, the blonde took the device.

"Hello?" Elizabeth seemed distracted for a moment as she didn't answer right away. There was the sound of shuffling of papers before the woman returned.

"Oh! Hello, Alois! Sorry, I was looking over this stuff." she said in a friendly tone. "How are you? Feeling better?"

"Much better." Alois answered with a smile. "I'd pick this over being memoryless and sad anyday. Whatcha need?"

"Well, unfortunately, I'm calling for business, which is why I called the office." the Hellsing woman replied. "I have good news, though! It was decided that the assets seized by the Round Table in the Wakefield case are to be used to furthering the 'Supernatural Relocation Project'."

"You took his money?"

"Yes. We didn't take the school, however. It's now government-owned."

"That's gonna piss some snooty parents off."

"Indeed. That's not everything, however." the woman continued. "We also have an idea for location and have been negotiating for a while to use it. It's currently government property, but another private company has offered to turn it back into some plant."

"Power plant?" questioned the blonde.

"I have no idea what kind of plant… If we can convince them, we can get started."

"Do you need me to use a little persuasion power?"

"No, what I need from you is… a little more tricky."

"That doesn't sound good." Alois observed, now completely and utterly curious. "Lay it on me, sweet cheeks."

 _"_ _Don't call me '_ _sweet cheeks'."_ Elizabeth scolded in complete monotone. Speaking normally, she added: "While Wakefield's money should cover a lot, several other countries were alerted of the situation and were curious about our supernatural towns."

"Ooh, that's a big deal, right?"

"Very. They want to see our first town, Gehenna, in the near future." the woman informed. "Your job, basically, is to fill them in and persuade them that this is a good idea. There is funding in it, so it would be in everybody's best interest if you succeed."

"What?!" barked the menace in surprise. His smile was completely gone and he leaned forward. "That's like, international business meeting crap! I don't know how to do that! Wouldn't it be better to ask, y'know, Ciel, or somebody?"

"Since you're the 'face' of Gehenna, it was decided that you're the best person for the job."

"A terrible decision." insisted Alois, unaware of the eyeroll that was being made on the other end of the line.

"Don't be dramatic. Just ask Ciel for help and you'll be fine. We have documents on your way with all of the details. It should be there by this afternoon."

Ciel could hear Alois' replies delude into various sounds of reluctant agreement, often accompanied by a sigh. The menace was not thrilled with this at all. Eventually, the man handed the phone back with a forlorn "you're turn."

Placing the device back to his ear, Ciel asked: "Are you there?"

"Yes. I need you to help him with that showcase." Elizabeth stated.

"I will. I'll teach him what to do." the Watchdog replied. "I think that once he gets started, he'll be fine."

"I hope so. Thank you for all of your help."

"No problem. Just doing our job." Saying his goodbyes, Ciel hung up the phone before turning his attention to a terrified Alois. Smiling, he offered his condolences.

"It's not going to be that bad." he said. "You're very good at working the crowd. All we need to do is have our talking points and be able to answer questions. That's all you really need to do."

"But… Talking to all of those people… Like… Important people..."

"You talk in front of the council all the time, don't you? You're able to persuade them?"

"Yeah, but usually, there isn't much at stake." Alois stated. "Whether or not all these people will get homes is at stake. The country's reputation is at stake. Integra's reputation is at stake, too. Should that kind of responsibility really be given to _me?_ "

"I'll be there to help you." Ciel replied, reaching out his hand. He smiled as his husband took it, watching his face carefully. "Just stay calm, take deep breaths, and start talking. You're really good at working the crowd. More so than you give yourself credit for."

"I don't know… Maybe? Ugh..." Keeping his hold, Alois laid his head down on the table between them. "I don't wanna..."

"Hmmm..." hummed the Watchdog, perplexed by how to make the other feel better. "Well, instead of thinking about failure, you could try thinking about success."

"How the hell is that gonna help?"

"Well, focus on what happens if you do succeed. Think about how many lives you will improve and give a better chance at living." Ciel tried to explain. He wasn't certain if he was making any impact, but it was worth a try. "Think about why you need to give it your best, and then do just that."

"I guess..." Alois replied, trying to change his line of thinking for the better.

It was true that Alois was incredibly fond of Gehenna. Those people looked up to them. He was a hero to Ghennans and was the reasion why lions adorned everything from crafts to the town's flag. In fact, he was the one who changed it for the better in the first place. Surely, he could do it again for those left stuck in the Phantom House or in tents on the street. That is what everyone believed but Alois himself. He was stuck on the "what ifs" in relation to failure.

"Those people look up to you." the Watchdog reminded. "You've changed their entire world for the better. They need you. That's why you need to use your power."

"I know." sighed Alois, looking up. "It's just… I've never had that kind of pressure before. I don't want to let anyone down..."

"With this sort of thing, there are always multiple chances. Even if it takes a year, there is always a chance to reintroduce the idea. You can do it."

Pausing, the menace thought for a moment before raising his head and sitting up slightly. "Do you really believe that?"

"Of course I do! You're Jim Phantomhive! The Lion! The Master of the Demon Master! The Man Who Cannot Die!" declared the bluenette with pride radiating from every part of his being. "The Hero of Gehenna. No one involved in this doubts you. No one except you. If you can't have faith in yourself, have faith in us."

"Pfff!" scoffed the menace. "I guess… Maybe you're all just overestimating me, though. How do you know it's not that?"

"Because I've seen you work. Who in blazes do you think you're kidding? You're so good that it's almost scary..."

"Ha! Wimp!"

"Either way, you're doing it, so might as well try to be positive."

"Fiiiiiiiiinnnnnneeee..." groaned the blonde, rolling his eyes. "I'll _try._ Will I be _successful?_ Who knows..."

"I do. I'll tell you the basics of what you need to say, and then you add that 'Jim Phantomhive' flair." Ciel replied.

"I take it you don't mean 'add lots of swear words'..."

"Yes. Please don't do that." the bluenette clarified, raising his brows as the other let go of his hand. Standing up, Alois hopped over the middle segment of desk, taking care as to not knock the office phone or the printer off. With that, he sat in the other's lap, wrapping his arms around the Watchdog's neck and putting his legs over the side of the arm rest.

"Just be that way…" joked the blonde, wiggling a bit to get himself comfortable. "What are the others even like, anyway? Does every country have an organization like H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G?"

"No, and I've never met most of them. I knot there's B.I.G.F.O.O.T. in America, but I don't know any others. I guess we'll just see."

With a snort, Alois echoed "B.I.G.F.O.O.T..."

"It stands for something, but I forgot what it was."

"Well, whatever… Maybe that file Liz was gonna send has the list in it. She said it wasn't here until after noon."

"We have time to kill, then..." Ciel trailed off, taking a moment to think of something to do. There weren't any other urgently pressing matters at the moment, so there wasn't much. "What do you want to do?"

"Hmmm…. Wanna make out?"

"Forward." noted the bluenette, causing his spouse to snicker.

"What? Would you rather I do that weird coy shit where I hint at what I want without telling you what I want?" asked Alois before shaking his head. "Nope. That ain't how I roll."

"Oh, so you weren't joking?"

"I would never joke about something like this after mind-blowing shit like last night."

"Oh, so _that's_ what you want. What happened to being direct?"

"Nah. Too soon. A kiss would be really nice, though." stated Alois, causing his husband to laugh. Leaning in, their lips met for a few moments before pulling away. "Comfort me. I have many things I have to do but don't want to."

"Alright, you can sit here." the Watchdog conceded. "But when the files come, we really should get started."

"No talking about work. Only hugs, now." instructed the menace, earning an eye-roll from the other. The two of them sat there, both in silence and in conversation until the time came that they couldn't any longer.


	356. We're Working, We Promise

"So, America, Canada, Japan and Germany have RSVP'd to the tour… Anybody else?" questioned the menace, looking down at the papers on his desk.

"We don't know yet. The tour is in a few weeks, though, so there is still time." answered the bluenette. "I'm not sure if this effects how things will go, however, as long as we explain ourselves clearly."

"Well, wouldn't being from another country affect that?"

"That is what asking questions are for."

Alois scratched his head as he looked over the data he had. He still didn't have much confidence in his task. After all, it took him a little while to ensure that H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. had faith in him as well. Either way, he managed, and that was what was important. What most concerned him, however, was that all of his ideas seemed so simple. He wasn't sure if a group of rich foreigners were going to be impressed.

"Where should we take them?" asked Ciel, looking to his spouse while looking at an incomplete map of the town. The duo acquired it and had to fill in things that weren't listed, like the bakery and Kristopherson's clothing and sewing supplies store.

"Probably the major parts of town. The welfare center, the church, and the police station, definitely." stated the blonde, pointing to each location on the map. "These places are designed to not be intimidating, and should show how the town is being managed. Maybe call people who work there to help give tours?"

"Definitely. I don't know who runs the welfare center, but we can find out. As for the others, I have Sister Dorothy and Chief Sybil's contact information." informed the Watchdog. "Should I make some calls?"

"You don't have to right now, but if you want to, go for it." Alois said. Pausing, he squinted at one of the papers in his file. "I can't read this..."

"Let me see it." Instructed Ciel, holding out his hand for the other to give him the confusing article. "It's in German, that's why. It's what the acronym of the organization says spelled out."

"How do you even pronounce that?"

"Well, my German is a little rusty, but it roughly translates into _'_ _Schüming's Christian Army for Supernatural and Human Interaction in the Name of God'."_

"Are all of these organizations Jesus-y?" questioned the menace. "That might not bode well, giving that we're, you know, of a diabolical persuasion and all."

"No, America's can't be, because they aren't a private army. They're a federal agency, and they have their _'separation of church and state'_ thing written into their constitution. As for Canada, they're also a government agency, but I have no idea."

"Isn't America the same country who refused to marry people of the same sex in some states because it's _'against God'_ or some shit?" Alois pointed out.

"Yes, but the original concept is nice." With that, the Watchdog handed the file back to his spouse. "Fortunately, _we_ were able to get married."

"Love you, too, babe." the menace said with a wink. He took a seat on Ciel's desk, facing him, before putting his feet up on the arm rest of his husband's chair. Mostly he did this with the intention of messing with his spouse, if not completely. "So, We got the essential places. Now what about the others? Three places isn't exactly representative of the whole town."

"What about the bakery?"

"Somehow, I knew you would suggest that." Putting his papers aside, Alois picked up his notes and added to them, regardless. "Still should be good. A way to a person's heart is through their stomach, after all."

"Isn't it ' _the way to a man's heart'?_ " the Watchdog questioned, absent-mindedly playing with Alois' toes as he spoke.

"Women like to eat, too. Have you ever seen a cupcake store? They're full of birds!" Pausing, the menace thought for a moment. "Come to think of it, why don't blokes buy go to those places more? They're delicious."

"I'm not sure. Perhaps it's offensive to those who are weak about their sense of masculinity?"

"What sense of masculinity? A cupcake's a cupcake. Not everything's about having a dick."

"Unless the doughnuts are phallic in shape..."

"Oh my fucking god..." Alois cackled, putting his face in his hand as he shook his head. "I doubt they have penis pastries at the bakery in Gehenna."

"Then we have no problems with this thus far." commented the bluenette with a mischievous grin. "We could also check with Kristopherson to see if he'll let us look around his shop."

"Depends on what day they're comin'." informed the menace. "Shop's closed on full moon days, and the day after. He even has a little dry erase board where the writes down the next day in the window."

"Really? That's clever, actually." pausing, Ciel thought for a moment, trying to think what all they needed to do with this information. "So, we should call these places before hand to ask if we can come, and tell them when we're coming. We should also probably gather some more information about the place. I feel like a good approach would be to- pardon my phrasing, ' _humanise'_ the people of Gehenna and really push the 'capable of forming a society' idea home."

"Right." his beau answered with a snap of his finger. "Supernaturals are people, too. These folks might not get that when they come in, so we're gonna have to explain it to them."

"Exactly. Anywhere else they should be taken? The library? The printing studio?"

"Printing studio?"

"That's where the printing press that makes all of the Gehenna-exclusive books and the newspaper is." Ciel explained.

"Oh. I've been meaning to buy more of those… I just haven't been down there enough." the menace commented, looking at their map. "Maybe we should. Generate more ideas and maybe update the map while we're at it."

"Good idea. There's a lot more over there that we just aren't thinking of. This desk was made in the craft shop. Should we show them that? Maybe let them go home with a little souvenir?"

"Are you suggesting we bribe them with knick-knacks?"

"That and bread, yes."

"So, regular tourist shit. Got it." Alois jested, looking down at his notes. He didn't pay any mind to his spouse as the Watchdog began rubbing his feet. Mostly, he was enjoying it. The gesture was uninvited, but not unwelcome. Most silly things Ciel did were similar in that aspect.

"That's nice..." absent-mindedly stated the blonde before carrying on with business. "We should go and ask about all of this. Tomorrow, maybe?"

"If we can get out of bed. It's becoming more difficult, lately..."

"Who's fault is that, exactly?"

"Both of ours." Ciel stated, eliciting a grunt from the other as he popped his toes. "That's just how it is, I suppose. We'll manage."

"As long as we do it before the time comes, we're good." Alois replied. With a hum, he closed his eyes and focused on his feet. "If you keep doing that, you'll have to do my shoulders, next."

"Oh, no, however shall I cope?"

"You'll just have to manage." A sigh was uttered as the menace did his best to get comfortable. "Damn, I'm a lot more stiff than I thought."

"I can take care of that, too..."

"Perv."

"What? It was too easy. Do you expect me to just ignore it?" questioned the Watchdog with a laugh and a smile.

"That's not all that's ' _easy'."_

"Now that was just rude..."

"Suffer, Poochini." spoke the menace with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Keep rubbin'."

"Only because I love you..." Ciel said with a roll of his eye. "We're supposed to be working, you know..."

"Then you shouldn't have started rubbing my feet." Alois half-heartedly scolded. Suddenly, he arched an eyebrow. "Is it just me, or are those hands of yours getting higher up?"

"I'll stop at the knee." informed the bluenette.

" _Sure_ you will. I know how you are about my legs..."

"It's about the same as everything else."

"Including feet?"

"Well, maybe not feet."

"Thank goodness." sighed the menace. "That would have been weird..."

"Do foot fetishes creep you out?" questioned the Watchdog, arching his eyebrow. His smile remained, however, as he wanted to tease the other a bit.

"Well, there's worse things. If you were into it, I might give it a shot, but it doesn't do much for me." As Alois talked, he sounded oddly serious, which the other didn't quite expect. "That's about the weirdest thing I'd allow, though."

"I know. I'm not very kinky either, you know."

"Mm-hm, just keep telling yourself that."

"Would you like to try and rub your own shoulders?" inquired the bluenette, earning a groan, he smiled and stood up. "That's what I thought. Have a seat in my chair."


	357. Wrapped In A Red Blanket

In Gehenna, there are many buildings with many things inside. There are houses, shops, and places where things are made, but there is one street where a very important collective of buildings sit. It is perhaps the most bluntly named street in Gehenna with it's sign reading "Medicine Street". This is where all of the medical-related offices were. There was a doctor's office, an optometrist, and a building reserved to be a dentistry, but one building was established before all of the others as the home base of Gehenna's proud midwives.

The large building stood tall on Medicine street with strong walls made out of brown brick. On the front of the building said simply "Gehenna Midwifery" so there was no mistake as to what the building was, but the sign that stuck out from the building and was visible from the sidewalk it sat on simply had the image of a witch with a purple hat and cape, calmly riding a bicycle. It wasn't confusing to those who lived in town, however, as the garb was an important, recognisable feature.

Everyone recognised them, now that they had a uniform, which aided them in letting people that they urgently had places to be. Witches assumed the role as midwives decades ago, and they certainly looked it with their purple "witch hats" with a green trim and small, matching capes. They were made just so, preventing them from getting tangled in the wheels and chains of their bicycles on their way to their next patient.

Their methods would be considered "primitive" or "outdated" by human medical professionals, despite the new equipment they acquired when everything was being improved upon a few years prior, but the fact of the matter was that they needed to use whatever they had. Most importantly, however, it worked. It was a science that they could make work almost every time, and it was a good thing, too, as they were the only ones who knew how to deliver children in the entire town. They were proud as they were respected, and thus they received a lot of attention when it was time to make repairs to their building.

Today, they were conducting business as usual thus far. There were those who were out on routine check ups, while the rest were either resting or waiting to be called out. The building was actually much to large in proportion to the people who worked there, but most lived there as well. Plain wallpaper covered the walls, decorated by paintings and woodcarvings that were donated to spruce up the place. Some were even made by the midwives themselves in their spare time. By the entrance was a piece of decoration that was common in both businesses and homes in Gehenna. The midwifery's in particular, was a wooden statue of Saint Christopher, the patron saint of travelers. His image was common in Gehenna, but only in his depiction as a cynocephallus.

A large desk was in the main entryway. On top of it were two computers and a radio that softly played, but there was more than that. Anyone could see that it was full of clutter, but always had two witches on duty answering the phones. The only exception to this was when one of them needed to take all of the empty teacups and food wrappers away. It was the only station in the whole building allowed to be dirty, which didn't send a good message to those who came in, but kept those who had to sit there all day sane. Behind them was a large chalkboard with all of the shifts written out. It showed which midwife was on duty what day, or even what night. No matter what the time way, these sorcerers were always on vigilant, as mother nature yields to no one.

The poor women from night duty were dozing off as morning broke and thank goodness, it was time to switch off at seven. The previous midwives cleared away the debris from the night before as their replacements stood by, ready to wipe off the desk and take their place. Everything ran like a well-oiled machine, but there was always time for small talk. They chatted for a while before the previous witches headed up the stairs to their quarters for a well-deserved rest, having completed their work until they were on duty once more.

From here, their replacements checked in and looked over the appointments for the day on the computer. They gave ten-minute notices to other midwives who had an appointment coming up so that they had enough time to prepare and start heading out over the intercom. More than anything, though, they waited. That is what the job at the front desk mostly way. It was waiting for appointments and waiting for calls. After a few hours, it was such a time, forcing them to turn the radio down as they leapt into action.

Calmly, the midwife answering the phone answered the phone, asking questions and doling out advice, all while her hand scribbled information down like it was possessed. Silently, she signaled to the other witch next to her to call the patient's assigned midwife or at least someone who could tend to her.

_"Greta, come down to the front desk. You have a patient on call."_

A woman in her mid thirties quickly made her way down the stairs and was handed the piece of paper with everything being described over the phone written down on it. Looking over it, she took in all of the information on it before nodding. With the name she read, however, she grew concerned.

"This woman's baby is most likely mixed." Greta said to the woman who handed her the slip. "Can you call down someone to back me up?"

"On it."

"Thank you, kindly. Tell them to get their bag and meet me by the door. I'm going to run and get mine."

"Wait, Greta!" called out the first woman on the phone, blocking the speaker with her palm. "How on earth are you going to get there? The patient is at Phantom House. You won't be able to get there on time if you take the bus."

"Rats..." cursed Greta with a snap of her fingers. "I'll find a way. There's all kinds of ways to get places in London!"

"Ask Zahara, she'll know. Just be quick!"

Running was done as widwives scrambled to come up with an idea on how to cope with the situation. It seemed like ages, but it was only over the span of fifteen minutes that it was decided that they would just have to run for it. The plan was to take the bicycles to the metro station and ride the train before pedaling the rest of the way. It didn't help that the Phantom House wasn't nearby. The team was going to be exhausted before they even started working!

Sacrifices had to be made, as while Greta's associate was the swiftest of the widwives, she was also one of the youngest, and thus one of the least experienced at the age of twenty-three. Still, it was something. She went by the name of "Brooke" and was almost as good as anyone else who worked there, but had a tendency to get nervous. With much vigor, they headed out, pedaling as fast as they could without running into unavoidable obstacles, like waiting for the front gates of the town to open and various crosswalks.

One of the strangest things they ran into was humans calling them "Kiki" as they rode down the street with their capes flapping in the wind. No one thought they were real witches, so they had nothing to worry about. To humans, it was merely a costume, while to supernaturals, it was much more. Granted, many humans were unpleased with the two of them bringing their bicycles on the train.

It was a nervewracking experience, standing there while everyone was staring at them. Some with malice, while some of them were amused. The witches were anxious, relying on charms to prevent cellphone cameras for picking up anything but light when humans attempted to take a picture for social media. Greta and Brooke could hear cursing as the few that tried it cursed their malfunctioning devices, unaware that the cause was indeed magic. Unfortunately, this ride took up some time, and getting off of the train was difficult with everyone else pushing past them.

Once they were off, their short rest was over and they were forced to keep riding. After carrying their bicycles up the stairs out of the metro station, they took off, pedaling as fast as they could and praying that they made it on time. Their capes fluttered behind them as icy daggers pierced their lungs with each strained breath they took, sapping their strength even further.

Their legs were on fire by the time they saw the gates, but it was no time to give up just yet! Even though they slowed down as they turned in so that they could be checked by the guards stationed out front, the two H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. operatives simply waved them both inside, allowing them to pass more freely. The two witches assumed that they were informed of their arrival beforehand, but it was no such time to dwell on needless things. What was done had been done. There was no need to think about it.

On their way inside the building, the midwives practically threw down their bicycles after grabbing their bags out of the front baskets and ran up the steps to the front door. "Dainty" did not even come close to describing the knocking on the heavy door that ensued, but regardless, they were quickly let in. Their abrupt arrival startled the woman at the front desk to her feet, which was a good thing, as she needed to direct them to the patient.

"Midwives?" she urgently questioned, continuing after being met with a pair of nods. "Room 14B. It's on the next floor up!"

"On it." answered Greta, moving without thinking. While her younger associate slowed down from being tired, the more experienced witch blocked out the feeling and instead focused on the task at hand. She would have time to be tired after her task was done, but for now, it would have to wait.

Greta made it too the door and was banging on it with her fist by the time her associate was halfway up the stairs. As soon as it opened, she got to work, removing her cape and hat and replacing it with sterile hands, gloves, and an apron. She began telling everyone who could hear her what to do, all while giving instructions to the woman of the hour.

Her name was "Sigrid" and she was an elf from Scandinavia, by the looks of her. Specifically, she was a huldra- the kind with a tail resembling that of a cow, which needed moving throughout the procedure. The midwives were careful, as it was their understanding that the child had the possibility of being made between two types of supernatural beings. Sigrid wasn't entirely certain who the father was, unfortunately. It complicated things, but from what the witches could gather, things were looking good.

This was true even though they had been there for hours, working nonstop after biking all of that way. It was all part of their job, as exhausting as it was, but it was all worth it in the end. Greta was actually resting when the time came, switching off with her associate in order to catch her breath. Yet, she leapt right back into action as soon as she was alerted by one of Sigrid's friends that she was needed.

After hours of working and waiting, a new supernatural was brought into the world. She was a baby girl with brown skin, green eyes, and small tufts black hair, not yet resembling her pale mother but she most likely would at least a little in the future. They both already shared tails in common. Once she arrived, everyone could rest easily again, but one thought lingered in the minds of her mother and her friends.

"Sigrid..." one said as she stared at the child intently. "Is that-? Is that… _his?"_

"It would appear that way." Sigrid replied, still proud all the same. "Even if she is, she's still perfect. The time of the Order is gone, so she's safe from him."

Neither of the midwives understood what they meant by this, but stood by and listened, regardless. They were going to watch over the woman a while longer before they gave their instructions and left until checkup time. Still, they felt as though they should say something.

"Do you have a name?" asked Brooke, prompting the mother's attention.

"Halfrida." Sigrid said. "Halfrida… Oh, I don't want to give her her fathers surname..."

"What was her father's last name?"

"Omid."


	358. Unlikely Associates

With the sound of an alarm clock blaring, the eyes of Audrey Baines opened too. While he was reluctant, he took in a deep breath in order to try and wake himself up more before lazily reaching out to turn off the loud device. After a few moments, he forced himself to clumsily move before his body relaxed too much, grabbing his glasses and getting out of bed.

Awkwardly, he shuffled into the bathroom, occasionally pausing to gather his balance. Audrey's brain was still not awake enough to really be up and about, but he was afraid of falling back asleep if he didn't try. Sighing, he started his routine, first by relieving himself and then putting in his contacts after washing his hands. Blinking, he made a face as he looked over his image.

"Pube beard..." he mumbled to himself in disgust, rubbing the sparse strands of hair with his fingertips. "Razor… razor… did I pack a razor? Shit..."

That was one more purchase he needed to make. It was probably for the best, however. He had been slacking and not being active as of late, which would most likely result in poor performance at his job upon his return. Walking around would do Audrey some good, especially since the large house he stayed in was beginning to feel more cramped with each passing day.

It was lonely, despite talking with Miranda almost every other day over the phone. He called his friends, too, but he was still alone in the house, which made him uneasy. Now he wondered what on earth he was thinking when he decided to go out there and live on his own with no human contact. It no longer made sense.

"Well, it works in anime..." Audrey said to himself as he put on clothes. Lately, he had taken to talking aloud to himself to fill the silence. It was a common habit for people to have, but given the situation, it caused even himself some concern.

"If they have problems, they just go away for a bit and train on their own. How was I supposed to know it was bullshit? It's not obvious like blimp-boobs..."

His skin felt like it was being burned by the cold air while he made his way to the nearby town and nothing could shield him from it. As he walked, he tried turning up the collar of his jacket and pulling down his hat to cover his ears, but he needed something more. He thought he might buy himself a scarf while he was out, but inevitably forgot until he was walking back to the house. Gloves did cover his hands now, allowing him to carry his bags better. At least he remembered to buy those. Either way, the more he walked, the more he cursed himself for not using his car instead.

This wish was only amplified as he got closer to the beach, reaching the edge of the cliffs that overlooked it. As he trekked down the path that led to the house, he noticed something along the shore where the ocean met land. The blackened shape caused the man to squint as he tried to make out what it was. Audrey could see what essentially looked like a trashbag that had been illegally dumped on the beach, but as he got closer and his angle changed, he thought that he could make out a pair of legs. Suddenly, his eyes widened and the cold didn't matter to him anymore.

Quickly, he ran down the path as fast as he could, slipping and sliding on occasion due to gravel, but maintaining his balance enough to not fall. Once he was at the bottom, he debated on what to do with his bags, starting one way before changing his mind. He alternated between the two for a second before deciding to run toward the house and toss his purchases in the doorway. Then, Audrey's legs carried him toward the beach, running at first before slowing his pace.

A second figure had joined the first, only the new one was crouched over the body. The half-reaper's pace stopped altogether as light poured out from the corpse in streams that flapped in the wind. Immediately, Audrey knew what it was. He felt like he should have walked away, but knew he couldn't.

Cinematic records swirled in the sky before vanishing. When his vision turned back to the figure, Audrey moved again, noting the black suit the man wore and his slicked back blond hair. As the full-blooded reaper stood up, he tucked a pair of oversized garden shears under his arm as he scribbled a few things down on his clipboard.

"Hey." Audrey felt compelled to call out, prompting the reaper to jump. Slowly, the other man turned his head and looked over his shoulder.

"Relax, I'm not a human- not a full one, anyway." Baines continued swiping his bangs out of his eyes and pointing at them. "See?"

"Are you a deserter?" asked the professional reaper, causing the other to be taken aback in confusion. It took Audrey a moment to remember what that meant.

"Wha? Oh, no. I've never been like, a _grim reaper,_ grim reaper…" Audrey feebly tried to explain. "I was born into a family of humans. My dad was a reaper, but he left before I was born. I never met him."

Turning around, the other revealed his face. It was familiar, but Audrey couldn't remember his name. It was familiar. Audrey knew that he met the man and knew where, but he couldn't place the name.

"Oh! You're, uh… uh..." scratching his head, Baines thought. "Damn… I'm so sorry… We've met before. At Krampus' castle, right?"

"I was captured there." the full reaper stated. "You look familiar as well… Oh! You're the half-reaper that was allying with my comrades!"

"Yeah!" the half-human answered with a snap of his fingers. "I'm Audrey Baines."

When Audrey held out his hand, the other shook it. "Maxwell. Maxwell Goddard."


	359. Put Your Feet Up

"So, should I be calling the police or something?" asked Audrey, sitting down at the counter in the kitchen of his temporary residence. Across from him was a full-blooded, professional grim reaper, calmly sipping tea after being invited in.

"Probably, since you're the one who 'found' the body." answered Maxwell with a nod. "It's obviously washed up, so no one will suspect you're a murderer. Calling it in is a good idea, if you wanted it out of view of your house, here."

"Yeah, it's kind of weird to be able to see the body from here and not." sighed Baines. He really didn't want any involvement in this, but alas, it couldn't be helped.

A body washed up on the beach, allowing a grim reaper to access the soul inside and harness it. It was pure coincidence that Audrey happened to see the reaping, but he felt like the polite thing to do was offer the other some tea. That, and it cured some of his loneliness for a while, even though Maxwell wasn't allowed to divulge any interesting information on the deceased. The extent that Audrey was allowed to know was "there is a body" and "it washed up on the beach." Honestly, that was all that Bones needed to know. It wasn't his business.

His business was calling someone to come down there and get rid of it, though. It was already starting to be pecked at by birds. It smelled, too, so Audrey made the wise decision and picked up the phone. He called the local police station and alerted them of the situation. All the while, Maxwell listened in.

"You're awfully casual about this." he noted as the other hung up.

"Not the first time I've seen a dead body. I'm with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. remember?"

"I guess so. Maybe it's just that the whole situation is odd."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," began Maxwell. "Ordinarily, people can't see us, and I certainly didn't expect to see a half-reaper here."

"Yeah. It's kinda weird. I don't mind, though. I was getting kinda lonely down here anyway." Audrey said while leaning against the counter. "I kinda took this trip to be alone and sort through some stuff, but it turns out that being alone kinda sucks."

"What do you need to _'sort through'?"_

"Death of a friend." Audrey replied. "It's complicated."

"Oh… Sorry?"

"Don't be. I don't even know how you guys would reap his soul. He was stabbed, but sank to the bottom of the ocean months ago."

"Well, we would probably use a sub- or the team who handles that sort of thing will." Goddard informed.

"You guys have submarines?"

"Those souls need collecting somehow, you know."

"True." As per usual, the Baines was accepting of bizarre information. It had become his forte over the years and was showing no signs of disappearing any time soon. "So you've got subs, you've got gardening tools, but do you have vacation days?"

"If you're lucky." laughed Maxwell. "Getting a job interview is tricky, though."

"I think I'll pass. I'm still happy with my current line of work." Audrey said with a smile, but the more he thought about it, the less his smile showed until eventually, it was an almost sombre frown. "Well… Most of the time..."

"Is it about that friend of yours?"

"Yeah..." Bones began, standing up. "I think it's a bit heavy to just lay on somebody who I've just met, though."

"You're saying that talking about the death of someone is heavy… to a _grim reaper._ " reminded the other.

"Well, if you put it that way..." Audrey trailed off before starting right back up again. "The place I work for, H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. was tasked with killing my friend. A mutual friend was the one to actually do it, but I heard about it. I wasn't actually there. It's still hard to wrap my head around what the guy did to get in that kind of trouble… I know what he did. He was a criminal. A bad one, too. I just have trouble imagining the same kid he was when we were in school. I'm actually kind of mad at the other guy for killing him, even though it was perfectly justified. It's just… complicated."

"I don't know about all of that." replied Maxwell, pausing to take a sip of his tea. "I do know that when people die, the people who cared about them mourn them. Sometimes, even if their relationship was strained. It's odd, but not unusual for humans. It takes time for them to accept the loss and accept the person for who they were."

"Even if they were on the opposing team?"

"You're thinking about it in terms of black and white." he explained further. "There's many layers, here. Being a reaper is actually very difficult, because people will have done horrible things in life but for a good cause, or as a result of some horrible, horrible inner turmoil, and you can't help but sympathise a bit. You still need to make the decision on what happens to their soul, though. What I'm trying to say is that your friend had many layers, too. He could still have been the person you knew, all while having something else going on in their lives that made it spiral out of control. Something might have changed in them to make them act differently, but they will always be the person they always were deep down. That person you knew in school was just one step in becoming the person who died."

"That's… depressing..." Audrey stated, taking a seat at the counter before resting his head in his arms on it's surface. "But also… comforting? Ugh, this is confusing..."

"People often are."

"I'm sorry for unloading on you. It's not right to do to a stranger… Especially when I'm complaining to Death about death."

"It's no problem. It's not everyday I get to talk to people like this." stated Maxwell, resting his hand in his palm. "I'd rather be doing this than filling out paperwork, I assure you."

"You've been pretty helpful. Have you considered being a therapist?"

"Nah. This job is much easier. Most the people I work with are dead, so I don't have to worry about ruining lives or anything."

"Word." Audrey snorted, his attention shifted with the sound of crunching gravel coming outside. Leaning back, he peeked out the window and saw police officers approaching the body. Bones knew that it was only a matter of time before they came to the door of his temporary lodgings for questioning. He also knew that eventually, he would need to tell Daniel about this.

"You should probably go and take care of that." spoke the grim reaper. "Don't worry about me. If they come in, they won't be able to see me. I'll just be here."

"You can leave if you want." said Audrey, looking over his shoulder while heading toward the door.

With a shrug, Maxwell paused for a moment before speaking. "If it's not an inconvenience to you, I'm kind of enjoying the time off my feet. If you want me to leave then, I will."

"Doesn't matter to me. I'll just be a second."

"I'll be here, then..."


	360. The Truth Shall Be Revealed

Things were a tad bit strange in the Phantomhive household, but not enough to be alarming. Alois was working hard on his assignment, giving it absolutely everything he had. He had even developed a more "Ciel-like" habit in that he insisted on staying up late in order to make sure things were perfect. Even the Watchdog himself thought it to be odd and would physically pry him from his desk and carry him to bed. While Ciel was proud of his spouse for taking this task so seriously and handling it in a professional way, he was also concerned that if the blonde were to overthink things, it would hinder his presentation. Thus, there were the occasional scheduled breaks in which Ciel would insist that his spouse stop working for an allotted amount of time. This, however, didn't always bode well with the menace.

"Just a little bit longer." Alois insisted. "I'm just about to figure out what to do about transportation."

"What needs to be done about transportation?" questioned the bluenette, genuinely curious.

"The head of the American organization is a little old lady. We can't expect her to be hiking all over town!"

"What are you going to do? Have a tour bus?"

"That was an idea, but I'm worried that the residents might mistake it for the town bus." sighed the menace, resting his head in the palm of one hand, while tapping the index finger of the other on the desk. "Just a few more minutes..."

"If you take 'a few more minutes', then you might find another problem and put it off longer." Ciel reminded. Walking around the desk, he stepped behind his spouse, putting his hands on his shoulders and kneading them. "Just come sit with me for a while, then I'll leave you alone."

"Why do you want me to so bad?" questioned the blonde, feeling a pair of arms gently wrap around his shoulders. The Watchdog's cheek was pressed against the side of his head so that he could watch what Alois was doing. "You do this all the time."

"I know. That's precisely why. It's unusual for you, so naturally, I'm concerned."

"I'm just trying to do the best job I can."

"I know you are, but you can't get stressed about it. If you do, it might affect the tour." Pausing, Ciel placed a kiss to his husband's temple. "You're brilliant at public speaking as it is. Just relax a little."

Reaching up, the menace placed a hand on his beau's arm with a sigh, holding him there. "I just… I don't want to mess this up..."

"Let's talk for a minute." suggested the bluenette. "What are you worried about? What part?"

"I… I don't know… I don't want to be a dissappointment and I don't want to let anybody down. There's a lot at stake here. There's the global reputation of H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and Integra and Elizabeth and everybody else there at risk, and I don't want to let them down. There's also the people of Gehenna whose lives and livelihood at risk. Then there's our reputation on top of those bigger things… It's a lot."

"I know, darling. I don't know what to say to make it better." Ciel confessed. "I do know that you need to regulate stress. I have nothing but the utmost confidence in you. Your presentation will be wonderful. Don't forget, either: I'm going to be there, too, so the burden isn't only yours."

"How do you propose I do that?"

"Well, I don't know. We could order lunch, watch a movie- or both, if you want to be daring. Whatever you want to do."

"What if I just wanted to haul myself into our room and sit alone?"

"That's fine, too, if that'll help."

"I'm kidding." chuckled the menace, taking delight in his husband's considerate nature. Patting his beau's arm, he signaled for Ciel to release him so that he could stand up. "I like your plan."

"What should we watch?" the bluenette questioned while the other wrapped his arms around the Watchdog's neck. Alois' palms were placed on the back of it while intertwining the fingers of both hands together as he yielded to think.

"Dunno. I'm always game for some Quentin Tarantino. Long as it's not _Pulp Fiction_."

"Which one?"

"I'm thinkin' _Kill Bill_ or _Inglorious Basterds_ or something."

"So you have wished it, so it shall be..." answered Ciel, soliciting a giggle from his spouse with a smile. His hands were at the other's sides as the both of them moved in for a quick kiss.

It was supposed to be, at least. When their lips joined together, it was as though a flip switched in their heads and they couldn't just leave it at that anymore. Hands shifted to pull the other closer although they did part on occasion. It was only for a moment in order to get a better angle and deepening the kiss more. Eventually, however, it seemed to dawn on them what they had done, prompting them to stop.

Red-faced and a little embarrassed at the sudden shift, the two of them stood there momentarily, shifting awkwardly. Clearing his throat, Ciel broke the silence, which was enough to allow Alois to start the laughter. It very quickly became funny to the couple, giving Alois the chance to peck the other one more time.

"Maybe the movie can wait?" he suggested with a snicker.

"Are you sure?" questioned the bluenette while in perfectly good spirits.

"Well, you said I should manage my stress." Alois jested. "Care to show me your Hattori Hanzo?"

"Certainly." the Watchdog grinned, leaning in to kiss his beau again.

"Close the curtains, then." the menace piped up, forcing the other to a temporary halt. With a sly grin, however, his husband happily obliged.

"Yes, your highness..."

The curtains closed, but from the ground outside, Luka couldn't help but have the sinking suspicion that he caught a glimpse of something he shouldn't have. With a shake of his head, he forced the thought from his mind and carried on about his business with a small shudder. Turning around, he got back to work.

With a small shovel in hand, Luka was playing a game. He remembered that approximately a week prior, he buried an action figure in the garden somewhere and was determined to find it. It was a game of search and rescue, and the eleven year old was determined to save his friend.

As of late, he was starting to become bored with things. He was tired of television, he was tired of wandering the mansion, and he was tired of playing these games he made for himself on his own. He wanted to play with his friends from school, but he couldn't go to Gehenna whenever he felt like. He still needed to wait on someone else to take him. Luka was starting to want to do things himself. Perhaps it was just him getting older. Either way, he was getting somewhat lonely, being in a house full of grownups who had their own things to do.

It wasn't as though had anything better himself at the moment, so he carried on. Crouching down, he would look under bushes and near statues and such, hoping to remember the landmark he chose to mark the spot. In one such location, he crouched and looked around, trying to figure out where he left the damn thing. He dug up near a statue that looked about right, only to turn up with nothing.

From his position, he looked around, peering under bushes from this new angle out of curiosity more than anything. Unexpectedly, his eye caught something underneath one of the bushes nearby. Getting on his hands and knees, he decided to crawl over and investigate. He could see a what looked like a square, black object underneath the bush, but when he reached out for it, he could wrap his hand around it's plastic grip. It had some weight to it, but not enough for the boy to not be able to handle. Pulling it out of the bush, he dropped it as soon as he set eyes on it, scrambling to his feet as fear shot through him. Nervously, he gripped his jacket and knew what he needed to do.

" _Sebastiaaaannnn!"_ he called out as he took off running. There was no question in Luka's mind about it. He needed to find the butler and report his findings right away. Minutes later, he came back with the tall man clad in black and pointed out the location of the offending item. Bending down, the butler picked it up, holding it firmly and securely in his hand.

"Oh, dear..." Sebastian said. "H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. must have accidentally left behind one of those brutes' guns." Swiftly, he turned on the safety and took the magazine out of the weapon, much to the concern of the lad.

"Is that real?"

"Yes. It's very real." With a pat to the lad's head, Sebastian added: "You did the right thing by coming to get me."

"How do people even get guns?"

"Well… Depending on what level of illegality you're willing to stoop to, there is always a way." the man informed. "Handguns like this are illegal, but, there are ways to acquire guns legally, too, through the proper channels. They're only to be used for sport and for hunting, however."

"Don't Jim and Ciel have guns like that?" questioned the lad with an arched eyebrow.

"Yes, but they're a bit of a ' _special case_ '."

Pausing, Luka thought for a moment. He needed to decide which of the many questions swirling around in his head to ask next. The boy had never held a gun before, and he had never really seen one up close except in movies. Naturally, he was very curious about the dangerous object.

"Can I ask you something?" Luka questioned as they wandered back to the house. "Do people always die when shot?"

"No." bluntly answered the butler. "But you can never be too careful just in case. You can seriously hurt someone with a gun. If they're human, they might never heal completely if the shot wasn't fatal. Never ever point a gun at someone unless you intend to hurt them."

"I don't think I'd really want to use one for that..." replied the lad. "Hunting might be neat, though."

"Oh? Would you like to learn?" asked Sebastian with a hint of amusement in his tone. "I do believe I started teaching the master, when he was around your age."

"Ciel could use a gun when he was a kid?"

"Yes. Not always for hunting, though. Fortunately for you, you have a choice in the matter. He carried a pistol out of necessity."

"But I thought handguns were against the law?"

"They are, now. They weren't a hundred years ago." the man clad in black concluded. Once in the house, he walked toward a safe and carefully put the gun inside before closing it shut tight.

"I think those are a little scary..." Luka noted.

"They can be. You should be afraid of them. People often don't use them safely because they think they're some action star or some nonsense. Guns don't work like they do in the movies."

"How do they work?"

Arching his brow, the man went into a long explanation about gun safety and use, and Luka paid attention to every bit. This was important to his brother's job, after all, and it was thus a chance to learn more about it. While Luka had absolutely no interest in shooting people beyond that, he was fairly interested in the idea of hunting. Most of the questions he asked the butler were about that. Birds were more interesting to him than deer, as birds seemed like they would taste better to the boy. The idea of holding a weapon such as a gun, however, scared Luka. He was fully aware of the danger, but decided that if Sebastian were there, it wasn't impossible.

After a lengthy talk, it was agreed upon that Luka might be interested in giving learning how to hunt a try. They would have to get the permission of the lad's brother, however, and worked on their pitch before heading toward the office. Luka was nervous, as he was almost certain that Jim would say "no", but that wasn't the case, at least for today. While the pair didn't get to talk to Alois, they did get to talk to Revy, who came down the hallways with a disturbed expression. He seemed mortified by something.

"Are you looking for Alois?" he asked, stopping the demons in their tracks. Perplexed, the butler nodded.

"Yes." the man said. "Why? Is he busy."

 _"_ _You could say that, yeah."_ Revy quipped. A shudder ran through him as he folded his arms.

"I see..."

"We need to ask him if it's okay if Sebastian teaches me how to hunt." Luka proudly announced.

"Fantastic, so the little one is going to shoot guns while the big ones are having a shag." spoke the revenant, his words dripping with sarcasm, despite his otherwise pleasant tone.

"There's no need to be nasty, Revy." scolded the butler, only to earn a shrug.

"I have heard things I would rather I didn't, Sebastian." answered Revy. "I am not happy."

The complaining only caused Sebastian to roll his eyes. What Revy heard was nothing to the things Sebastian had. He was the one who had to empty the garbage bins and ignore things he found. Never in his life would he speak up about it, however, as it was a rare occurrence and otherwise was not hurting him. Luka, however, was confused.

"What's a 'shag'?" the boy asked, causing the older demon's eyebrow to twitch. All it took was a glance from Sebastian to let Revy know he was in trouble for this, but kept his composure.

"It's a very, very rude way of referring to sexual intercourse, and you should never say it." Sebastian gently informed.

_"Jim and Ciel have sex?!"_

Luka's astonishment was prevalent on his face at the realization. Certainly, he was aware that adults do that sort of thing, giving that the butler had taught him basic facts about reproduction, but it never really clicked in is mind that his brother and his brother's husband did as well. His eyes were wide, but Sebastian's turned to Revy, who was doing everything he could to not back away conspicuously. This was going to be a long afternoon for all of them. That much was obvious.


	361. Be Prepared

Alois couldn't sleep all night. Instead, he stayed up and fussed about what he was going to do the next day. It was the day of his big tour of Gehenna and he had already received news that the leaders of various antifreak organizations had already landed in Britain. He didn't know what order they came in, but that wasn't important. What was important was that Alois showed them a good time and that supernaturals were a worthy investment.

His husband tried to get him to relax, but the blonde was still restless no matter what he did. Thus, the only thing Ciel could do was help his spouse. After hours of the menace ducking in and out of rooms as quietly as he could muster, the bluenette grew tired of watching him. First, he helped with the blonde's fussing over what he was going to wear.

"My work suit is too cheap, and the black might seem intimidating?" Alois spoke with great uncertainty while explaining his thoughts to the other.

"You're right. It's time to be snobby." answered the Watchdog while rubbing his chin. "Fortunately, I can help with that. What colour suits do you have?"

"Uh… I have black ones, a grey one, and a blue one..." the menace answered.

"Wear the blue one with a red tie." Ciel replied. "It's considered to be the most 'trustworthy' combination."

"How is it reliable?"

"No, I mean it makes you look trustworthy." clarified the bluenette. "It's one of many techniques business people use to not appear like scumbags."

For the first time that evening, the blonde cracked a smile. "Okay. Do I use the blue coat, too?"

"Hmmm… I'm not sure. That's basically all I know about fashion."

"I can figure it out… I think the black coat looks better. The blue coat is a slightly different shade."

Chuckling the blue Phantomhive smiled. "See? You've got this." he said, putting an arm around his spouse. "Just trust your instincts and everything will be fine."

"I still want to be prepared… Are you sure I should get rid of my script?"

"Yes. You're better at improvisation. I think the script will make you nervous. Besides, sometimes, things happen unexpectedly, and it's difficult to adapt a script to fit."

"True. I still need to check on a few things."

"Like what?"

"Well, everything else in my wardrobe, then I need my map with the route on it..." Alois listed off on his fingers. "I should also head out early in the morning to check on the vehicle situation one more time."

"You checked today, though?"

"A lot of mistakes cane be made in a span of twenty-four hours."

"I understand completely." stated the Watchdog in complete monotone. He was sincere, however, given their occupation.

It was a difficult night, however, as no matter what Ciel helped Alois with, the menace remained restless. Occasionally, he would stop once and a while to talk, but he would always get back to work before long. He was inconsolable. It was obvious that Alois was going to be like this until he had successfully won over these people, and that was that. There was no way around it, unfortunately, as Alois' stress was blatantly visible, even while they were actually supposed to be getting ready to leave the house the next day.

Alois spent ages getting dressed, fussing over his appearance extensively, yet missing details. His shirt buttons mismatched, prompting the bluenette to point it out to him in order for the blonde to refasten it. The poor man was all in a tizzy as he couldn't find the folder with his map and his notes in it, despite it being out in the open. Ciel picked it up off of the coffeetable in the front room of the master suite, gently handing it to his stressed spouse. Once Alois was certain that was everything, he was determined to head out and check on other things, but the bluenette was compelled to stop him.

"Jim, you're going to be fine." the Watchdog insisted while gently holding onto the other's shoulders. "I need you to do me a favour and take a deep breath, alright?"

With more reluctance than a cat being taken for a walk, Alois did as instructed, standing motionless for a little more than five seconds while inhaling once, but then, he went back to his worried state. "Alright. I'm good."

"Jim, please…" began the bluenette with a concerned look. "We have time. There's no need to rush. Rushing leads to mistakes."

"I just wanna get it over with." the menace replied. " _'Leap before you look'_ , y'know?"

"It's _'look before you leap'."_

"Not the way I do it."

Rolling his eye, Ciel shook his head in spite of his smile. "You still need to take a moment to relax." he insisted. "C'mon."

"How do you expect me to do that?" questioned the blonde with an arched eyebrow.

"I don't know. How do you normally do it?" Taking his husband's hands, Ciel held on to them and began to jump up and down in place. "Come on. Shake it out."

"Pfffftt! You're so weird!" snorted Alois at his husband's antics.

"Only for you, dear heart. Now come on, do it with me so I don't feel as dumb."

"You _are_ dumb." the menace accused while cackling. Regardless, he followed the other's lead and started to jump. Oddly, it was working, especially since Ciel was doing it with him. It was always entertaining when the bluenette would put his pride away and do something silly for Alois' benefit, and the blonde was indeed appreciative.

"Feeling better?" Ciel asked while his beau giggled.

"Yeah. Much."

"We should probably stop soon before Sebastian comes upstairs to see what we're doing."

"Maybe he'll jump with us."

"Probably, but maybe through the ceiling."

"True. You first."

With that, Ciel slowly stopped, soon followed by the other, but their laughter didn't die down. The bluenette tugged on his husband's arms, drawing him closer before wrapping his own around Alois' shoulders while the other took his waist. Gently, they pressed their lips together, rocking back and forth until they were both satisfied.

"Alright?" asked Ciel, earning a nod from the blonde.

"Yeah." smiled Alois, uttering a small sigh. "I'm better."

"Let's try to make the best of it and have a good time." the Watchdog suggested. "Let's just show off the town. It's something to be proud of, isn't it?"

"Yeah." the menace replied before pausing to think. Then he nodded more vigorously. "Yeah! It is!"

"Excellent! Now let's go show them the world's first full-fledged supernatural town!" the bluenette said in an attempt to hype the other up. He succeeded to an extent, but he couldn't eliminate Alois' nerves completely.

With that, the duo took off and ventured to the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. base to check on the vehicle they would be using as well as getting inside of it to go to Gehenna. There, they would be met by their guests. There would be Margaret Seward of the American B.I.G.F.O.O.T. organization, also known as the "Bureau of Investigation Geared For Occult Observation and Termination", along with her bodygaurd. Canada sent Brenda Davis of the N.A.I.T.A.K.A. organization, its acronym standing for "National Advisory In Transcendental Activity and Kinemorto Academia". Takamichi Hachioji of the Hachioji family who protected Japan would make an appearance along with her guard. Meanwhile, so would Germany's Karl Struming of "Schüming's Christliches Heer für Übernatürliches und Menschliches Interagieren im Namen Gottes", also known as S.C.H.Ü.M.I.N.G. would make an appearance. There were others, but the one group that was certainly not invited was the Vatican's section XIII, the Iscariot organization, due to their rivalry with H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.

It was a long list and a lot of names and faces to remember, but Alois had studied enough to get by. If not, Ciel had a cheat-sheet discreetly hidden on his clipboard and was more than happy to step in. The trucks were in order and ready to go once they reached base. They had informed all of the owners and officials in the places they were stopping at of their arrival beforehand, seeking permission. When it was granted, they even reminded them of the event the day before. The Watchdog truly believed that they were more than prepared for the day after all of this preparation, but time would only tell.


	362. At The Gates of the New World

One at a time, cars pulled up to the gates of Gehenna and out came rather official-looking individuals, who then proceeded to introduce themselves to one another with the only occasional complaining about the wait. Some were friendly while others were just polite due to not knowing each other well, but no one was particularly nasty. The gaurds at the gate were a little intimidated by the different bodygaurds of each leader, as they all were different from themselves.

BIGFOOT had two people, both of them wearing grey uniforms with bulletproof vests displaying their logos, suited for the urban environment. The woman who kept talking to the elderly Margret Seward, the organization's head, somehow managed to both have an undercut and a ponytail at the same time. NAITAKA's uniform looked similar, as it was the same colour, but the cut was slightly different with Canada having their collars up and fastened so that their necks weren't exposed. Germany had uniforms that didn't match each other at all. This, however, was a common feature of private military companies, despite any religious aspects they may have. Meanwhile, Japan had only one bodygaurd, a man in a black suit with a fox-like face who made everyone there uneasy despite not doing anything to provoke such a reaction. Others had similar variations.

They spoke amoungst themselves as they waited, pondering what the demons that were supposedly leading them would be like. Naturally, they were on their guard. The idea of being near a demon was frightening. Only one of them had supernaturals on their payroll, so the thought of one being that close frightened most. Some were more worried than others.

"Oh, Brenda." began the representative from America. Margaret was still seated in her vehicle, turned to the side with the door open so that she wouldn't have to stand for long. She was in her seventies, after all. Her dark, wrinkled skin showed it, but she certainly didn't act that way as she spoke with her admittedly rather strong Arkansan accent. "I needed to talk to you."

"About what?" questioned Brenda Davis, the leader of NAITAKA.

"We've been noting the movements of the ' _goatmen_ ', and it looks like they're moving north." informed the old woman. "I wanted to tell you in advance in case any of them cross the border and cause y'all problems. You tell us if they do. We'll help you out if they do."

"Are they? Thanks for the information." Pausing, Davis turned to her associates, instructing one of them to make a note and inform their headquarters of the possibility. Then she returned her attention to Seward. "Are they difficult to deal with?"

"Well, the ones up toward Maryland can be dangerous. They like to attack cars and such, so they might be. We've told them over and over again to stop, but they don't listen. It would be a shame to just shoot them, but if it keeps going on, it might have to be that way."

"Now, they don't need antifreak bullets, do they?"

"No. Regular ones will do."

The American and Canadian groups spoke like this for a time, while the others tended to speak amongst themselves. The leader of Latin America's OBPSSI, Matteo Romo-Blas also joined in, discussing the relief of not having any chupacabra sightings reported this year as of yet, but that they still needed to remain vigilant. These three maintained a decent relationship due to shared borders and thus occasionally needed to swap information about findings of whatever supernatural beings they had in common, even if their countries didn't necessarily get along. It certainly helped that the leader of BIGFOOT was likable as an individual.

Karl Struming, the leader of STRUMING, kept mostly to himself and his compatriots. He spoke to them in German, so no one else could overhear his voicing of unease about going through the gates. The only one who seemed completely calm over the matter was Takamichi Hachioji, the representative of Japan. While the others spoke business, she talked casually with her sole bodyguard about the possibility of seeing some of London's sights before they left, not wishing to "waste the opportunity".

Eventually, the moment finally arrived and they came face to face with both their host and her demonic associates. They pulled up to the group in a green military truck with a large, open, bed in the back with seats fixed inside. Both of the demons and Integra sat in the back as well while a soldier by the name of "Major Harland" drove. Leaping over the side of the truck, the demons revealed themselves, gracefully landing on the concrete before assisting their superior in getting down as well. The group was admittedly shocked by how little the two resembled what was traditionally thought a Christian demon looked like, as they were both rather pretty men. One was even blonde, conflicting greatly with the image of matted, black, locks.

"Good morning, everyone." greeted Sir Integra. "I hope all of you had a good trip here."

Without any grace, the main question on everyone's mind was asked. "Are these the demons?" questioned Struming with folded arms.

"Indeed." Hellsing answered before gesturing to each of her underlings. "This is Sir Phantomhive and his husband and the one known as ' _the face of Gehenna'_ , Jim Phantomhive."

"Hello." waved the menace in a friendly manner, arching a few eyebrows.

"They're... married?" The idea of two demons being married was kind of a stretch to quite a few of the others. After all, if marriage was supposed to be sacred, how could two demons wed?

The question made the blonde falter a little bit. He was momentarily unsure how to proceed and was forced to look to both his spouse and his boss, who both gave him a reassuring nod. Clearing his throat, he came up with his answer.

"I understand it's a bit odd, but most things here are." he stated. "Here, supernaturals go to church, hold mass and have weddings without any problems. In fact, one thing you might notice when you enter is that many allusions to christian lore are actually present in Gehennan artwork. But, we'll talk more about that later."

"Are you Christian?"

"Hmmm..." Alois sincerely pondered. "I don't know. I've seen angels before. In fact, Ciel's cousin is one! But angels are present in all of the monotheistic religions, so that might not mean much. To me, it's just 'life'."

After a pause, he clapped his hands and rubbed them together, adding: "So, are there anymore questions about me or my associate? Speak now, or forever hold your peace."

"You two don't look like that all the time, do you?" asked another leader. "Don't demons have horns, normally?"

"Well, this is the form I'm usually in, but I do have a 'demonic' form." nodded Alois. "We don't look that much different, I don't think. Just some horns, tails, pointier ears and a different outfit. Nothing really big. Mostly, I think it's the transformation itself that's the kind of scary part. Like, how many times to you expect someone to burst into flames all of a sudden and have horns and a tail when it dies down again? You don't. It's weird. Anything else?"

When the blonde didn't receive any sort of response aside from silence, he took that as an invitation to start everything up. "Right, so, here's the plan: This truck is gonna drive around the town and we're going to explain things as we go. If everybody will hop into the back, we'll get this show on the road."


	363. Educationy

Ciel and Alois assisted those who were willing to take their hand when it was time to get into the back of the truck and get seated. Quite a few refused simply because they were demons. Bodygaurds would accept, but some insisted that they be the ones to help their bosses. Some of them ultimately did require extra hands, leaving them with no choice.

The elderly Margaret Seward of America was one such person, and caused her bodyguards a bit of concern because not only did she allowed the demons to aid her with no problems, she also insisted on having an edge seat so she could see out better. This meant that her guards were not on either side of her, but she dismissed their worries as them being "fussy". The others had no qualms in sitting in the middle. Hachioji of Japan sat on an edge, but that was simply because she only had one guard and because there was an extra seat. She didn't seem to mind, however. Like everyone else, she was excited and curious as to what was past those gates.

Once the demons and their superior were in the bed of the truck as well, they signaled to the gatekeepers to open the doors. With a loud groan and a creak, they did and the truck lurched forward. It drove slowly down the empty street. When they passed through completely, the gates closed behind them. Once they were going, the blonde got to work.

"So those were the front gates. Riveting stuff. The start of every tour is exciting." Alois began in an attempt to be humourous with a sarcastice twinge. His intent was to remove tension from the situation, but his laguh was shaky and nervous. "It may not seem like much, since the street is empty, here, but this is an important defense against people peeking inside. That defense is called _'nothing to see here, folks!_ ' because as you can see, there's nothing. As we get closer, though, you'll start to see some actual residents."

Sure enough, within a matter of moments, they had reached a more residential area and there were people walking around. Some waved at the truck, or rather, the menace, prompting the blonde Phantomhive to wave back. This gave his spouse an idea.

"The people of Gehenna look up to Jim." Ciel informed. His sudden input surprised the blonde somewhat, but he allowed him to continue. "He was one of the primary figures who pushed for the rejuvenation of this town. The reason they look up to him, specifically, is because he was the first supernatural they saw standing up for them and trying to help them from within HELLSING. It is because of him that when they designed their flag, they chose to put the symbol of a lion on it from his association with the animal and his nickname: _'Mister Lion'._ You will also see similar imagery around the town. In fact, there should be a mural to your left just up ahead."

With this news, the tourists turned their head in anticipation of the image, their brows raising when the detailed painting rolled by. Some nodded as though they were impressed, which was a relief to the poor menace, allowing to utter a sigh of relief. He was tense, although he did his best not to show it.

"Oh, flattery will get you everywhere." the menace said jokingly, hoping it would hit this time. It did, earning a bit of a chuckle. The confidence boost was much appreciated, as he needed to continue.

"Right now, we're on Main Street, which is also our first stop." he informed, reaching behind him and knocking twice on the roof of the vehicle, telling the driver to stop. As he watched the others' faces, he could see the alarm that shot through them as they stopped in the main hub of the supernaturals. There were non-human entities all around them, ducking in and out of stores and walking down the street. It would be overwhelming to humans who were not used to their ways. Alois could certainly understand that.

"There are many places to go from here. First, we'll be going into the general store. Then, we'll make some rounds to the other places before hopping back into the truck and carrying on." the blonde explained. "These are the kind of places that will appear in our newer project as well. And don't worry, the people here are perfectly harmless, everyday people, who just want to go about their own business."

Those who weren't as focused on being frightened were instead marveling at what was going on around them. One by one, people made their way off of the vehicle and awaited their chance to explore while their fellow tourists did the same. A hand raised, alerting the menace's attention.

"I have a question." spoke Hachioji. "Are we allowed to take photos?"

"Oh. That's an Integra question." Alois replied before looking to his superior. The Hellsing woman simply answered:

"We trust that you are all responsible enough to be trusted with the existence of the supernatural." she said. "So it shouldn't be a problem at all. I do believe that if you are taking pictures of supernaturals, you should ask for permission, however, just as you would any other person."

"Sounds good to me." the menace chimed in as the one who asked the question nodded with a smile. She then proceeded to pull her cellphone from a concealed pocket and aimed her camera at the storefront. Others followed her leave.

"I can't get mine to work..." Margret was heard saying before her assistant offered to help.

Once everyone was satisfied with that, they headed inside the store, immediately putting the poor worker behind the counter to freeze in fear. He was already wary when he was just watching them through the window. Logan didn't know what was going to happen to him when they came in, but he was going to find out.

"Welcome!" the incubus nervously greeted. The smile from the demons was reassuring, despite the questionable looks he got from the others as they whispered amoungst themselves.

"Hey, Logan. Your boss around?"

"Yeah. I can go get him, if you want." Logan offered. Sweat was visible on his skin as it collected on his forehead. Noticing this, the menace gave him his chance to escape.

"Go ahead. We might want to talk to him." Alois answered, shooing him off. He noticed the other thanking him silently for the gesture before fleeing, but the menace chose to keep the attention of his tour away from that.

"So, the people who live here all come to this store?" asked Brenda Davis of Canada as she and everyone else looked around curiously.

"It's just your average mom and pop store!" declared Seward with a smile.

"That's basically it." the blonde replied. "It's owned by local supernatural Jeffery Crouch. Big guy. He's actually a mix between two supernaturals, an elf and a cynocephallus."

"So, supernatural beings can own stores here?"

"Of course! They can start up their own businesses all they want." stated the menace with growing enthusiasm. "All they have to do is go to the Town Welfare Center across the street, arrange a meeting with HELLSING's Supernatural Relations Department, and go through the steps with them."

As soon as he said that, the large man known as "Jeffrey Crouch" stepped through the door leading into the employee's only section of the building. He had to turn sideways in order to fit through the door due to his large shoulders. It was amazing that his clothes managed to fit him, with his size. With pointed ears, a hairy body, and large fang-like teeth protruding from his bottom jaw, he was quite the intimidating sight, bit his demeanor was that of an ordinary person.

"Good to see you, Mister Lion!" he greeted. "These the folks you said you'd be bringin' by?"

"Yep!" Alois answered before turning to the others. "This is Jeffery Crouch. His wife actually works at the front desk of the Center I was just telling you all about."

"Yep."

"I was just telling them that there's a process to start up your own business in Gehenna. Can you tell us some of the things that you need to do?"

"Phew! Well, it can take a while, I hear." Jeffrey began, placing his large hands on his hips. "It didn't take as long for me, since I was one of the first people in line. You have to get a loan from HELLSING, first of all. Most of us can't afford it on our own, unless you're the guy up the street who owns the clothes store. That means that we gotta explain how our business will benefit the community so they'll give us the OK. We needed a store for essential things we need, so there was no question about it. Super easy. It made me nervous at first, since nobody did it before, but now I think I wouldn't be if I had to do it again."

"Your store is really impressive." Margret chimed in, earning a bashful "Thank you" from the shop owner. Once she spoke up, there were more questions.

"Did you get that shirt from the clothing store you were talking about?" asked Mateo Romo-Blas of OIBPSSI.

"Yes. The place is called _'Andrea's'._ It's great. I finally have clothes that fit."

"What's your most popular item?" asked Karl Struming of Germany.

"Well… Aside form necessities like food and toiletries, I'd say it's uh… What's the title of that book? The one by Sullivan and Ramirez?" pondered the large supernatural while scratching his head.

"Which one? The werewolf one or the vampire one?" asked Alois.

"The vampire one."

"Oh, ' _The Vampire's Guide To Living_ '." the blonde answered.

"That's it!" Jeffery declared with a snap of his fingers. "That book sells REALLY well. There's not a vampire in Gehenna without at least one copy, and they're not the only ones who buy it."

"What's that?" questioned a member of the group, asking what everyone else was wondering.

"It's a book that has knowledge on vampires in it, that's written as kind of a 'how to' book for new vampires to live as vampires." spoke Ciel before pausing. "Many come in here lost, knowing nothing about their bodies or about being a supernatural in general. HELLSING research went into that book to explain things as well as any consequence. It's written with the public in mind."

"Where are these books?" inquired Margaret.

"Over there." pointed Jefferey.

"I want one. Do you accept pounds?"

"We sure do." chuckled the large man, looking down at the old woman with a smile.

The woman couldn't be stopped as she made her way to the book section and brought both the book on vampires and the book on werewolves to the register. Jefferey took the liberty of checking her out since Logan was still cowering in the back. Meanwhile, the others had followed her lead and decided that it was indeed a good idea to purchase this information if only to understand what they're up against. Those of the HELLSING organization simply watched and waited, despite being surpised by this sequence of events. Still, they were not going to complain. At least they were learning and taking interest.

When that was done, all of them crossed the street into the Gehenna Town Welfare Center. They were impressed with how professional it looked on the inside. It was the same as any building one might find outside of Gehenna! There were two women who worked at the front desk, and people waiting on couches when the group walked in, looking up and shifting uncomfortably when they saw the humans. The group was able to witness one being called by the front desk as another supernatural walked out of the hallway connected to the entrance way prompting the person to take their place.

The humans started asking questions about what had just occurred, immediately turning to Alois as an explanation. As the trip progressed, his confidence grew, and he was able to answer them with certainty. He explained to them that the supernaturals here were looking to meet with a representative who would assist them in contacting the Supernatural Relations Department, as well as plenty of other services. They would come here in search of work, and they would be put in contact with a potential employer, as well. Alois said that this was most likely the case with the last person, as they came out with papers. It was most likely a job application.

As he continued, the menace discussed another thing that people were looking for and was currently a major problem in acquiring. It was housing. Everywhere was full, but there were still new residents coming in. The demon told his audience about the Phantom House in London, which served as a temporary residence for those who were waiting on housing, going into detail about how there were only a limited number of rooms there as well.

That is why they needed to expand. HELLSING was currently seeking funds for a project that they had already begun planning on. They were going to repair and renovate an old facility approximately two miles away to be another supernatural town, as those who were here had no place. Construction was anticipated to begin in late spring, but there was a lot of work to do. Alois briefly touched on this subject in hopes that those listening would express interest and to his luck, they did!

"That will be explained and discussed in further detail at HELLSING Headquarters." chimed in Integra, saving the menace from being invited to provide details that he simply didn't have.

Thus, they moved on. Progress was being made as the group seemed to be slowly coming around to the idea of this place. Very slowly. It was happening, at least. They moved down the street and on to their next destination.


	364. World Tour

Feet shuffled down the main street of Gehenna while bodyguards carried bags with books inside as they made their way to their next destination. It was the crafting studio. This was a place where residents could go to create and sell things for either practical or decorative use. They even had their own wooden benches outside that were made and intricately carved in that very place.

"It has lions on it." pointed out Mateo as they walked by. "There were lions in the last building, too."

"He said they like their lions." noted Brenda, stepping through the door as one of the subordinates held it open.

Once inside, there were even more lions as well as other things. There were sculptures, paintings, and other items like cups and utensils all over the place. There was a woman behind a desk in the room next to a large door. The sounds of sawing could be heard from behind it. Politely, the woman waved, earning a wave back, due to her more "human-like" appearance.

"This is the craft studio." Alois informed while ushering the tourists inside, snapping them back to attention. "This is where people come to make things as well as sell them. Through those doors, magic is being made. Mostly furniture and stuff, though."

"Is everything in this room for sale?" questioned the leader of BIGFOOT.

"Everything that isn't nailed down." proudly stated the blonde. "Everything in here was made by someone. It's all very elaborate and well-made. Why, we even commissioned a desk from this place before, and it is probably the most beautiful piece of furniture I have ever seen. Please, look around at your leisure."

The group was naturally curious about the items in here, as this is what was used to furnish and decorate homes in this place. Needless to say, it was all very impressive. Thoughts of how much time and effort went into each piece came to mind, but also about the importance of some.

"Hey, it's that guy again." Karl Struming pointed out, turning attention to a shelf of statues of the same man over and over again in various poses, styles, and sizes. He had been seen at the entrance of every building they had been into thus far, including this one. The massive amount of the character on the shelf was also curious, as he seemed to be popular.

"That's Saint Christopher." answered Alois, reaching over and picking up a small statue. "In the early middle ages, he was sometimes depicted as a cynocephallus. Humans believe this to be due to a translation error, but the people of Gehenna believe this depiction to be the ' _correct_ ' one."

"Haha, that's cute..." Struming continued. "He's even carrying the infant Christ on his back."

"They know the story. I think there's a tradition of wearing uh… pendants, or at least carrying them, with Saint Christopher on them."

"Yes, but they're made of silver." the German replied. "Wouldn't that be a problem, though?"

"They aren't made out of silver here. They're made out of wood." Ciel chimed in to explain. "Silver is not only harmful to some residents, but also is expensive and hard to come by. So, they use wood or clay. There should actually be some of those charms here."

"I want to see them."

"As you wish."

"That's so interesting." spoke the leader of NAITAKA. She adopted a very serious and sincere tone to her voice and expression as the made her observation. "They have basically created their own culture right here. They have their own version of Christianity and have their own norms. It's really, really fascinating."

"I did notice a couple of goatmen walking by wearing skirts." Margaret added. "At least I think they were men. I guess that kind of thing is normal, here."

"I wondered about that too when I first came to this place." stated the menace with a chuckle. "When I asked, they said that it was because it's hard to put on pants when you have goat legs!"

"Oh! That makes sense!"

"Speaking of culture, there is also a printing press next door." informed the Watchdog, gesturing to the side with his hand. "They sell books there that are written by people who live here in addition to printing them."

"Are we going to see those next?"

"If you like." answered Ciel. "But it seems like not everyone is done here yet."

They spent quite a while here, as the artwork was very curious. There were paintings of various parts of town and sculptures of cultural significance in addition to fun. There were practical objects, too, like furniture, kitchenware, decorations, instruments, and even toys. In fact, the leaders would rest while sitting on benches made at the shop, discussing their findings as they waited on the others to finish. Once again, the bodygaurds were left carrying more items in the bags they carried, as the group could not resist. Surely there would be more at the bookstore when they arrived.

It was fascinating. It was truly fascinating! Never before had they seen supernaturals make things or create their own culture. This society had made quite a difference in their behavior, causing them to act as ordinary as a regular human you would pass by on the street. These leaders of the organizations who handled supernaturals in their own respective countries were deeply interested in what more there was, here. It had come to their attention that these people were more than they could ever have imagined.

This became more and more evident with each stop. At this rate, they were going to be out and about all day! The Duo's guests wanted to stay and read every single book in the print shop, but all they could manage was to struggle over what book they were each going to purchase and bring with them. Even Ciel wanted to buy a book or two, but decided it would be best to wait. It wasn't every day that one got to read books about supernatural beings from the perspective of one such person. Some of the things they spoke of were in fact the possibility of new places they could go to, imagining what lies beyond the small world that has been designated for them.

After books came treats as they stopped by the bakery. Not very suspiciously, most of the baked goods tasted like most things that one could find outside of Gehenna, as cookbooks were often used, but the fact that one could purchase pre-prepared food here was amazing. The witch who made them seemed proud, as the others tried her food. She was proud of her restaurant and proud of the fact that it was important enough to be on the tour. Without a single doubt, she would be talking about this for a while.

Next door was the clothing store that they had heard about, _Andrea's_. Contrary to their assumption, it was not owned by anyone by that name and was instead owned by Kristopherson Miles. The shop was actually named after his mother, who helped design some of the patterns for supernatural clothing. Both of them were proud of this shop, but no one was more happy with it than Kristopherson.

The man sat at the front counter, sewing together what looked like a rather strange doll. The tourists were rather surprised to see him, as he was prim, proper, and oddly styled, even to their standards. When they walked through the door, he looked up at them and stood, putting his doll and sewing supplies down with a smile.

"This is Andrea's, the go-to place for clothing in Gehenna." Alois said, holding the door open for his group. "That man right there with the weird goatee is the owner and my personal friend, Kristpherson Miles."

"Hello." the wolfman greeted. "Welcome to Andrea's. We sell clothes and everything to make them with."

"So it's also a sewing store. That's very useful." noted Hachioji while her eyes wandered. Eventually, she set her sights on the odd toy on the counter top. "What's this?"

"Oh, it's just a design I'm working on. I'm making sure the pattern actually works right." Kristopherson answered. "I'm not sure if I want to sell them yet, though."

"May I?" the woman asked.

"Of course."

With permission, she picked the doll up and smiled. "It's a werewolf, isn't it?"

"Yes, but I haven't sewed clothes for him yet." answered Kristopherson bashfully.

"Oh? You make clothes in that size too?"

"I make clothes in most sizes, miss."

The woman took a few moments to stare at the doll again, completely oblivious to the others looking around the store behind her. Then, she turned to her companion and suddenly let out a laugh. Her bodygaurd looked confused for a moment before finally she explained her thoughts.

"Well, I suppose that if a fox can wear a suit, a wolf can, too!" she laughed, causing her associate to groan and roll his eyes. The others looked on curiously, unsure of what she was talking about, despite her confirming the duo's suspicion that the bodygaurd was some kind of supernatural being.

Time went on like this, and the group marveled at the largeness of some of the clothes in the store, wondering what kind of being could possibly wear them. Their curiosity also wandered into guessing amoung themselves as to what the true identity of the owner is as well. He looked completely human, but if he was here, there was no way that he was.

"Me?" Kristopherson asked once the question was finally out. "I'm a werewolf. I was bitten just last year, actually."

"Bitten? More like mauled..." added the menace at his friend's statement.

"Have you been adjusting well?" Mateo questioned.

"It was really hard at first, but now it doesn't seem like as much of a big deal." answered the wolfman. "My family was really supportive. Transforming still hurts, though. I usually have to take the day off after a full moon. I keep it marked on the door so customers always know when it will be. I don't have anyone else to run the counter yet, so I have to close."

"I can't imagine..."

"It's a payoff. I feel great the rest of the time. Regeneration is amazing."

"Still wouldn't want to be in the same boat." Said the OBPSSI leader. "Sorry."

"It's not for everyone. I get it."

The conversations continued this way for a while until the group was content in moving on. They talked about lycanthropy and the shop for a while. They also looked at its wares. The wolfman was friendly and very, very, "human", so he appealed heavily to the group. Still, they couldn't stay with him forever. When it was time to go, they politely said their goodbyes before heading off to their final destination.

Church was an odd thing for this town to have, these humans thought. They wanted to know more about it, so they piled back up into the truck and went. On the way, they would look at murals and at more storefronts as well as homes. People stood at bus stops and walked down the street like in any other city. It was incredible to these new faces. "It's Saint Christopher!" they would point out as they saw a mural of the character. "Look! A lion!"

The church was nothing impressive. It was a good size. It wasn't too big or two little with modest decorations. There were carvings in the woodwork and paintings, naturally, but for the most part, the place could be considered sparse by the standards of these tourists aside from the seating. It suited it's purpose, however, and that is all that mattered.

Naturally, the idea of a vampiric nun was a fright, but there Sister Dorothy was to greet them. Her smile was just as friendly and calming as ever. Some found her difficult to accept at first, while the rest warmed up to her right away. As she explained it, she was a nun before and her faith was not so fragile that it would be shaken by "something so small." She enjoyed life here in Gehenna. She enjoyed holding mass and helping to make everyone's lives better. This was her mission in life, and she explained it to those who were skeptical with confidence and clarity. She wanted to make sure that there were no mistakes about her intentions.

Sister Dorothy impressed, making an excellent impression on the leaders of these armies. Perhaps it was an even better one than the menace instilled. Either way, the leaders walked away with a good impression of the town when everything was all said and done. After driving back to their hotels, they would have the entire afternoon and evening to ponder what they had seen. The next day, they would talk to Sir Integra about a new location to house everyone. Meanwhile, the demons were left emotionally exhausted, trudging through the front door of their home with jackets over their arms and ties loosened before they could put them away. Their job was done. All they had to do now was wait and see about the results of their hard work.


	365. Helping Hand

Tiredly, Alois kicked off his shoes and tugged at his tie until it came of before tossing it off to the side. His jacket managed to make it to a hanger, as his husband offered to take it, but he collapsed as soon as he reached one of the couches in the master suite's front room. He let out a guttural groan as he laid on his stomach with his arm dangling off of the side. He was tired and worried, but also relieved. It was over now. He had done what he could. Now the rest was up to Integra.

The menace wasn't sure why he was so tired. His mouth felt a bit dry from talking so much, but he didn't want to get up now that he was settled. Mostly, it was emotional. Alois had built this up in his head for weeks and now it was over. It wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be, either. All he could do now was hope everything turned out alright.

After putting up his own items and changing into slightly more comfortable but still rather stuffy pants, Ciel came back to check on the blonde, only to chuckle at the pitiful sight before him. "Poor thing..." he cooed, earning a whine.

"Don't make fun of meeeee…." Alois let out while the other rubbed his back.

"You should change out of the rest of your suit so it doesn't get wrinkled."

"You should kiss my ass."

"I didn't know you were into that sort of thing." Ciel retorted, earning some more incoherent grumbling. "At least move so I can sit down."

With a grunt, the blonde propped himself up on his palms, allowing the other to take a seat. As soon as the Watchdog did, however, Alois laid right back down, using his beau's leg as a pillow as he laid on his side. Not bothered by this, Ciel just let him, gently running his fingers through the blonde's hair and smiling as Alois closed his eyes.

"You were great out there, by the way." the Watchdog added. "You looked like someone who gave tours for a living."

"It was okay. Thanks for the help, by the way." his spouse said. "Sorry you keep having to save my ass all the time..."

"Anytime. Whether it's being captured or giving a presentation, I've got your back."

"Ugh, the thought of that situation is tiring..." Alois complained as he wrinkled his nose.

"I'm not surprised. You were out of it for a while. You had two big holes punched in your stomach!"

"Sometimes it seems like all I do is cause trouble for you." commented the blonde with a somewhat sad laugh. In an instant, his husband's smile dropped. "You're always having to save me or help me out with something. I can't even stay in college..."

"Hey, now… It's not like that..." Ciel insisted. He wore a look of concern on his face as he looked down at his beau, moving a stray lock of hair out of the man's eyes. "Things happen. It's not your fault. You're the last person who wanted any of these things to happen. I don't mind helping you when you need me. In fact, I _want_ to help."

Rapidly, the menace blinked as his eye grew wet before shutting them tight. Ciel could feel dampness on his leg, but paid no mind to it. All that was important to him was making Alois feel alright.

"Talk to me..." Ciel pleaded softly in a soothing tone.

"I'm sorry..." answered Alois with a short, nerve-ridden laugh and awkward smile. He reached up and covered his eyes as he tried his best not to cry. "I just… Fuck… It's just one thing after another, isn't it?"

"Comes with the territory, I'm afraid..." his husband replied. "It's been piling up on you, hasn't it?"

"I guess… I'm sorry..."

"Don't be. It's normal. I would do the same thing, probably. I would certainly mope around, at least."

"I'm tired… God… I freaked you out with the kidnapping thing, I freaked you out with the memory thing, then there's college, then there's this shit..." Alois listed off. "It's always something with me. Just thinking about the damn ocean makes me sick..."

"The ocean?" questioned the bluenette with a tilt of his head. To this, the other hesitated. Embarrassment took hold of him as he was ashamed of his predicament.

"All I could hear was waves." the blonde said. "Back at the Order's hideout. The smell of saltwater started to make me sick. I'm not sure if it was being stabbed and held in place, or what..."

"You might have a bit of PTSD." Ciel suggested. "It was a traumatic experience. I thought it was a bit odd that you seemed alright so quickly..."

"I _am_ alright. I'm perfectly fine about that. Really. Don't worry about it."

"Afraid I can't do that. You know how I am."

"Unfortunately..." Alois muttered, turning over on his back while bringing an arm up to cover his eyes. "Just… Don't worry about me so much, at least. I don't want to be a burden..."

"You're not a burden. These things just happen..." Ciel stated. "It's just how life is..."

"Why me, though? It keeps happening consistently enough that I'm starting to think it might _be_ me." confessed the blonde. "Now that this thing is over… what's next? Am I gonna… shit… I dunno… Turn into a fucking newt or something?"

"You're not going to become a newt..."

"Impossible to know for certain. We did not predict any of the other things, either."

"Jim..." began the bluenette with a sigh, realising that he was unable to reason with his husband, at least for the time being. He didn't know what else to say, though. If he couldn't console the other man, what could he do?

The silence, however, made Alois uneasy. Lifting his arm up slightly, he peeked up at the bluenette before putting it back. "Sorry..." he apologised again.

"No… There's no need for that. I'm not upset or anything. I just wish I could help you more."

There was no answer right away, so the two endured the quiet for just a few moments. Alois was hesitating. They both knew it. There was something on his mind. Eventually, he sat straight up, sitting sideways on the couch with his back to the bluenette as his eyes followed along the length of the piece of furniture. He looked down and tried his best to gather his courage, but there wasn't much he could give.

"Ciel..." he began, trying to steel himself enough to put a question that had popped into his head and gnawed at him from the inside until he let it out.

"Yes?"

"Do you… Like… Being married to me?" the blonde finally asked, body stiffening and eyes squeezing shut as he braced for impact.

In an instant, the Watchdog's expression fell and his heart developed a crack. He was absolutely flabbergasted. It took him a moment to register what he was hearing as "real". Blinking, his eye stayed trained on the other's back as he leaned toward the man.

"What brought this on?" Ciel questioned, breathless as he felt as though he had just been punched in the chest. Opening his eyes again, Alois looked down, watching teardrops land in his lap on his expensive suit pants. He swallowed harshly in a feeble attempt to keep his voice from cracking or sounding strained.

"Do you think… Do you think I'm just some… Some kind of..." Alois' body betrayed him as he sniffled. The realization that he had just given himself away made him cringe. "...Some kind of fuck-up?"

Icy blue eyes widened as arms shot out and grabbed hold of the menace, pulling him back and holding him in a tight embrace. Alois could feel Ciel's cheek against his jaw. It was hot. It felt like it might burn him. Instinctively, the menace brought up his hands, placing them against the other's forearms. One was on his chest around his shoulders while the other was around his waist. He was pulled flush against his spouse. Odd behaviour for the blue Phantomhive. It was concerning.

"Ci-Ciel?"

 _"_ _Never."_ stated the Watchdog with absolute certainty. His tone was sure but it was also sad. Hurt, even. The way he spoke to Alois, however, was sincere as it was desperate. "I have never thought of you that way. Ever. Don't- Please don't talk about yourself like that..."

"I..." Alois began. His vision had gone blurry from the water in his eyes. He couldn't see anything. "I'm sorry..."

"You don't need to apologise..." Ciel replied softly. "You're not a fuck-up. You're my husband, my brilliant, sweet, wonderful husband. And I love you more than life itself. I love being with you. I love being married to you. There's no one else I would rather have. Even if bad things happen, even if things don't go the way we hoped or planned, that won't ever change. I want to help you when things are hard. I want to be there when you need me. That's what I'm here for. To support you. To love you. For richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, I will be here by your side. That's a promise."

His words were sweet as they entered the other's ear. Shifting, he kissed Alois' cheek before nuzzling his face against the blonde's skin. Alois' grip on his husband's sleeves tightened as he turned his head to look back. All he could do was stare at Ciel's face, at how the man's eyebrows were curved upward and how worried he seemed. Tears still fell from the blonde's eyes, reddening them while staining his cheeks. When Ciel met his gaze, he couldn't help but look away again, feeling compelled to answer.

"I'm so-" he began, stopping short to correct himself. "Okay..." Alois said, letting go of his spouse momentarily to wipe his face on his own arm.

"You can cry. You're overwhelmed. It's healthy to let this sort of thing out instead of bottling it up inside." Placing another kiss to his beau's cheek, he jested: "Take it from a former professional bottler."

The tiniest of laughs escaped the menace as he sniffled and tried to contain himself. "I don't wanna cry, though."

"Well, cry if you need to. Don't if you don't."

"Alright… I'm still not really okay, and I still think I'm a pain, _and_ I hate having you save my sorry ass all the time..."

"... _But?"_

"No 'but'. I just feel bad, still."

"Oh…" the bluenette bashfully let out, but it didn't deter him. He continued to press kisses wherever he could reach as he tried to console his spouse. "I'm sorry, baby..."

"Pff… Since when do you call me 'baby'?" teasingly snorted the menace.

"I don't. It just kind of slipped out."

"Is it weird that I kind of like it?"

"I'll add it to my vocabulary, then." chuckled Ciel as he leaned back, taking the blonde with him. Both of them stared up at the ceiling as they quietly laid there.

Alois was still in the process of calming down and felt like he was getting better. He felt awful though and probably would for a while. It felt like he had experienced failure after failure while piling stress on top of stress on top of stress. The results were bound to be messy. He and Ciel both hoped things would turn up for him soon.


	366. Family Matters

After an afternoon of deliberating with Sir Hellsing, many of the antifreak leaders agreed to give the orgnisation funds for their new project. They were going to transform an abandoned government facility into a city for supernaturals. This added to the donations from the Phantomhives, the Midfords, and members of the original sensational seven.

There were special requests and conditions, of course. Several countries wanted to send some of their supernaturals who struggled living in their home countries to live there. The numbers were small and it was estimated that it could work. This was actually seen as a benefit, as it justified the expansion further. Those who lived in Phantom House already weren't enough. Even with the new numbers, they would still have plenty of space. The base was hidden in a forest, making it prime realistate for supernaturals, but whether or not these people who were accustomed to city living would fair well at first was yet to be determined. Surely, they would learn eventually.

A phonecall interrupted the duo's daily activities, prompting Alois to get up from his spot moping. The blonde laid on one of their new sofas. This one was much more comfortable than the last and he had taken a liking to sleeping their when he was bored with nothing to do. Initially, the call was answered by Ciel, as he was closer to the phone, but he handed it to Alois and told him that Integra had news for him.

Groaning, Alois took the device and placed it up to his ear. Ciel hadn't been told what the news was yet, so all he could do was listen to Alois make various noises that indicated that he was listening. Eventually, this stream was interrupted by an excited "really?!" and a gasp of air. The sound made the Watchdog crack a smile.

The menace was so excited that he practically dropped the phone back onto the receiver so that he could turn to his beau. "Guess what~!" he chimed, walking around the desk to the bluenette's side.

"Good news?" his beau questioned.

"The best news. We got money~!" Alois said in a sing-song voice while doing a little dance. He held out his hands and pulled the other up from his seat, forcing the Watchdog to dance with him.

"Well, of course! You were really great out there. First try, too! I was really impressed." grinned Ciel. He moved without grace, as the dance wasn't choreographed or predictable, but he tried his best. His beau was happy and ha had to join in on it.

"That's not all! She wants me to help encourage residents of Gehenna to pitch in. There's gonna be a whole campaign! She wants their input on it as well to find out what they need. There's going to be a meeting at the church and everything!"

"That's wonderful news!" the bluenette declared, completely infected by the blonde's bright smile. "We should celebrate!"

"How are we gonna do that?"

"However you like. I'm fine with anything from an extravagant date, to buying a supermarket cake and bringing it back here."

"Cake sounds nice..."

"It does, doesn't it?"

"We should go get some." stated Alois. "I'll go put on actual clothes."

"What? You're not going to go out in short shorts and a shirt that says 'fuck off' using the NATO phonetic alphabet?" jokingly asked the bluenette.

"Sierra Uniform Charlie Kilo Mike Yankee Delta India Charlie Kilo."

"Is that an order, or…?"

"Going to go get dressed now." the menace loudly declared while walking out of the room, leaving his spouse to laugh and shake his head.

The two suited up and headed out, informing the butler of their trip. The man wished them a good time and went back to his task. It was one that took much pleading and negotiating with the menace, but since the man's brother wanted it so badly, he had to concede, although he did it with obvious reluctance.

"Be careful. Keep a firm grip, but don't lock yourself in place." Sebastian instructed, putting his hand on the shoulder of the youngest Macken brother as the boy took his aim.

At the moment, Luka was undergoing instruction on how to shoot. Before the lad could even dream of hunting, he had to know how to behave around a gun. So, in the garden, they fixed up a few targets for him to work with.

"Okay." Luka said. He tried to nudge the ear protectors on his head back in place with his shoulder. It was much to big for him, but it's what they had. Then, he got back into place.

"Now, aim a little above where you want to shoot on the target." said the butler. "Breathe… and… _fire!_ "

The gun went off, forcing the boy back a bit and causing his headset to almost fall off. No matter how many times he did this, he was startled a bit. The weapon was so loud- much louder than on television. In a matter of moments, he remembered to turn the safety back on without being asked this time. Then, he lowered the gun and looked at his target to see if he hit it.

"Very good!" praised the butler. "You were much closer than last time!"

"The pellets are supposed to spray out, so it shouldn't miss at all..." the lad said, disappointed at only hitting the target on the edge.

"The kick is hard to control at first. You're getting there." Sebastian said. "This is only your first day. The master took much longer. Then again, he wanted to quit right away."

"Ciel did?"

"Yes… The master was a bit of a… _handful_ when he was younger. You didn't hear that from me, though."

Luka laughed at the man's poking fun at the Watchdog, finding it funny that Ciel would ever behave in such a way. Ciel didn't seem like a person who would ever do something like that to Luka. He was just so "grown up" that it seemed unlikely.

"Can we go again?" asked the boy, looking up at the butler. His gaurdian simply smiled and said:

"Certainly. There's still one bullet left. Get back into position."

Both of them were unaware that they were being watched from the window by the remaining resident of the household. It was the one who was the most quiet when not being "grouchy". Revy ticked every box when it comes to symptoms of your typical teenage angst, but like most people, had his own very real problems.

Walking away from the window, he made his way back to his room. He didn't like that Luka was being taught how to shoot for some reason. He didn't know why, but he did. In addition, he was jealous of the duo constantly spending time together. Yes! He was jealous! Sebastian also spent more time with Luka. It seemed like Revy was the only one in the house without a "buddy". Part of him did like it, yes. Not having to keep up with another person or schedule around them was a perk, but the revenant did feel a bit lonely. Even at work, he felt a touch isolated at times, even when he was the center of attention.

It was tough being the "younger brother" of Gehenna's most important person. Revy felt as though he couldn't compare. Sometimes, it seemed like he was expected to be like Alois, given their shared face and body. He hated it. No matter how hard he tried to establish his own identity, nothing seemed to work. What were his interests? Browsing the internet? Even Luka liked things. Learning how to shoot and hunt was one of them. Certainly, the lad and their butler would have taught him as well if he asked, but Revy just didn't share the interest. Besides, he already knew how to shoot.

Once he entered his bedroom, he shut and locked the door behind him. Posters adorned the wall and other decorative items were placed on shelves. The lad's police uniform was hung neatly on a hanger on the back of his door, courtesy of Sebastian. Revy's floor would have been littered with clothes if it wasn't for the butler. Revy's thoughts were not on cleanliness, however, as he walked to the bathroom.

Routinely, he felt compelled to look into the mirror at "his" face. No matter what, he couldn't see it as his own. The eyes were his primary distinguishing feature, with black covering what was supposed to be white. With a sigh, Revy reached up and held a lock of messy blonde hair between his finger and thumb, lamenting at how long it had gotten. When it was long, he especially looked like the menace, which was why he kept it trimmed, but he hadn't gone in a while. He would have to sometime soon. Perhaps they could help him find a style to suit him or somewhat separate him from his brother a little more.

He had tried parting it every which way, but it always wanted to part on his right, just like Alois'. Admittedly, the lad hadn't the slightest idea as to how to style hair, but he tried. Goodness knows he did. Although he had money and could go get his hair cut at any time, he was hesitant until he knew what he wanted.

Part of him wanted to do something extreme, but the rest of him wanted to stay "ordinary". Revy didn't know if he had the courage to be as bold as he wanted. In fact, he felt stupid for thinking that his happiness was somehow tied to his appearance, but he felt self-conscious. Almost everything about his appearance made him feel that way.

As per usual, he felt compelled to lift his T-shirt and examine his abdomen. The stitches were long gone, but a scar remained from a sword that was once thrust through this body he wore. It was the only thing that never healed back completely, despite having recovered from rotting away into nothing but a skeleton under six feet of dirt. This body was feminine, but it didn't seem "right". There was always something "off". He couldn't shake it or even decide what it was.

Revy wondered if he would ever know. He had his doubts. If he could get even a hint, he might be closer to finding out what to do about it.


	367. A Celebratory Gesture

Naturally, news of the blonde's achievement spread through the proper channels and made its way to his friends. Kristopherson was so proud of him that he could hardly keep his mouth shut. The menace told him not to let the news break just yet, so the wolfman did his best as to not ruin his friend's moment. Still, he wanted in on the celebration.

"We have to do something." Kristopherson insisted as the Phantomhive sat on the edge of the counter in his shop. "Let's go out! It'll be fun!"

"I dunno… Where would we go?" asked Alois with a shrug. "What do people go out in do?"

"Well, I hear they go out, party and get drunk, I hear."

"Can't. Alcohol tastes like how pee smells, and I can't get drunk anyway."

"Why not?"

"Regeneration." the menace said. "My body just processes it like it's nothing."

"Wait, can I do that?" questioned Kristopherson. "Shit!"

"Sorry, man. Welcome to the club."

"Club..." the wolfman began, speaking slowly with a cryptic twinge. "Yes… I can work with that… Yes!"

Arching an eyebrow, the demon watched as the other man stood up and walked around to the front of the desk. "Work with what?"

"A club! Specifically a _gay_ club. We've never gone before, have we?" clarified the wolfman. "C'mon! It'll be fun. You can dance, eat nachos- probably- it'll be great!"

"There's nachos at gay clubs?"

"I don't know. I've never been before. I just told you."

"I dunno..." Alois apprehensively answered. "Isn't that like, where you go to meet people? I'm married. You have a boyfriend."

"No, that's a straight thing. I think. Admittedly, I don't know a lot about how heterosexual relationships work..." Kristopherson paused as he got distracted with the thought before shaking his head. "Anyway, it's also just a place where you can go and be romantically involved with the same sex unapologetically. Remember when you two went on a date and some guy dumped his beer on you for dancing together? That won't happen. Well, unless you're cheating on somebody and got caught."

"Alright. I get it." chuckled the Phantomhive with a grin. "Not sure if it's really Ciel's thing though."

"Anything is that boy's 'thing' as long as you say you wanna do it, mate."

"True, but I don't like pulling that card."

"Well, think it over. Call me when you decide." Kristopherson replied. "I'll be taking Logan. Maybe Dan, too, if he's up for it."

"One for each arm."

"Fuck off. Dan will just be pissy if I don't invite him."

"I know. I was just fuckin' with ya." Alois laughed. "Think Dan will try to pick somebody up?"

"Nah. He'd probably get nervous and throw up." Kristopherson replied with a jarring level of bluntness. "Maybe he'll make it to the bathroom, maybe not..."

"If not, we all ditch the place, right?"

"Exactly."

"Still not sure if Ciel will wanna come. I'll ask, though." the Phantomhive said, standing up. "I need to start heading back."

"Alright. Again, tell me what the plan is. I hate it when someone gives you a _'maybe'_ , and then when the night comes, you're sitting there waiting for a text when they've decided not to come."

"Yeah. What is up with that?"

"I have no idea, but these people must be stopped."

Not long after this, the menace left, waving finger guns at his friend. From there, he returned home and threw a bag of books at his husband. He had brought the Watchdog books that could be found nowhere else in the world but Gehenna. Ciel was just sitting there, minding his own business as the books fell in his lap. He didn't even bat an eyelash.

"Thanks, dear." was all the menace got out of him at first before Ciel started rummaging through the bag. "What do we have?"

"Well, there's a book that Dan's sister likes and highly recommends. It's about a girl who murders people branded with a mark in order to cut them open and read the book that is hidden inside."

_"'Stomach Book?'"_

"That's the one."

"Sounds like fun." Ciel replied, cracking it open and giving it a quick look over. "How's Kris doing? Did you stop by?"

"Yeah. He wants us all to go out to celebrate HELLSING getting funding for the new town." said Alois. He kicked off his shoes with a sigh, wiggling his toes once they were free.

"Oh yeah? What's he got planned?" asked the Watchdog.

"Gay club."

"Sounds like fun."

"Really?" Alois was surprised at Ciel. That was so completely of place for him. "I didn't think it was your kind of scene."

"Wait, am I invited?"

"Yes, you silly thing!" declared the menace, having a seat next to his beau. "He wanted all of us same-sex attracted types to go out together. I'm kinda curious, but if you don't want to go, you don't have to."

"Do you want me to go?" questioned the bluenette, putting down his book and looking toward the other.

"Well, it might be fun, but I don't want you to feel like you oughtta go because I want to. I'm fine just going."

"Hmm..." With a hum, Ciel pondered the proposal. Indeed, he knew that places with lots of people and dancing were really not his thing. In fact, it sort of made him nervous. However, most places had seating for those who weren't so rhythmically gifted when it comes to dancing freestyle, and they served things other than alcohol. It wasn't as though Ciel didn't have a place to escape to, if he needed it.

The reason why the man was considering it, however, was that he had never gone to such a place before either. It could prove to be a profitable learning experience. In addition, the idea of being able to kiss his spouse in public without some sort of commotion occurring was promising. It was a chance to show off, but then again, what did he have to prove?

"I'll go." the Watchdog said eventually. "If it's unbearable, I can always call a cab and leave you to it. Would that hurt your feelings?"

"Not at all. I'm kind of impressed that you'd be willing to try it, actually."

"I might as well. It could be a valuable learning experience."

"Is that right?" Alois turned his whole body to face him on the couch, sitting on his legs in the process. "Is that all?"

"Well, I'll admit, kissing you in public does sound appealing." Ciel admitted, causing the blonde to snicker. "Also watching you dance."

"I'm not going to do anything risque, so I hope you're not expecting much."

"Oh, no. I mean in general. I'd get jealous if you did something like that around other people."

"Oh, so if it's a private show, you'd be fine with it?"

"Well, I'd be lying if I said I didn't."

"Perv." accused the menace. "I see how it is."

"You act as though you wouldn't appreciate the same thing."

"You'd do a sexy dance for me?"

"Jim, my dear, I would do many things for you, but I believe that may be beyond my abilities." Ciel said in a tone of feigned sadness. "I can't dance on my own, you know."

"I know. I would say that it would be fun to see you try, but you might die from embarrassment."

"Your hypothesis is not at all far from reality."

"Which is worse? Sexy dancing for me, or dancing in a club?" Alois inquired with genuine curiosity.

"Hmmm..." pondered the bluenette. "I want to say the club..." he said, earning a laugh.

"Why's that?"

"Because if it's just you, I can probably get over it. As much as I aim to impress, making you laugh is also good, I suppose. Embarrassing myself in front of strangers, though? Not happening. Unless there's a slow dance involved, I'm useless."

"Poor baby." the blonde teased. "I might hold you to that, though."

"That's mean. I thought you loved me?"

"I do. That's why I want to see it."

"Not doing it." insisted Ciel, folding his arms. Once again, his pompous air had returned to him. Alois' grin only widened at this, as it had actually been a while since he had seen it, amusing him to no end.

"Fine. Then you have to dance with me at the club."

"Not doing that either."

"What will you allow me, then?" dramatically demanded Alois, leaning back and falling down so that he was laying on the couch. "What?!"

"What do you want?" the Watchdog asked.

"I'll settle for you wearing those pants that make your butt look great." informed the menace. "And I get to touch it."

"Oh, you do that anyway. That's fine."

_"_ _Yessssss!"_


	368. Night On The Town

It took Ciel a really long time to get ready. The man didn't have that many casual clothes, furthermore, he wasn't sure how to put together what he had. Thus, it was up to the menace to save him. The menace tried many variations, but unsurprisingly, most of them showed off the Watchdog's figure. It was obvious that the man was dressing his spouse for himself, but Ciel didn't mind. Ultimately, the menace settled on a dark blue shirt with long sleeves that had shrunk in the wash. He rolled up the sleeves to the bluenette's elbows and lent him a necklace. When the blue Phantomhive looked in the mirror, he chuckled at his own appearance.

"I see..." he said flatly despite his smile.

"Damn, are you a highchair?" teasingly asked the menace, wrapping his arms around the other's waist, all the while running his hands down his spouse's back. "...'Cause I wanna put a baby in you."

Loudly, Ciel snorted at the terrible line. "I see what you like..."

"Yup. I'll change it, though, if it's too weird for you."

"Well, we're going to a gay club, so I'm sure I'll be fine. The tightness _is_ kind of constrictive, though. If I lift my arms too high, the shirt will come off."

"You could always take it off..." suggested the blonde with no ounce of seriousness whatsoever.

"It sounds like you don't really want to go to the club. It sounds like you want something else..."

"Well, if I get lucky later tonight, so be it." Gently, Alois placed a kiss against the other's lips. "But for real, I'll find a better outfit for you. Those pants are staying, though."

"I can't complain about that. They're surprisingly comfortable."

"Right?" laughed the menace while releasing the other and heading toward the wardrobe. Plucking out a few items, he instructed the other man to remove the shirt he was wearing. From there, he picked out a simple white shirt and a blue sweater to go over it before tossing them his husband's way.

"Just leave the top two buttons undone and you should be fine." he said, folding his arms and leaning against the wall as he watched the other. Once Ciel was dressed, they grabbed their coats and Alois picked up his car keys before the two of them headed out.

They met Kristopherson while they were both trying to find parking by coincidence and settled on where they were going to meet up again. They just happened to arrive at about the same time, as both groups decided to get there early so that they could get a good place in line. In Kristopherson's car, they could see the wolfman himself, along with Logan in the passenger seat and Daniel in the back. The Westley seemed immensely excited while Logan seemed rather nervous. He was justified, as he had never been in a club of any sort before this.

After finding spaces, the groups met up and got in line, surprised at how many other people had the same idea as them. They chatted as they stood there with only the occasional complaint. Logan stood on the side next to the wall while Kristopherson stood at his other shoulder, holding his hand to keep him feeling comfortable. They were slightly awkward with the gesture, wondering how Ciel and Alois did it with hardly any thought. The demons just stood there casually while talking both amongst themselves and to their friends. The person who complained the most was singleman Daniel Westley, who was anxious to get inside the building as soon as possible.

"Calm down, don't piss yourself." snarkily scolded the wolfman, putting a hand on his hip. "Why are you so anxious to get inside anyway? It's still gonna be there when we get to the front."

"Yeah, but I didn't come here to stand around. I came here to have a good time." Daniel replied, looking over his shoulder at Kristopherson and Logan. "And maybe score, if I'm honest."

"Good luck with that." Alois urged, knowing how it was going to end if Daniel tried. The Westley wasn't exactly the best at flirting. In fact, none of them there had ever seen Daniel genuinely flirt before. It might go okay, but none of them had high hopes. Mostly, they expected him to just dance, hang out, and have a good time like the rest of them.

After having their I.D.s checked, the crew went inside, occupying a table surrounded by a large couch that almost wrapped around it. They took a seat there and talked for a while, both talking about the new environment they were in as well as taking it in. There were lights and booming bass just like most clubs they've gone to. The only difference was that it somehow felt friendlier in a way that confused them.

Oddly, the ones who felt the most comfortable there were the ones who were the least likely to go to one as Ciel rested his arm on the back of the seat behind his date's shoulders. Alois leaned against his spouse as he would practically anywhere else. Meanwhile, Kristopherson and Logan just sat next to each other, still awkward and new to their relationship. Dan, however, ordered drinks and seemed determined to drink more than anybody else. He would succeed due to the fact that no one else wanted to, much to his dissappointment.

"Oh, come on!" he protested. "Why am I the only one drinking?"

"None of us get anything out of it." the menace informed. "One of the downsides to being a supernatural, if you can call it one. Personally, I think someone just pissed in a bottle and sold it to you, but if you're about that life, who am I to judge."

"Just don't get drunk and make a scene." Ciel added.

"Getting drunk is the point!" argued the Westley. "Why else would anyone drink?"

"Well, actually-" started the Watchdog before being interrupted.

"Is this gonna be a history lesson?"

"...Perhaps?"

"I don't want it."

"Please yourself." Ciel replied with a roll of his eye.

"Oh, I will. In a minute." Daniel answered before turning to the wolfman. "Kris, how do you hit on guys in a club?"

"How should I know? I've never done it before." stated Kristopherson with a shrug. "Trial and error?"

"How can you not know! I thought you were my guide into this gay world!" lamented the brunet. "My gay sensei! My Gay-sha!"

"A geisha and a sensei aren't the same thing."

"Whatever! How am I supposed to get a date _now?!"_

"You don't get dates by picking someone up at a club." said Alois, chiming in. "That's a one night stand."

"What?" confusedly asked Daniel with a blank expression.

"You'll get someone to do you, not date you." Kristopherson reiterated. "Do you really want to bring some stranger into your house with your sister there to see?"

"No!" barked the Westley while folding his arms. "How do you get dates, then?"

"Luck." spoke both demons and the wolfman all at once.

"Know men and women who are into men." Ciel clarified. "If you don't know any, you can't date any."

"Ugh!" groaned the brunet. "Why is this so hard?"

"There's not a lot of us and we look like everybody else." stated Kristopherson. "Just part of 'the lifestyle'."

"It sucks."

"Well, you can sit here, drink, and mope, or you can have a good time." the wolfman said. "I, for one, would like to go dance. What say you, Logan?"

"Sounds like fun." replied the incubus, standing up with his boyfriend.

"Who else wants to come?"

"Count me in." grinned the menace, looking over to his own partner. "You won't be lonely, will you?"

"No, you go on ahead." the Watchdog replied, patting the other demon's shoulder. "I'll watch everyone's stuff."

"Okay. Love you." Alois answered, planting a kiss on top of the mellow pooch's head while he stood up. "Don't get too bored."

"Have a good time." Ciel said, earning a couple finger guns and a wink from his spouse as the blonde walked away. The Watchdog simply watched after him, smiling softly as he other man started to dance in the crowd.

Squinting at the demon, Daniel tried to decode the reasoning behind Ciel's actions. "Are you really okay with your husband going out there and dancing on his own?"

"Hm? Well, yes. Why?"

"Aren't you worried someone might flirt with him?"

"Not really. If they do, he'll turn them down." stated the Watchdog calmly. "If they act aggressively, Jim has things covered. If he wants my help, I'll step in."

"You're weird." accused Westley. "Most guys would be nervous."

"About what? I'm secure in my relationship. ' _Most guys'_ should be too. If they're not, that's concerning."

"What if a guy gets creepy, huh? What if he gets too 'friendly'?"

"Then Jim will teach him the proper way to interact with someone. If he needs me, then I'll intervene." the demon bluntly stated. For a moment, however, he stopped to pause. "Although, it might be bad if he's too rough on him..."

"See! Keep an eye on him."

"Sounds to me like you have your own problems you'd like to address." the Phantomhive stated while folding his arms. "Why are you so distrustful? Your possessive take on relationships is going to be a problem, should you get one if you don't put this aside."

"I don't have a problem." Daniel huffed before taking a drink to discourage the subject being pursued. He had no such luck as Ciel carried on anyway.

"What happened?" he asked. "Does it have to do with Kristopherson?" As soon as Ciel said that, his friend did a spit take, spewing his beverage on the table in front of them while choking. While the bluenette reached for some napkins, the Westley viciously denied his claim.

"Psh! No!" insisted the brunet. "Why would I? We're over. It doesn't matter!"

"Does it have to do with Logan?" Ciel inquired, seeming to hit the nail on the head. It was obvious as the other's expression fell and he grew quiet for once. It was a few seconds before Ciel got a response.

"How did you know?" Daniel hesitantly asked with a hint of embarrassment in his sad tone.

"It was the most logical assumption." informed the demon while he wiped down the table. "If there's anything I've learned about relationships, it's that talking will always sort out problems you might have."

"You and Alois are gross." scoffed Westley while still putting on a tough show. It was useless, though, and he knew it. With a sigh, he spoke truthfully. "Okay, I'll spill, but let me make something clear: I don't see Kris in that way anymore and I don't want to get with him."

"Right." nodded Ciel. "Go on."

"It's just that… He found somebody so quickly! Part of me is jealous because I can't find anybody, but part of me is… well, mad because it's like I was easy to replace!"

"You haven't been, though. He's is still your friend."

"I know. I'm glad. I'd be fuckin' upset if he wasn't, but it's like: was I that shitty?" inquired the brunet. "I mean look at them! They're out there, laughing and having a good time… We never did that."

"Did you offer?"

"Well… no..."

"Part of the reason why Kristopherson felt like you didn't care was that you didn't try." Ciel stated. "When you're in a relationship with someone, you have to work at it. You go and do things together. You ask about how their day went or about what they're latest obsession is, and you listen. Hell, you take actual interest in it even if it's not really your thing because it makes them happy. You need to do all of that and so must they for you. You have to give what you take. If there's no balance, at least someone is unhappy."

"So, you're saying it's my fault, huh?" solemnly questioned Daniel, looking down into his glass. "I didn't know what to do about it. I didn't know how to talk to him like that."

"Learning is part of the job. You just weren't ready. You will be one day, though. For now, just focus on bettering yourself as a human being."

"Weird, coming from a demon."

"Even demons can be in a happy, loving, marriage, you know." spoke the Watchdog, turning his gaze back to the dance floor. Resting his elbow on the table and his chin in his palm, he smiled. With a sigh, he dreamily gazed at his spouse from afar, watching the menace have a good time.

"Gaaaaaayyyy..." uttered the Westley in monotone, hitting his palms on the table before standing up. "I'm gonna go dance with the others. It's less gay on the dance floor than here."

"You're at a gay club. What do you expect?" Ciel retorted.

"Yeah, yeah..." Daniel said as while walking away. Once he was done talking, his demonic friend went right back to watching Alois.

It wasn't out of any sort of worry, but rather just because Ciel liked watching his husband dance. Seeing him have such a good time made him smile, even if he wasn't directly involved. Part of him was a tad envious with the crowd, yes, as he did want to dance with Alois. Alas the Watchdog was terrible at this type of dancing. He would embarrass both himself and the blonde, as well as causing a crowd so suffer from it second-hand. Even the thought of it caused the bluenette to cringe. Perhaps someday, his time would come, but alas, it wasn't yet.

* * *


	369. The Ace of Clubs

Lights flashed and bass pounded while a mass of people danced together in the middle of the room. While the Watchdog enjoyed watching his spouse dance, the noise was starting to get to him. He would have gone into the bathrooms for some momentary quiet, but the idea of going inside the restroom of any kind of club sounded immensely unappealing. Thus, he was stuck sitting at his table by himself. Ciel did have his phone on him, however, and was able to browse the internet. It wasn't much of a night out for him, but he didn't really come for himself, despite how Alois told him not to.

Occassionally, he would take a break from looking at his phone in order to look around at other people. The light was dim with the occasional blinding strobe or spotlight, but Ciel could make them out. It was surprising how few people fit stereotypes, here, but also equally surprising how many did. It was a lot to get used to, but the bluenette wasn't mad at it. There were people dancing, yes, but also drinking. Others talked amongst friends while more still tried to flirt and seek companionship.

Occasionally, Ciel would spot the occasional straight woman. Sometimes, they could be seen with gay men whom they were most likely friends with, but other times, they were in groups. Ciel wasn't sure how he could tell, but interacting with Charlotte and Amelie helped. The wolf girl said something about long fingernails being a non-lesbian thing, but failed to explain why. The very obvious ones that could be seen were the ones who were visibly repulsed when a woman came up to talk to them. They seemed shocked that while in a gay club, they might be mistaken for being interested in the same sex. The scene just made Ciel roll his eye and hope that the woman who was treated badly found someone who would treat them like a person.

Then, Ciel's eye fell back to his spouse, wondering how he was doing. The Watchdog was bored, although he would never tell his spouse that. He didn't have the heart, as Alois was obviously having a lot of fun. Ciel could see him occasionally turning down invitations to dance with people they didn't know, at least that's what he could decipher from the man's mannerisms and expressions. Unfortunately, the Watchdog couldn't read lips. If Jim got nervous, however, he'd step in. That's why he paid attention to it.

His staring was noticed, but not by the right person. Some guy that was near the blonde kept looking Ciel's way, but the bluenette didn't notice him. He was too busy focusing on his husband to see anyone else, even if they were looking right at him, thinking that they were the one he was looking at. In truth, the Watchdog didn't even see the other guy until he started walking toward him, causing the Phantomhive to arch a brow in confusion. He didn't know what this person could possibly want from him.

"Hey." the stranger greeted with a smile.

"Hey." answered Ciel, still befuddled.

"On your own?"

"Oh, no. I'm watching my friends' stuff." the bluenette replied. "I'm not much of a dancer."

"What? A guy like you?" The poor demon grew even more confused as the other invited himself to sit down. "Get out of here… You should be having fun."

"Well, I'm not _not_ having fun. It's not the most exciting turn of events, but I'm not here for dancing."

"What are you here for, then?"

"Curiosity." Ciel stated. "I've never been to a place like this before."

"Well, normally, people don't just sit around." chuckled the stranger. "You dance, you talk, have a drink, you know, fun stuff."

"I don't really drink, either." The Phantomhive tried his best to be friendly, flashing a bit of a polite smile. "I don't mind some wine every now and again, though. I'm not that fun at parties, in case you can't tell."

"No big deal. A lot of people aren't, when they first come, I think. A lot of people come in here and are 'curious' about it."

"That's a relief."

"I'm Jacob, by the way." the stranger greeted, introducing himself.

"Ciel."

"Oh! That's a neat name." Jacob said, but the bluenette was still not catching on.

"Thanks. It's the only one I've got." The attempt at a joke to diffuse any tension that the Phantomhive had caused his new acquaintance to chuckle.

"And you've got a sense of humour! Nice."

"Very few people would agree with you." He was about to look at his spouse again before something else caught his eye. "Is that man dancing on the table?"

"Yep."

"And he's taking his clothes off because..?"

"More reasons than you could count, probably." Jacob answered. "Not your scene?"

"Not really. I'm what one could refer to as 'stuffy'."

"Oh, the nerdy type, huh?"

"'Pretentious', more likely." Squinting, Ciel scanned the crowd, but could no longer spot his husband. He was noticeably distracted as he searched, but couldn't see his spouse anywhere, despite sensing him.

"What're you looking for?" asked the other man.

"I lost track of my husband and our friends." stated the Phantomhive, completely catching Jacob off guard.

"H-husband?"

"Yes… He went to dance with the others. His project at work went really well for him, so one of our friends suggested that we all come out and celebrate." Turning back to the other, he finally noticed Jacob's expression. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine… I'm just… Wow… This is so embarrassing..." lamented the other.

"What is?" Ciel questioned before his mind caught up with him. "Oh. Oh! I'm so sorry. I'm not good at picking up on this sort of thing."

"It's okay. You were watching your husband out there, weren't you?"

"Well, yes..."

"God, I'm never gonna live this down… I'm sorry, I totally read things wrong. I thought you were looking at me."

"No harm done. I'm sure you're not the first person to have this happen to and you certainly won't be the last." There was a sincere attempt on Ciel's part to be gentle in this situation, as he really hadn't meant to cause any harm. It had taken him a while to learn how to pick up on Alois' brand of flirting, after all. Furthermore, he only expected Alois to show any interest in him, so he hadn't even thought about the possibility. "You're alright. If it makes you feel better, I'll pretend it never hap-"

Ciel was cut off as he was assailed by a blonde man, causing him to let out a guttural grunt as Alois abruptly sat down in his lap. The menace put an arm around his shoulders and on reflex, Ciel put his own around his husband's waist. Alois' eyes were fixed on Jacob's face momentarily as if staring him down, but then he turned to face his partner.

"Hello~! Miss me?" he questioned, running his hand through bluenette locks.

"I did. Are you having fun?" replied Ciel, smiling while completely ignorant to Alois' more territorial gestures for the time being.

"Yeah, but I'm tired of dancing for now. It gets old after a few songs." Turning his head, the blonde's eyes resumed his "polite" glaring at the strange man sitting across from his husband. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Jacob. We were just chatting." confessed the Watchdog. "Jacob, this is my husband, Jim."

"H-hello..." answered Jacob, terrified for his well being.

"Charmed." Alois said, taking almost sadistic delight in the fear in the poor man's eyes.

"Are the others still dancing?" Ciel asked, trying to get his husband to stop terrifying a stranger.

"Uh, no. Daniel is at the bar trying to get served and Kris had to pee."

"What about Logan?"

"He went with Kris. The amount of shirtless men apparently was getting to him."

"It would me, too, if I'm honest." Ciel said, his attention being unintentionally snatched as the third wheel stood up.

"I- I should probably go." Jacob stated as he slinked away. "My friends are looking for me. It was nice meeting you."

"Nice meeting you, too." the Watchdog replied, waving after him. Alois, however, stared intensely at the back of the man's head as he left.

"Don't terrorise people." spoke the bluenette, playfully swatting his beau. "It's rude."

"I'm sorry. I had to defend my territory." Alois answered, wiggling in the other's arms in order to get comfortable. "I could see him flirting with you."

"I wasn't in any danger, I assure you. Mostly, I was just confused about his intentions. It took me a minute. He was a little disappointed when I brought up that I was married."

"You told him?"

"Of course I did. We were talking and I just said that I couldn't see my husband anymore." Ciel explained. "He came over due to a bit of a misunderstanding. I was watching you dance, because, _duh_ , and he thought that I was staring at him instead. He was really embarrassed. Took it well, though."

"Good. I know you're cute, sexy, and extremely attractive, but I don't want people to like, _actually_ make a move on you." confessed the menace, earning a toothy grin from the Ciel.

"You were jealous, hm?"

"Psh! What? No!"

"It's okay if you were. I was hoping you would give me your attention, anyway. I'm flattered."

"Yeah, okay, I was a little. So what?" scoffed the blonde. "I know you can handle yourself and there's nothing to worry about, but I still don't like it."

"Mm-hm." hummed the Watchdog, placing a long kiss to the other's cheek. The gesture earned a giggle, which in turn forced Ciel to smile. "I know. I'm all yours, though. That guy wasn't ugly, I suppose, but certainly not as handsome as my husband."

"Smooth talking me now, are you?" playfully questioned the menace.

"Well, yes. You looked like you were having so much fun while dancing without me." Ciel said began, "I suppose that I was a little jealous as well."

"Good. I don't feel so out of place, then." answered Alois, pecking the other's nose. "Come to think of it, is this really appropriate here?"

"What?"

"Me sitting in your lap like this?"

"It would seem so." replied Ciel. "I'm not sure who would take issue. Is it too much for those sparsely-clothed gentlemen over there?"

"Wha- Oh my god!" barked the menace, hiding his face in his husband's shoulder after looking where the Watchdog was pointing. "They have less clothes than the last time I saw them..."

Ciel could not see the flush of his face, but could feel the heat of his beau's skin, all the same. The display truthfully made the blonde uncomfortable. He didn't know if he could stay here much longer. Still, he didn't quite feel ready to leave.

"How do they even move their hips like that?"

"I have no idea… Somehow, I feel like I ought to learn..."

"Ciel!"

"What? Maybe it'll improve my technique?" jested the Watchdog, prompting the menace to roll his eyes.

"You're getting pretty bold." noted the menace. "You do remember that we're in public, right?"

"Tell that to those guys..."

In order to ignore what was going on around them, Ciel and Alois instead chose to focus on each other, flirting back and forth while refusing to acknowledge much around them. As time moved on, their desire to leave grew, but first, they needed to talk to Kristopherson and tell him. Unbeknownst to them, however, the wolfman was keeping his distance as he spotted the two sitting so close and acting in such an intimate manner.

Truthfully, he wanted to leave as well with Logan, as the incubus was getting a little restless, but that left Daniel alone. He wasn't sure what to do with him for the time being, so he would need to ask if the other needed a ride home. He could tell from watching the brunet at the bar, cheering for a man who was dancing on the table, that Daniel was clearly drunk. At the very least, Kristopherson needed to make sure that the Westley made it to a cab.

Before long, Kristopherson couldn't take it anymore and made his way toward the demons in order to tell them he needed to leave. He rolled his eyes as his friends kissed and acted obnoxious. Holding onto Logan's hand with one of his own and placing his other on his hip, he stood by the demons, waiting for them to notice him.

"Are you two at a good stopping point at the moment, or…?" he interrupted, forcing the duo to separate. Ciel avoided eye contact with a flushed face, while Alois smiled a nervous smile with pink cheeks.

"Oh, yeah, of course!" Alois insisted like he wasn't just all over his spouse in a public place. "Whatcha need?"

"Logan and I were thinking of heading out." answered the wolfman. "Can you guys bring Dan home? Or do I need to hook him up with a cab?"

"Uh..?" the menace trailed off before looking over at his spouse, who paused before giving a reluctant nod. "We'll take care of him. We were actually thinking about leaving, ourselves."

"Well, good luck. Dan's pissed." Kristopherson said, pointing in the Westley's direction. "In fact… We should probably get him now. Nevermind. I'll take care of it. Can you help me get him in the car?"

"Yeah, sure." Hopping off of his husband, Alois stood, soon followed by Ciel, and they followed Kristopherson and Logan over to the bar where their friend sat.

The poor man looked like he was about to fall off his stool and could no longer carry a conversation with the man he was talking with before. In fact, he seemed like he was about to pass out, which was actually a good sign for the team, since he couldn't argue. Patting Daniel's shoulder, the wolfman said:

"C'mon, Dan. Time to go."

Groggily, the brunet lifted his head before groaning. "No… Don't wanna..."

"We're all leaving. We can't just leave you out here on your own."

"It's s'okay. I'll just… call a cab or somethin'..." Daniel's speech was slurred and the group doubted in his ability to make good on that offer.

"If you don't come willingly, we'll take you by force."

"Gross."

"Alois. Ciel. Help me out." Kristopherson sighed, prompting the demons to come forward. They each took their friend by each arm and hauled him away from the stool.

"I'm being kidnapped!" the brunet shouted before being shushed.

"Dammit, Dan! Shut the fuck up!"

Fortunately, he wasn't very good at flailing. Once he was out of the club, it was a matter of dragging him to the car and putting him in a seat. They buckled his seatbelt despite his protests, but finally managed to get him in the car.

"If you have to lay him down at any point, make sure to lay him on his side." Ciel warned before they parted ways. "If he's on his back, he runs the risk of suffocating on his own vomit."

"Thanks." Kristopherson said. "I hope you guys had a good time. Sorry for bailing on you."

"It's alright." said Alois. "We had fun. You two should come over sometime. We'll hang out."

"Will do."

"Is that okay?" questioned the incubus. He was a bit frightened by the prospect of going to the manor of the Watchdog and Lion. No one in Gehenna had seen it before, aside from Kristopherson.

"Of course! You're welcome any time, Logan." answered the head of the household, reaching out to shake the man's hand. "Get home safely."

"We will." Logan replied before turning around to investigate the loud "thunk" that came from his boyfriend's vehicle. It was Daniel, making rude gestures at the group on the other side of the window.

Despite the Westley's behaviour, everyone started their trip home. The Phantomhives were undoubtedly off to canoodle some more, but neither Kristopherson or Logan could complain, as they had similar motives. That just left Dan, who they were going to drop off at his apartment on the way. Unfortunately, he thought it was a good idea to talk while they did so.

"Logan, you're too nice..." he said to the incubus in the front seat. "Why are you so quiet all the time? Don't you have anything to say?"

"Not really." Logan replied. "I'm not much of a talker, I guess, but I do talk when something's up and I need to."

That was a lie. Kristopherson knew it. They had talked about this before, in fact. It was simply that Logan was still a little intimidated by Kristopherson's friends, is all. This was especially true due to the fact that his boyfriend was best friends with Mister Lion, himself.

"Boring..." groaned Daniel. "So, what do you like, do?"

"Well, I work at the general store."

"No, no, I mean, like, what are you about? What do you do for fun? Do you have any hobbies or friends? Why do you like Kris?"

"Well, I like to read, and fashion is pretty fun, I've learned, and I have a lot of brothers and sisters, which are kind of like friends. As for Kris, there's a lot of stuff I like about him."

"Like what?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"His dick?" vulgarly speculated the Westley, folding his arms with a content expression as he mistook the others' silence for surrender. Honestly, Logan was shocked at what was just said and Kristopherson had half a mind to pull over and clobber his friend for saying such an awful, prejudiced, thing.

"Well, there's that, but I liked him before then." the incubus said. "He's kind, he's passionate… and he's really cute. I like his jokes and his bluntness. He's not afraid to speak his mind..."

"Huh? That's not what I was expectin' at all..."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't jump to conclusions about people." There was bite in the incubus' tone, despite it sounding otherwise pleasant and friendly. His boyfriend cracked a bit of a smile at that. He was proud of the other for talking back to such a boor. Daniel, however, didn't like that.

"Whatever..." huffed the brunet. "Why else would you go into the bathroom with him?"

"Daniel, shut the fuck up." Kristopherson butted in. "Just because you're drunk, doesn't mean you get to act like an ass. I could always dump you on the side of the road and hope you make it home on you're own."

"You wouldn't." Daniel answered with a cocky twinge. "You're way too nice for that."

"Act like somebody who's worthy of it so it doesn't go to waste, then."

It was quiet after that. Kristopherson had a point and Daniel knew it. He just didn't like it. He didn't like this new person in his ex's life, nor did he appreciate the fact that he was able to do what Daniel could not. Logan made Kristopherson happy. It just wasn't fair. It was selfish, he knew, but he couldn't help it. If Logan were horrible, he could feel better about it. He could feel like he's not a failure. At the same time, he could never wish that on his friend. Daniel was a jerk, but he had a bit of a heart, at least. No matter what he did, however, he couldn't shake this jealousy he felt, even though he didn't want to be with Kristopherson at all anymore, nor did he have any intention of trying. It was simply a matter of not being a "failure". He didn't want to be good for nothing and horrible. The fact that Logan was good to Kristopherson made Daniel feel rotten for that. Daniel knew, too. Even the fact that he felt this way made him feel worse.

From then on, the drive was quiet. They made it to the apartment building and helped Daniel into the elevator. It was finding his keys that was the tricky part, as neither Kristopherson or Logan wanted to dig around in his pockets, and Daniel didn't quite have the motor skills. He managed to take them out and drop them, at least. It was a start. From there, Logan was able to unlock the door while Kristopherson held the human up.

The man's sister was staying over at the Midford estate with her friend for the night. Daniel wasn't totally irresponsible, it seemed, and made sure she was taken care of. The others took off his coat and shoes, wiped his face free of spit, booze, and perhaps a little spit-up before putting him to bed. Just as Ciel had warned, they were certain to lay him on his side. From there, it wasn't long before he was out cold and they were gone.

They left a note for Daniel's sister in case she came home before he woke up and got back in Kristopherson's car before taking off. It was quiet for a while, but something gnawed at Kristopherson and he couldn't get rid of it. Thus, he decided that it was best if he came clean.

"Listen..." he began, capturing his boyfriend's attention. "I'm sorry about what Dan said earlier… He's been getting his shit together lately, but I guess old habits die hard."

"It's alright." answered the incubus.

"It's not _right_ , though. I should have stepped in and said something, but I didn't. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. It's never easy to know where things are going to go."

"I'll do better next time." Kristopherson said. "Promise."

"Okay." answered Logan with a small smile. "We'll just take it as a learning experience, then."

Next, they stopped at the wolfman's building and parked in the garage. It was dark, despite the fluorescent lighting, intimidating the incubus a bit, but the other carried on, taking hold of his hand and leading him into the elevator. From there, they went up to Kristopherson's apartment, pausing as the faux-blonde put his key in the lock.

"So, what's the plan?" he asked. "Are you staying over tonight?"

"Well, I was hoping I could." grinned the incubus.

"Good. I was hoping you would." Kristopherson replied as he opened the lock. The pair pecked each other on the lips before heading inside, closing the door behind them and locking it fast.

* * *


	370. The Road To Success

Alois was finally up and about after requesting to stay in bed and sleep a while longer. It was regretful that his beau had to get up and start working, but the blonde was still content. He shuffled into the office in shorts, fuzzy slippers, and a T-shirt with the words "World's Okayest Husband" printed on the front with bedhead and a tray with two cups of tea on top of it. Bringing it in, he set it down on the coffeetable before adding the amount of sugar and cream his spouse always preferred and bringing it to the other man.

"Good morning." Ciel greeted with a smile, pursing his lips so that his beau would bend down and give him a quick kiss. "Was last night fun?"

"Well, I picked up a cute guy with an eyepatch at the club, so I'd say it was successful." jested Alois, setting the cup down on the table before the other. "How are you this morning?"

"Afternoon, really, but good." the Watchdog replied. "Sales for our new videogames are doing very well."

"Oh? Which one?"

"All of them."

"Well, look at you!" the menace said, walking back over to the couch so he could drink his tea. "How much are we making?"

"Oh…. I don't know… About a couple billion..." A haughty grin crept onto the bluenette's face as his husband choked on his drink. Quickly, the blonde set his cup down and made his way back over to the desk.

"Are you for real!?"

"Yes. It seems like the mobile games are making just as much as the ones with actual effort put in them, which is good to know, since they're relatively cheap to make." Pointing at the screen with a pen, the Watchdog continued to explain his findings. "I also instructed the marketing team to use your advice and push the fact that this game right here consists of a primarily female cast without skimpy armour."

"Ah. The Furiosa Effect."

"Exactly. Look at the numbers on it."

"Damn! That's a lot of money!" Alois blurted out, grabbing his husband's shoulder as he leaned toward the screen.

"Exactly! We didn't even have to spend that much on marketing at all. You were right. Angry men did it all for us. We could even start working on a sequel game."

"That's brilliant, Ciel!" declared the menace, leaning down to kiss the other's head. "Oh, and I had another idea, by the way."

"Go on."

"If you're selling toys for younger kids as well, couldn't you market games to them, too? Like those educational games that parents get their toddlers to make them into 'geniuses' or something."

"That's good…" nodded the Watchdog. Opening a drawer, he got out a stickynote and made himself a reminder. "I'll have to bring that up at our next meeting… You're the best, darling."

"I know. I try."

Pausing, the bluenette added: "I completely forgot to ask; did you sleep well? You still seem drowsy."

"A little bit." Alois answered. "Mostly, I'm just serene. I got a major presentation done, went to a gay night club for the first time, and had some very satisfying sex all very recently. I am at peace with the world."

"I'm glad you liked it." replied Ciel with a smile. "I don't mean to bring the world crashing down on you, but you also have to come up with ideas for that recuitment campaign."

"I know. I have. Right now, I'm trying to put together a town meeting." stated the menace. "The Design department is working on fliers for us to put up as we speak."

"Good to see you so on the ball."

Walking back over to the couch, Alois plopped down on top of it with his feet on the furniture. He laid back with his hands cushioning his head as he continued to look Ciel's way. "I am having a really good time today." he informed with a wide grin. "I feel like things might be turning up for me soon."

"Good! You deserve it." his beau stated. "I'm looking forward to what you get going."

"It's really exciting. I've never like, had to work back-to-back before, and now that I've dropped out, I can focus on this stuff all the time!" The menace did a little dance in his seat. "I feel like an adult, almost."

"You _are_ an adult, Jim."

"An _adultier_ adult." said Alois, prompting the other to roll his eye. The Watchdog's expression softened as the blonde continued, however.

"I have an important job that I do and enjoy, I'm a respected member of the community with a nice house and a happy marriage..." the blonde Phantomhive listed off. "If you tried to tell me I'd have all of this someday when I was a kid, I'd have slapped you for saying such ridiculous shit."

"I'm so proud of you." Ciel replied with a bright smile. His voice and his visage were both completely sincere, causing the other to have a bit of a goofy twinge to his grin as well. "I'm glad to be your trophy husband."

"Of course you do. That means you get out of socialising at parties."

"You caught me." the bluenette noted, snapping his fingers. "I really am proud, in all seriousness, though."

"I know." giggled the menace. "It means a lot."

"I love you." Ciel impulsively blurted out, much to the delight of Alois. The blonde Phantomhive appreciated it when his spouse didn't hold back his feelings. "I hope you succeed in all of your plans."

"You and me both." Alois replied. "Let's hope it turns out hat way."

"Cheers to that." the bluenette said while playfully raising his teacup. With a laugh, his beau did the same.

"Cheers."


	371. Mister Roger

At the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization, it takes all kinds. It takes soldiers and desk jockeys, to those who gather intelligence, and those who interact with supernatural beings in a more civil manner. Roger Winery was one such individual whose task was just that. As a member of the Supernatural Relations department, the man regularly made trips to Gehenna where he would do everything from gather paperwork from the Welfare Center to interacting with the police force and other offices to uncover how to improve life in the town. In fact, he was there to discuss with the police force the matter of "the Kessler Boys" before their leader was apprehended and executed and the group disbanded. When he wasn't doing this, he was in his office, where he would also meet with supernaturals who needed to deliver a complaint or who required other services like assistance in starting up a business. Perhaps he was just filing paperwork at times, but it was all important.

Today, however, Roger did none of these things. Today, he was in the medical wing receiving treatment that was covered by his employer. Taking in a sharp breath, he winced at the cold latex gloves pressing on his ribs.

"Any pain?" questioned Doctor Ackerman, the grandmother of supernatural researcher, Miranda. Doctor Ackerman used to oversee supernatural research, but has since retired from this to focus on more human matters. "Does it hurt when I apply or take away pressure?"

"No." Roger answered, not at all pleased with the predicament.

"Well, I feel no abnormalities…" the doctor continued. "Any difficulty breathing?"

"No." the man replied again. "Maybe when I run, but I was never good at that..."

"What about sensitivity or pain in the breast tissue?"

"No."

"How long do you wear your binder a day, about?" While Roger didn't appreciate the prodding, he realised that it was necessary.

"Uh… I wear it at work, and then I go home and take it off for a couple hours. Then I put it back on." informed Winery. "I don't wear it at night, though."

"Well, you're looking good, but you should really take more breaks than that." the doctor replied. "I know that's not what you want to hear. Nobody ever does."

"That's what I was afraid you'd say..." the man sighed.

"You can put it back on for now, though. And your shirt." Ackerman replied. "Then I'm going to need access to either a buttcheek, or a thigh."

"This is never not awkward..."

"For you, maybe. I'm a doctor. This doesn't phase me at all."

"I thought so." Roger said while buttoning up his shirt. He could see the doctor getting the injection ready. It didn't hurt him any, but it certainly was embarrassing, having to expose himself like this.

As expected, the procedure was over before he knew it and he was allowed to be fully clothed. Now, he always felt sick for a while after, but fortunately, the feeling was never immediate. He had to come back every week or so for another dose. It was an inconvenience, but necessary to Roger.

"Now," the doctor started up again, "I actually need you to update your medical information in the very near future if you wish to proceed. We will still do the testosterone injections, but we need everything to be up to date before anything else."

"I was wondering when that would come up. Has it been that long already?" the man asked.

"Time flies, doesn't it?" Reaching behind her, Ackerman grabbed a file that was set underneath her clipboard before pulling out a generous stack of papers. "I already have copies of everything you need to fill out."

"Sounds like a blast." After being handed the pile, the man was a bit shocked by the weight it actually possessed. Placing it in his lap, he continued to listen to what the woman had to say.

"That's all I really need from you for today. You're free to go until next time." replied the doctor. As Roger stood up, however, something did come to mind.

"Though, I'm sorry, I said you could go… I have a question for you, actually."

"What's that?"

"I was wondering if it's the Supernatural Relations Department or Human Resources that sends those packets to staffmembers if they're also supernaturals." she informed. "I don't know which one to send these papers to."

"Who needs them?" questioned Roger.

"Audrey Baines of the Intelligence Department. A grim reaper."

"Huh… I honestly don't know..."

"Oh, bother… The deadline's coming up and Baines is set to be on vacation for another month or so."

"I could just mail it to him or take it downstairs."

"He's not on the base, currently. He's staying at a friend's summer cottage." Ackerman said. "You'll have to track down the address."

"Of course..." the man sighed. "I'll get on it."

"Thank you so much. It'll be a problem if he doesn't get them in time."


	372. The Dotted Line

It was a long drive, but Roger didn't mind. He got to stop along the way here and there, get out and stretch his legs, or get something to eat as he went. The Supernatural Resources worker knew that he could make it to Daniel Westley's cabin before dark, although he would have to drive back when it was pitch black, but it was certainly better than sitting in the office all day. Instead, he got to sit in his car.

It was April, so it getting warmer. The sea breeze was cool and Roger's shoes were not suited for climbing down the cliff to his client's current place of dwelling, but somehow, he managed without slipping and breaking his neck. Still, he cursed like a proper sailor all the way there, that's for certain.

Roger was winded by the time he made it down and had to climb the few steps. Labored breaths escaped him before rushing back in as he took a moment before knocking on the door. In the few moments it took for it to be answered, Winery stood up straight and adjusted his appearance in hopes of appearing semi-presentable and professional. When Mister Baines answered the door, however, he appeared anything but.

With bedhead, pyjama pants, and a wee bit of stubble, Audrey looked like a mess. Obviously, this vacation was either going well for him, or going horribly, from what Roger could see. Oddly, the reaper looked surprised to see him.

"Hello?" Baines greeted, leaning against the door frame.

"Hello. Mister Audrey Baines?" questioned Roger in an attempt to clarify that this was indeed his target.

"That's me. What's up? H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. want me back?"

"Oh, no. I'm Roger Winery, with the Supernatural Resources department." the worker said. "I called a few days ago about coming down here to bring you your paperwork."

"What? Already? What time is it?"

"It's… about eleven past four." Roger replied, looking down at his watch.

"Oh, bugger me..."

"Excuse me?"

"Sorry, sorry… My alarm must have not gone off." Audrey informed. "Uh, come in, I suppose. Fancy a cup of tea?"

"Oh, no. I'm just here to drop these off." the other man stated while holding out the folder he had previously tucked under his arm. "Then I'll be on my way."

Pausing, Audrey turned back around to face the other man, wearing a perplexed expression. "You drive all the way here from London, just to hand me a stack a papers and leave after a couple seconds?"

There was a long moment of silence as the other man considered how silly that sounded. True, he didn't want to head back out on the road right away. It would not only be a waste, but also exhausting. Sitting down shouldn't make one tired, but driving a vehicle requires one to focus until the destination is reached. For a long drive, that qualifies as work.

"Alright." Roger conceded. "I just didn't want to intrude."

"No problem. I could use the company, anyway." Audrey replied. "The only people who've been over have been a dead body, the police, and a grim reaper."

Suddenly, Mister Winery regretted his decision, but once he was inside, Audrey actually explained the context behind this story. Roger did not realise that the half-reaper had a tendency to be a tad grim. He did prepare good tea, though. The two of them sat down at the counter and Audrey looked over the paperwork while the other switched before blowing on his drink and sipping it. The pair of them sat in silence for a while before Audrey got up and searched for a pen. When he came back, he started filling in blanks. All the while, engaging in small talk.

"So, Winery," he began, much to the surprise and dread of the other man, "Where are you from?"

"Huh? Oh, uh..." Roger stammered, trying to think of what to say.

"You don't have to answer if you don't wanna." Audrey stated. "Personally, I'm from Manchester, originally."

"Oh, I thought your accent didn't sound like a London one..."

"Neither does yours, is why I asked. It sounds close, though."

"Ah… Have I been found out?" questioned the SR worker. "I try to fake it the best I can. How did I mess up?"

"No offense, but it's a little forced."

"Well, I'm from the North. It's a little embarrassing around these posh London-types. A couple people at the office have poked fun at me for it."

"Same." the reaper sighed. "I have a couple of blokes from the gym on my ass about everything, really. The way I talk, the way I look, my race, my species… I just ignore it."

"Oh..." Roger looked down at that prospect. "I've been wanting to go to the gym, but I've been too scared to because of stuff like that..."

"Most of the soldiers are nice. You should go on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays in the afternoon." informed the other. "That's when Captain- sorry, _Major_ Harland is there. She and her people don't tolerate that sort of thing. Those guys don't stick around long once they walk in the door."

"Who's that?"

"Muscley chick, tattoos all over. She's got one that looks like angel wings that go down her arms and another that's a rook. Scar on her chin… You'll know her if you see her."

"Still not to confident about that… I've been wanting to gain some muscle, though."

"Oh, you should ask her for help. She helped me out with it, no problem." Audrey answered, perking up a bit. "She only specialises in practical muscle, though, so you won't look like a body builder or nothin'."

"I don't much care for that, meself, but I'd like to be a little bigger." Raising his brows before arching one, Winery became confused when the other smiled at that.

"Your accent slipped, mate." the reaper said with a mischievous twinge.

"Piss off."

"Don't like it? Go home."

"I'm not done with my tea." Protested Roger. "You invited me in for it."

"True."

Silence followed after that. The conversation died due to lack of anything to say, really. Neither Audrey or Roger knew of anything they had in common. In fact, Roger was starting to regret his decision to leave as well as his stubborn nature. He simply didn't want to leave because he was told to. Certainly not a good person who was suited to military work, which was why he wasn't a soldier.

Eventually, however, it was noticeable that Audrey was at a spot in the paperwork where he was struggling. Putting down his cup, the SR employee's eyes fixed on the page and tried to read it upside down. This persisted for a while until the man could not bear letting it lie any longer.

"Need help?" he casually questioned, pretending that he wasn't frustrated with the other not asking for assistance. Looking up, the reaper wore a dopey expression as the offer sank in.

"Oh. Yeah. I don't really get some of this stuff." spoke Baines, furrowing his brow as he looked back down at the paper. "Where do I write down that I'm only half human? Isn't that important information?"

"Hmmm… Yes." Standing up, Roger leaned over the table and took the page in question to examine it more thoroughly. Moving his glasses down his nose, he looked over at them while squinting. "Ah. Here. I would put it under 'medical concerns' or 'prior conditions'. More inclined on the latter, really."

"Oh… You sure they'll get it?"

"It's their job to. If they don't, someone is fired."

Audrey believed him as he spoke surely with conviction. Nodding, he filled in the blank with what he needed to inform the organization, especially their doctors, but was confused in other places as well. "What do they mean by 'preferred pronouns'?"

Now this, caused Roger to freeze in his tracks. Hesitation was a must in this situation, as Roger had to make a descision. Did he explain it and risk exposing himself? What would happen if he did? He didn't know Audrey hardly at all aside from his name, his species, his department, and the fact that he was apparently from Manchester. What Roger didn't know was important in this very moment, and that was whether Audrey was a threat to him should he speak on the matter.

The thought filled him with terror. It flooded him in an instant, locking him in place and sending his mind reeling. In a matter of seconds, he needed to make the call. Was there a risk? Was the risk worth it? Was this okay? In the end, he bit the bullet and decided to explain it as bluntly as possible with only the absolute necessary pieces of information. Perhaps the man wouldn't notice. Roger prayed that he didn't.

"That's uh… The pronouns you go by or use." he said. "Do you like to be called by "he" or "him", "her" and "she", or something else entirely. Uh… It might only concern you if you're transgender..." The man's body was tense as he braced for the worst, but thank God and all that was good for Audrey's response.

"Oh." the reaper replied. "Okay. I'll just put 'he and him', then. Is that the reason why 'sex' and 'gender' are on there twice?"

"Uh, yeah… For the purposes of the paperwork, you put down what you identify as under 'gender', and what sex you were born as under 'sex'. This way, if something happens to you, uh… Oh, I dunno... they don't give you the wrong dose of anesthesia and kill you on accident."

"Oh, yeah. That's fucked up." Once again, Audrey looked down and continued to write, finishing the page before looking up again to grab the next. In the process, however, he glanced up at the other man. He stared for a few seconds, making the other visibly uncomfortable for a moment before asking: "Are you trans?"

It would appear that Roger was not in the clear after all. In fact, this was the worst thing he could have been asked in that moment. Once again, he had a choice- one that he did not want to make. There was still not indication that Audrey wasn't a threat or danger to him, and he was out here in the middle of nowhere with him all on his own. Audrey is much stronger than Roger. The human could tell just by looking at him. He was afraid. This was not good.

 _"_ _Yes?"_ the man let out with very little confidence and a weak shrug.

"Cool." was all the reaper said in response before casually going back to filling out his papers. A rush of relief washed over poor Roger as it seemed like he was in the clear. With a heavy sigh, his body relaxed, but the action didn't go unnoticed.

"Oh, shit, sorry..." Audrey apologised, looking up again. "I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that. My bad. I don't know the right way of going about this sort of thing. I really should've by now."

"It's hard to know..." answered the other man. "Some people are loud and proud, while others aren't. I think the best thing is to just let the person tell you on their own."

"Shit, I'm sorry, man."

"It's fine. Don't worry about it." Roger insisted, although he wasn't sure how true that was, himself. "Do you know other people who are or something?"

"Well… I did meet this reaper this one time, but that was one time." Baines stated. "I'm just not surprised by this stuff anymore. I'm friends with two gay werewolves, a lesbian vampire who is married to one of them while an incubus is with the other, and then two bisexual demons who are also married. If I went mental over every different person I saw, I'd be working in the wrong place."

"I suppose so..." Winery said, sitting back down.

"Unfortunately, they're not here to set me straight." Pausing, Audrey thought about that for a moment before adding: "...Helping me not make an ass of myself, I mean."

"I know what you mean." Now it was the other's turn to stop and think. "So what are you?"

"Just a boring 'ol straight, half-white, male grim reaper."

"Got some Asian persuasion, huh?"

 _"_ _Hey."_ snapped Audrey before pausing. "You don't get to say that." Moments passed and the two stared at each other. Roger looked terrified, while Audrey looked cross. That is, until he cracked a smile.

"I'm just fuckin' with you, mate. Relax." he laughed, causing the other to roll his eyes.

"Fuck you."

"Sorry, man. I just told you I'm straight."

The two continued to talk for a few more hours, and during this time, Audrey completed his paperwork. He asked questions several times, meaning it was a damn good thing that Roger was there to help him. Winery was even kind enough to offer and take the paperwork back with him on his way back. It was dark, but he had to go back sometime. Audrey offered him to stay the night, but he declined, instead opting for a relaxing, long drive back in the dark.

He was exhausted upon returning to London, but the day wasn't terrible. There are worse ways to spend a workday, and not walking into the office was always welcome. It was all in a days work for those who work in the Supernatural Relations Department, but for Roger, it was a pleasant miniature road trip and not much else.


	373. 9 to 5

Fliers appeared on wall after wall on street after street in Gehenna, telling people about the new jobs that were being offered and the new homes that would result in it. There was even a town meeting on the subject, where Mister Lion himself came to speak of what was going to occur. Gehenna was too crowded. It was the fault of no one, but decades of people living there and having families like anywhere else. Thus, the solution on the matter was to take an abandoned facility and create a second town to house everyone who Gehenna could not support. They would gut it, using everything they could find as material along with what was provided. They need people to aid in working on the project in addition to the humans that already were. Thus, Alois offered the crowd the chance of a lifetime.

It was a structure of steel and concrete in the middle of a forest. Many people in Gehenna had never been to a forest before. This place was all they knew. Faun who had never walked on forest dirt among trees existed here. It was a sad thought, but it was a reality. Now, they had the chance to see it for themselves.

Many walked away knowing that they wouldn't be interested, either because it wasn't practical for them, they would have to leave their current job behind, or perhaps simply because Gehenna was their home, among many other possibilities. There were those who went home to mull it over and think about it before signing up, but there were others still who put their name down before leaving the church.

There were many names on that page by the time the day was done and a few more were to come. They did the same thing at Phantom House, and almost all of the residents there signed up in hopes of finding a place of their own to live. Even Wink, the captain of Scarlet Order's Prudentia signed up. When it was time for the buses to come, that place would be almost empty save for a few. Mothers who were pregnant or recently gave birth and needed to take care of young children had to stay behind for the time being.

HELLSING was pleased with the results that the blonde Phantomhive brought and continued to praise him. Alois was proud of that. He wanted to keep going, but his job for the moment was done. He would be needed again in the very near future to help rally the troops when the day to start heading off to the construction site came, but for now, he was to wait.

Despite this, he appeared to be walking on air and everyone noticed. He smiled often and there was a little more bounce in his step. His husband noticed as well and while Alois stood looking over some of the documents laying about the table, the Watchdog came up behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist.

"Hello, lovely." giggled the menace at the gesture, allowing himself to be pulled close with his back against his beau's chest.

"Hello." Ciel answered, taking a moment to kiss Alois' cheek. "How are things?"

"They're looking really good!" the blonde excitedly answered. "We have a ton of people in Gehenna signed up, then most in Phantom House, and then there's some who are said to be coming in from other countries. We do not have a people problem."

"Wow, you're really good at this." observed the Watchdog, resting his chin on his husband's shoulder and looking down at the papers as well. "I can't wait."

"Me neither, but… There might be a few times when I have to go down there for a week or so." Alois put his hands on the other's before turning his head and nuzzling the side of his husband's. "I don't know if I can handle being away from my pooh bear that often." he whined.

"That's work, I'm afraid." answered the bluenette back. "If it comes to that, I'll call you every day."

"Yeah, but what will I do about hugs and kisses?"

"Now that, I'm afraid I can't help you with, if you're not here."

"See?"

"Well, you must endure for the greater good." Ciel said. "If you can do that, you'll have my undivided attention when you get back."

"I love how seriously you're taking this..." grinned the menace, who knew this already but was playing with his spouse.

"Oh, I would never take something such as this lightly." the Watchdog replied. "After all, _I_ need attention, as well. I also feel compelled to give you my focus in turn."

"Such a good dog, you are… Knowing you, you would probably make an excuse to come to the site as well."

"This is your mission, so I will be doing my best not to interfere." Pausing, Ciel gave his spouse another kiss. "No matter how much I want to."

"You would interfere with the project?"

"Well, in the sense that I would be getting in the way by being a distraction. Much like I'm doing now, actually."

"So this was all planned?"

"No, I just like hugs, if I'm honest." the Watchdog informed. "Also, you look really good. Did you do something different?"

"Nah, not really." answered Alois, unable to contain the large smile that graced his face. "Thanks, though."

"You look great." Ciel said, placing another kiss on his husband's cheek. "I'm sure you'll look even more handsome while out in the field and leading everybody."

"Kiss ass..."

"Didn't know you were into that."

"Oh, piss off." the blonde instructed, gently patting the other's arm for him to let go. "Get back to doing your own work, why don't you? Or is me being here every day distracting to you."

"A bit, yeah, but I can manage." Letting go of his spouse, he opted to stand beside him, instead. "I guess I'll go back to my boring, businessman job and let you have all of the fun."

"You do that, love." Alois playfully answered back in response to the other's faux-lamentation. As Ciel turned to walk away, he offered him a gentle pat on the rear, causing them both to laugh.


	374. The L-Word

Annoyingly, the blaring sound of an alarm clock echoed through the small apartment, only to be struck down by a sleepy police officer. Tegwen knew that she should really get to sleep sooner, but couldn't due to the fact that she couldn't resist staying up with the vampire who currently had her arms around her waist. To the best of her ability, the police chief stretched while still held in place, only to pry her girlfriend's arms off of her so she could get up.

"Soo..." Tegwen said groggily. "I gotta get up."

"Nnnn..." All that she got in return was a groan as the vampire reluctantly released her. Kyung-Soon pulled the blankets up past her shoulder while the police chief swung her legs over the side of the bed.

Tegwen stood, sticking her hand up her shirt to scratch her stomach as she clumsily shuffled toward the bathroom, her body still waking up. She sighed and blinked rapidly in hopes of waking herself up, but the shower did he trick for her. From there, she wrapped a towel around herself after realising she forgot essential things like underwear on her way in. Her uniform, however, was waiting for her as it hung on the wall in the bathroom.

She brushed her hair before clipping it back while the other woman braided it for her after deciding to wake up after all. Then, there was the matter of breakfast, where the two sat on the sofa and ate since there was no dining area. One of them actually had to fix a meal, while the other simply cut the end off of a blood bag and sipped on it like a juice pouch. After she was finished, Kyung-Soon went back into the bathroom while the other made sure she had everything in order.

"I'm off." Tegwen finally announced while heading to the door.

With her hand on the handle, the vampire came rushing out of the bathroom to see her off, putting her arms around the elf's neck and kissing her cheek. Kyung-Soon was wearing black lipstick now, and hoped that the officer wouldn't notice the mark she left until arriving at work. It was her favourite prank to pull on the other, so much that she bought lipstick that didn't stay on specifically for this purpose.

"Happy birthday." she said. "Have a good day."

"You too." Tegwen grinned. "You're coming to the Wolf's Glen tonight, aren't you?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." replied the vampire. "I'll be waiting."

After a few sweet words, the police chief was off, still oblivious of the black marks on her skin. She would be, eventually, and the thought amused her lover. Kyung-Soon snickered as she shut the door before contemplating how she was going to go about her day.

Despite her usual routine of going out and exploring of going to Girasol's headquarters after sleeping in, Kyung-Soon got dressed and replaced her cheap lipstick with something proper before leaving the apartment, herself. She locked up, putting the key in her pocket before going off to fulfill a laundry list of tasks she needed to complete before it was time to head over to the Wolf's Glen. She had to stop by coven headquarters and the sewing shop, but would be stopping by the shop first, as there was something she needed taken care of, there.

In a paper bag she carried, she had a dress that was missing a button and some shade gel with the lid tightly screwed on in case what she was wearing ran out. How else was a vampire like her to survive out in the sun? It was expensive, but worth it, as she was able to wake at the same time as Tegwen because of it. It was how she was able to walk to _Andrea's_ in search of a button, a needle, and thread.

She always liked this store. It felt like something out in London. A proper store, with all of the fixings, but geared for supernaturals. It was obvious that the man who owned the place had money. He was like a prince among beasts, despite being a beast himself. If there was a person to try and swipe something from, it was him, but no one would touch him, not even covens. Not with his connections. He knew people who gave the nastiest vampires in London nightmares. He was a nice man, though. Kyung-Soon liked him. He would always help with exactly what you needed, even if you didn't know what it was, yourself.

Bells jingled as she opened the door to the shop, smiling a bit as the sound of pop music softly hit her ears. Behind the desk was Prince Werewolf himself, Kristopherson Miles, looking up as the sound caught his attention. With a smile, he politely greeted her.

"Hello, Miss Park." he said. "Anything in particular today?"

"Hey, Miles. Just looking for a button and something to sew it on with."

"Well, I'm sure we'll be able to help you with that. Shout if you need me."

"Will do." answered the vampire, stepping over to one of the many shelves that had many kinds of buttons on it.

Reaching into her bag, she pulled out the dress a little ways in order to see one of the originals as a point of reference. It was actually a bit tough, since the place always had quite a few people shopping at once. It was popular. Everyone loved being able to have a place a few blocks away, where they could get things to repair and sew clothes. The shop could almost stand to be bigger. Regardless, she got her buttons and went toward the thread, but stopped along the way as a strange little fellow caught her eye. With her eyes fixed on it, she stepped closer to the check-out where the owner was seated, before turning to him in hopes of an explanation.

"What's that?" she asked.

"That little guy? I don't have a name for him, yet." Kristopherson answered, arms crossed with a bit of a proud look on his face. "It's a stuffed animal. A werewolf. I figured it might be nice for the kids to have dolls that are of supernaturals like them. I'm working on others. I finally got patterns for that one on the shelves, though. What do you think?"

"I think I'm gonna need more than the button and thread." stated the vampire.

After a few more purchases, there was quite a bit more in her bag than she originally intended, but fortunately, the wolfman was kind enough to sew the button on for her and teach her how to properly instead of leaving her to try on her own. It saved her some time, too, or else she would be rushing to get to the party. She was already rushing to make it to a point to reapply her shade gel. Fortunately, she had a hood she could pull up in the meantime. She would have to fix this while at Girasol headquarters.

Most people were asleep, but she didn't have to worry about waking anybody. Once these folks were out, they were out for a while, even the big boss man himself. It was tough on Kyung-Soon at times, as she had to be awake at night for meetings, but also awake for the chief of polices as well. Baldassare was all about the new town, lately, meaning that the generals had to be as well. He thought it was a good thing. Some were apprehensive, but the majority was that there needed to be more spaces for supernaturals to reside. Girasol needed to organise its support like all other key figures of the community.

But that is not what Miss Park was there for at that moment. No, she had stored some things here so that Tegwen would not find them. Making her way through the expansive abandoned building, she came across her hiding spot and pulled out a lockbox, followed by some keys from her pocket. From it came two CDs, a pair of headphones, and a portable player. She was honestly surprised that people still sold players like this, but was thankful. As for the CDs, she got recommendations from Kristopherson down at _Andrea's_ , as Tegwen said she liked the songs he played there quite a bit. Really, she hoped that the other woman would approve, despite saying that it was alright not to get her anything at all.

Before heading out again to get everything else ready, she put the items in her bag, wrapping them in the fabric she purchased as they were precious cargo. Then, she lit a cigarette, as she couldn't smoke back in the apartment. The smoke made Tegwen sneeze. The smell, however, did attract some attention.

"What are you doing here?" called a familiar voice, causing the woman to sigh.

"Hello, Shaun." she greeted, although without joy. She turned to face the fangless vampire. "I was just about to leave. I needed to get a few things I kept here."

"Why? So you can haul them off to the chief of police's flat?"

"Well, yeah. They're for her birthday."

"Ooh~! Her birthday, is it? Wha'd you get her? A kiss on the bum?"

"Eat shit." Kyung-Soon instructed, heading toward the doorway before looking back at her fellow general from over her shoulder. "Oh, wait, you don't have enough teeth for that."

"Shut the fuck up, you stupid lezzie. Go fuck some copper, why don't you?" barked the man, earning a scoff.

"Don't be ridiculous, Shaun." spoke Miss Park. "She has to get off work, first."

She rolled her eyes, leaving the dimwitted man to fume over this and that. He hated that she was dating Tegwen for reasons that Kyung-Soon could only imagine, although there was no way that she could possibly conjure every possibility on her own. She never liked Shaun. Their proximity was due solely to their profession, although she grew more wary of him with each time she saw him. She was glad to leave that place as she headed back home once again to wrap the gifts and kill time before getting ready.

She did open that pattern that she had purchased as well just to look at it, but ended up actually trying to fabricate the pieces that she would sew together. In truth, the vampire wasn't sure why she bought this, but "because she wanted it" was good enough reason in her mind. By the time she looked up, however, the sun was setting and she scrambled to check a clock to check the time.

"Oh, shit!" she hissed before stumbling to her feet and getting her things together. Quickly, she got dressed and touched up her appearance, making sure that she would look nice among a sea of people in uniform.

The door flung open and she hastily locked it before doing her best to swiftly descend the stairway. Once she made it out of the apartment building, she ran to the best of her ability to the Wolf's Glen, despite her unfortunate choice in footwear. As he luck would have it, the choice to wear shoes with a heel on them would prove to be a mistake as with a yelp, she fell flat on her face on the sidewalk, scraping her knees in the process. The bag that she carried Tegwen's gifts hit the concrete hard, causing her to have a mini-fit of panic as she groped the items through the paper they were wrapped in to make sure that there was no damage. She wanted to feel relieved that she didn't feel anything, but that didn't mean much, as there was no guarantee that they were as pristine as they were before the fall.

"Fuuuuuccckkkk..." she spat as she tried to get up, only to observe that the heel of her shoe had broken off. There was no time to go back and change. She was late enough at it is, so she made her choice. Kyung-Soon simply removed her shoes and went barefoot. It wasn't all bad, as she was much faster this way.

Even though she was barefoot with scuffed up knees that were scabbed over and in the process of healing, before walking through the intricately carved wooden door, she made and attempt to straighten her appearance. She dusted her skirt, moved her hair out of her face, and tried her best to appear somewhat presentable. With a deep breath, she gripped the handle and pushed the mighty door open before witnessing a sea of police officers.

Standing on her toes, she tried to look over heads for her girlfriend, only to see her chatting with a bunch of other officers. Of course the general was intimidated. She was an outsider to this world and it was difficult to navigate. She felt like all eyes were on her, as she was one of a handful of people without a police uniform, including the birthday girl's older sister, who was not at all subtle in her disapproval of Kyung-Soon. That was something the Sybil sisters had in common, however; a lack of subtlety.

"Soo!" called out Tegwen, waving a hand in the air. "Over here!"

Now attention was definitely on Kyung-Soon as she made her way over to Tegwen as the elf sat at a table with a few police officers and her sister. Without hesitation, Tegwen stood and pecked the woman on the lips before wiping her own mouth with a napkin.

"You didn't leave anything on there this time, did you?"

"Ah-ha, so you noticed!" the vampire said as she sat down in the chair next to her girlfriend, which had been previously reserved. "No, I changed lipsticks. There's nothing on you."

"Good. I got a couple of laughs when I walked into work this morning."

"It was hilarious." piped up fellow officer Akira Fujimoto. "She had no idea. You should have seen her face when we finally told her..."

"I had been there for a whole half-hour!"

"Works like a charm every time." giggled Kyung-Soon.

"That's just mean..." complained the elf.

"Well, you know what's not mean?" her girlfriend answered in inquiry, placing the paper bag she was carrying on the table.

"Kyung-Soon, you really shouldn't have."

"Too late. I already did." she said, handing the other woman a wrapped package. "I'm not sure about the condition they're in. I fell on the way over here, and the bag smacked the ground pretty hard."

"Are you barefoot?!" asked Tegwen, looking under the table in search of any sign of injury, only to notice that the vampire wasn't wearing any shoes.

"My shoes, unfortunately, didn't make it." Miss Park solemnly stated. "They're in the bag too. The heel came off."

"Eh, I'm sure a bit of glue will fix it." spoke Fujimoto, peeking into the bag. "So, Tegs, whad'ya get?"

The question reminded the police chief about the gifts, as she was too busy thinking about the state of her girlfriend's feet. With eyes now on her, she opened the first present, finding two CDs wrapped together. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and not much else mattered.

"More CDs!" the elf excitedly declared, putting an arm around her girlfriend. "Thanks, babe!"

"Tegan and Sara. According to the owner of the sewing shop, you can't officially be a lesbian without having at least one of their albums." Kyung-Soon answered, leaning into the other. "That's not everything, though, open the other one."

"A portable CD player?! How much did this cost?!"

"Not a lot, actually. I was honestly surprised they still make them."

"I'm going to use it everyday."

"Just don't let it get in the way of work, Tegwen." spoke her sister, Forsetti Sybil, to remind the younger woman of her responsibilities. "The police chief has work to do, especially now, with that new town being a thing."

"Oh, yeah… We have to be there to help load the buses when they start coming in." chimed in Akira. "Guess it's for office-use only, then."

"Still pretty sweet, though." Tegwen said, setting the device down and putting her arms around Kyung-Soon, practically squishing her. "You're the best." she continued, kissing the other woman's cheek once more.

"I know." the other answered, preluding an evening of chatter and merriment.

The party went on. There was dancing and singing, even from Tegwen herself. When she danced with Kyung-Soon, she had the other woman stand on her feet, as to avoid getting stepped on by mistake. It was worth scraping up her knees and breaking her shoes, almost, as Kyung-Soon could only dance with Tegwen in close proximity.

Tegwen, as cliché as it was to say, wasn't like other girls. At the very least, not like the ones Kyung-Soon had dated previously. She wasn't the rough sort that would go off and do something to get themselves killed within a few months. Ironically, Tegwen was as straight as an arrow in regards to her demeanor. She treated her well and was considerate, yet could make her laugh. She even trusted the vampire to get close to her neck when she rested her head on her shoulder. Kyung-Soon could even kiss there, and Tegwen would think nothing of it. She just made Kyung-Soon happy, and dancing with her made her feel like nothing else in the world mattered. The vampire didn't want to let go of her, even when the song ended, and Tegwen felt the same way. In truth, the two of them almost couldn't wait for the party to be over so they could go home and spend some time with only them together.

When it was time, people started leaving, saying their goodbyes before going home. Some stumbled out, as they had a bit too much to drink, but all was peaceful. Before long, Tegwen and Kyung-Soon made their excuses and left themselves, but they had just one last problem to address.

"Okay, hop on." Tegwen instructed, crouching down and gesturing for the other to get on her back.

"What? Why?" laughed the other, amused by her girlfriend's silliness, and amazed that the other woman was keeping a straight face.

"You don't have any shoes on. I'll carry you."

"Sure you can? It's a few blocks away."

"Positive." answered the elf as she looked over her shoulder with a somewhat cocky smile. Without another word, her girlfriend did as instructed, and Tegwen lifted them both up with her legs, only to stumble a bit as she tried to get balanced.

"Nice." the vampire stated as the two took off. She held the bag full of the other's presents while her arms wrapped around Tegwen's neck. "I didn't know you were this strong."

"Guess I'm just full of surprises."

"You are. Don't drop me, though." Kyung-Soon warned before blowing gently into the other woman's ear. She laughed as poor Tegwen almost lost her footing at the surprise.

"That's just mean..." grumbled the police chief, blushing as she was poked fun at. Unfortunately, this was always Kyung-Soon's favourite past-time.

"Oh, you know I love you." the other stated, opening her mouth to add something else, but stopping cold in her tracks as she caught what she had just said. Her pale face flushed scarlet once it sunk in, contrasting starkly with the grin that graced the face of her girlfriend.

As of this moment, neither of them had used the "l-word". In fact, Kyung-Soon wasn't sure if she could remember the last time she had, if ever. Yet, it slipped out so casually right then as if it were nothing.

"Oh~! So you do, huh~?" the police chief teased while looking over her shoulder.

"Shut the fuck up!" Kyung-Soon barked back. "Yeah, so what if I do, huh? You got a problem?!"

"Nope." bluntly replied Tegwen. "In fact, I think I might love you, too."

Her grin only widened as her girlfriend bashfully pressed her forehead to the back of her head and groaned. As much as the vampire didn't like it, Tegwen could feel her heart racing, but the same could be said for the elf as well. The two walked for a while in giddy silence, unsure of what else to say. What could they? Everything was surely there already. True to her nature, however, a thought did cross Tegwen's mind and she was perhaps the only one bold enough to openly express it.

"Soo-Soo," she began, "Hey, Soo-Soo?"

"What?"

"I wanna kiss you. I dunno if I can wait until we get home."

A moment of quiet passed before Kyung-Soon replied. Sighing, she said: "Put me down somewhere then."


	375. Room For Plenty

"Please keep in a single-file line!" loudly spoke the police chief while making a wide gesture to a particular line. "Buses one and two are full. Please get in a different line."

"Families must sit together. Please give them room!" added another. "No children who are under fourteen in human years are allowed on this trip."

Busses lined the main street in Gehenna as people flocked to board them and go to what will eventually become a "new Gehenna". Police and HELLSING operatives alike did their best to make sure that everything ran smoothly and that everyone who was able and signed up had everything they needed. Many were overwhelmed by the smell of diesel that radiated from the large vehicles, and were surprised at the heat that they could generate. Many of the people here had never even boarded the bus before. Many more had never left Gehenna before. Yet, here they were on what they would be right in calling the adventure of a lifetime.

There was excitement and there was a touch of fear in the mix. Fortunately, the crowd was very well-behaved and there wasn't any need for HELLSING soldiers other than to help direct the flow of traffic. There were guards on the buses, mostly for the protection of the supernaturals on board. They were not permitted to sit for the two hour journey that they would be enduring, although they could lean on walls. Those seats were precious and needed to be saved for passengers. Even Roger Winery, a representative from Supernatural Relations, had to stand despite the pain in his feet. He would endure, however.

Following behind the buses was a pitch black Mercedes Benz with tinted windows, carrying a trio of demons. Yes, even Sebastian tagged along, free due to the fact that Luka had school. He had arranged for Kristopherson to pick the boy up from school so that he was free to aide his masters in production wherever he could. They would probably stay in a hotel for the night, despite everyone else assembling campsites. Alois objected to not staying with them, but the Watchdog was having none of it. Still, with their combined strength, they would prove to be a very useful asset to the cause, no doubt.

People couldn't fall asleep over the two hour journey, although they grew more restless by the minute. They crowded the tinted windows, staring out in awe as the scenery rode past, showing a world that they had never seen before. There were open fields with animals roaming them. People were excited, pointing fingers and gasping with delight at the many sights that were available outside of the city of London. There were trees and lots of them. There was a whole forest that they had to drive through, astonishing a good portion of Gehennians, as few of them had seen so much green in their lives.

Their excitement grew as they drew closer, passing through a massive metal fence and reaching what appeared to be industrial ruins hidden away in woods. This was the city that they were going to rebuild. There was equipment and materials scattered here and there as well as human workers putting things together and clearing out more before arranging the clutter in piles. This facility was practically a town on its own, made of large warehouses, office buildings, and massive structures that housed heavy machinery. Yet, this concrete city begun going back to nature, with cracks in the roads and dirt replacing concrete. Greenery took over as plants crawled up walls and grew wherever they saw fit. At last, the buses stopped and the doors opened, prompting those aboard to step out. They were greeted by HELLSING operatives, who had instructions for them.

"That area over there is the camp that you will be staying at until proper housing is completed." the officer said, holding a megaphone to their lips. "The sooner they're built, the sooner you can upgrade. That said, there are a few rules you must follow while here."

For the most part, everything was the same in terms of conditions. The laws were the same. The safety precautions were a tad different, but nothing that was a hassle. It was a very long lecture that didn't present much new information to anyone, but was necessary just in case.

After that, people broke off into what tasks they would like to take on. Some went straight to piecing things together, while others joined the human workers in the construction that they were undertaking. More still went to joining the humans in taking things apart and hauling them out before organizing them. The goal was to start in one building before going to the next. This particular building was an old office building, but was going to be refurbished and remade into housing. The rest of the supernaturals went to making sure camp was inhabitable and ship-shape, occasionally borrowing items from the scrap pile temporarily.

That's what most of the teenagers were doing. They and a few adults were cooperating to make sure that everyone was comfortable while staying here, unpacking what they had with them and organizing the area so it was habitable. In truth, there were a few living quarters already finished, but there was going to be a serious problem in designating who got them first. Officials running the operation would have to reach a consensus as to who received priority.

This is actually why the demons were working on the camp instead of the "real" work, actually. They figured that the priority should be placed on families with children, but it was hard being so choosey over the matter. It was tough to look at those faces and choose which would sleep outside or not. Thus, they did their best to make this camp organized and comfortable, helping start a fire for warmth as Sebastian got started preparing as many meals as possible.

Halfway through the day, everyone took a break for food, and that's where the real work actually began. Serving was not a task that Sebastian was given. Instead, he was instructed by his master to continue work where it was left off, going inside to work his diabolical magic.

"Hey, Sir Phantomhive!" called out one of the soldiers, interrupting the duo as they sat around and ate with the others. Once they both turned their heads to look the HELLSING operative's way, they continued. "What is your butler doing, running in and out of the buildings?"

"Working." bluntly answered the Watchdog. "Trust me, you'll be glad he did."

"What's he up to?" asked one of the supernaturals seated near them, a sorcerer, by the looks of him.

"Probably finishing up the building, if lunch goes a bit long." chimed in the menace. "Man can rebuild an entire manor house from a pile of charred rubble in a matter of hours."

There was shocked murmuring all around at the claim. It seemed impossible, but these people knew "impossible" better than anyone. If such magic exists, that was brilliant news.

"If he can do that, then why are we here?" questioned one.

"Good question." Ciel observed. "He isn't familiar with all of the plans, for starters, and it is best for this place to be built to the specifications of those who will be living here, yes?"

There were a couple utterance of agreement along with nodding and shrugging at that. It made sense, although work wasn't the most fun of activities. Many of them simply wanted to explore, despite being explicitly instructed not to for their own safety. Some were just content to write down what they saw in journals, documenting it for their friends and families back home.

Eventually, Sebastian could be seen chatting with a few workers, only to have a look of horror wash over their faces before rushing into the building. Without missing a beat, the butler turned toward the camp and started walking their way with a wide grin. He seemed rather pleased with himself, and the other demons knew why. Setting down his plate, Ciel stood up to meet him halfway.

"I take it you're done?" the Phantomhive asked, prompting the butler to straighten up. All the while, however, he still wore a smug expression.

"Yes, sir. The construction workers didn't seem too thrilled, however." explained Sebastian with a small bow.

"Well, you've thrown their schedule for a loop, is why." Ciel replied. "I wouldn't worry about it. They'll just have to decide if they want to shut it down for the day or not. There's still more projects to start."

"If I had instructions, I could get started on them myself, sir."

"Nah, let them have their jobs. They get paid by the day."

"As you wish, sir."

"Can we have a look?" inquired the menace, appearing from behind the Watchdog while gesturing to the building.

"By all means." the butler replied. "Go on in."

There was a bounce in Alois' step as he made his way to the building. Right away, he had his breath taken from him as his eyes wandered the inside. It was so clean. Pristine, even, without a single crack in the floor or a speck of dirt. The stairs were in full repair, as were the floors, walls, and ceiling. Proper modifications had been made to change these offices into living space according to plan. Some apartments were going to be a tighter fit than others, but it would suit some. The wiring was hooked up and so was the water, just waiting to be turned on. Now, it was sparsely furnished, with only what was explicitly in the blueprints there. Still, it was more than a start.

It had hardly been half a day, and the first building, which was supposed to take a few weeks at the very least to finish, was complete. All that had to be done now was assigning rooms and setting up a system of management, really. In this building alone, they could house approximately half of the people they had brought, but to be fair, they would most likely house them all, as several families living in one house was not uncommon in Gehenna.

"It might be another day before we get the room situation sorted out." Ciel said while the duo looked around, earning a knowing nod from his spouse.

"Well, we'll leave that to those in charge of that, I suppose." Alois answered. "We'll send them our notes and observations, and then they'll take it from there. Job well done." Holding out his hand, the pair playfully shook like good coworkers. That is until Alois tugged on his spouses arm and pulled him close enough for a peck on the cheek. He then locked arms, a gesture that was not rejected by the Watchdog as the bluenette put his free hand on the other's.

"This could really work." grinned the one-eyed Phantomhive. "I mean, I knew it would, but actually seeing it is something else..."

"I know what you mean..." stated the menace, resting his head on Ciel's shoulder. "We should go see if someone has a plan for what we're going to do next, yeah?"

"Lead the way."


	376. Getting Your Hands Dirty

Work was called off for the rest of the day instead of moving onto the next building right away. So, now everyone was readily preparing their temporary lodgings, as rooms hadn't been assigned in the new buildings just yet. Once they were habitable, people went right to being merry as they let out their excitement over this new adventure. Many shared their speculations about what was going to happen next, and occasionally, the duo was able to set things straight with the information they had. For the most part, however, there was singing and dancing with a little bit of drink around the fire. A beat was struck on boxes and someone brought a guitar that had been fashioned in Gehenna.

All Ciel could do ways roll his eye with a bit of a grin as they sung a folk song that had persisted about him for ages. In it, he drags away naughty children and criminals into a fog, never to be seen again. It was a warning to kids so they wouldn't act bad, but now that the man was harmlessly sitting alongside them, parents will have to come up with a different strategy. The reason why they chose this song in particular was simply to mess with him and he did get a chuckle out of it, making it all in good fun.

He even danced with his spouse in a merry fashion. The two of them spun and twirled, with the Watchdog only occasionally stepping on Alois' foot. They were offered drinks as well from the others, and while Ciel turned his down, Alois did accept some tea. It was supposedly a healthy blend made by the witches, so he trusted it more than booze. Perhaps, however, alcohol would have been the better choice, given that the blonde started to feel odd very quickly after.

With each sip, it grew worse and worse, but his concern lessened. The blonde stumbled when he tried to stand up and laughed for a somewhat inappropriate amount of time as he fell on his rear. It was a cause of concern for Ciel, as this was very unlikely to happen. It wasn't supposed to, at the very least. While other onlookers were amused by the lion's stumbling and slurred speech, declaring that all he drank was just simple tea, the Watchdog grabbed him from under his arms and tried to hoist him up as the menace remained unhelpful. Once he had the blonde up in a seated position, Ciel picked up his cup and sniffed the contents, recognizing a familiar scent.

"Is there rosemary in this?" He asked of the witch who dispensed the drink, only to receive a nod.

"Of course." she answered. "It's rosemary tea?"

"That explains it." sighed the Watchdog setting the cup down. Turning to his spouse, he placed his hands on his hips before shooting the other man a look.

"Come on, dear. Let's get you to the hotel." he said, causing the blonde to pout.

"I don't want to go yet." Alois stated, his tongue not quite cooperating with him. "I want to stay and dance, some!"

"You won't be able to dance in the state you're in, so I'm afraid it's a fruitless effort."

"Nuh-uh!" insisted the lion. In protest, he tried to stand up but fell forward. He managed to put his hands out in front of him and grab onto Ciel's shoulders while the other man caught what wasn't steady. Pausing, Alois looked up and poked his husband's nose with his own. "See? I'm fine."

"You most certainly are not." replied the Watchdog, finding no humour in the situation. "You've ingested quite a bit of rosemary. We need to get you out of here before something weird happens. If you won't go willingly, I'll carry you."

"Oh, come on, it's not that bad." giggled the menace with a goofy grin. "In fact, this feels pretty good. I don't see what's the big deal. Have some fun!" With that, he startled Ciel by bringing his hands down and groping at his chest. He leaned in to kiss the other's lips, only for the blue Phantomhive to dodge his advances and grab him around the waist before hoisting him up over his shoulder.

"This is why." Ciel said, pausing to wave at amused onlookers. "Come on, Jim. We're leaving."

"You're no fun at all!" childishly protested the menace, but ultimately surrendering and allowing himself to dangle. Looking down while he was carried away, he realised that he could see more than just the other's back. Moving his arm, he was able to get a handful of poor Ciel's buttocks, causing the man to jump, and he smiled at his findings. "Nice."

"Please stop." scolded the Watchdog. "We're in public, Jim."

"Fine~" Alois whined, letting go. With that, he allowed himself to be carried off toward the car as Ciel spotted their butler and instructed him to meet them there.

Sebastian opened the door for his master, allowing him to set the menace inside as gently as the stubborn blonde would allow before starting the vehicle. Ciel did his best, buckling Alois into his seat, but the blonde was irritable at both being taken from the party prematurely and from hitting his head on the way in the car, but the latter was his own doing.

He mumbled incoherently with occasional glimpses of what looked like sobriety, but was not in the slightest. All he could do was lean with his head resting on the other's shoulder and sulk, displeased, but pleased at the same time, as he would occasionally laugh at seemingly nothing. There was an odd pressure or lack thereof on his head that made him giddy. His senses were warped, he noticed, but he liked it. He wasn't concerned at all as to whether or not it was normal. Alois just wanted to have fun. Their fingers intertwined as Ciel rejected his many attempts to kiss. It was a long car ride to their lodgings especially with time moving oddly for Alois. When they got there, Sebastian turned off the car and secured their reservations while the bluenette made his attempt to wake his love.

Clumsily they walked to their room after being given a key. It was right next to Sebastian's room and the walls were thin. It wasn't the nicest establishment and certainly would not have been suitable for the posh Watchdog if it hadn't been the only place around for miles. It's paint was old and its décor made Ciel feel as though he were still in the 70's, but it was a roof over their head and the staff promised that there were no diseases hidden inside.

After sitting Alois down on the bed, the bluenette instructed him to stay put while he brought in the bags. One of them contained a change of sheets and pillows for them to use for the night, as Ciel didn't quite trust the ones that came with the room. He had heard ghastly rumours about what goes on in hotels such as these, as though the ones that he chooses are any better in actuality. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling and had to fix it.

His spouse agreed to behave and he left only to come back with everything his arms could carry. The weight was no issue, but balancing it all was slightly difficult. When he came back, however, he ran into a bit of a dilemma. It wasn't the fact that his hands were full and he had to put things down to unlock the door, it was that when he went inside, he found his spouse laying back on the bed, legs partially spread as he stared up at the ceiling. The moment the blonde heard him return, he sat up and smiled. Then, he got up and stumbled the Watchdog's way.

"Jim, wait, my hands are full..." Ciel tried to reason, but the menace still tackled him anyway, causing the two of them and their luggage to come crashing down. The Watchdog landed with a grunt, instinctively wrapping his arms around his beau as the pair laid there on the carpet. Nuzzling the bluenette, Alois demanded his focus and was determined to commandeer it.

"We're not in public anymore." Alois pointed out. "We can do whatever now."

"Well, not, we can't. First, I need to get the bed ready." the bluenette stated. "Then I will give you all the attention your little heart desires."

"I want you to pay attention to me now, though."

"Patience, my love. You will have me soon enough." Sitting up, the bluenette got to his feet, moving the menace to the side where he continued to sit. The Watchdog got started on stripping the bed and replacing the essentials, all the while his beau folded his arms and pouted.

Alois laid down on the floor as some sort of protest as he watched the other with an exaggerated scowl. He was trying his very best to be mad, but the euphoria he was feeling was making it difficult. The man craved close contact. He ached for it. To be denied was irritating as it felt as though he was being denied something he needed. When the other was done, he placed his hands on his hips and turned to face the blonde, stopping in his tracks momentarily as he wasn't expecting to see the blonde with that expression.

"Having fun?" he asked, only for the other to shake his head.

"Nope."

"I'm finished making the bed, if you want to lay down on it."

"What if I don't wanna?"

"Don't you?"

"Well..." slurred the blonde. "Maybe for a little bit."

With a roll of his eye, the bluenette bent over and surprised Alois by picking hip up once more. This time, he carried him bridal style, completely ruining the lion's plans of feigning anger at him by making him giggle with delight. The sound was infectious, as it caused Ciel to smile as well. Delicately, the blue Phantomhive set the other down, making sure he was comfortable before laying him down himself.

"We probably should have changed first." offered the Watchdog.

"Too late. I want to cuddle now. You promised." Alois reminded.

"I thought you weren't sure?"

"I changed my mind." he said, scooting closer while putting an arm around the other. "I want to." Chuckling, his husband obliged, doing the same. Softly, he pressed a kiss to Alois' forehead, causing the blonde to blink and giggle.

"What's so funny?" questioned the Watchdog with a smile.

"You. You're just so gentle. I really like it."

"I'm glad to hear that. I like it too."

"It would be easier just to let me do whatever, but you can't do that, can you?"

"No. I can't."

"You put up with my whining and then let me cuddle."

"That's what I do."

"You're the best." Alois stated, nuzzling his face against the other's neck. "I feel safe with you. I matter."

"You matter with or without me, but I'm happy I make you feel that way."

"Mm-hm..." hummed the menace, closing his eyes with contentment as he hugged his beau and sapped up his body heat. He was enjoying the way he was being held and the hand running through his hair immensely. Sleepiness crept in and his body grew heavier, but he didn't want to surrender the ability to consciously enjoy this just yet. Taking a sharp, deep, breath, he opened his eyes and blinked as he tried to stay awake.

"If you want to sleep, go to sleep." softly spoke Ciel, hardly above a whisper.

"I don't wanna..."

"Yet you can barely keep your eyes open..."

"I want to keep looking at your pretty face." Alois declared. "Pretty eyes, long eyelashes, a cute nose, sexy jawline, and kissable lips… In fact, I wanna kiss you, too."

"As long as that's all you wish for."

"Well, I'm a little horny, but I know you'll say 'no'."

"You are correct in that assumption."

"Nailed it." the menace said. "See? So considerate and shit. I could be stark naked and waiting for you, and you'd still refuse me, since I'm high as fuck."

"I will admit, you're impressively lucid." Ciel pointed out. "I assume that's because while you drank tea, I was hit with a bomb. Not as concentrated."

"I'm going to pretend to understand your nerd words at the moment."

"Thank you for trying."

"No problem, guv." Once again, Alois' eyes fell shut. He hummed with a sleepy smile as his beau pulled him closer and kissed his head.

Sighing, he added: "Ugh, it's no good, I'm gonna pass out..."

"We should get changed before you do that." suggested the other Phantomhive. As he tried to let go in order to fetch them fresh clothes, Alois clung to him with impressive strength for a man who was on the border of dreaming and being awake. Ciel was careful as he pried the blonde's hands off of his shirt before getting up. He swapped clothing with impressive speed, the menace's eye opening slightly at the sound of Ciel's belt buckle being unfastened. Then, it was Alois' turn.

"You're going to have to strip." Ciel instructed, earning a abrupt laugh that sounded like a bark.

"I don't think I'm coordinated for that."

"I don't want to take your clothes off for you." the bluenette stated, placing his hands on his hips.

"Why's that?" Alois asked.

"It feels unethical."

"How? You don't plan on looking at me junk, do ya?" A teasing grin half-heartedly appeared on Alois' face, discouraged both by the rosemary and by the blonde's sleepiness.

"Well, no. It just feels dirty..."

"I can see that… There's only one time you take my clothes off for me, after all." With a loud grunt, the blonde extended his arms out and stretched every muscle he could before pulling his arms into his shirt.

From there, he removed the article of clothing while still laying down, messing up his hair and haphazardly tossing it aside on the floor for Ciel to bend down and pick up without looking. There was struggling as the pants came next. He couldn't maneuver himself enough to free himself, leaving his pants bunched up at his knees. Without being asked, the Watchdog grabbed a pant leg in each hand and pulled, taking off the pants and draping them over his arm before removing the man's socks while he was there.

"Thanks, poochie..." spoke the menace, summoning his energy by sucking in some air. He scrunched his face for a second or so before releasing his breath, scratching his neck. With that, he reached his hands down and hooked the hem of his briefs before tugging on them. Meanwhile, Ciel had put away the dirty clothes in a plastic bag to be washed when they get home, and placing some clean, sleeping clothes on the bed next to the menace. Even though he was helpful as can be, that did not save him from the briefs that struck him in the face.

"Bulls-eye." giggled Alois, finally sitting up in the bed despite being nude.

"Here I am, being nice to you, and this is how you repay me?" playfully questioned the bluenette. "Underpants to the face?"

"Some guys are into that sort of thing." spoke the menace, grabbing the shirt that had been provided.

"I'm not so deprived and depraved that I would stoop to collecting underwear, Jim."

"I love you too, muffin." grinned the blonde Phantomhive and with that, Ciel gave up before crawling into bed with his freshly clothed spouse. The pair of them drew each other close and the Watchdog looked into Alois' eyes, only to see that they still weren't quite focused.

"You should go to sleep now."Ciel said. "We have to go back to work tomorrow."

"Fine… I want kisses first, though. I don't mean on my face, either. I want a real one."

"Those kisses are 'real'. They're just not on your lips."

"You know what I meant." Alois huffed, only to relax as his husband pressed their lips together. It was then that the blonde's eyes fluttered shut for the final time that night, even after the other pulled away. His breathing grew softer each time her drew air in and Ciel could feel him go limp. Poor Alois was asleep, leaving his husband awake on his lonesome with nothing to do but watch him. Gently, Ciel pulled the blanket up to cover Alois better and placed a kiss to the man's forehead.

"Goodnight, darling." whispered the Watchdog, getting comfortable where he was. It wasn't long after that he joined the other in sleep, dreaming of nothing in particular.


	377. Recovery Is Easy For Some

Light peeked through the blinds, dully illuminating the hotel room in which the Phantomhives resided in. It was quiet as the awake demon within it tiptoed and tried to make as little noise as possible while his husband still slept peacefully. During this time, Ciel got cleaned up and dressed before waiting on the menace to either wake up on his own, or by his hand once they had no more time to spare and needed to leave. The Watchdog checked and answered messages and e-mails on his phone while waiting, then moving on to checking his usual news websites. After while, the menace finally stirred, drawing his attention, but it was a while longer before he opened his eyes.

Taking in a sharp, deep, breath, Alois scrunched up his face for a moment before rubbing his eyes. With a grunt, wriggled as his body continued to wake up, finally opening eyes after he couldn't feel his spouse next to him. With that realization, he forced himself into a seated position with his blankets pushed down in to his lap.

"Good morning." Ciel greeted, standing up from his seat while his husband stretched.

"Mornin'." answered the other, surprised at how rested he was. Reaching up, he wiped some drool from the corner of his mouth, only to look back at his pillow to find a large puddle of spit in the fabric. Returning his gaze to his spouse, he was handed a plastic cup.

"Water?"

With a sleepy sigh, the other took him up on his offer. "Ta..." the blonde said, taking the cup and bringing it to his lips.

"That stuff certainly knocked you on your rear. I was surprised at how heavily you were asleep when I got up this morning." the Watchdog pointed out with a smile. "You were drooling..."

"I noticed." replied the menace. "Sorry 'bout that."

"No bother. It was kind of cute."

"Which one? Me being high or me drooling?"

"Both, actually."

"Only you could find drool cute..." Alois shook with a small chuckle.

"Only because it was you, my darling." Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, Ciel made himself comfortable. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, much. Though, to be fair, I wasn't feeling bad before."

"You said it felt pretty good."

"It did. I can see why people do drugs recreationally."

"Please don't..."

"I know, I know. I won't. Don't you worry about that." the menace replied. "You'd be pretty upset with me if I did, wouldn't you?"

"Well, yes. I would." stated the other. "I don't want you getting addicted to something. It would be detrimental to everything you've worked for."

Somehow, that made the menace smile a bit. "You kinda like me as a hard-working normal person, huh?"

"Honestly, I couldn't imagine that. The 'normal' part, that is. Though, I am very proud of you for your work with Gehenna and your work as an agent. I admire that."

"Oh, is that all?"

"Not quite." Admitted Ciel with a small laugh after being caught. "You're also very attractive when you take charge of things."

"Ah, so you think I'm sexy?"

"Well, of course. That's part of it, but also… _attractive_. That's the only way I can think of to explain it. It's not just in a sex way, it's also in a… Well, I just want to be around you. I pine for you."

"What, no sonnet on how pretty I am?"

"If you want, I will write you one later."

"I'm holding you to that." Alois said, finishing off his water. "What time is it, by the way? Aren't we supposed to be working?"

"As soon as you get up and put on pants." Offered the bluenette, prompting the other to roll his eyes despite getting out of bed anyway.

Throwing his legs over the side, he stood up and gathered another cheap suit to work in out of his bag. On his way to the bathroom to shower and change, he passed by the bluenette, bringing a hand up to cup his cheek while he went in for a quick kiss. His intentions were not carried out, as it turned out to be much longer than he anticipated as the bluenette returned the gesture. Ciel put a hand on Alois' hip, giving it a squeeze while preventing him from passing as his arm crossed the man's abdomen as a barrier. As soon as Alois pulled away, he regretted it, wishing to kiss the other more. He allowed himself to peck the other's lips once more, but was prevented from leaving since his spouse still had a light grip on him.

"You know..." bashfully began the Watchdog, a light pink dusting his cheeks. "You don't have to get ready right away. Sebastian left earlier because we needed petrol, but we didn't want to disturb you."

"What do you propose?" Alois inquired despite knowing just from the look on his husband's face. The Watchdog always tried to maintain a serious persona when embarrassed, but it never worked. The hesitance from his spouse made Alois laugh every time.

"We've been together for years and married for almost one, yet you still can't bring yourself to ask for a good morning romp..." observed the menace, prompting the other to clear his throat. "Who cares if it's morning? An itch is an itch."

"Well, what am I supposed to say?" Ciel questioned before adopting a mockingly sultry tone of voice. "' _Listen, baby, I know you just woke up from being accidentally stoned, but the butler has left for a few minutes, so how about a shag?'_ "

"Sounds good to me."

"Doesn't that sound shady to you?"

"Yeah, but you're not like that. You're shady, but not a fuckboy."

"Thanks, that really warms my heart- Hey!" Ciel was cut off as his spouse wrapped his arms around his waist and lifted him off of the floor. The Watchdog was helpless as he was carried by the menace, only to be dropped on the bed with untidy sheets and a bit of drool on one pillow. Still, it was enough to make the man's face turn completely red, only to darken once the other climbed on top of him and straddled him.

"Only a few minutes, remember? We need to be quick." reminded the menace with a mischievous grin. "One of the drawbacks of that stuff is that I can't actually do hardly anything. You okay with me taking the lead for a bit?"

"Uh… O-o-okay..." bashfully replied Ciel. Now it was his mind that was a bit fuzzy as he couldn't really give a proper response. Instead, he babbled like a fool, but his husband didn't mind in the slightest.

"So cute..."

In the end, they took a little more time than they really ought to have. In fact, the butler went for a brief drive when he came back and realised that something was "off". When everyone was finally ready, they climbed into the car and started the drive back to the new town while sitting in awkward silence. The two Phantomhives held hands in the backseat while avoiding eye contact with the butler. Somehow, they were aware that he knew why they were late. Fortunately, they wouldn't have to explain to those already at the site, as they had already started working again and didn't have time for questions.

They had started on the next building, moving their schedule up by quite a lot. Respectfully, those coordinating everything asked if Sebastian would please refrain from advancing things faster than they can plan them. With that boundary in place, the demons worked alongside those at the site until it was time for them to leave for London. With them, they brought news for Gehenna's newspaper, jotted down by a reporter who was sent to work. The demons took it happily, both because it would be a good propaganda tool and because it felt like the right thing to do.

This line of work was completely foreign to both Phantomhives, but not unwelcome by Alois. It was Ciel who struggled, finding assassination far easier. Thus, he was relieved when it was time to go home, although it was fascinating to see the other supernaturals go about their business, taking to it like ducks to water. When they were back home, it would be business as usual. Alois would be working with Gehenna from London and Ciel would be working on his business, unless they were called out for something sinister. For now, however, they had a somewhat mundane agenda in mind. For one, the office, and for the other, the new supernatural town of Pyestock.


	378. Chin Up, Old Friend

Life went on in the Phantomhive household and another day came. Alois was still happy as ever, especially after dropping out of school. He preferred the productive life of a HELLSING agent and the spokesman of the supernatural cities much better, and finally had the right amount of work for him to manage with his busy life. He and the bluenette both enjoyed working together on a regular basis, although being together every waking moment of the day was simply not possible.

Sometimes, they wished to have some time to themselves and when this happened, one of them simply moved work to a laptop and moved to a different room. It didn't mean that they didn't like each other. It was simply a way they maintained a healthy relationship as both understood the need to be by oneself. Sometimes, Alois would go down to visit Kristopherson or Daniel in Gehenna and sometimes Ciel would do the same with Travis or Detective Bailey senior. Elizabeth still came around every Thursday afternoon and the family socialised together, sometimes going out to do something together. Their lives were not one, but two, and both men simply shared them with one another. It was a system that suited them well over the years they've been seeing each other.

This was one such moment as the menace had the office to himself while his beau was off doing whatever it is a man like Ciel does on his own. Resting his elbow on the table with his chin in his palm, the man clicked through files he was sent by the design department that contained possible posters to be used to push the idea of construction and to advertise that there was space to live elsewhere. It was propaganda and Alois knew it was propaganda, but didn't mind it, as it was correct information. Personally, he preferred the posters that pushed the idea of "adventure" which is something that many Gehennans yearned for. He had to be careful, however, as they couldn't have the entire population fleeing for new pastures. It was very important to maintain a positive image of the project both for support and to improve the chances of potential trade between the towns.

It was a small job, but it was something that needed to be done. He took notes for the designers to send back to them at a later time with he's picked out his favourites before the door to the office opened. At first, he figured that the bluenette was either tired of being by himself, or needed something, but to his surprise, it was neither as he came in on a tangent.

"Look at this!" Ciel instructed, holding up his smartphone as he barged in. "How incompetent can you get?! One man! He's just one man!"

"I can't see it if you keep flailing it around like that." the menace replied, holding out a hand so that the other could hand him the device. After the Watchdog regained his composure, he took a deep breath and showed it to the other.

"This." he said, revealing the news article.

"'Sudoku Killer escapes prison'?!" read off the menace before looking up. "What the fuck?! How do you not keep in one guy?!"

"Apparently, he had help." Ciel explained. "He convinced a bunch of other inmates to help him kill a guard, but as soon as he had their uniform, he abandoned them."

"I remember him being good at convincing people to kill." Alois replied as he skimmed the article. "Beck Garrett… Huh, I forgot his actual name after all these years… Sounds like a prick..."

"Well, people who murder prison guards and go on serial killing sprees tend to be that way."

"True." the menace replied, pointing at his spouse with a finger gun. "Dunno what we can do about it. The Yard is onto him, but we can't do anything until they decide that they need us."

"He could be in France by now, for all we know. Couple more borders jumped, and he's home free."

"Shit..."

"I want to do something about this." the Watchdog stated, leaning over and placing his hands on the surface of the desk. "I can make some phonecalls, but..."

"But?"

"I want to know if you're interested." To that, the blonde smiled just a tiny bit. "It was our very first case together."

"Oh, baby..." cooed the fair-haired Phantomhive while passing the other his phone back. "How can I resist? The Sudoku Killer part two? A sequel? I'd give my entire paycheck for that."

"I'll make the call, then." Ciel said before reaching over and picking up the phone. As he sat on the desks surface, he hesitated.

"What is it?"

"I have no idea who to call..."

"Well, why not start with Integra?"

"Integra has no jurisdiction over non-paranormal matters."

"Uh… Sir Midford?"

"Rupert doesn't, either..."

"Well, there's Mike..." suggested Alois, running out of names, only for the bluenette to shake his head.

"Juniour is in the homicide business. I don't think they'll be putting him on something like this."

"Dunno, then." the menace continued. "Guess we got to wait, then."

With an anxious sigh, the blue Phantomhive put the phone back on the receiver. After that he sat up straight and pat his thighs before sighing again. He seemed dejected- like he was trying not to feel cheated out of something. Indeed, it was a personal case, as it was the very first case that he and his spouse completed together. In fact, the pair weren't even in love yet at the time. Of course he wanted the case to remain closed. The same went for Alois, but if he wasn't permitted to, he wasn't going to. That's one of the duo's main differences. Not everything can be solved with money and connections.

"Fine..." Ciel finally said with conspicuous amounts of reluctance. "I guess I can wait. Surely they don't think they can keep me out of it long, though..."

"You'd be surprised at the buffoonery of the bureaucracy. It's quite something." the menace replied. "Just remember, it's not a murder case."

"Yet."

"What makes you think he'll kill again?"

"A hunch." the bluenette said. "Remember how badly he wanted to be caught? He's a narcissist. He can't bare not being the center of everything for long. In fact, he'll probably leave us hints to help find him."

"Yeah, that sounds about right for him." Alois answered. "Criminals like him are nice, though. Not a lot of effort in catching them."

"He and his thugs beat you bloody with a baseball bat..."

"Let them try it _now,_ though."

"Yeah… They'd probably dent the bat over your head before having their teeth knocked in."

"Precisely." the menace stated, still watching the other look pitiful. "Has your day been ruined?"

"A little..." admitted the Watchdog. "I want my criminals to stay in prison. Or in the ground. Either one is fine. And I'm not allowed to fix it until I'm asked to… It's saddening..."

"I don't know what to do to help you..."

"I don't either… Maybe I'm just itching for a fight?"

"Well, it's been what? About a month? Is it possible for you to go that long without roughing someone up?"

"I don't know. I think I might die." jokingly replied the blue Phantomhive with a playful smile. "How will I survive, going so long without punching something."

"I'm sure you'll find a way." answered Alois, shutting his laptop. "Maybe after you're done rubbing your butt on my desk?"

Ciel stood up and shook his head. "Am I not allowed to sit here anymore?"

"No. You can't sit with us."

"How cruel… I've been rejected..."

"Boo hoo, what ever shall you do?" teased the menace with a nasty smirk. His eyebrows raised as his spouse pointed at him.

"There's seat right there." Ciel jested in return, earning a suggestive whistle. The expression on Alois' face indicated to him that there was another meaning to his joke that he himself missed. Bashfully, he explained: "Your lap. I meant I could sit in your lap."

"I know, love. I know what you mean _exactly._.."

"Oh, get off it."

"I thought you wanted to get on it?"

"Is their something the matter with you?" questioned the Watchdog. "You've been awfully suggestive lately."

"Well, it is spring."

"Are you saying you're an animal?"

To that question, the menace raised his hands like claws and roared in response. All his husband could do was roll his visible eye while Alois looked up at him with a toothy grin. The blonde then rested his chin in the palms of his hands and questioned the Watchdog.

"Hey, Ciel," he began. "You wanna go on a date with me?"

Pursing his lips, Ciel thought and nodded. "Sure." he said. "Now or later?"

"Anytime. Now is good."

"Where do you want to go?" the bluenette asked.

"Dunno… I just wanna… Y'know, hang out, have fun together. Just the two of us."

"We could drive around and decide on the way." suggested Ciel.

"Sounds perfect." Alois replied as he stood up. Leaning over his desk, he reached across and grabbed his husband's tie, gently pulling him close enough for their lips to meet.

"Make yourself real pretty for me." he instructed with a playful smile before patting the other's cheek with his free hand.

"Are you challenging me?"

"If I say 'yes', how cute will you look?"

"Very."

"Then yes." the blonde said while the two of them leaned in for another peck. Ciel's hand clasped over the other's and gently motioned for him to let go of his tie.

"I should go get started, then." he stated, straightening his back. "Look forward to it."

"You know I will."


	379. Melancholy of the Third Wheel

"Are you done yet?" called Alois as he leaned with his back to the dressingroom door. He, himself, was already dressed and needed only a few minor details fixed and fussed with. He had been waiting for a while, only to receive the answer he didn't want to hear.

"Almost." the Watchdog called from the other side, causing the blonde to shake his head. The man had been saying that for the past fifteen minutes, instilling no confidence in Alois in regards of swiftness. That said, if Ciel was taking such a long time, that probably meant that he had something in store for the menace.

Eventually, the doorhandle jiggled and Alois stepped forward, turning around to face it. Poor Alois' mouth hung open and his breath left him at the sight of his spouse. Indeed, Ciel took this challenge very seriously, dressing up exactly how the blonde likes him. He wore a nice blue suit and a black tie along with diamond earrings that the menace had picked out for him. Ciel's hair was pulled back and out of his face, revealing more of the semi-permanent scowl he wore. The head of the Phantomhive household looked like a man who could beat someone to a pulp in the middle of the street and successfully sue them for getting blood on his suit. A bright blush stained Alois' cheeks as the man stepped toward him, placing his hands on the blonde's hips and pulling him closer. As the menace placed his hands on his husband's chest, he could smell the other man's cologne, proving that the Watchdog was dead serious about this.

"Is this pretty enough for you, darling?" the blue Phantomhive questioned, leaning closer and invading the blonde's personal space even further. Poor Alois. His heart nearly skipped a beat!

"Y-yeah." let out the stunned demon in Ciel's arms. _"Way_ more, I'd say..."

"Good. Are you ready to go?"

"Sure, but I feel underdressed in comparison."

"I think you look perfect." spoke the Watchdog, releasing the other before holding out his hand. "Shall we?"

"Alright." Alois answered, taking the other man up on his offer with a goofy grin. "Guess we're off, then. We taking the car or the bike?"

"I'm not sure… The bike could be fun."

"I was thinking the same thing."

The pair were merry as they descended the stairs and made their way to the garage. There, the demons put on their helmets and hopped on the bike. Sitting behind his spouse, Alois wrapped his arms around Ciel's waist and enjoyed the ride. It was nice not to have to drive himself, but he also simply enjoyed the closeness along with the feeling of the machine. It was a completely different sensation from sitting in a car. Alois wasn't the type to sit and look around. Instead, he closed his eyes and focused on the physical part of it, smiling when Ciel let go with one hand in order to squeeze the blonde's at a stop light.

"Any ideas yet?" questioned the bluenette, grinning despite his face being concealed by the helmet. The inquiry honestly caught Alois off guard, as he hadn't been thinking of any possibilities at all.

"No." he said. "None yet… You?"

"Not particularly, no." Ciel stated. "Do you want food? To shop? To terrify ne'er-do-wells?"

"All sound pretty good… Which one do you think you wanna do first?"

Ciel opened his mouth to answer, but couldn't as his attention was needed elsewhere. His senses kicked into overdrive and his muscles worked fast to stop the motocycle, but it would take a few moments. While Ciel attempted to speak, a person walked right out into the street without making even the slightest attempt to check for traffic. They had the nerve to jump back, falling on their rear, but they had to rapidly crawl backwards so that the front tire of the bike did not hit him in the nethers. Needless to say, the man was shaken, whimpering as colour drained from his face. The two demons looked down at him and internally groaned.

The man seated sniveling on the ground was a familiar face. He word a trenchcoat despite it being April and a fedora to accompany it, despite his otherwise casual attire. The man wore it with a black T-shirt and cargo pants, which wasn't exactly couture. The only person the Phantomhive's knew would wear this was an annoying sort, but the shock in seeing him again was enough to make them say his name aloud.

 _"_ _Kyle?"_ gawked the menace, leaning over to look at his former classmate. Lifting his visor, the scruffy man could see icy blue eyes peeking down at him with blonde bangs sticking out. As soon as Kyle regained his breath, he was able to process the situation.

"Alois?" he observed in return before looking up at the other demon on the motorcycle. "Professor, is that you?"

"Mister Brykle, please look where you're going when crossing the street." Ciel sighed, somewhat lamenting that their cover was blown. "I could have killed you."

"We don't need your balls on our tires, Kyle." added the menace while his former classmate quickly lifted himself to his feet.

"My balls are perfectly fine, thanks." he huffed, dusting himself off. "Where are you two going?"

"Official business." Ciel insisted, hoping to throw the fedora-wearing fellow off and send him away. Unfortunately, however, he didn't know who he was dealing with.

"What kind of business?" Kyle questioned. "Police stuff? I can help you guys out, you know. I got my license to be a private eye! This is what I do now."

"You dropped out of school for that?" Alois asked with an obvious tone of disbelief.

"What my partner means to say is 'no'." stated the Watchdog. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we're blocking the street."

"Wait, wait, wait!" insisted the former student. "Stay right there! Let me get to my car! I'll follow you!"

"Fuck..." hissed the menace as the man turned and jogged to his own vehicle. Quickly, Alois pat his husband.

"Drive." he commanded. "Hurry up! Just fucking drive!"

In an instant, the Watchdog made the bike move forward, forcing the menace to squeeze him tighter as they sped off. Fortunately for them, it would take Kyle a few moments to get his own vehicle started and the two would use their time wisely. Evasive maneuvers were made, causing Alois to laugh whole-heartedly while they drove down alleyways and weaved in and out of traffic. One wouldn't notice this when they first looked at the bike, but lights were hidden in it's frame, flashing blue like a police vehicle in order for the duo to quickly get from place to place. All of the Phantomhive vehicles were equipped with them, as they sometimes needed to get to a scene quickly in life or death situations.

Alois howled with delight, causing his beau to grin widely as well. Now _this_ was entertainment! They knew that Kyle was long gone, but they still drove fast, giving them both the adrenaline rush that they both so desperately needed. Eventually, however, the lights went off and they slowed down just long enough for the blonde's laughter to settle somewhat. His lungs hurt momentarily, but it was a good hurt. Eventually, they came to a stop in order to collect themselves, but it turned into a discussion over how much fun it was to break the law.

"That was awesome!" the menace declared, taking off his helmet. "There were a couple parts where I thought we weren't going to make the turn, but we did! We were going so fast! And Kyle! He had no idea what was coming!"

"That's just how the Phantomhives operate." grinned his spouse, doing the same. "It's a good thing you thought of it. I was so stunned by what he suggested that I almost sat there long enough for him to do it."

"Why the fuck would he wanna follow us, anyway? Does he think he's gonna be some super-cool secret agent or whatever?"

"Let's hope not. His dreams would be crushed."

"His dreams already _have_ been crushed, Ciel."

"Crushed into smaller bits, then."

"What does he think being a private investigator is, anyway?" questioned the blonde as the two of them dismounted. "Like it's on par with secret agents of police officers, or something..."

"Most of it is just stalking people through the internet nowadays." Ciel added. "There's still some of the old fashioned work, though. You still sit around in your car for hours on end with a camera sometimes. You need to get evidence of your client's spouse having an affair somehow, after all!"

"Yep." Alois nodded, putting his hands in his pocket. "Wanna go continue this conversation inside that bakery?"

"Oh!" Ciel raised his eyebrows as soon as the word "bakery" was uttered. "Yes, please!"


	380. You Can't Sit With Us

Two demons walked into a bakery and ordered sweets. It's not the start of a joke, it's what the Phantomhives were doing at that particular moment, talking and having an otherwise lovely time. They spoke about the man that they had just encountered, laughing at his naive approach to their world. It was somewhat cruel, yet the duo simply could not believe what Kyle did. He actually dropped out of school to become a private investigator because it was supposedly "easier" to get the job. It was so risky that they couldn't imagine anyone being crazy enough to actually do it.

"Do you think he's had a run-in with the police yet?" questioned Ciel with a knowing grin.

"Nah. He's still got hope. He's still fresh. Just look at him. He still thinks it's like being in the movies." Alois answered, taking a sip of his tea. "He's gonna be tailing the car of a client's wife too close and be led right to the parking lot of Scotland Yard."

"Well, hopefully he doesn't get jailed for stalking… Though, that's legally stalking..."

"They'll probably think he's just a dumbass who can't do his job and let him go after laughing at him for a bit."

"I sort of feel sorry for him." the Watchdog confessed.

"Don't be. I was in class with him. It'll never be 'his' fault. It's always somebody else's that things don't go right." Alois stated, setting down his drink with a sigh. "Remember that project I had with him for that other class?"

"The one where you had to write a paper with him?"

"Yeah. And I ratted him out for not doing any work and he got mad?"

"I understand completely." Ciel said in monotone. His gaze was intense as his eye reflected that he had been through some kind of experience that he wished he really hadn't. "Once, he came into my office because I gave him a low grade on a paper. He wouldn't leave until I 'fixed' it because he didn't 'mean to' write a bad paper, then his excuse was that his mother was sick or something. I had to physically push him out the door and lock it."

"I remember that! I distracted him to get him away from your door."

"What on earth is wrong with him?"

"I don't know… hopefully, he takes the hint and pisses off..."

"Did you like any of your classmates at all?" the Watchdog questioned, earning a bit of a sigh.

"Well, a lot of them were nice, but I was never really 'friends' with them." the menace replied. "As soon as the semester changed, we weren't in the same class anymore and that was that. I don't think I would have been friends with a lot of them outside school anyway."

"You went to a few of their parties, though. Even though it was awful..."

"I hated it so much you won't even believe… It was boring at best and stressful at worst. Good thing I'm with the police, or it might have ended badly."

"I'm glad that guy got arrested instead." his husband stated. "Was it the one who you caught dropping pills in that girl's drink?"

"Yeah. Sent him off in a cop car and her in an ambulance, unfortunately."

"You did what you could. More than anyone else, anyway."

"How do people just stand there?" Alois questioned, wrinkling his forehead. "They just stand there with this stupid look on their face and wonder if they should do something without any real intention of doing it! What is _with_ humans?"

"Well, for humans, even intervening in that situation is dangerous. If the man gets violent, they can be seriously hurt." the bluenette offered as an explanation, only to receive an exasperated "I guess so" in return. Seeing the pout on his husband's face, he reached across the table and held onto the other's hand. "I love it when you care about things."

"Even if I rant about them when we're supposed to be on a date?" asked the blonde, cracking a small smile.

"Of course. Tell me more about the things you care about. I want to hear it."

"I care about you." offered Alois, prompting his spouse to grin in return.

"I care about you, too." Ciel said, lifting the other's hand with his own to kiss Alois' ring. The gesture earned a giggle from his spouse and a wide grin.

"Well, aren't you charming?" observed the menace. "All dressed up, looking fine as hell, and acting all gentlemanly… You know the way to my heart."

"It's in my job description. It is a husband's job to know what their spouse is about."

"Word."

The duo could have easily spent hours at this store, ordering round after round of sweets until they ate every single crumb they had while chatting about this, that, and the other, but fate had other plans. Instead, their attention was captured by the sight of a car slowing down outside before abruptly swerving to park on the curb next to Ciel's motorcycle, boxing the vehicle in illegally. That wouldn't be much of a cause for concern if they hadn't recognised it as the car that they had previously fled from. Out of it came a man wearing a trenchcoat and trilby, swaggering straight up to the entrance of the bakery. Abruptly, the two demons stood and their eyes scanned for another way out.

"Is there a back entrance?" questioned the menace. "A fire escape?"

"Fire escape sounds like less of a hassle. Let's hurr-"

"There you two are!" called Kyle, causing the Phantomhives to close their eyes and slouch as they had no choice by to accept their fate. "You took off without me! It's a good thing I caught up." He invited himself to sit down, pulling up a chair. Then he took out a memopad and a pen, clicking and unclicking it so that the sound filled the building.

"So, what's this 'official business' you're working on?" he asked. "Give me details. I can get you information."

"It's not for civilians." Ciel stated. "You are severely over-estimating your jurisdiction. You are aware that you're not a police officer or a government agent, yes?"

"Basically, it's the same thing." insisted Kyle. "I've arrested people after kicking their asses. One guy pulled out a knife on me!"

It was obvious to the other two that the man was blatantly lying. There shouldn't have been any doubt in Kyle's mind that they didn't believe him, given the massive eye-roll they both made. Folding his arms, Ciel shook his head.

"That's called 'kidnapping', mister Brykle." he informed. "If you did that, you would be in jail by now."

"No, I really did!"

"Bullshit..." scoffed the menace. "Private investigators aren't cops. They have no authority to make arrests. You're not impressing us."

"I'm serious!" insisted the man in the fedora. "I was tailing this guy, right? I was getting information on him. Then, out of nowhere, he turns around and starts yelling at me, asking why I'm following him! He pulled a knife out, so I kicked his ass and put him in handcuffs."

"You were stalking him." stated Ciel, already understanding what actually happened.

"He was probably following someone too close and it rightfully freaked them out." Alois said, explaining the scenario that his spouse had just pieced together in his head. "You got confronted and then you ran away. You're not fooling anybody, mate."

In an instant, Kyle's face went white as a sheet. His expression changed, proving that the duo's suspicions were correct. The man was caught in a lie and didn't know what to do now. What could he do? All options made him look like a complete ass. Whether he accepted his blunder or not made no real difference, in Kyle's mind.

With a sigh, the blonde continued. "You don't have to lie, you know. What do you _really_ want, Kyle? What do you have to prove?" This made his former classmate think for a moment and try to collect himself. He felt embarrassed, having to explain himself to these men who were much more qualified than him. It was intimidating, but what choice did he have?

"Alright." he began, laying his hands flat on the table. "I want an ' _in_ '."

"A what?" asked the bluenette, confused by the request.

"You know… A recommendation." Kyle attempted to clarify. "For work."

"You want us to help you get a job?" questioned Alois obviously taken aback by the request, but his spouse was no better.

"Yes."

"Why do you think we'll do that? Go to police training like a normal person."

"That will take forever, though! Besides, do I look like I can pass the physical part?"

"No, and you can't get a job as an officer without training." Ciel stated firmly with a furrowed brow. The Watchdog was not pleased in the slightest. In fact, he was rather peeved by the fact that this man expected him to somehow miraculously give him a job despite being unqualified and unmotivated as he is. "What you're asking of me is impossible. In fact, it's just plain _stupid_. What are you wanting me to do? Help you cheat? Just produce you a job out of thin air? There is no way I would even consider doing such a thing, especially for a man who always expects to be able to do things the easy way and it always works. Let me give you a bit of a reality check: working involves work. Do you understand me? I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear this request and inform you that if you want to be a police officer, you have to go through the appropriate channels just like everyone else."

That was not the answer that Kyle wanted. He frowned and he scowled, but not as much as he wanted to. Ciel had him beaten in that area. Genuinely, the Watchdog scared him right then and there. He had never seen the Phantomhive angry before and if was very jarring. It was terrifying, even. Ciel was scary at most times to those who weren't familiar with him, but when he was actually cross, it was something else entirely.

"We-well..." Kyle stammered, fidgeting in his seat. "Can't you just… I dunno… Put in a good word for me or something?"

"I will do no such thing." the Watchdog bluntly replied, his words punching his former student in the stomach. Standing up, he reached across the table and grabbed his husband's hand, coaxing him to stand as well. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have things to do." With that, he started to lead his spouse to the door, only to be called after.

"Wait!" Kyle shouted, shuffling to his feet. "Where are you going? I can help!"

"No, you can't." Ciel hissed. The blue Phantomhive was on his last nerve with this child of a man and it was wearing thin. "If you must know, my husband and I were not on official business today. That was a lie to get you to leave us, but clearly, you didn't take the hint. We are trying to have a nice day out on the town together, but you appear to be doing everything within your power to get in the way. Now, I am telling you one last time: I will not, nor will I ever, help you become a police officer. Leave. Us. _Alone._ "

The icy tone in his voice practically lowered the temperature of the room as people were staring now. Even his husband got chills, listening to him talk down to Kyle. He sounded calm with an undercurrent of ferocity that made him seem like a dangerous animal with a chain that was about to give. Kyle visibly shrunk as if to protect himself, but it was no good. Ciel wasn't going to let him go gently. He couldn't. If he did, his former student would just take it as an invitation to keep going. It wasn't as though Kyle was unaware of what he was doing. He was perfectly aware. It was a very blatant attempt at manipulation that the Phantomhives were having no part of.

"One last thing;" Ciel continued before pointing out the window. "Move your car unless you want something to happen to it."

Very quickly, the instruction was heeded and Kyle took it upon himself to leave while he was at it. As he left the store, the two men shook their heads although Alois turned to fixate on his husband's face. It was stern and serious in a way that had almost become "unusual" to the Watchdog.

"Nice to see that you've still got it." he teased, reaching up with his free hand to pat his husband's shoulder.

"I shouldn't have to do that..." lamented the bluenette. "He just wouldn't leave..."

"Yeah… Bloke took a psychology class once and claims that he can 'manipulate' people..."

"He didn't..."

"He did." Alois insisted. "He said it was why he'd be a better detective than me because he could 'interrogate' people."

"Ugh… That is one person who really _shouldn't_ become a policeman..." lamented the Watchdog, watching as his own vehicle was finally freed. With that, the duo made their own way outside before hopping on.

"Where to next?" asked Alois, earning a shrug.

"I was hoping that _you_ knew."

"Whelp. I don't. After all of this time, I'm still not sure what normal people do on dates."

"It seems like 'dinner' and 'movie' are the defaults for most." Ciel replied.

"Really? I like movies and stuff, but nothing seems to be out right now. Also, we just ate. Honestly, one of my favourite dates ever was the time we got into a car chase and ordered pizza."

"That's not exactly 'romantic'..."

"So? It was fun." the menace informed. "And we got to be romantic while eating pizza. It works for me."

"So, you want to ride around really fast on the bike?"

"Yes."

As soon as Alois said that, Ciel turned on the police lights. It was very illegal what they were going to do, but then again, they were in some ways "above" the law. Legally, they didn't exist. This just gave them opportunities to have all kinds of fun, and ride around the city at fast speeds, they did. The pair laughed and played for a few more hours before finally speculating on whether they should return home or rent a room for the night.


	381. An Unexpected Housecall

It had been a little over a month since Audrey shacked up in the Westley's cottage along the beach, and by now, he's given up exercise and had been devoting the last few hours to laying on his back and staring up at the ceiling. Ultimately, his plan of living on his own and "finding himself" had failed. Now he was more depressed than before. Scruffier, too.

He felt no point in getting up. What was there to do in the first place? There was nothing. There was no one. He couldn't talk to anyone, as it had started to feel odd calling up his friends and chatting. This wasn't good. He had regressed, feeling lethargic and otherwise sorry for himself, but most of all, he was apathetic. It was the last one that got to him the most. There was no motivation to do anything at all. The only thing he could do there as lie there and stare until it was time to go to sleep.

It took almost all of the energy he had to sit up when there was a knock at the front door. Then he had to somehow walk over and answer it. The reaper's body was sluggish and uncooperative as he stumbled to his feet, but he managed. Dragging himself to the front of the house, he grabbed the door handle and opened the door, only to have a sudden jolt of adrenaline running through him as he was startled by a group of men and one woman.

"'Sup, dawg?" greeted the menace with a wide grin. "What goes on?"

"Have you been bathing?" questioned Kristopherson, wrinkling his nose. "The place stinks, man."

"What are you guys doing here?" questioned the man with a befuddled expression. He certainly didn't invite the others over, nor did they ever announce themselves. It was totally random and unexpected for them to show up. Audrey wondered if they understood what "living by oneself" meant.

"Miranda said you'd be lonely, so we thought we'd stop by." explained Daniel. "You don't mind, do you?"

"No, not at all..." Audrey said, still confused and uncertain as to how to deal with the situation. "I'm not dressed, though..."

"We can see that. Put on pants." instructed Alois.

"Put on deodorant." added Kristopherson.

"Shave that thing on your face." chimed in Daniel.

"We can probably wait out here, in the meantime." stated Ciel.

"Nah, no, no, it's cool. Come in." the reaper replied, stepping to the side to make way. "I'll go put on pants."

"Thanks, man. It's windy as fuck out here." Westley complained, stopping to check his appearance. "My hair's all fucked up."

"So's your face." jabbed the blonde Phantomhive, earning a collective "oooh" from the other along with a few chuckles.

"Laugh it up, asswipes, you're in my house." Daniel shot back, failing to intimidate any of them as the others filtered inside while ignoring him.

Essentially, they invited themselves to sit in the living room on the couches while Audrey disappeared into a bedroom in order to put on actual clothes. Only one of them felt a tad out of place, as she had never gone anywhere with her boyfriend and his friends before. Along with Patricia was Travis, then Daniel and the Phantomhives. While Kristopherson was there, Logan had to work and was unfortunately unable to make it.

"So what's the plan?" questioned the woman. "What do you guys normally do when you come over here?"

"Well, we usually go to the beach, but it's a bit cold." said Kristopherson. "I'm fine with going, though. What about you guys?"

"Nah, not too interested." Alois replied, shaking his head while making a gentle face of displeasure.

"Really? You always suggest we throw Ciel into the ocean, though."

"Just don't wanna." the menace shrugged, trying not to make a big deal of it. Really, the idea of the ocean made him uncomfortable but he still felt the need to come, as it was a rare opportunity to be together with the whole group. He assumed that no one would be broken hearted if he stayed on the sidelines a bit, if they went to the beach.

"Whatever you say, mate."

"What is the plan, though?" questioned Ciel. "If there's no beach, then what do we do? Sit around, playing monopoly?"

"We are not playing monopoly with your cheating ass." accused Daniel while pointing his finger.

"I wasn't cheating. You're just bad at it." replied the Watchdog. "I saw some shops a while back, I suppose, so there's that. Or we could just talk."

"Anybody have any exciting news?" chimed in Alois, looking around the room expectantly. "I, for one, am doing well."

"Yeah, of course you are. You're the mascot of the supernatural cities." joked Kristopherson. "Personally, I've started selling stuffed animals at my shop. The kids seem to have taken to them nicely."

"Think I could get one for my sister?" questioned Daniel.

"Sure. Where is she, by the way?"

"At her friend, Gerry's house." the Westley answered. "She likes supernatural stuff. Like, stuff made by supernaturals. I got her a new book the other day, and she read it by bed time."

"What book?" asked Patricia, leaning forward slightly from her seat on the couch.

"Uh, 'Stomach Book'? Something like that?" Daniel was forced to speculate since he didn't remember the exact name. "It's by some guy named 'Oswy'."

"Oh, I've read that." nodded the bluenette. "It's good. You can borrow it sometime if you'd like, Patricia."

"I might just have to take you up on that. I've never read a book from Gehenna before." the woman replied.

"Just stop by whenever."

"What's going on with you and Travis, lately?" questioned the blonde politely. "Anything new, different, and exciting?"

"Well, I got a book published and Travis is working on his next one." Patricia stated while her boyfriend nodded along. "Other than that, not a lot."

"Am I the only one who nothing interesting is happening to?" inquired Daniel, feeling left out in all of this. "Like, all I've been doing is sitting in an office all day, giving out paperwork and making appointments for people."

"Maybe it's because that's what you're doing." suggested Patricia, causing the man to frown.

"You're lucky you're Travis' girlfriend..." he scowled, only to cause the boxer to roll her eyes.

"You should step out of your office more." Kristopherson offered. "You'd see more. Just the other day, I had this guy come in- name's Benjamin Naokes- he says he went to your office for help getting a police job."

"Yeah?" Daniel vaguely remembered it. "So?"

"He's a police officer now with a stable job to support his wife and new baby." the Miles informed. "He came into my shop looking for baby clothes. You're the one who made that possible, you know."

"I guess..." the Westley conceded. Indeed, Daniel has a rather direct influence on the lives of others whether he or they realise it or not. Some desk jockeys at the Gehenna Welfare building weren't as lenient as Daniel. Believe it or not, the man was soft at heart, despite his sometimes selfish and immature tendencies.

Somehow, the air felt tense. Everybody there felt like they should be talking about something. Unfortunately, none of them had any real conversation ideas. It had been a long time since all of them had gotten together to socialise. It was foreign to them now, leaving them to wonder why it was so easy while they were all in school together. Even the addition of Audrey didn't help much, leaving them to resort to general small-talk as well as holding miniature conversations with only one or two out of the seven people there.

Part of the problem was that they were all adults now, wondering what exactly "adults" do together. They felt compelled to be doing something, rather than just sitting there. It was like they needed to somehow arrange a playdate. They continued to talk about things that were going on in there lives, along with other things.

"Supernaturals have started sneaking into England from Southern Scotland." Alois said while reading his e-mail on his phone. "They're trying to escape Iscariot, so I can't blame them. Good on them for making it to Pyestock. Most of them just headed North, though."

"Why'd they wanna do something like that?" questioned Daniel. "Couldn't they just stay put?"

"Not really. Y'see, Northern Ireland is part of the UK, so that means that HELLSING has jurisdiction there. Iscariot had dibs on the south, though and they're a bit meaner." the menace tried to explain. "Most of them just went North so they wouldn't have to leave the island, but a few decided that they wanted to try living with other supernaturals. Even if you're careful, living around humans can be risky."

"True." chimed in Kristopherson with a nod. "I always close shop and stay home on full moons so I don't accidentally get caught outside when the sun sets."

"That must suck…"

"You do what you gotta do."

"What _do_ you do if you get stuck outside?" questioned Audrey, arching an eyebrow. "There's not a procedure for that, is there?"

"Nope. Can't exactly get a werewolf-friendly cab. Maybe on Halloween, though." answered the wolfman before the blue demon chimed in again.

"Shouldn't risk it." Ciel chastised. "I don't know what the reprecussions of getting caught outside in werewolf form are. There's no system, but the stress from having a process thrown together and being in the middle of it would be stressful."

"I'm not actually going to do it, Ciel."

"He's a worrywart stick in the mud." reminded the bluenette's spouse. "It means he's concerned for your well-being."

"Why, thank you. I'm touched." Kristopherson added, jokingly putting a hand on his heart. "You're such a sweet man."

"Alois sure knows." jested Audrey, causing the others to laugh. Alois, however, shrugged and didn't see much humour in it.

"Yeah? So?" the blonde questioned. "He's my husband. I'm supposed to know that. Excellent joke, Audrey. Comedian extraordinaire."

"Oh, come on. I haven't seen you guys in forever." the reaper said. "My dragging skills are a bit rusty."

"Try harder. That was disgraceful."

It was all a way to test the waters and become comfortable with one another again. All of them had grown since the last time they were all together, even if that was only mere months ago at Preston's funeral. Though, they didn't exactly play around together then, either. There were important milestones reached since then, good things happening, bad things, too. Things that were downright awful happened, too, but the world keeps spinning and life goes on.

Finally, they had the opportunity to talk about it all. They went around the room, asking about accomplishments and failures, dishing out praise and consolation when appropriate and necessary. All of them could see just how this trip was effecting Audrey and wanted to talk about it, but alas, he wouldn't discuss it. They didn't know if it was out of embarrassment that the trip didn't have the desired effect or if he simply didn't feel like it. Whatever the case may be, it was a conversation for another time.


	382. There'll Be Another Day

The seven attending of the Essential Eight eventually assigned rooms for the sole purpose of being able to put their belongings somewhere. The Phantomhives shared a room together and so did Travis and Patricia. The remaining three, however, managed to have their own rooms, as no one wanted to share a bed with either of their options. Kristopherson and Audrey got their own rooms, while Daniel got the couch.

From there, everyone came back and talked until late into the night, loosening up and starting to have fun. It wasn't long before they were acting silly again, this time with more hijinks. One incident involved Daniel standing on a coffee-table while imitating a gorilla, breaking the piece of furniture in the process. Out of everyone, it was Alois who scolded him, much to his surprise. He hadn't expected such seriousness from the menace, given his own traditionally nonsensical nature.

"What's the big deal? It's my house and my furniture." Daniel said with a wave of his hand. "Who's it gonna hurt?"

"Well, Audrey was renting the place. He might have wanted that coffee-table, for all you know." the blonde answered. "You gonna be the one to clean that up, by the way?"

"Yeah, mum, I'll clean it up." scoffed the Westley. "Relax. Why are you so stiff all of a sudden?"

"I suffer from a condition known as ' _becoming an adult_ ', I'm afraid." Alois shot back. "It makes me not very fun."

"We went to a gay bar a while back and you were pretty fun. What gives?"

"I dunno. What's different?"

"You look funny." Daniel informed. "A little green. And you're making faces only Ciel should make."

"Who knows? Maybe I'm just not up to it, tonight." sighed the menace, leaning back into the couch. He wasn't sure how to respond to his friend, and certainly wasn't going to admit that he was right. Alois wasn't feeling that well at all. He felt anxious and a little queasy. In fact, he wasn't even certain that he was up for socialising at all. Perhaps coming here was a mistake on his part, despite how much he wanted to see them all at once.

"Are you okay?" asked Kristopherson, his face looking a bit concerned. Daniel was right, as much as he didn't like to admit it. Something was "off" about Alois and now the Miles figured out that it because something was wrong. "You wanna talk about it?"

"I'm fine." fibbed the blonde Phantomhive. He was unconvincing as he rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes while grimacing a bit. With a sigh, he added: "Maybe I should go to bed, though."

"That's okay. We'll be here in the morning." stated Travis in a rare moment of piping up.

"I think I'll take you up on that." Alois replied with a grunt as he stood up. "'Night, everybody."

The words "good night" or variants of ran together as his friends wished him sweet dreams. His husband, however, didn't let go of his hand as he tried to leave. "Do you want me to come with you?" Ciel asked, earning a shake of his beau's head.

"Nah. I'll be fine." insisted the menace. "Just come when you're good and ready."

Slipping his hand out of the others, he pecked Ciel on the lips and wished him "goodnight" as well. While walking away, Alois was perfectly aware of the fact that his spouse was watching after him, turning his head so that he could see him still. It was Ciel's place to be concerned, especially given that their species doesn't get ill unless there are some nefarious, supernatural forces at work. Their friends took notice, prompting Patricia to tap him on the arm.

"If you're worried about him, you should go after him." the woman whispered once the door was closed. "You won't hurt any of our feelings."

"When it comes to Jim, once he's refused help, he's going to keep refusing it until he's good and ready." answered the Watchdog. He matched the Ramirez woman's volume instinctively without quite knowing why. "I'll give him a few minutes to himself, first."

"Does that actually work?" inquired Daniel, possibly failing to see the irony in what he said next. Perhaps, however, he's learned his lesson. "If something's wrong with your husband, shouldn't you go check on him right away."

"It works almost every time." Ciel informed. "Just let him feel whatever it is he's feeling for a while, then check and see if he's calmed down enough to want to talk."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because people can't change the way they feel at the drop of a hat." said Travis in a matter-of-fact tone. "Trying to tell someone who is already upset and on the defensive that what they're feeling is wrong is only going to make them deny it more."

Snapping his fingers and pointing at him, the Watchdog came back with: "That is exactly right."

So, the man stayed with the others for a while, talking about this and that. He made jokes with the rest, snarkily commenting on them while receiving similar remarks about himself in return. It was fun, but with his worry of his spouse still looming in the back of his mind, he couldn't fully unwind. Despite saying that it was best to give the menace some space, he was still concerned, wanting nothing more than to soothe his spouse and see what was the matter. It was probably the sea air that was getting to him, giving the potential to be serious.

Ciel's concern eventually became far too much to bear and he stood. "I think I'll be turning in, now." he said, taking his leave. "See you all tomorrow."

The others wished him "goodnight" as well and that was the last they saw of the bluenette for the evening. Ciel climbed the stairs and made it to the bedroom that the two Phantomhives had commandeered for their stay. Knowing the lion was on edge, Ciel knocked first to announce his presence before opening the door.

Quietly, he walked inside, keeping his eye on the other, as he didn't know if he was awake or not. From the looks of Alois, however, he wasn't doing too well, or was at least uncomfortable here. Ciel couldn't tell. The blonde's back was too him, facing away from the door. A pillow was over his head as he laid on his side, curled up into a tight ball.

"Jim? Are you awake, dear?" the Watchdog asked in a hushed tone, knowing that the other would sense him if he was. A sniffle could be heard coming from the heap as the blonde collected himself.

"Yeah." he said. "I am."

Silently, Ciel took a moment from changing, only managing to take his belt off and unbutton his shirt slightly before he walked over to the bed. The mattress gave a bit under his weight and Alois could feel his hand on his shoulder. The heat of his hand comforted the blonde a bit as he covered it with his own.

"Are you alright, honey?" the Watchdog softly questioned. "Feeling any better?"

"Not really." Alois stated, his voice sounding weak like it was about to crack at any moment. It was probably the reason why he was giving such short answers.

"What's wrong?" Ciel blinked. "Is it the ocean?"

He couldn't see it the blonde actually nodding, but he could see the pillow move with his head. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Hug me?" It was an odd mix of a command, a statement, and a question all at once that escaped Alois' lips. Leaning down, Ciel kissed the hand that was resting on his own before taking it away.

"Hold on a minute." the Watchdog answered before removing his shirt and pants before slipping under the sheets in only his underwear.

He didn't want to lay down in the clothes he's worn all day, but was willing to be dingy until morning when he could shower. His spouse took his priority as he gently took the pillow away from being on top of the other's head. To his surprise, Alois turned to face him before pressing himself as closely as possible against the Watchdog, burying his face in the bluenette's chest in the process.

"It's alright… You're alright..." he cooed. Soft touches held the menace close while fingers ran through flaxen locks. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Yeah..." Alois replied. "I don't like it here."

"Because we're too close to the ocean?"

"Yeah… Outside it smells like salt and in here I can hear it. The sound of waves isn't relaxing at all."

"Not surprising. You were trapped on top of that base for a few weeks. You're not going to be okay after that."

"It's been months, though! It's just water! Why am I so… freaked out by it? Nauseous? It's a combination of several things…"

"Doesn't matter. If it upsets you, it upsets you." Ciel stated. "If it was really as awful as you told me, then it's no wonder."

"All I could hear for hours at a time was waves and my nose hurt from breathing. I don't know if it was the salt in the air or how cold it was, but it stung." Alois spoke for the sake of wanting to talk about it. Carefully, he ran his fingertips against the bluenette's skin, feeling it just for comfort and to take some of the man's warmth. "God, it was freezing… The wind felt like whips… Sometimes, the crew of the Prudentia would cover me with a blanket when it was their shift to guard me and it helped, but man… It hurt… Heh… Just when things were looking up again..."

"I know..." his husband sadly replied, gripping him tighter and pressing a kiss to his forehead. Ciel's lips brushed against soft bangs as the blonde's hair hung in front of his face. "I'm sorry..."

"Not your fault… You did what you could and actually saved me from it."

"I don't really know what else to say, though." said the Watchdog. "Other than 'I'm sorry' and 'I love you', I don't really know what else to say in this situation."

"You don't really have to say anything." the menace answered, running his hands over the other's chest. "Just let me steal your body heat and stay warm. I just wanna feel safe. I feel like I'm gonna get sucked into the sea and never come back out. I wanted to puke, just looking at it when we walked down the hill..."

"You're not going to be sucked in." insisted Ciel. "I've got you. Just tune out the sound the best you can and let me handle the rest."

"Okay..." his beau nodded. "I'll try."

It was hard, but he did just that. Instead, Alois attempted to focus on Ciel. The feeling and warmth of his skin, his gentle touches, and the sound of his heartbeat calmed him rather dramatically. Feeling like he wasn't going at this alone was a major boost in his confidence, but also the physical feeling of clinging to someone put him at ease. Yet, he couldn't completely relax. The sound of water still crashed over his head and seeped into his thoughts.

"No good." he finally sighed. "I can still hear it."

"Anything I can do?"

"Do you have earplugs?" the blonde questioned. "If not, I'm not sure if there's anything."

Ciel hummed in thought before answering. "What if we covered it up with something else?"

"Like what?"

"Well, I'm not really sure… I didn't bring any headphones or anything. Hm… Worst case scenario, I could sing to you."

"I'd love to hear that." the menace said with a soft chuckle. A small smile appeared on his face as the thought sank in. "I don't suppose you're serious, are you?"

"About half."

"So you won't?"

"Not unless you're serious about wanting to." Ciel informed. "And if you're okay with old people music."

"Sing to me, Pooch." playfully instructed Alois, curious as to how this was going to play out. He had never heard his spouse do anything musical with his voice before. The man even refused to sing the national anthem at inappropriate times, and hasn't since he was human.

"Fine."

"You don't sound very enthusiastic..."

"Well, I'm rusty..."

"Is that code for 'embarrassed'?"

"Do you want to hear it, or not?"

"Alright, alright, I'll stop." insisted the Lion. "Please?"

"Very well." Ciel said, clearing his throat before chuckling nervously, cutting himself short before he could even take in a breath. "Promise not to laugh."

"I will make no such promise." Alois bluntly stated. "Just know that if I do, I'm laughing with you."

"You aren't doing much to inspire confidence in me..."

"Just go for it. I'll still love you all the same."

"Fine, fine… Just close your eyes and try to fall asleep."

"Yes, my lord." The menace could do that much. Closing his eyes, he did his best to make himself less tense. He could hear and feel the other man's heart speeding up, as he was nervous about this, but still, took the plunge all the same.

_"Yours, 'til the stars lose their glory,_

_Yours, 'til the birds fail to sing._

_Yours, 'til the end of life's story._

_This pledge to you dear, I bring..."_

Both of them were pleasantly surprised by the Watchdog's sound. His voice was deep, but every bit as sweet as the devil's. Perhaps because he was a devil. Regardless, the discovery built up confidence within the bluenette and caused the blonde Phantomhive to smile widely.

_"Yours, in the grey of December._

_Here, or on far distant shores._

_I've never loved anyone the way I love you._

_How could I, when I was born to be…_

_Just yours?"_

He continued on like this, kissing the other man's cheeks and forehead whenever a brief pause in the song allowed it. By the time he was done with the very brief song, Alois' body was completely limp and he was breathing a lot deeper than before. He was just on the verge of losing consciousness, causing Ciel to feel conflicted in that while his plan was working, his singing also put him to sleep.

"I love you." the Watchdog whispered, earning a small grunt in acknowledgment. With his hands occupied, he transfigured himself an extra appendage, turning the light off very, very, carefully with his tail before ditching it again. "Goodnight, Jim."


	383. Let's Be Civil

As the night drew on, the others slowly decided to go to bed as well before all of them at once. Once Travis and Patricia left, the others realised what time it was and decided to turn in for the evening. Daniel had to wait for everyone to leave, anyway, as he had the living room to sleep in. Audrey and Kristopherson had their own rooms, as they weren't going to share a bed and neither was Daniel.

So, the Westley was stuck on the couch in a home that he owned, trying to get comfortable and cozy where he laid. It wasn't difficult. In fact, he would argue that it was more comfortable than his bed at home. Perhaps it was time to buy a new mattress.

Within half an hour, he was dozing and about to drift off until the sound of a door opening upstairs brought his consciousness back to the forefront. The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs is the part that actually woke him, drawing his attention to the shape of Kristopherson walking past him on his way to the kitchen. Obviously, the wolfman thought he was asleep since he didn't even acknowledge Daniel. It didn't really hurt his feelings, however. It just gave him an opportunity to observe him.

Even in his night clothes, Kristopherson was coordinated. That was something that could be learned from living with him for a few months. Daniel could see that he was still a handsome man, too, if not a little scruffy. That bridge was burned, however. There's no point in trying to rebuild what nobody wants to be fixed. Sitting up, the Westley decided that he needed a drink of water as well. The dryness of his throat had been bothering him, but now that he was completely awake, he was aware of the fact. Thus, he stood and walked for the kitchen as well, uttering a tired sigh.

The sound alerted the other of his presence. "Thought you were asleep." Kristopherson said before taking a sip of his own glass.

"Hard to, with you stomping down the stairs." the Westley answered, opening a cabinet while the other rolled his eyes. He didn't get a response, however. At least, not right away. It wasn't until Daniel started pouring water into a glass that Kristopherson spoke. In the meantime, he simply stood, watching the Westley while leaning against the counter.

"So you're renting this place to Audrey?" he asked while the other put the pitcher back into the fridge.

"Yeah." Daniel stated.

"Why?"

"Because he's my friend?"

"No, I mean why rent it?"

"'Cause." Taking a drink, the Westley paused. "It's expensive."

"You having money trouble?" questioned the wolfman, prompting the other to abruptly set the glass down and stare at him. He was silent at first, but it could only last for so long.

"All these properties I inherited cost money." the Westley stated. "I'm a millionaire, but not as rich as I used to be, now that daddy dearest's money is split between the four of us."

"Why don't you just sell it?" Kristopherson shrugged.

"Dunno how."

"Google it."

"Listen, why do you care?" questioned Daniel, automatically skeptical to his ex's intentions.

"Well, 'cause I'm still friends with you. At least I hope so."

With that response, Daniel realised who was the rude one in this situation and sighed, tapping his fingers against the table before facing the other again. "I'm sorry." he said. "Thanks. For worrying."

"No problem on my part, but for you? What's going on?" Kristopherson asked. "Are you okay with me?"

"Yeah… No… Kinda?" In truth, the Westley wasn't sure. His emotions were still mixed when it came to Kristopherson. Yes, he was a very attractive man and he cared about him, he didn't really feel for him in a romantic sense anymore. He was stuck in a very strange position. "It's like… I don't hate you, but I always expect you to hate me?"

"I don't hate you." the faux-blonde replied. "I've moved on since then. Now, you're just… 'Dan'. I'm not mad anymore."

"That's hard to believe." Daniel said with a scoff. Shaking his head, he added: "I remember how mad you were. I'd never seen you that pissed off before. Then I remember that I'm the asshole who did that to you. I'm also the asshole who… just can't seem to be nice to the new guy."

"Yeah, I'd appreciate it if you'd be a little more pleasant to Logan, but…" Kristopherson stopped to find his words before shaking his head. "It's over, y'know? I'm not gonna hold onto it anymore. You're a good guy, Dan. Maybe not as a boyfriend, but as a regular friend? You're pretty okay."

Nodding, Daniel took a seat at on top of the counter as well. "Thanks." he said, causing the other to smile a bit before presenting his hand.

"Friends?" the wolfman asked, waiting for the other to chuckle.

"Friends." answered Westley, taking Kristopherson's hand and shaking it. "I'll try to be friends with blue guy, too."

"His name is Logan." reminded the other.

"Yeah, I know."

"Then say that."

" _'_ _That.'"_

"Oh my god, you're such a dick." Kristopherson accused, but laughed at all the same.

"He seems like a good guy, though." admitted Daniel with a nod. "He good to you?"

"Yeah, he's a good guy. I like him."

"He make you happy?"

"Of course, I wouldn't date him if he didn't. Why?"

"Then he's the one you should go out with." he stated, patting his friend on the shoulder. "He fucks up, though, I might just have to beat his ass."

"Like you could."

"I have been doing push-ups, mind you. I can do up to twenty."

"We go to the gym together."

"Well, then I dunno what to do about it. You might just have to beat his ass for me on your behalf."

"I'm not gonna beat his ass any more than I did yours."

"You didn't, though?"

"Exactly."

It was surprising to the both of them how easy it was to talk to the other. They thought it would be more difficult given what happened, but time has passed and wounds heal. Acceptance for the situation has sunk in and they could move on from there. It was going to take some more easing back into, but they had made progress. They could sit together and talk about it, which was a major step and that was important.

"Next time, you should bring Garfield." said Daniel with a mischievous grin.

"It's 'Logan' you dick."

"'Richard', then."

"Fuck you, asshole." Kristopherson said, playfully punching his friend's arm. Daniel couldn't contain his laughter any longer as he said:

"No, thanks. You have a boyfriend."


	384. More Than Meets The Eye

When the sun rose, a few of them put on their jackets and walked along the beach for a while. It was a bit too chilly for bathing suits, so no one would be swimming for the time being. Travis and Patrica held hands while leading the pack. Meanwhile, the three who were there as either single men or as a man who's partner simply wasn't nearby lagged behind and gossiped about them, thinking Travis looked odd.

"He was always so quiet..." said Daniel in a hushed tone. "How did he land himself a hot, Spanish, boxer?"

"Maybe he had it in him this whole time and he was just hiding it from us." suggested Audrey. "He never talked about that sort of thing, so maybe he has secrets?"

"Maybe they just like each other?" presented Kristopherson, skeptical at the other's feeling that this was at all strange. "Y'know. Like normal people?"

"But Travis. _Travis!_ Him and _her?"_ gawked the Westley.

"Come to think of it, what is so weird about it?" questioned the reaper. "Is it because he's quiet?"

"It's because he's quiet and _I'm_ single!"

"Maybe you wouldn't be if you kept your mouth shut!" called Patricia from a little ways in front of them, having heard them. Daniel's cheeks tinted red while Travis chuckled at him from looking over his shoulder. The Sullivan then said something to his girlfriend that the others couldn't hear die to their distance.

"Now I really don't see what Travis sees in her..." huffed the Westley, putting his hands on his hips.

"I do. She has excellent dragging skills." stated Kristopherson.

Audrey just laughed and smiled at the remark, having not much else to add. He hadn't stopped since he started talking to his friends after they arrived. It was nice, being able to see everyone again. It was even nicer to not be on his own. Having a motivation to shower and put on clothes during the day was helpful, as was going outside for a bit. Now, after a month of staying here, Audrey was finally starting to feel better! Perhaps this was all he needed. Some human(?) contact and not some pricey trip to "find himself."

"I'm thinking about coming back to London." he said, changing the topic. "I'm kinda tired of being on my own."

"You sure?" asked Daniel. "Still got some vacation time, don't you?"

"Yeah. I'm not gonna go back to work. I'm just gonna spend my time a little better." the reaper stated. "Staying here by myself has me bummed out and feeling worse than I did before."

"What're you gonna do?" questioned the wolfman.

"I dunno. Hang out, visit everybody at HELLSING, go see my parents..." Audrey trailed off. "Maybe visit Preston..."

The other two stopped for a moment and looked at him before walking again. Kristopherson looked straight ahead while Daniel nodded. "We all should." Miles agreed, earning a soft "yeah" from Westley. All of them were in agreement and so was Travis. Patricia was alright with going, but wasn't sure if it was appropriate, since she had never met the man.

"Think Ciel and Alois wanna go?" asked Daniel, causing Audrey to shrug.

"I dunno." the reaper answered. "I dunno how they feel about all of this."

"Where are they, by the way? Are they coming?"

"Alois still isn't feeling too good." answered Kristopherson.

"Why? Do you know?"

"It's not something supernatural, is it?" asked Audrey with a touch of concern. There were very few explanations as to why a demon would be feeling unwell, and something not of "nature" was the most likely culprit. Kristopherson, however, shook his head.

"Well… I don't think it's his body." the wolfman began. "It sounds like it's his head."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it. Remember where Alois was for a few weeks? Impaled on top of a sea fortress? Now think about where we are now..."

"Fuck..." Daniel swore, running a hand through his hair. "Why'd he come if it was like that?"

"I talked to Ciel about it and he said he wanted to see us."

"Then let's go see him!" Westley declared. "C'mon, let's just go back to he house!"

"I don't think he wanted you to know." the wolfman said. "I only told you because I think it's important. If we go barging in there, acting all nicey nice, then he's gonna know something's up. Alois isn't the kind of person who wants people to throw him a pity party."

"Then what do we do?" asked Audrey. "Dick around out here for a while and pretend we got bored and wanted to come back?"

"Sounds like a plan." answered Kristopherson. "I'll go first and stake the place out later."

"Why don't you go now? Tell us how long he needs?" suggested Daniel. "Pretend you forgot something."

"I dunno." Miles hesitantly answered before turning to their other friend. "What do you think?"

"What could it hurt?" asked Audrey with a shrug. "I think it's a pretty good idea. If he looks up to it, text us or come back for us, and we'll move in."

"Alright." sighed the wolfman. "I'll be back, then."

"May the force be with you." jested Baines, causing those who remained to chuckle while Kristopherson made the long walk back to the house.

He was cold, anyway, so perhaps it wasn't a too bad of an idea. The wolfman could sit down for a moment and warm himself up for a moment before heading back out, so he still benefited from this. It wasn't as though there was much on the beach at the moment anyway. Upon opening the door, he was struck with warm air, causing him to shudder.

From where he was standing, the house seemed empty. Not a soul was in sight. Thus, he did everything else he wanted to do before seeking out the demons, getting him a drink and sitting down for a while. Kristopherson sat on the couch in the living room for about fifteen minutes before he started to wonder where the Phantomhives were. After being adequately warmed up, the man looked around as he grew more impatient.

They were probably upstairs. He knew that, given that they hadn't left any sort of note or text, but he wasn't sure how long they were going to be there. Last he checked, Alois was still asleep. Thus, he decided it was time to get up and check. Putting his hand on the rail, he ascended the steps with ease before turning in the direction of the Phantomhives' room. Once he was at the door, he brought a hand up to gently knock against its surface.

"Alois? Ciel? You guys in there?" he called There was no answer so Kristopherson tried the handle only to find it unlocked. Opening it, he stepped inside. "Hey, Alois, you still asle-"

" _JESUS FUCK!"_ exclaimed the blonde's voice as the wolfman's face turned an ungodly shade of red. "WHAT THE FUCK, KRIS?! GET OUT!"

"Sorry!" Kristopherson barked back, exiting again before slamming the door shut. Really, he could have gone his entire life without seeing that. He had no idea the demons would be capable of pulling something like that, given where they were, but here he was, just having caught them in flagrante delicto.

Quickly, he made his way downstairs again and sat down. He needed to in order to make an attempt at wiping his own memory. It was only about a minute before he heard a door open upstairs and as he turned to see who it was, he could see Alois descending the stairs wearing pyjama pants and a robe. Folding his arms, the demon held the garment closed tighter. He hadn't even approached the wolfman yet before he started talking.

"What the fuck, mate?!" Alois demanded, his face just as red as the Miles. "Would it kill you to fuckin' knock?!"

"I did!" insisted Kristopherson, unsure if his friend was actually going to listen. "Obviously, you were too busy to hear me!"

Now that, Alois didn't have any real argument against because he couldn't prove it either way. Really, he didn't notice or sense Kristopherson approaching the door since the other man's suspicions were true. Both Phantomhives were immensely preoccupied in their focus. Kristopherson completely sneaked up on them.

"Can you go like, one day without getting busy with your man?" Kristpoherson questioned, his line of sight darting away for a moment as he saw a disheveled Ciel leaning on the rail and looking down at them. It was perhaps the messiest the wolfman had ever seen him, with his untucked shirt that wasn't completely buttoned- and what was buttoned was done so incorrectly. His hair was a mess and the sight disturbed Kristopherson immensely. With a somewhat bashful expression, Ciel awkwardly waved at him before the faux-blonde had to look away again.

"You could have locked the door if you're going the be doing that, y'know?" he added.

"The doors in this house don't lock, you idiot!" barked the menace, pointing accusingly. It was clear as day that he was embarrassed, but anger is how he chose to express it.

"Well, I don't know! Prop up a chair! Or, y'know, don't shag in a house full of people!"

"It wasn't full of people when we started. I thought you went out with the others?"

"I did, but we were worried about you since you were feeling like shit last night and you didn't get up this morning, so I came to check on you." Miles informed, standing up and crossing his arms. "Believe me, I did not want to witness you and that one mid-bugger." He pointed up at Ciel with his eyes, causing the other to follow his gaze, only to sigh.

"Alright..." Alois conceded. "I'm sorry..."

"You're fine, I guess..." answered Kristopherson in return. "You had the blankets pulled up, so I didn't see you completely starkers, thank god. It's the principle of it that's just..." Instead of finishing his sentence, he shuddered.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…" huffed the menace. "I don't like you seeing it either. Trust me. Look, I'm fine. You guys can go have fun at the beach and I'll be here when you get back."

"I get the distinct impression that you're trying to get rid of me."

"Kinda, yeah." Alois shrugged with a nervous chuckle. "I was a little busy."

"Fine, fine, I'll go." replied Kristopherson with a shake of his head. He didn't like any involvment in this and was genuinely unsure how to proceed. The feeling that he needed to say something lingered. A joke or a quick quip to remove all of the tension was what he wanted, but instead, the best he could to was take the invitation to leave for the time being. Before he turned to leave, however, he looked up and pointed a finger at the bluenette above.

"Don't get him pregnant, y'hear me?" he called out, causing the already flustered Ciel cough.

"I think we're good on that." the Watchdog answered, earning a laugh as Kristopherson started heading toward the front door. Once it was closed, Alois started back up the stairs. The blonde was halfway up before he addressed his spouse.

"I'm not done with you yet." the menace said, prompting a laugh. "Get back in there."

"Yes, your highness." playfully replied his spouse, turning to walk back toward the room while Alois caught up with him.

They were perhaps a bit too relaxed, but it was better than what Alois was feeling before. The thought of going outside where he would be closer to the ocean made him sick, but since everyone else was out of the house except for his husband, a different kind of opportunity arose. That was the demons' line of reasoning, at least. They simply hadn't counted on any of the others coming back so soon.

Kristopherson's interests now laid in forgetting whatever it was that he had witnessed. At least, until the shock wore off, he would. When it did, he was probably going to make fun of Alois for a few years after the fact. For the time being, however, he walked along the beach, wandering until he came across the others again. His walk turned into a trot and then a jog. Hearing him come up, the others turned around from throwing rocks at the water and gave him their attention.

"What'd he say?" called Patricia while the wolfman's pace slowed down to a halt. Without missing a single beat, he answered in a tone that sounded as genuine and as sympathetic as he could muster.

_"He's going to need a little more time…"_


	385. True Friends Are Hard To Come By

When the others came back, both demons were fully dressed and looked as though nothing happened. As far as everyone aside from Kristopherson were concerned, nothing did. Ciel was making tea and the blonde was seated on the couch with his laptop, clicking away and rubbing his fingers against the pad to scroll. It was an odd concept, but Alois was actually working, going over plans and reading reports and testimonies as to how the Pyestock project was going. Everyone had simply assumed he was messing around, but then Daniel stepped behind the couch in order to get a glimpse of what he was doing.

"What's that?" questioned the Westley, resting his forearms on the back of the couch while peering over his friend's shoulder.

"Oh, it's just work." bluntly answered the Lion. "Just a minute, I'm almost done with this page."

"You brought _work_ to your vacation?" Daniel asked in disbelief.

"There are always affairs of the supernatural to oversee. Looks like Pyestock is making alright progress. They've got workers moved in to actual housing, now."

"Really? That's great!" Kristopherson declared. "How far have they gotten?"

"One building finished, one half, two cleaned out, and one half cleaned." informed Alois. "They're also introducing American supernaturals that are being relocated. According to this, a few of them are rather surprised by everything that's going on. They'll adjust in time, I think."

"It's still weird that you'd bring it." stated Daniel, reintroducing the original question. "Shouldn't you be like, relaxing or something?"

"Probably, but I wanted to do this instead." the menace replied. "I like it."

"Huh. I guess I just never pictured you as being a hard worker..."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means he thought you were a fuckin' slacker." Kristopherson answered despite understanding completely that Alois understood.

"I'll have you know, I care a lot about my towns." the menace said, closing the window and shutting his laptop. "In fact, I think I've finally found my calling."

"I'm glad you've found something you're passionate about, honey." piped up Ciel, walking into the room with a teacup balanced in a saucer for each hand. Setting one down on the coffeetable in front of the blonde, the Watchdog kept one, straightening his back. Awkwardly, he cleared his throat as he accidentally made eyecontact with Kristopherson on the way up. Recovering, he turned his attention back to his spouse. "It's nice, seeing you work so hard on something."

"Well, people are going to be living there. I have to. People shouldn't be living in squalor. It's not a controversial statement."With that, the blonde's fingertips began dancing rapidly on his laptop's keys. "I need to reply to this e-mail..."

"Do what you must." Ciel said, taking a sip of his tea. He sat down next to his spouse, refraining from putting his arm around the man while still avoiding eyecontact with Kristopherson. It was difficult, as the wolfman was staring right at him, replaying things that he shouldn't have seen inside his head. Kristopherson was blatantly aware of this but elected to ignore it.

"You willing to put it down and hang out with us?" the faux-blonde questioned.

"I guess I can fit you guys into my busy schedule." Alois jested back. "You'll have to make your own tea."

His work needed done, but he was really into the idea of having fun with his friends at that moment. It took priority over work and he did have a good time once nothing related to the sea. All they did was talk about everything and nothing at all for hours, stopping once to order food. It cheered him up, despite him wanting to work some more. As much as he hated it, though, hanging out with all of them at once just didn't have the same spark as it once did.

Alois didn't know if it was just him getting older or that they haven't done this in ages, but he figured that he would much rather hang out with one or two of them, rather than the entire group. There was so much pressure to be funny and interesting that he didn't realise was there before. He simply didn't know what to do with it anymore!

He wasn't the only one, however. Travis felt similarly and so did Kristopherson and Ciel. Daniel was having fun, however, as he ensured that he was the center of attention and Audrey enjoyed tearing into him whenever he could. For the most part, they kept to themselves. They stayed in much smaller groups and hardly interacted with the others once they were in a conversation. Travis and Patricia spoke rather intensely. It was to the point where the usually silent man was out of breath at times. Meanwhile, Audrey spoke with Daniel, of all people, whom he seldom had one-on-one conversations with in school. Finally, Kristopherson spoke with Alois and Ciel, although Ciel would sometimes tune into the conversation that Travis and Patricia were having when it was more interesting.

It made them feel a little self-conscious because they felt as though they were supposed to be spending time with everyone at once, but they weren't. Some of them even went into the kitchen to talk after they all got up to get another drink or a snack and ended up staying there. It was somewhat inevitable, though. It wasn't because they didn't like each other. Far from it. They simply found it difficult to talk in a large group without constantly trying to talk over each other in order to be a part of it. This realisation prompted the others to have a few questions about Travis, yet they decided to keep them to themselves for the time being.

All of them fulfilled their mission of cheering Audrey up and drawing him out of his solitude while figuring out a bit more about how things were going to function from now on. If they weren't good in a group, they might have to make smaller "playdates" between a handful of them at a time. That wasn't a bad thing, though. Everyone would adapt just fine in due time. Their friendships were always evolving no matter what. Given everything that they've been through together, as long as they have each other's backs, growing up wouldn't hurt them.


	386. Revalating Revenants

Daniel Westley lived with his sister in a decent enough apartment in the city of London. It wasn't too big and it wasn't too small. It was just right. At this time, however, he wasn't there. Instead, he was staying at a rather pricey house along the beach that cost much more than his actual dwelling with his friends, leaving his younger sister behind.

She wasn't alone, however. Gracious, no. Her brother would never dream of it. Instead, Samantha was staying with her close friend Geraldine Midford at the Midford estate. Now they lived much differently than she ever did. They had a big mansion that was centuries old, being the descendants of a long line of marquis. Samantha's father thought he had money, but _these_ people had _money_. That wasn't the main difference, however. Every time she went over there, Geraldine's family would be there as well. They were warm and supporting, unlike her own. Granted, she had Daniel, whom she loved very much. Staying with him was the closest she's ever been to having a "normal" family life.

Sir Midford was always smiling when Samantha saw him and told her laughably unfunny jokes like a normal father would. His wife made sure she was comfortable and jabbed her husband in the ribs whenever he jested. The eldest brother, James, was seldom there, as he was grown with his own wife and young children. The second, Oliver, was usually present as with this particular visit. As Samantha watched two masked figures fence, she could tell which one he was, as he was the taller one. On the other hand, the short one was Geraldine. The daughter of Midford was on fire.

Geraldine used her height to her advantage, ducking down as low as she could to avoid her brother's strikes. Once she had a clear shot, she aimed for his armpit, striking him in the torso as he launched a failed attack. From where she was standing, however, it was technically a foul.

"You're supposed to stay straight in front of me, Gerry." her brother half-scolded, relaxing his stance. "That doesn't count."

"There are no rules in combat." Geraldine shot right back. "You're a soldier. You should know that. You'll get killed by sticking to just the 'rules.' If this sword were real, it would have gone right through to your heart."

"This is a fencing match, not a duel to the death."

"I know. It's a good thing. You'd be dead about six times now if it was."

"Geraldine, be nice to your brother." called Sir Midford from off to the side as he sat by the Westley girl.

"Why don't we use real swords like at Integra's?" his daughter questioned.

"You just said you'd kill me!" protested Oliver, taking off his mask.

"I would not! Good God, you're my brother. I would never!"

"You're not getting out of that one, Gerry!" Samantha stated, projecting her voice so that her friend could here her. Taking off her own mask, Geraldine walked over to her.

"I will have you know that I am a Midford. We are bound by the same code of chivalry as our forefathers and foremothers and would never raise our sword to someone who did not truly deserve it."

"Mm-hm. That's why you wanna duel your brother with a real sword?" The Westley girl was skeptical as she raised a single brow. "Because he deserves it?"

"How dare you twist my words, Westley?" her friend scoffed. "Maybe you'd like to duel me, too?"

"No. I enjoy not making a fool of myself."

"Just be that way, why don't you?" snarkily replied Geraldine, propping her fencing sabre against the wall while she took a seat on the other side of her friend. "Are you really alright with just watching?"

"Yeah. It's hard to be bored while watching people fight with swords, even if they're fake."

"Can't argue with that." Reaching up a hand, the Midfored tucked golden locks of curly hair behind her ear so that they were out of her face. They stuck to her skin from sweat and it irritated her. She always looked it regardless as to whether or not she was truly miffed, seeming to inherit her facial expressions from the Phantomhive bloodline. Despite this and her seriousness when it came to the sword, the Midford girl was usually in good spirits albeit with a somewhat dry sense of humour. Really, whenever Samantha saw her brother's demonic friend, she always thought of Geraldine.

It was the older Midford who was the more "gentle" of the siblings. The two girls watched him put away his equipment like Geraldine was supposed to before sitting down and catching his breath. Noticing this, their father piped up.

"Geraldine, go put your things away, if you're done for the day." Sir Midford instructed, causing the girl to sigh.

"Why are you on _my_ case today? Oliver is the one who lost..."

"Because you're held to the same standard as he is and should take proper care of your equipment as a result." the man stated. "Just because you inherited talent doesn't mean you're exempt from the discipline aspects of swordsmanship."

"Yes, sir..." The girl didn't sound very sincere, but got up anyway, grabbing her practise sword and helmet as she did. While she was doing this, her brother had a question.

"What do you mean she inherited talent?" Oliver asked, arching a brow.

"The genes for natural fighters are passed through only women in our bloodline, starting from when the Phantomhives married into the family." the man informed. "Us men have to be proactive if we want to keep up."

"That's not fair..."

"Neither is patriarchy." Geraldine chimed in before turning her attention to her friend. "That reminds me, did you finish that book by that Bechdel chick?"

"The comic?" the Westley girl said, asking for clarification. Her cheeks tinted a little pink at the thought of the book once she remembered that her friend's father was sitting right next to her. "I tried, but I didn't understand a lot of her politics. That's probably just because I don't know a lot about how Americans do things, though. It was an interesting perspective on a lot of other things, anyway."

"Like lesbians?"

"Actually, yeah. I didn't really know a lot about how their lives are different from mine. I wonder if a lot of it has changed..."

"What's this about lesbians?" questioned Rupert, overhearing bits and pieces.

"It's classic feminist literature that's still referenced, dad." his daughter replied. "Relax."

"Alright..?"

"Dad, we're not together." Geraldine added, pointing to herself and then Samantha. Just because I hate men, doesn't mean I'm a lesbian."

"Shame. We're awful. She's a good catch, too." Sir Midford noted before turning back to his newspaper, catching the Westley girl off-guard while Geraldine simply rolled her eyes. Samantha could only assume that conversations like this were regular occurrence. She could understand what was going on, as Geraldine's first language was sarcasm. Part of Sir Midford was genuinely trying to be supportive, but he presented it in a way that his daughter could both understand and appreciate. "You never know, you might change your mind someday and settle down with a nice woman."

"Okay dad. Thanks."

After the Midford girl was done with practise, the girls left to go visit in Geraldine's room. As always, Samantha stared at her bookshelf, trying to decide if she wanted to borrow anything. She did on a pretty regular basis, and read most everything her friend had at least once. The girl had many books about swords.- how to make swords, how to wield swords, about different kinds of swords and combat techniques. She also had a few fiction books, but most weren't. There were one or two 'women's lit' books and book about many other miscellaneous subjects. Most were combat oriented, however.

 _"'_ _Art of the Samurai; Yamamoto Tsunemoto's Hagakure'_ … Damn, you're hardcore..." noted Samantha. "It's a good thing you don't actually hate men."

"A lot of that book was pseudo-philosophy. I like a few men. There's my dad, my brothers, and there's Revy… The Phantomhives seem pretty alright, but I don't talk to them much, so I dunno. The last time I saw them was at their wedding."

"They're alright. You'd probably really like them, actually." The Westley nodded. "How was it, by the way?"

"What? The wedding? Like almost every other wedding, apart from the supernaturals everywhere." Geraldine replied, capturing the other's undivided attention at her careless remark.

"Wait… So you actually went _inside_ Gehenna?"

"Yeah. It's a nice little town. It was a little scary since I'm not really used to that many Supernaturals, but Revy was there and I'm used to him."

"You have to tell me everything!" her friend insisted, startling her as she jumped onto her bed, causing her to bounce. "What did it look like? What are their customs? What kind of supernaturals were there?!"

"It was like London, but smaller." blinked the Midford. "Brighter colours on the buildings and stuff like that. A lot of men were wearing skirts, which was weird, but they usually had hooves, so it made sense."

"Where they kilts?"

"No… Just skirts."

"So in Gehennan culture, that's acceptable…." mused Samantha. "Go on."

"Uh… Well? I don't know what else. There's a lot, though. It's like one of those places that you can't explain, but have to go to yourself to understand."

"I can't, though. I'm not allowed to. I don't have HELLSING or Round Table connections..."

"Well, you do, but not the right ones." the Midford said. "Even I don't go there. I've only been once with my dad."

"Your dad can go in?" her friend questioned.

"He would never take you in there, so don't even think about it."

"Damn..." Laying back, Sam put her hands behind her head and looked up at the ceiling. There was a whole other world that few people know even exists and it's right under her nose. She wanted to know absolutely everything about it, but she couldn't. As far as HELLSING and the Round Table were concerned, she was just an ordinary school girl. The was no way in hell that they were going to give her access to a top secret location.

"Fix your skirt. I don't want to see your panties." her friend stated, causing her to move her hands. "Revy is coming over later and I don't think he wants to see them, either."

"Forget what Revy wants. _I_ don't want him to see them, either."

"Then quit flashing people."

Sitting up, Samantha playfully slapped Geraldine's shoulder, causing her to laugh. Yes, she could laugh, despite her usually bored expression. Samantha was simply one of the few people that could make her do it. Her, Geraldine's dad, Revy, and a select few comedians had what it takes.

Eventually, the revenant turned up and was ushered upstairs. It was always surprising for the group to see each other out of uniform, but Revy was always the most shocking, with his 90's grundge flair. He always seemed to be wearing the exact same army jacket each time they saw him and he looked sitcom ready. From the way he always described his family, it seemed like he actually was. His part would of course been that of the "moody teenaged sibling".

"It's nice to have Alois out of the house." he said, sitting on the bed with the two girls. "He's always trying to help me and it's kind of annoying."

"You're _upset_ that a family member is trying to _help_ you?" gawked Samantha, raising a brow.

"He's always wanting me to open up to him and it's kind of getting on my nerves." the lad attempted to clarify. "He also tries to act like he's my dad sometimes and it's annoying as shit. If he were around, I would have to tell him before I came over here because telling Sebastian isn't enough, apparently."

"Sounds rough, man." Geraldine replied, despite not meaning what she said.

"He doesn't seem to get that he can't fix some things. Yeah, I have problems, but what's he gonna do about it? It's his memories that have me fucked up to begin with!"

"Sounds like you're not annoyed with him, but rather, resentful." The Westley girl pointed out. "Does his face still bother you?"

"Only always..." Revy stated while hugging his knees. "I _hate_ having the same face as him. It feels like he's trying to 'help' me so I can be more like him. Dunno if that's true, but I don't want it."

"I highly doubt that's what he wants." Samantha said with utmost skepticism. "I understand that that's what it feels like, but-"

"...But that's totally ridiculous." Geraldine butted in, earning another swat to her arm. She ignored it, however, and kept going. "Have you considered changing your appearance if it bothers you so much?"

"That's the whole reason why I cut my hair short." scoffed the lad. "I've been needing to get another haircut lately, though… I just haven't gone yet. I've also been thinking about dyeing it, so I wanted to know what colour I'm gonna get before I go so I can get it done all at once."

"Oh! Do you have anything in mind?" excitedly asked Westley.

"I dunno… I wasn't thinking along the lines of 'normal' colours. I kinda want something a little 'out there'."

"Pink." Midford very abruptly suggested. "Or maybe a light magenta."

"What the fuck is magenta?" Revy shot back.

"It's like a pinkish purple."

"That would work very well." agreed their friend with a nod. "Blue or red might look good, too. It would bring out his eyes."

"True, true."

"You mean Alois' eyes." the revenant corrected as he rolled them behind his shades.

"No, no. They're different, they're different." Geraldine insisted. She was so adamant about the point that she said it twice. "Take off your glasses and look in a mirror."

"She's right, Revy. You've got eyes like nobody else." pointed out the other girl. "Your eyes actually stand out more than Alois' because of the black around the blue."

They were right. Revy's eyes were black where they were supposed to be white, causing any colour in the center to stand out dramatically. Yet, the lad had to look for himself, so with a heavy sigh he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up before walking over to the mirror in his friend's room. On the way, he took off his glasses, holding them gently by the legs while he stared at his face.

Indeed, not a lot was very different from his elder brother. He was certainly younger and his hair was shorter and messier, but other than that, there wasn't much of a difference. Upon further inspection, however, Revy raised his brows in surprise. The girls were right. His eyes were very dramatically different from his counterpart's. They gave off a completely different impression, making his face look new. All of this time, however, he kept them hidden as to not raise any suspicion or seem "strange". That's all he wanted now, however. He wanted to differentiate himself from the Phantomhive. It just seemed as though he were going about it the wrong way.

He wore plain, practical clothing and did a lot to make himself invisible. If he couldn't be seen, he couldn't be mistaken for his brother, after all. Certainly, Alois was loud and proud, but not this conspicuous.

"Are you into punk, Revy?" asked Geraldine. "You want to dye your hair some crazy colour, and your eyes look pretty hardcore. The army jacket is a nice touch, too."

Slowly, the lad turned around to face his friends, still stunned at the revelation. After a long pause, he said: "I… I think Ciel's earrings are cool..."

Smiling, the two girls looked at each other before Geraldine stood. "I'm going to go get a driver ready."

"You're in for it now." Samantha said to the Macken. "Gerry _hates_ makeovers, but she seems serious..."


	387. Pierced Ear

The car ride made Revy feel a bit nervous, as he built up in his head that yes, he was going to do this. At the same time, though, he was excited. The entire time, he talked to his friends about what colour he was going to dye his hair, but he was stuck. He knew what colour he really wanted, but was terrified that it was going to look horrible.

When they got to there, however, he grit his teeth and went through with it, staying there for what felt like hours for the girls, but only a few minutes for Revy. He acted like he had done this hundreds of times, causing him to ponder if he dyed his hair a lot in his past life. When he was done, he walked up to his friends, tearing them away from their fascinating conversation.

"I don't care if other girls are into that crap. I don't want my panties touching my butthole." Said Geraldine. "And it's like: don't ask why I'm throwing them away if you don't want the answer? Ollie doesn't make any sense sometimes."

"I understand entirely." Samantha replied before looking up at their friend as he stood over them, causing her to blush from embarrassment at the conversation, but not as bright as the firetruck red hair on Revy's head.

"Well?" the lad asked with a shrug. "What do you think?"

"Take off your glasses." instructed Geraldine without a moment's hesitation, prompting Revy to do just that. Once his eyes were visible, she folded her arms and nodded, satisfied with the results. "Yes. This is good."

"Whoa, that looks really cool..." the other girl observed. "It looks like you're just really edgy."

"Edginess is the perfect disguise for what a person truly is."

"Well, that takes care of that." Revy began, putting his sunglasses back on. He could have leaved them off, but he had gotten used to them. It felt strange walking around in public without them. "What next?"

"We're going to pierce your face." the Midford blurted out, taking the lad off guard. It was then that Samantha had to step in.

"Ears." she corrected. "She means ears. She's just messing with you."

"Uh… There might be a problem with that..." spoke the Macken. "I heal really fast, and I don't think I can explain that one away."

"Oh, we can get you some clip-ons, then." Westley answered. "It'll be fine. Though, you just heal around the earring anyway, so it'll probably work."

"Are we ready to go, then?" questioned Geraldine. "My butt hurts from this bench."

"Yeah. I think I've heard enough about your butt today to last a lifetime..."

That was the end of that venture. Afterwards, they moved onto the next and headed toward the mall in hopes of finding what they were looking for. Several jewelry stores and shops that sold women's accessories had them. Even though some of them were "for girls", they looked exactly the same as the men's and were also more bountiful.

"Silver, gold, or black?" Revy said aloud to himself, pondering which ones to buy.

"You're supposed to have one of each so you always have a set that matches." chimed in Samantha in a strangely dutiful tone. "Gold and silver don't go together unless you're going for a kind of Taylor Swift, Instagram look or something."

"Ew."

"Can you put them on your nose?" asked Geraldine, looking at the shelves.

"No, they won't fit." the Westley replied.

"Can you find some for noses?"

"Do you want one?"

"No, I just think they're edgy and might look cool on Revy." turning, the Midford faced the revenant. "Put one on your nose after you pay for them. I want to see if they'll fit."

"No." Revy answered without even a moment of thought. In the end, however, he did end up getting all three colours in several packs. He had enough to wear two different earcuffs on each ear every weekday.

"Do you want to get your ears pierced today?" inquired Samantha, pointing to a chair in the corner of the store. "They do that here, too."

"Uh…" hesitated the boy. "I've already altered my appearance dramatically enough today… Maybe later..." It was then that Revy noticed something rather peculiar. "Hey, where's Gerry?"

Turning their heads, the two looked around in hopes of spying the girl, only to see her at the front entrance of the store, staring out rather intensely. Thinking it was just the girl zoning out after being bored, they walked up to her, snapping their fingers to get her attention. With that, she blinked and looked over her shoulder.

"Hello~? Earth to Gerry, anyone there?" Samantha asked, waving her hand in front of the other girl's face. Swatting it, the Midford pointed at a suitcase that was leaning against a fountain outside of the store.

"Houston, we have a problem." she said, much to the confusion of her friends. "Unmanned suitcase."

"So?"

"Could be nothing. Could be something, though. Unfortunately, I don't know how to diffuse a bomb."

"A bomb?!" gawked the Westley. "You seriously think-? I mean, the statistics on that are..."

"I can go check it out, if you want." offered the revenant, holding out his bags for the others to look after. "If it is, it won't hurt me, but it's probably just that somebody forgot it and you're being paranoid."

"Come back to us alive." jested Samantha, only for Geraldine to pull her aside behind a sturdy surface while Revy walked out. "Ow! Gerry, what is your deal?"

"I don't know, I just have a bad feeling about it." the Midford stated, pausing to peek around the corner. "When I have a feeling in my gut, I pay attention to it."

"Is this more of your 'battlefield' stuff?"

"I would call it 'common sense', but whatever."

Meanwhile, Revy slowly and awkwardly made his way to the plain brown briefcase. He looked extremely out of place, both due to his appearance, but also his demeanor. He looked terrified, and rightfully so. If there really was something in that case and it goes off, while Revy can put himself back together, he was going to feel it.

Stopping in front of it, he looked around, apparently unaware of any means of not looking suspicious, himself. Very carefully, he gripped the handle of the suitcase with a delicate grip, lifting it and setting it back down on the side of the fountain. He didn't hear any ticking or mechanics inside and if felt light, so it probably wasn't a bomb.

To be sure, however, he opened it, undoing the latches on the side and slowly opening it up. There, he found a few rather curious items, including an activity book and a neatly folded piece of paper. Out of curiosity, he looked at it, only for it to not mean anything to him. The number "one" was scrawled on the paper, but the significance was lost on Revy. After finding those two items, he lifted the activity book, only to recoil and let out a loud yelp before falling flat on his backside. Hearing this, his friends stepped out of hiding.

"What is it?" asked Samantha, grunting as she stood while Geraldine dashed over to the revenant.

"I-it's a- a- a-..." The poor lad was frightened by what he saw, babbling without being able to answer the question. Recklessly, Geraldine abandoned her friend's side, allowing Samantha to take care of it, only to open the suitcase and find everything that Revy had.

An activity book, a piece of paper, and a human ear.


	388. Not A Death Sentence

The police arrived. Of course they did. What else was going to happen after a human ear was found in a bloodied plastic sandwich bag at the bottom of a suitcase in a public place? The London Metropolitan Police took ownership of the suitcase as evidence and sent the teens on their way, much to their displeasure. Samantha and Geraldine informed their respective guardians, while Revy allowed his to be ignorant until Daniel told Alois and they both returned from their trip early.

It wasn't long until Sebastian phoned them as well, as Revy came home escorted by police after being interviewed at the station with his friends. The demons were home incredibly quickly after that, putting on their police lights part of the way. They were both deeply concerned, as this was the first word any of them had heard from Revy all day, causing Alois to be thrown into a tizzy while Ciel attempted to calm him down. The menace ranted and raved about his sibling's "irresponsible" behaviour and lack of talking to him about practically anything that didn't require a snide comment.

In a matter of hours, the duo was home with Alois bursting through the door. A rather cross looking Sebastian greeted them both at the door, which made the blonde Phantomhive even more concerned. It was rare to see the butler actually irritated.

"He's upstairs in his room." Sebastian said to them first thing while taking their coats. "I'll take care of the bags while you decide what to do with him."

"We should probably ask him about what happened." Ciel suggested.

"Yeah, and ask him why the fuck he didn't tell anybody about finding a suitcase a la Sudoku Killer with a human ear inside of it!" huffed the menace as he stomped upstairs to the second floor. Seeing where this was going, Ciel tried his hardest to shut him down before he said something he regretted.

"We need to be reasonable about this." suggested the Watchdog. "He was picked up by police right after he found it. We don't know if he intended to contact us or not."

"And if he didn't, we're supposed to let him get away with it?"

"That's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is that we have no proof that that's what happened." the bluenette tried to explain. "Additionally, I don't think it's a good idea to confront him while angry."

"Why?"

"Because he has trouble opening up to you, normally. The anger isn't going to help, now is it?"

Stopping, the blonde crossed his arms. He had to think for a moment. As much as he really didn't want to admit it, his husband had a point. Shaking his head, Alois threw his hands up in the air in defeat.

"What am I supposed to do, then?" he grouchily asked. "Hm?"

"Go about it in a professional manner like you would while interviewing anyone else." stated the blue Phantomhive, drawing out a long sigh from his beau.

"Fine." Alois conceded. "I'll take a minute first…"

"I could interview him, if you like."

"Yeah, I guess… I just… I feel so _responsible,_ y'know?"

"I know. You're a good brother. Revy's just… in a difficult part of life."

"You mean he's a moody teenager."

"I didn't say that out loud." Ciel insisted.

"No, no. I agree with that." his spouse answered. "It makes him difficult, sometimes. If you think you can interrogate him and get a straight answer, then be my guest. Just… don't go medieval on him, okay?"

"No whips or flails. Got it." the Watchdog jested in hopes of cheering his partner up, patting him on the shoulder as he turned to leave. "I'll be nice. You just go relax for a bit."

"Alright." sighed the menace, putting his hands on his hips. "An attempt will be made…"

While he did that, the other Phantomhive went to Revy's room and knocked on the door. From there, he invited himself inside, only to see the lad lounging on his bed while staring at the ceiling. The Watchdog's arrival captured his attention and surprised him, causing him to jump. Similarly, Ciel was surprised as well, if only because of the drastic change in the boy's appearance.

"Hello, Revy." Ciel greeted, although he wasn't met with much enthusiasm.

"Great… You're back… That means _he's_ back, too..." huffed the revenant. "You gonna take turns lecturing me?"

"No. I'm here to ask you about the suitcase, actually." the Watchdog answered, inviting himself to take a seat. "No scolding, just business."

"So the scolding part is Alois' job, huh?"

"Well, he does want to talk to you after me, but I'm not entirely sure how it's going to go. Really, it could move in either direction."

"Gee, that's comforting..."

"So tell me about the suitcase so you can go back to dreading your impending doom." the Phantomhive answered, adding in a twinge of silliness. Somehow, it was appreciated, as the type of humour was similar to that of Geraldine. Though, Revy supposed that it might be because they're related by blood, if not in a distant way, now.

"What do you want to know?"

"Typical stuff. Where you found it, for one. I know it was in the mall, but where?"

"Next to the fountain." answered the Macken. "Gerry saw it and thought it might be a bomb or something. She's way too into this stuff."

"It's the family business." Ciel shrugged. "So, you thought it might be an explosive, but instead you found..?"

"A puzzle book, for one. Y'know, like the kind middle aged ladies like to fill out? Then there was a piece of paper. It didn't say anything but the number 'one' on it. No clue what that means..."

"I might have an idea… The ear is new, though."

"Wait, you know who might have done this?"

"Possibly. Or it's a copycat." Before the lad could ask any more questions, Ciel interrupted him with his own. "Was there anything else in the bag? Anyone suspicious hanging around?"

"No. Nothing. Nobody." Revy shook. "That's all I saw. Not very helpful, am I?"

"No, no. You're very helpful." the Watchdog said as he stood up. "If what your saying is accurate, then the person who placed the case had been gone for a while."

"And that's useful how?"

"Security cameras. If we're going to look for a suspect, that's the first place you do it. What you just told me helps narrow the time frame we need to look in." Turning, he started to walk toward the door again. "Thank you, Revy."

"I'm- I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful..." the lad answered, causing the man to pause. Looking back at the revenant, Ciel replied:

"That's alright. We're just glad you're safe." he said. "And you're the one who was brave enough to look inside. Although, next time, if you suspect a bomb, you should really call a bomb squad. Good work."

"You gonna send Alois in?"

"When he's ready." Ciel replied, gripping the door handle. "He needs a moment, first. He's had sort of a stressful trip."

"It was supposed to be a vacation, though?" questioned the revenant, earning a nod.

"Yeah." the Watchdog answered before walking out the door and leaving the other to his own devices. When the blonde came in, the conversation would be very different, but until then, all Revy had to do was brace himself.


	389. What A Boy Wants

After talking to the revenant, Ciel closed the door behind him and went off in search of his spouse. He found him lounging in an armchair, eyes closed and taking deep breaths in order to help himself calm down. Putting his hand on the back of the chair, Ciel leaned against it and peered down at the other, prompting Alois to give him his attention.

"How'd it go?" questioned the meanace with a rather unenthusiastic tone.

"Well, the good news was that I believe he told me everything he knows." Ciel answered. "The bad news is that it wasn't anything we already didn't know from Sebastian's call."

"So we're stuck, huh?"

"No, not necessarily." the Watchdog said as he sat down. "We have an ear. There's some DNA evidence at the very least, even if we don't yet have a comparison. We also know that we can link this to the escape of the Sudoku Killer."

"Security cams pick up anything?"

"I don't know yet. I did send the police a gentle reminder to check, however. I could always go in myself, I suppose."

"Flash some cash?"

"Yeah, that always gets guards to talk."

"How's Revy?" Alois questioned further, sitting up a little straighter than before.

"A little shaken, still, but that is to be expected. He isn't used to this sort of thing, after all. I told him you wanted to talk to him after I was done with him."

"I don't even know what about anymore… Tell him to text us if he's going somewhere? He's not going to."

"Maybe you could just support him in his time of distress?" his husband suggested.

"Nah. He'd never accept help from me." sighed the menace with a wave of his hand. "He thinks I'm trying to be his dad or make him into some kind of 'mini me' or something. I don't want that."

"The wonderful thing about Jimmy is he's the only one."

 _"_ _Winnie the Pooh?_ Are you for real?"

"As real as you are, my dear." chuckled the bluenette with a small grin. "And it's not Pooh, it's Tigger."

"Whatever..." Alois rolled his eyes at the other's antics, cursing himself for letting his guard down around him. Every time, as soon as he did, Ciel would pull something completely unexpected out of nowhere and like how Ciel accepts him, all the menace could do was roll with it. "So, you think I should go now, or…?"

"Depends. How zen are you at the moment?"

"Could be 'zennier.' But, I gotta go, now that you've made him expect me."

"Good luck." Ciel said, leaning back in his chair. "Stay strong. Come back to us alive."

"Fuck you..."

"What? No dinner, first?"

"Keep that up and you're not getting any at all." As soon as Alois said that, his beau went silent and he was able to get up and head toward his brother's room in peace. "That's what I _thought_."

With that, he made the trek to Revy's room, taking a deep breath as he padded down the carpeted hall in his socks. Although he would never admit to it, he was actually rather nervous, as he still hadn't completely made it to being on the lad's "good side" just yet. If this went wrong, their relationship might actually worsen, which was the last thing he wanted. Once he arrived at the door, however, he no longer had the time to ponder this. All he had was a brief moment to gather himself and gently knock on the door.

"Revy?" he called. "You decent?"

"Yeah." was all the blonde received in response, prompting him to believe that it was alright for him to step inside.

"Hey," Alois greeted, only to be taken aback by the other's appearance. An odd look crossed his face that was a mixture of shock, curiosity, and a teensy bit of concern at the firetruck red head of hair before him. Closing the door behind him, he allowed himself to gawk for a moment before sitting down. "Ciel told you I wanted to talk."

"He did." the lad answered, sitting up and folding his arms defensively in a preemptive fashion. "What do you want? To scold me?"

"At first, yeah, I did." his brother admitted with a nod. "I wanted to tell you to text before you go places for what feels like the millionth time. I've calmed down since then, though. Now I'm just glad that you didn't get blown to bits or meet a murderer face to face."

"So what do you want?"

"Damn, Revy, I wanted to see if you were okay. What else?" To that, Revy couldn't think of a straight answer, but was still suspicious nonetheless. Taking a deep breath and letting it out in a sigh, Alois continued. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped like that."

"You're right. You shouldn't have." answered the revanent with a nod.

"Look, I get that you don't like me. You think I'm trying to be all up in your business all the time, but I don't mean to."

"Then what do you mean to do?"

"Keep you away from finding mysterious suitcases with human ears inside of them, hopefully. There's a lot of shit out there. I've seen it, you've seen parts of it, and I don't want you seeing any more."

"Ciel said you deal with people who do worse than cut off ears..."

To that, the menace was taken by surprise a bit. It wasn't exactly a secret that the duo sees things mortal eyes should not see, but just how much of that Revy knew about, Alois didn't know. "Yeah… Much worse… I nag you so you don't run into it. Or, in the worst-case scenario, can call for help and have us get to you in time before you see more than you need to."

"You deal with that shit all the time, huh?"

"Yeah..."

Scratching the back of his head, the lad pondered that for a moment. "Y'know… I don't really hate you..." he said. "I just don't want to be you. I don't want to look like you, I don't want to act like you, and I definately don't want to do what you do."

"I don't want that either." nodded the Phantomhive. "You don't need to be a lion. Just be a 'Revy', whatever that may entail. I don't want you to run head first into some murderous bullshit, that's why I want you to leave that part to me and just stay safe."

Revy didn't have an answer to that right away. Of course he had considered this possibly being the case, but had never imagined that he would be hearing it straight from his brother's mouth. His stubborn mind was convinced that this wasn't the case at all, however. Instead, he had convince himself that the blonde simply wanted him to be another version of himself from the way he spoke to him. Rather, how Revy perceived it.

"I guess..." was all he let out, refusing to meet the other's gaze. He almost didn't want to accept that Alois really was looking out for him. Revy was stuck in his mindset and didn't want to budge, but didn't know what to say as a result.

"Listen, I don't expect you to believe me." Alois said. He was absolutely serious. His voice held a degree of gravity that the boy had never seen before and his expression was stern, but also pleading."I really wouldn't blame you. I just want to put it out there so you'll be a little more careful. The world is fucked up. It might not be an ear next time. It could be worse."

"I thought you wanted me to be an agent?"

"No. It was an implied necessity, but now you have another path open to you. A police officer in Gehenna. Honestly, I think that's a better job. Ultimately, I can't make you do shit. I'd like you to stick with that. I'd like you to stay as far away from this shady shit as possible. In the end, though, the choice is all on you. If you pick the path I'm on, though, you'll be eyeballs deep in blood at times. You'll see and commit violence that you didn't even know was possible before. You stick with being 'Revy'. I'll stick with being me so you don't have to."

"I thought you wanted me to be more like you..."

"If you mean I want you to be a responsible adult, then yeah. I do. As for the other stuff, I'd rather you figure it out." the menace said, gesturing as he spoke. This was perhaps the most intimately he had spoken to his sibling in ages, if ever. "I don't want to decide that for you. What would I get out of it? I don't care if you hang out with your friends as long as we know where you're or if you went out at all. I don't care if you're interested in other things. Just do you. Do it safely, that's all I ask."

Standing up, the man sighed. "That's all I really wanted to say. That and make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine..." answered Revy. At last, he peered up at the blonde and saw him nod before turning to leave. As his brother reached for the doorhandle, however, he stopped and turned back to face Revy.

"By the way, I like your hair. It suits you."


	390. Making A Habit

Roaring flames tickled the heavens as a small home that could fit one family comfortably was set ablaze. The light tinted all around it a dull orange as it danced across the faces of the two men who stood before it. The first was a balding man in glasses wearing a blood-spattered shirt with wide eyes as he looked up at the smoking structure in awe, while the other was a rather scruffy-looking blonde man with a cleft chin and an amused grin. The most startling feature of the second man, however, was that his right eye was sewn completely shut.

"I can't believe I did that..." gawked the first. "I… I just..."

"Stu, Stu, Stuart..." Blackwood tsked while shaking his head. "What else were you going to do? Stay in a loveless marriage for the rest of your days for a kid that doesn't even respect you? You're free, now. Congratulations. How do you feel?"

"I..." hesitantly began Stuart before nodding. His tone took on a more positive feel. "I feel… Pretty good. Yeah. I feel okay."

"Then you're going to be perfectly fine." Pulling his eyepatch out of his pocket, Paul placed it over his stitched eye and wrapped the string around his head. With a pat on his former coworker's shoulder, he turned to walk toward the car. "Come on. We should get the goods to your little brother real soon."

Wordlessly, Stuart nodded before following the other's lead. Both of them got into the car with their cargo on ice in the trunk and started it up. The motor complained for a brief second before cooperating completely. With that, the two drove in silence for hours. The occasional and sparse light of the street lamps was all that cut through the darkness to completely illuminate the evidence that the former family man wore. They took back roads all the way to Manchester, being cautious when they were forced to go on main roads. As long as they obeyed traffic laws, they were unsuspicious and safe.

They were tired when they arrived to a different house that was much larger and prettier than the last, especially since it was still very much intact. After turning off the car, the front door of the building opened as the owner was expecting them and decided to greet them. Despite being the "little" brother, he was much taller than Stuart and more burly. Behind his back, Stuart called him a "gorilla" for a reason.

"Well, if it isn't big Stu?" the large man said with a smile and his hands in his pockets. "This the 'friend' you told me about?"

Before Stuart could answer, Blackwood already extended his hand to shake. "Paul Blackwood." he said, introducing himself. "I'm very pleased to meet you, mister Butcher."

"I'm glad to meet you as well, Blackwood. So, I hear that you have something for me?"

"Indeed, I do, sir. But we really shouldn't stand around out here like this. I have two 'specimens' in the trunk and a little something special on me."

"Well, you'll have to show me inside." spoke the younger Butcher. "I'll have some guys get your things for you."

Stuart was nervous going into the house, and for good reason. Blackwood was either ignorant, fearless, or mad, for his brother was the nastiest man in Manchester. Drugs, human trafficking, and black market deals were merely the tip of the iceburg with him. He sells bodies, living or dead, and is even rumoured to eat the flesh of his victims when he's feeling partial. "Barry Butcher" was his name, but some spoke of him like his first name was "The". Blackwood had just walked into his den, bringing his older brother with him.

Now, the Butcher brothers hadn't seen each other in years. It had been almost a decade, in fact. Stuart disagreed with Barry's way of life, but here he was, at his door covered in blood while presenting his family to him on a silver platter. It certainly was a surprise, putting Blackwood on the man's good side from the starting gate. Of course, this was all part of Paul's game. He had pushed buttons in just the right way to set this scene, taking his sweet time over the course of a month to move Stuart to the point where he would consider cold-blooded murder. Really, he hadn't expected the man to be so calm about it, but it worked in his favour, regardless. Perhaps it was in his blood all along.

In Barry's living room, Blackwood and younger Butcher sat while Stuart excused himself upstairs to finally rinse off the blood and change his clothes. Still, Blackwood was ridiculously calm as he casually sat there. Fortunately, he had no need for long explanations. It was already done over payphone. Barry was already perfectly aware of his brother's deed and he was rather impressed.

"This isn't your first rodeo, is it?" he jokingly asked, earning a chuckle from the eyepatch-wearing man.

"Not really. I will say, though, I've never done it this way before."

"Really? Does it have to do with this 'business deal' you have in mind?"

"Well, helping Stuart was simply paying a favour to an old friend." Blackwood informed. "Although, I did initially just come to him so he would direct me your way. But, in the process, I got a sample for you." Reaching into his coat, he pulled out a small bottle that could fit in the palm of one's hand, filled with an ugly, translucent but yellowish liquid. He set it down on the table in front of him for the other man to examine. Naturally, a look of confusion came over his new acquaintance's face.

"What is it?" Barry rightfully questioned.

"I hear that you're in both the drug and murder business." Paul observed. "This right here is a way to utilise both. Now, every body that piles up will serve a purpose, and I don't mean black market organs. This right here is a drug like no other. Legend has that it gives you the ultimate high. It's called "adrenochrome'."

Picking up the bottle, Mister Butcher squinted as he examined it more carefully. "I've heard of that…" he said. "I thought it didn't really exist? Have you tested it?"

"Not this particular batch, no, but I have with others. It works. The only problem is materials. You need a fresh human brain to make it, since it's made with the adrenal gland. So then I thought: 'where can I get materials for this?' That's where you come in."

"And what do you want in exchange?"

"Me? Not much. Roof over my head, a little pocket money to keep me alive, and maybe some backup if I get in any trouble." Blackwood answered very matter-of-factly.

"What kind of trouble could a man like you get into?"

"You'd be surprised. But no matter where you take this stuff, you'll always be the drug king. All that in exchange for a safe place. So?"

Furrowing his brow, Barry stared at the bottle in his fist for a while, mulling over the offer. He hardly knew this person. He didn't know if this drug was even real or not. It could very well be a scam. So, Barry had to make sure that it wasn't.

"How do you use this stuff?" he questioned.

"With a syringe. Not a lot, though, or you might die in one hit." Blackwood informed. Looking up at his new associate as Barry stood up with the bottle. "I wouldn't try it on yourself, anyway."

"I'm not going to. I just so happen to know a guy..." With a gesture, Butcher got a few men to follow him, prompting Blackwood to do so as well.

With the bottle, Barry and his posse traveled through the house until they came to a bookshelf. There, Blackwood raised his brows at the sight of the piece of furniture moving like in the movies, revealing a staircase behind it. Down they went. It was as they spiraled downward into the depths of the Butcher household that Blackwood felt a rare rush of something, whether it was fear, excitement, or both. For someone who could "see everything" with his cursed eye, it was nice to see something surprising once in a while.

At the bottom of the stairs, they came to a large, metal door that Barry knocked on. A small slit in it's surface opened up, revealing a pair of eyes for a brief second. It was just long enough to make sure that it was a friend and not a foe. When the door opened, they came to a small, dingey room illuminated only by a single lightbulb in the center. Underneath it was a chair with a badly beaten man with his arms duct tapped to the armrests of his chair. He seemed out of it until he laid eyes on Butcher. Then, he panicked, but the tape over his mouth prevented him from screaming.

"Well, Bobbie, it's your lucky day." Butcher began. "After being such a good sport and telling us exactly why you thought it would be a good idea to sell what wasn't yours, I've finally decided what to do with you."

Looking to his flunkies, he instructed: "Give me his arm." Just like that, they pounced, tearing off tape and fabric while the poor man struggled. Then, he addressed Blackwood while picking up a syringe from a table of instruments of "enhanced interrogation."

"The high of all highs, you said?" the man questioned while filling the syringe. "Guess he's going to get a reward for his cooperation, then."

With the exposed arm, Barry very quickly found a vein to stick the needle in. The putrid liquid steadily flowed through and was admittedly underwhelming at first, but very quickly wielded interesting results. The captive only known as "Bobbie" started laughing. It was through his nose, but it was definitely laughter. From the lack of distress on his face, it seemed as though he wasn't in any pain any longer. With dilated eyes, he looked around the room and wiggled in his seat, shockingly giving the men holding him down a hard time keeping him restrained.

"What's happening to him?" Barry asked.

"He's on adrenochrome, Mister Butcher." Blackwood calmly replied. "He feels invincible right now. In a way, he is. He can't feel pain, for the time being. That said, he'll definitely be feeling it when it wears off. For now, though, he's got a buzz like no other."

"This… This is insane… Do you have any idea what this could be used for? It could be a drug, sure, but… Imagine… Your guys don't feel pain and keep going… And they have strength like that? Amazing..."

"Play with it some more. Give it time. You'll know exactly what to do with it, eventually. As for your end of the deal?"

"Buddy, whatever you want, you've got it." the mobster said with a flabbergasted chuckle. "Just say the word."

"I will, when the time comes. For now, dinner would be nice."


	391. Held Hostage

As much work as Alois had to do, the image of a suitcase still lingered in his mind. Questions like why the Sudoku Killer would change his modus operandi like this popped up and so did the conundrum of exactly who the ear belonged to was present. Most of all, Alois wanted to know where the bastard went.

It was more than personal to him. It was sentimental. He was especially determined now that Revy had become involved, but it was also his first case. It was his first with Ciel and it was his first altogether, making it special to him. If only the villain could have waited two months before striking, catching him would have made a lovely anniversary present.

Speaking of the devil, the husband of Alois' eventually stumbled into the room. He would have looked more dignified, but the bluenette was still in the process of waking up. Thus, Ciel had to settle for wobbling to Alois' side of the desk in order to greet his spouse for the day. The sight made the menace giggle, but Ciel paid no mind.

"Good morning, sunshine~" Alois grinned while his beau leaned down to kiss him before wrapping his arms around his shoulders.

"Morning..." sighed the Watchdog while keeping a firm grip on the other. "You got up without me..."

"Sorry, baby. I tried waiting on you, but you wouldn't wake up!"

"You could have woke me..."

"And disturb that beautiful sleeping face? That would be criminal!"

"Mmn." grunted Ciel in acknowledgment, resting his head on top of his husband's. Really, he didn't seem to have registered what the blonde said, but he was content here, so that's all that mattered to him.

"Go back to bed, if you're this sleepy!" instructed Alois, only to find that the hold around his shoulders tightened as a result.

"No, I'm fine, here."

"Is it just me, or have you gotten clingier since we got married?"

"I have been taught the pleasures of a good hug and I have absolutely no intention of letting go of that." the bluenette sighed, nuzzling flaxen locks. "Besides, it's not just hard to go to sleep without you. It's hard to wake up as well!"

"God, you're so cute… You're lucky I tolerate this."

"You _love_ it." Ciel accused, hitting the nail right on the head. He couldn't see the eyeroll that his spouse did, but could almost feel it in the air.

"Yeah, yeah… I could move to the couch and bring the laptop so you do have to stand, you know."

"You spoil me..."

"Rich brats like you are used to being spoiled, though." Alois said while standing up, causing his beau to chuckle. The action forced the other to let go, only for Ciel to try to hug him again. He was shooed away, however, as Alois needed to grab his computer. "Go sit down."

Dejectedly, Ciel did as he was told, but he sat in a way that he was taking up most of the couch with his legs sprawled out over the seats. Whether it was an odd act of defiance or not, Alois paid no mind, as he sat down anyway right in the Watchdog's lap before leaning his back against him. Surprised but not ungrateful, the bluenette wrapped his arms around the Lion's middle and pulled him close with a hum, all the while Alois trying not to laugh with him as he sat with his laptop on his legs.

"You're so needy… When did you get this needy? I don't remember you being like this at all when we were younger. In fact, you were hesitant on hugs." the blonde Phantomhive pointed out with a grin. "Used to, it was _me_ who got in the way of _your_ work like this."

"Things change."

"Obviously…. Anyway, I actually do need to finish these emails. Then I'm going to try and figure something up with Sudoku. You can nap or whatever."

"Wake me up when you get to Sudoku." Laying his head down on Alois' shoulder, his breathing eventually became deeper, leaving the menace to try not to laugh aloud as he knew his husband had fallen asleep. Really, if he was this tired, Alois didn't really see why he hadn't just stayed in bed. All he could do was assume that this was just another instance of Ciel's strange ways. Good thing he was comfortable, as when Ciel has him in his grip, even while sleeping, he's not letting go until he's good and ready.

Fortunately, Alois wasn't at all uncomfortable in this position, despite the occasional snoring sound his beau made due to the odd angle. He just carried on, responding to emails about the possibility of green energy being implemented in the town of Pyestock. Alois liked the idea of complete self-sufficiency, but he didn't like the price tag. Still, he decided that in the long-term, it would be the wisest decision, so he made the proper arrangements and gave them the go ahead. He would deal with the costs with his own money, if he had to.

There were other decisions being made as well, like smoothing out problems in the supply chain for the supernaturals who were working so they could eat, and keeping up the morale of everyone involved. He was going to have to make a trip down there in the near future, but hoped to get this nonsense with the Sudoku Killer sorted by then. Unfortunately, the menace didn't know if that was going to be the case.

Eventually, he felt as though he had decided the fates of other people for long enough and decided that it was time for a break. He closed his email and was about to open up another tab in order to mess around a bit on the internet, but the door to the office opened just short of him finishing typing out "Buzzfeed". Now, Alois wasn't surprised that Revy came into the room, but was curious as he seldom did so.

"Hey..." the lad greeted before a look of confusion washed over his face at the sight before him.

"Hey." Alois answered in return. Observing Revy's reaction, he addressed the matter of the Watchdog in the room. "Don't mind him, he's asleep. Whatcha need?"

"How'd he fall asleep like that?" the boy questioned, seeming to forget his purpose for coming for a moment.

"To summarise: Ciel is a big baby who needs coddling. Now I'm trapped."

"Whatever..." Revy said with a shake of his head. "Anyway, I wanted to know if you'd tell me more of this 'Sudoku' bloke, but I see that you're busy..."

"Not really. I'm taking a break, anyway."

"Wait, you were actually working like that?"

"You gotta do what you gotta do." the menace replied, unable to shrug with the head on his shoulder. "Anyway, have you a seat. We'll talk murder."

Somewhat reluctantly, Revy did as instructed, sitting down on the other couch just across from his brother. As he sat, he took in the odd sight before him and wondered why these two were like this. They were almost disgustingly in love, despite their jobs and the past traumas that they endured. Revy wondered what their secret was, if they had one. His thoughts were cut off, however, due to a question.

"So, what do you want to know?" the blonde asked. "What part of Sudoku has you confused?"

"First of all, why's he called 'Sudoku'?" Revy answered with his own inquiry.

"'Cause of his M.O." answered his brother. "The activity book has sudoku puzzles in it and the number is part of the puzzle. Think of a map. They're usually written on a grid, right? The puzzle playing field in sudoku is that grid. And the number corresponds to a place on that field. When a suitcase shows up, that number and that place are a location on the grid. Make sense? This is how we found him the first time."

"Kinda..?" replied the boy, still not quite getting it. He simply pretended that he did so that the other would move along, but the other caught on.

"I'd show you, but I'm kinda stuck at the moment..." Alois said. "See that puzzle book on the table? Open it up to a puzzle." Once the lad had done that, he continued. "Now, pretend there's a map of London, there. See those numbers? Those are a coordinate on the map. Each number represents a spot where the Sudoku Killer has left a suitcase. Now, for this case, the mall you were at would be on there."

"Oh. Okay, I get it now." nodded Revy. This time, his brother believed him. Alois wondered if Revy might be a visual learner and decided to hold onto that idea for future reference. Revy, however, wasn't done yet. "How long ago was the first case?"

"Oh, it was years ago… I was about fourteen or fifteen… It was my first case, so it's a little sentimental, actually. Back then, Ciel and I still weren't the biggest fans of each other."

"You didn't like each other?"

"Ehh… Yes and no? We liked each other a lot better since the last time we met each other and we were getting better. I think that case actually helped us become friends!"

"What happened when you first met?"

"Buddy, we've been in this 'killing people' game a long time. Both of us were manipulated by our respective demons into thinking we were enemies. That was back in the 1800s. I died a little while later, but he's not the one who did it. I am the one who turned Ciel into a demon, though. Never expected to come back a century later as one myself. I expected to have my soul get eaten and that be the end of it."

The way Alois spoke so casually while discussing this stuff as if it were nothing was shocking to Revy, to say the least. Indeed, Revy did hold memories of things prior to Alois death, but he didn't expect the man himself be so nonchalant.

"It's in the past." he said. "Everthing's alright now. Things change."

"I don't think I could marry someone who tried to murder me..."

"It wasn't his fault. Besides, I was tricked, too. Fortunately, Sebastian changed his ways and is a better butler than mine was, or else Ciel would have been stuck with a huge creep!"

"Claude?"

"Oh, yeah… You have some memories of mine… Yes, _Claude_." The blonde spit the name out as if it were poison. Immediately, he changed the subject. "Anyway, as for the Sudoku Killer, that was also when we found out I'm a demon, too. At first they thought I was an ordinary human."

"How'd you find out you weren't?"

"I was beaten with a baseball bat to the point where a human would have died or passed out, then I regenerated and grew horns and a tail before coming at the bad guys in a blood rage."

"What the fuck kinda shit are you getting up to when we're not around?"

"Bad shit for a good cause, usually. Though, it's been pretty calm this month thus far. Part of me hopes it stays that way, but I also want to get that fucker off the streets as soon as possible."

"How are you going to do that?"

"Dunno, yet. We don't have a lot of information. The police haven't given us access to anything they have yet." Alois stated. "We could get some security cam footage if we splash some cash, but unfortunately, the one who usually takes care of that sort of thing is currently asleep."

Sighing in his sleep, Ciel squeezed his husband tighter around his waist before leaning back and laying down on his back, bringing the menace down with him on top. Poor Alois held up his laptop so it wouldn't fall in the floor. Looking for a place to set it down, he had no choice but to call out to his brother.

"Can you set this down on that table for me?" he asked while tilting his head in the direction of the coffee table between them. With a nod, Revy very kindly got up and did just that, closing the device and setting it down gently. "Thanks..."

"Couldn't you get out of there if you wanted to?" the younger Macken asked while his brother struggled to get comfortable.

"Yeah, but I'd hate to spoil it for him." Alois chuckled, patting his husband's arm while he looked up at the other. The poor man's cheeks were a bit pink from the embarrassment of being seen like this. "He might look intimidating to some, but he's a big softie. If you ever need anything, you can ask him for help."

"He tried to kill you when you were younger, yet you want me to trust him?"

"It would make life here a bit easier if you have no quarrels with the family head. Besides, we're cool, now. The best friend I've ever had. It helps to have someone who goes through the same crazy shit that you do. Ciel gets where I'm coming from and has my back wherever I'm going. Right now, though… He has my back a bit too literally..."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I know you don't understand our relationship." the Phantomhive informed the other, looking up at his brother's baffled face from his awkward position on top of a sleeping demon. "I don't really expect you to completely understand it. Not now, or really ever. What you do need to understand is that we're partners in more ways than one."

"I really don't need to know that..." the lad replied, scrunching his face in disgust.

"That's not what I mean." Stumped, the blonde closed his eyes and folded his arms, furrowing his brow as he thought how to explain this. "You know the concept of Yin and Yang?"

"Yeah? Opposites keep balance. Which one of you is which?"

"Both." Alois stated. "It applies not to us as individuals, but vaguely to aspects of our relationship. You've noticed how we are, right? Happy and… mushy sometimes, even though we do what we do for work?"

"Yeah?"

"Those are the opposite forces. We have different needs in and out of the field. We both need someone willing to kill someone, but who is emotionally 'there' for us when we come home."

"You've killed people?" questioned the revenant with raised brows.

"Lots." his brother answered. "But I can't be like that when I come back. I don't want to be like that. As soon as work is over for the day, the violence stays back there with it. I have to kill people in cold blood for my job, but when work stops, I'm allowed to feel. What I want to feel is warm and safe. Ciel can do that. He makes me feel loved and secure, but he also has my back when I absolutely need it. Understand? Nobody can do that for me but Ciel."

"Is this just a long way of saying that you love him?"

"Yeah. So chill out about him, okay? He's a good guy and he makes me happy. That doesn't have anything to do with you."

Pausing, Revy thought about that for a moment. "So… This whole time, you weren't trying to force me to be like you, you were fighting monsterous people, acting as a hitman, in a loving relationship, and really wanting me to accept it?"

"Basically, yeah." nodded Alois. "I was kinda convinced that you hate me. Still am a bit."

"I don't hate you..." groaned the lad as he turned around and to a seat back down on the couch. "I just… I don't get you. You're weird. You're really, _really_ weird. I mean, I'm undead, but I have trouble wrapping my head around the fact that someone like you really exists."

"Am I that weird?"

"Yeah, kinda."

"Good to know."

"Guess I'll leave you to it, then." Revy said as he stood up. "That's all I really wanted to know."

"Alright. You still going over to Geraldine's today?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. Be home by seven, at latest, or else I'll have to come after ya."

"Please don't."

"Then come home on time." Alois warned, wagging a finger at his sibling. "I don't want to employ mafia tactics on my family, but I also don't want to worry about where you're at."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be here." Revy said, shoving off with his hands in his pockets. "Not sure if you can anyway, with the way _he's_ got you in his clutches."

"Probably a good thing, since that means I can't wallop you for taking a piss." the Phantomhive shot back. Despite not being able to much much, his eyes were still glued onto the lad as he pat his husband's arm.

"Laters, 'bro'." the revenant chuckled, shutting the door behind him.

Rolling his eyes, Alois turned his attention to the laptop on the coffeetable. He still had things to do, so it was important that he got back to work as soon as he could. With a grunt, he reached out but his not even his fingertips could brush against the edge of the device. Alois resorted to trying to lean a little bit closer, but the grip of his husband held fast. He couldn't budge in the slightest and the realisation of that left him in a huff.

"Why do you have to be such a heavy sleeper?" he asked the other Phantomhive, knowing full well that he wasn't going to be heard. "Now I'm stuck here with nothing to do..."


	392. Such A Popular Guy

Later, Ciel woke up, wondering why his husband was uncomfortably sleeping on top of him until he moved. The action woke the blonde up and forced him to open his eyes. To the Watchdog's surprise, Alois wasn't too pleased. He stretched in hopes of removing the stiffness in his back from sleeping in such a position, and held himself in hopes of warming up.

"Morning..." Ciel said, receiving nothing but an uncomfortable grunt in return. "You went to sleep, too?"

"Nothing else I could do." his beau answered, gesturing to the coffeetable. "My laptop was out of reach and I couldn't call for help."

"Sorry, dear..." the Watchdog replied, pressing his lips to the blonde's cheek. "Want me to rub your shoulders?"

"That'd be nice." With his consent, the bluenette reached out and started to massage his husband, earning another grunt followed by a sigh. "Oof, yeah, that _is_ nice..."

"Did you at least get some work done?"

"Yeah. I approved a few things, though I might need to dip into my bank account to do it. Either way, HELLSING's paying for it."

"What did you approve?"

"They wanted to put in a few solar panels so the place can have some more self-sufficiency." Alois explained, sharply taking in a breath as his spouse popped his joints before letting it out again. "They still work when it's a little cloudy, so location isn't really a big deal."

"Sounds like a good plan. They have better output on sunny days, but if you had enough of them, you could just rely on that." Ciel stated. "You know, there's tiles that can you can pave the street with, and they work as solar panels as well."

"How much do they cost?"

"I don't know. I would have to look it up."

"Hmm." hummed the menace, acknowledging the other. His eyes closed as he focused on Ciel's hands. It was hard to be mad about being made sore with this. Not only was it not really the bluenette's fault, he was receiving quite a bit of pleasant attention, so it was difficult to complain.

Unfortunately, this didn't last as his beau piped up with a question. "Didn't you need to go somewhere today?"

"Yeah. I have mail in the Gehenna box." Alois replied. "Kris says I need to check it as soon as I can."

"Wonder what it is..."

"You wanna come?"

"If you'll have me." the Watchdog said, moving his hands up to massage the back of the blonde's neck. "I need to get biscuits as well..."

"You ran out?"

"I no longer have access to your stash, so yes."

"I really want to tell you that you need to cut back, but it's not like it'll affect you, so I've got nothing."

"Do not deny me this world's simple pleasures." Gently, Ciel moved blonde locks out of the way and placed a kiss to the back of Alois' neck. He was about to add something else, but upon observing something about the other, the thought escaped him. "Was your hair always this long?"

"Hm? I dunno? I've tried experimenting with it a few times before..." pondered the menace, taking notice that his hair was just about to work up the nerve to brush against his shoulders. "I guess I accidentally made it longer whenever I put it back? Maybe I think it looks weird because of that?"

"Do whatever you want with it."

"You say that, but what if I wanted a mohawk?"

"Could I stop you?"

"What if I changed the colour?"

"Now that, I have to question..."

"Don't worry. I know you have a thing for blondes." As Alois stood up, the action forced the other's hands away but Ciel had no need to frown as he bent down again and placed a kiss to the top of the other's head. "I'm gonna go get ready to go."

"Alright." nodded the Watchdog. "I'll put on shoes and a tie then, I suppose."

"I might be a while, so don't wait up. Also, don't fall asleep."

"I won't."

"Good. I'll be back."

Ciel didn't need to wait long, as he decided that fifteen minutes was long enough to wait and headed to the master suite. He was going to grab his shoes and a tie. Possibly, he was going to get his jacket out while he was at it. Once that was sorted, he sat down in a chair in the dressing room while he waited, staring at the bathroom door. It was open part of the way, allowing him to see part of his husband's profile as the blonde stood in front of the mirror. He knew that Alois was aware of his presence, so he waited until the other decided to acknowledge him. All the while, he watched the other as he sat.

Eventually, a head of blonde hair peeked out of the door and looked at him before the rest of Alois stepped into view. He was wearing a plain black suit- the kind they wore to work, made of cheap material and easy to replace. Alois did pair it with a blue tie with small lions on it, however, giving his attire colour. Ciel smiled, as it was the one that he had given his husband for his birthday, but mostly it was because of the changes Alois had made to his appearance.

"What do you think?" questioned the blonde while still fussing with the ends of his hair. "I wanted to try and get it as close to how I had it back in the day as I could. This is the best I can do..."

"I love it." Ciel replied, talking with his hands as well by standing and reaching out to touch those flaxen locks. "Throwback to 1888."

"You remember the year?"

"Yeah. It's kind of hard to forget."

"Revy was asking me how we can still love each other after all that shit that happened between us..."

"Quite easily." Nodded the Watchdog with a smile. His hands moved lower and rested on his beau's shoulders while Alois' naturally landed on the bluenette's waist. "Just watch." he added pressing his lips to his spouse's smile. The menace giggled into the kiss, causing Ciel to smile and break away.

"If you laugh, you're going to make me laugh." Ciel warned.

"Sorry. You're just a wee bit silly, is all."

"Just a 'wee bit'? I can live with that. Ready to go?"

"Yeah. I just need keys, is all."

The conversation followed them out to the car, where Ciel complemented his beau on his attire, poorly masking his satisfaction at the blonde wearing something he gave him. It was very conspicuous, but Alois said nothing, electing to grin at him instead. Ordinarily, Alois would have worn ordinary clothes, but because it was Gehenna, he felt as though he needed to present himself professionally.

As usual, they parked outside of the gate so that they could walk the rest of the way. Ciel would prefer to go by car, but part of Alois' job is checking on Gehenna and seeing how things are doing. Part of that involves observation. So, he would stroll through town with his husband on his arm, listening to people as they stopped him here and there. Many weren't brave enough to talk to him while the Watchdog was there, but many others were at the same time.

This made it take quite a bit of time to get to the Gehenna post office and by then, Ciel was somewhat regretting coming along. He had reached the threshold of how many people he is able to handle already, and there was still the trip back left. It was possible for him to manage, since he was only playing the part of arm decoration, but it was still a bit irritating to keep being stopped.

The inside of the post office gave him some relief, as there was only one person there. She was a woman who looked rather shy, given that she ducked her head down as soon as they walked in, despite the menace's friendly wave. They couldn't see part of her face due to her bangs, but they didn't really need to, given that they were just opening a mailbox.

Alois was surprised to see that there were quite a few things inside. There were letters, indeed, but most of them were from fans. The menace wasn't sure why Kristopherson insisted that he needed to check the box for this, so he kept looking, handing envelopes to his spouse to hold for him while his hands were busy.

"Forsetti Sibyl is running for judge?" he questioned, looking at a flyer he received.

"She will most likely win, given he reputation as a champion of justice." informed the bluenette while Alois found another flyer. "I don't know who Ardith Ravencroft is..."

"Well, apparently, she's running, too."

"She seems doomed from the name. 'Good war' going up against the god of justice for the spot of judge? That's silly..."

A small snicker came from the counter behind them as the young woman behind it couldn't contain her amusement at the observation. It caused the menace to call out to her. "Is Ravencroft not popular or something?"

The question surprised the woman, but hesitantly, she answered. "Well… Yes and no..." she said. "She's very wealthy. She's a witch from London whose come back once Gehenna was fixed. She kind of comes across as a little… Well..."

_"Pretentious?"_

"Yes, that..."

"Well, we know who the popular vote is." Alois said, turning back to his pile. Handing the flyer to Ciel, he found a rather official looking letter addressed to him simply from "The Witan of Gehenna".

"Witan? You mean how nobles used to decide kings back in the day?" questioned Ciel, looking over his shoulder. "All of the nobles would get together and decide if someone is suited to be king."

"Huh. I didn't know that. All I know is that's what they call the town council. It's basically a collection of Gehenna's bigwigs and they get together and decide things for the city. Sister Dorothy, Baldassare, Chief Sibyl… people like that."

"Hard to imagine Sibyl and Baldassare in the same company."

"It is what it is." the menace almost sighed, opening the letter right there in the post office. Glancing over it, he scrunched his brow before going over it and actually reading it thoroughly.

"What is it?"

"They… They want me to join?" The menace sounded almost perplexed by the offer. "I'm flattered, but I don't really think I should. I already have enough influence as it is. I'm fine with just being the middle man to HELLSING on occasion.

"You're an odd one." Ciel chuckled. "You're offered power, but you turn it away. Every time, almost."

"Not my job. My job is to make sure the city is stable and people are able to live happily and comfortably. That's all there is."

"There's more to it than that and you know it."

"I'll believe it when I see it." The Lion retorted while starting to walk toward the door. His husband followed, but the two of them were stopped when the girl behind the counter called out to them.

"Mister Lion! Wait a minute!" she said, causing the both of them to turn to face her. "You have more mail than that. The rest wouldn't fit in the box."

"Oh? Alright?"

"It's in the back. I can go get it for you, if you like, but I don't see your car outside..."

Ciel piped up at that. "Why the car?"

"Well… It's a bit heavy."

"How heavy?"

Moments later, the woman came back from the back of the post office with a box containing the blonde Phantomhive's mail. It was filled to the brim with paper and parchment. There was the occasional package wrapped in brown paper and tied with a string. The menace's eyes widened at the sight and his brows raised in surprise. Never in his life would he expect that. Looking back to the other demon, Ciel shook his head.

"I'm not carrying those, too."

* * *


End file.
